Feeding Big Cats
We feed 500 pounds of meat each day. For some reason people just assume that at least our food is donated and that is not the case. These are our suppliers:
Big Cat Rescue Uses Natural Balance Carnivore Diet
Big Cat Rescue uses Natural Balance Carnivore Diet because it is the best and the cats LOVE it.
The Carnivore 15 Formula was developed, researched and tested by leading zoo animal keepers, nutritionists, and veterinarians. This fresh-frozen beef diet is made from high quality beef processed in a HACCP compliant California State inspected plant under stringent sanitary conditions. Natural Balance ® Zoo Carnivore Diet 15 contains a zoo animal vitamin-mineral premix, which includes vitamin E, niacin, vitamin A and taurine - particularly important nutrients to felidae. The diet is nutritionally complete and needs no additional supplementation; it meets all NRC and AAFCO requirements for felids and canids, and does not contain meat by-products or grains such as corn, wheat, rice or barley. Non-meat ingredients conform to the feed standards defined by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).
Please call for further information at 1 (800) 829-4493 or email: zoovet@naturalbalanceinc.com
Visit them online at: http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/zoological/carnivore15.html
LANCELOT BEEF AND CHICKEN
Phone (813) 633-6930 They are located in Tampa Florida. Supporting this vendor allows the owner to care for a large number of big cats that he owns.
Lion Meat Beef with some fat, cut into chunks .40 lb
LA Beef of better quality w/ fat trimmed off .50 lb
Ground diet comparable to AFS will offer for .65 lb
Chicken, rabbit, bones, hides and horse available.
We began using this as our primary meat source in May 2001 but switched to Natural Balance because it is more consistant. We do still get bones with meat and chunk meat for treats from Sir Lancelot. Femur bones are fed on fast days to give the cats a little something different to to and to clean their teeth.
POULTRY FROM BUD'S POULTRY
They are located in Plant City, Florida (813) 752-7535 fax 752-4613
Leg Quarters .40 @ pound
Gizzards .43 @ pound
Thighs .62 @ pound
Wings .995 @ pound
Necks .17 @ pound (just for cleaning teeth, no nutritional value)
WHOLE CHICKS (There is no substitute for a natural, whole diet)
Hendry Farms LTD .10 each for day old chicks. We feed 60 per day. P.O. Box 2948 Lake City, FL 32056 (904) 752-5531 fax (904) 752-5682.
VITAMINS
For all natural vitamins, holistic medicines, homeopathy, and more, check outwww.earthanimal.com
Orthomolecular Specialties
With Natural Balance you do not need to add vitamins.
P.O. Box 32232 San Jose, CA 95152-2232
(408) 227-9334 fax 227-2732
| Mega C Plus | ½ Kilo | 12EA | 20.00 ea |
All of these are our prices as a non profit charity as of September 1999 and are for informational purposes only. Please contact each distributor personally for prices and availability.
Something we hear far too often is that someone has a pet exotic cat that
was just diagnosed with rickets from a calcium deficiency. This was
typically predicated by a broken bone or paralysis. I can't stress the
necessity of a healthy diet augmented by vitamins and minerals as is detailed
above in Nutritional Analysis. If you are already facing the problem of a
cat who is not eating a healthy diet and have realisde that you cannot easily
switch them to the prescribed diet, here are a few tips to help you through the
transition:
Getting cats to switch to a new diet, or to eat their vitamins is a nightmare, but is necessary for
their survival. You have to take it in tiny steps. Getting the calcium supplement into
them is your first objective and you may have to try a few really sneaky tricks to get that done. Most DiCalciumPhosphates are powders and you can rub it into
their fur so that they will lick it off, or you can try the baby bottle thing with goats milk if
they are likely to revert to that for a while. Some cats like the bottle as a treat even when they are adults, others don't. Add a little honey to make it sweet and he might go for it. It is messy, but you can mix the calcium and honey and smear this in this fur to be licked clean, but pick a spot he can't shake or it will be all over the place.
Cats do not metabolize sugar well and it can cause cataracts so do this only
until you can get the diet switched.
Meanwhile keep adding the calcium to their food, starting with just a tiny bit and increasing every day until you get him up to the prescribed dose. The same goes for adding new foods. Believe it or not, you may have to start by just putting the
old food and the new food in a zip lock bag together to get the scent of the new food on the
old food, then you can move up to soaking the old food in the blood of the new food, then stuffing tiny cubes of the new food inside the
old food... you get the picture. There is no magic potion to get them to eat what is good for them. It is a long and uphill battle.