Welcome to Natural Born Pets

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Specialists in
Raw Pet Food

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How much should I feed my dog, cat, kitten or puppy?

The most common question we get asked is how much to feed your furchildren when you switch them to a raw diet. We will give you the tried-and-tested numbers, but the most important thing we can teach you is how to read and trust your pets’ bodies – they are Natural Born after all, and their bodies know what they need!

Healthy Body Shape For A Dog or Cat

So the first thing is to look at your dog or cat’s body and determine whether they are at a good weight to start with. You should be able to easily feel their ribs under their skin, and they should have a clear waistline. If you can actually see their ribs, they are too skinny. If they are roly-poly round without a waist, they need to lose a little or their joints will take strain. This is especially true for puppies and kittens! However cute a barrel may look, you don’t want to stress their little skeletons as they are developing.

The percentages and amounts we’ve given are based on maintaining your pet’s current weight. That means you want to calculate the percentages or meal size based on their ideal weight, rather than their actual weight, if they are a little over or under at the moment. If they’re underweight, feed them a little extra. If they’re overweight, go with a bit less. Feel free to reach out to us if you aren’t sure and we can help you!

You’ll notice we’ve given you a range of meal sizes – that’s because every dog’s and cat’s body has a different metabolism, and their level of activity can affect how quickly they burn through their food. If you’re happy with your pet’s body shape and want to maintain it as is, we suggest you start in the middle of the range and observe your pets for a week or two. If they put on weight, adjust the numbers down a little, and if they start looking skinny, increase a little. The most important thing is DON’T PANIC! One of the great things about raw feeding is how easily your pet’s body will adjust if needed. An increase or decrease in meal size will make noticeable changes within a week or two.

How many Treats can I feed my dog or cat?

Everyone deserves a little treat from time to time, and this shouldn’t make a huge difference, but if there is reason for your pet to have gotten a lot of treats on a particular day (maybe a puppy school day, or a day when you left them home alone with a loaded puzzle toy to keep them entertained) then factor that in and adjust meals down a little on that day. Our dog Mochi knows that Saturday is a training day, which means she gets a very small breakfast before heading off to school to earn a whole bag full of treats!

Self-Regulating: How do I know if my dog or cat is full?

Cats are great self-regulators and will usually stop eating when they are full. If you put out a bowl of food in the morning and leave it out for 20-30min, your cat will decide how much they want to eat in that time. Repeat this in the evening, and don’t feel stressed if they don’t finish – they’ll let you know how much is enough.

Dogs, on the other hand, will usually wolf down anything you put in front of them! We often have to gently remind our customers that cute puppy-dog eyes begging at the table does not mean your dog is underfed – the way to tell if they are really hungry is to keep an eye on their body shape, as per the guidelines in the Body Shapes paragraph.

It’s important to note that both dogs and cats will often eat a bit less in summer. You might notice that that’s true for you too! This is nothing to worry about. Cats are also nocturnal hunters in the wild and will often eat a bigger meal at night.

If your dog or cat completely refuses food, or is eating much less for more than a day or two, it’s time to check in with your vet and make sure nothing is wrong.

Hopefully we’ve answered most of your questions about how much to feed your pets on a raw diet. If you still have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out and let us give you some personalised advice 😄

Some Questions Answered

WILL MY DOG BECOME MORE AGGRESSIVE ONCE HE/SHE HAS TASTED BLOOD?

Absolutely not. All animals may be a little possessive over their food (a survival tactic in the wild), so we would recommend giving your pet a little space while they are actually eating, but that is true regardless of what you are feeding them or how sweet they may be. Trust your common sense – don’t let your two-year-old tug on ANY dog’s ears while they are enjoying their supper, for example – but there is absolutely no correlation between raw feeding and behavioural problems in general or aggression in particular.

I'VE HEARD THAT IT'S NOT SAFE TO GIVE BONES TO DOGS? (AND I'VE NEVER EVEN THOUGHT OF GIVING THEM TO CATS!)

That is true of cooked bones, because the cooking process makes them brittle and likely to splinter. But a raw meaty bone is one of the best things you can offer your pet. Wild dogs and wolves gnaw on raw bones as a source of essential calcium and other minerals, and to clean the teeth and keep them strong. We will ask you to keep an eye your animals when they are eating raw meaty bones to avoid any risk of choking or teeth breaking. And while we wouldn’t necessarily offer a turkey leg bone to your cat (simple question of weight ratio!) our feline friends love chomping on our chicken necks, pilchards, and venison ribs.

WILL MY PET GET SICK FROM EATING RAW MEAT?

This is something many people are nervous about, so it’s a good question. Many opponents of raw feeding (mostly kibble / pellet companies) have raised a lot of fear about pathogens in raw meat. Firstly, to put your mind at ease, our food is registered, which means that we are subject to strict control regarding levels of bacteria / pathogens / salmonella in the food. The food gets tested at regular intervals, and so far has always come back with far better test results than even strictly necessary. These results are sent to the Department of Agriculture, who have even tighter rules about pet food than our South African laws on human food! So our food is very safe for your pet, and for you.

Regardless, let’s talk a little about bacteria in raw meat. Some of the confusion and fear comes in because one of the reasons humans cook much of what we eat is to kill bacteria. Dogs’ and cats’ stomachs are highly acidic, far more so than humans, which helps them process bacteria like salmonella (and others) without getting sick. The natural digestive enzymes and bile in their systems aid safe digestion and rejection of bad bacteria. Live enzymes in raw food help to boost your pet’s immune system and make it even better at this (sadly kibble is processed at way too high a temperature for these enzymes to survive, which can contribute to a weakened immune system in pets who only eat pellets… but this can be reversed when they return to a natural diet, so never fear!).

IS IT GOING TO BE A LOT OF HASSLE FOR ME TO FEED MY PETS A RAW DIET?
Nope, we’ve taken all the hassle out. We recommend a mix of our prepared dinners and whole foods, it is as simple as taking it out of the freezer and serving.

OKAY, GIVE ME A LIST. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BENEFITS MY PET AND I CAN LOOK FORWARD TO?

People who have switched their pets to our raw cat and dog food have found:

Dry, flaky, itchy, or uncomfortable skin has cleared
Allergic reactions their pets had previously had on commercial foods have disappeared with the raw diet
Generally improved mood, energy, and playfulness in both cats and dogs (many owners just thought their pet was naturally lazy or sluggish until they saw the renewed liveliness that a diet change brought about!)
Teeth are naturally clean – chewing on raw meaty bones helps scrape tartar off the teeth
Overall improved immune and digestive systems meaning fewer visits to the vet
Arthritis has significantly reduced in some dogs
Kidney function has improved in both cats and dogs
Dogs and cats are excited at meal times – no more of the “do I have to eat this??” facial expression!
The ripping and chewing involved in eating raw meaty bones develops the jaw, neck, and shoulder muscles, and aids coordination. Commercial foods will never assist in this important muscle development
Better weight control, for a few reasons:
– the food is more effectively digested (it is not clogged with unnecessarily high levels of carbohydrates)
– pets on commercial food often seem insatiably hungry because their food is not giving them the nutrients their bodies crave – this is no longer the case on the new diet
– owners confess to being less tempted to give table scraps and other excess treats because they watch their pets genuinely enjoy every meal!
No more pet odour
Stools are smaller and don’t smell as bad – this seems to be one of the most popular changes!
Cat owners agree, “no more stinky litter boxes and best of all – cat pee smell is non-existent!”
Their animals are living longer on a raw diet than their previous pets had survived on commercial dog and cat foods
Despite popular concern, the food is quick and easy to serve
Bitches manage their pregnancies better
Better weight and survival rates in puppies and kittens. Young ones develop at a more appropriate rate – and quick growth spurts are avoided. A GOOD breeder will want to stop fast growth in any pup or kitten.
Decreased vet bills (your dogs and cats are healthier!)
Pets who were previously on cortisone or anti-biotic medication now need less or none at all
And the greatest honour of all for us to hear, and we’ve heard it many times, “I think your food saved his/her life”.

Our customers have shared many other encouraging bits of feedback with us. We could write reams about the benefits but you would be reading all day, so please don’t hesitate to make contact if you have specific questions about health concerns or anything else we haven’t covered here.

WHY DID YOU CHANGE YOUR PETS' DIETS AND WHY SHOULD I?
We are a family with both two-legged and four-legged family members. We have always been slightly dog-crazy, and when our zany cat Flat Cat came into our lives, we swore it was possible to be equally “dog” and “cat” people. It was only when these beloved furry four-leggeds became sick from eating an expensive brand of pellets that our eyes were opened to raw feeding.

An article by Born Free USA entitled What’s Really in Pet Food put us off pellets for good (more about the history of dry pet food at the bottom of the page). It made us realise that we had had no idea what the mysterious dry kibble was really made of. It promised complete health on the label but the listed ingredients in no way resembled real food. Dr Karen Becker puts it this way:

With our raw food meals like PaleoPEt, on the other hand, you can see exactly what your animals are eating. You can be assured that your dogs and cats are getting a varied, species-appropriate diet filled with real fresh meat and other high quality ingredients