Is your cat a picky eater?
Do you have a hard time feeding him/her with just dry cat food? Does he/she frown with the whiskers on a can of wet cat food? It seems like they will rather skip the meal and stay hungry than have a taste of what you served to them.
If yes is the answer, I have a perfect solution for you! Well, not me, Stella and Chewys do. Anyhow, the point is that it would greatly help if you had a perfectly balanced and tasty topper that will boost the nutritional value of the food and enhance the taste at the same time.
We all want the best for our furry babies’, right? But at the same time, we all know that cats have high standards, so what can you do about it?
Well, I recommend you to try to implement your cat’s meal by adding Stella & Chewys Marie’s Magical Dinner Dust Raw Cat Food Topper and see what will happen. Hint: you will be amazed how enthusiastic your cat will be when it comes to mealtime.
Read my thorough Stella & Chewys cat food review and determine if this particular food can meet your (read your cat’s) needs.
Is A Raw Food Diet Good For Cats?
A healthy diet for your beloved pet is all about nutrition. But there is something you need to know; there is no well-balanced nutrition if you do not use natural ingredients, and if you do not provide enough fresh water for your pet. There is no point in using high-quality ingredients if you tend to kill their nutritional value during the preparation process, so you should try serving them raw.
But is a raw diet good for your cat?
A raw diet is the closest to what your cat would eat in the wild (your cat is a domesticated animal), but a completely raw food diet might not be the best option for your cat if she has certain health issues. My main concerns with feeding processed dry cat food products, or processed wet cat food products are how it affects their:
- metabolism (considering diabetes and weight)
- kidney and urinary health
- digestive system
- intestine (cancer prevention)
- IBD
Anyhow, when you feed with natural and raw ingredients, you can avoid these issues. But be aware that if you have small kids or any of your family members are immune-compromised raw food might not be the right choice for your household, considering there is a risk of cross-contamination with raw meat.
However, if you are considering switching your cat over to a more natural diet, using raw cat food toppers or freeze-dried toppers is one way to do it. If you choose freeze-dried food, you will always be able to store it and even travel with it conveniently.
The best way to introduce this food into your catto’s diet is to sprinkle some raw cat food topper to make them get used to that specific taste.
What are the important features to consider when feeding raw?
When choosing raw pet food products, there are some things and information you should consider first:
- Ingredients and their nutrition – Cats are obligate carnivores; their diet should be based mostly on meat and limited to grains or fillers or even without it.
- Allergens – Cats are also prone to allergies, so make sure to look for a food that does not contain ingredients that your cat might be sensitive to. Some common ingredients are potato, gluten, grains, wheat, soy, and corn.
- Formulation – Some foods are freeze-dried, some are frozen, some are very perishable, so make sure you have the room for it before deciding to purchase.
- Flavors – I’m sure your cat has her favorite food flavor (salmon and turkey are very popular among cats), so you know what to avoid. If you are experimenting and trying to bring in new flavors, buy small packages, and find out what your cat likes the best.
How to feed a cat with raw food?
You can use high protein raw meat such as fish ( salmon, cod, etc.), chicken, duck, turkey, beef, and make grain-free homemade food for your cat (please make sure that the main content of the meal is meat and bone, and focus less on veggies). But, like I already said when you feed raw meat, you will risk cross-contamination, which is bad for your health.
This might also not be the most nutritional option since cats need some trace elements that are not contained in the raw food you purchase at the grocery store. This is where ingredients such as supplements will help.
You can buy commercial raw, freeze-dried cat food, which is safer for the humans in your household. This food usually contains taurine and other minerals that your kitty needs, so it might be a way better option than making it on your own.
Is it true that cats live longer on raw food?
No matter what you have heard, you must be aware that this is not scientifically approved.
Every cat (dog or any other pet) is an individual for itself, so some will for sure live longer on raw nutrition, but on the other hand, most cats live for a long time on a diet based on kibble and commercial dry cat food. The best thing you can do for your cat is to consult the vet and see what he may recommend.
Switching to a raw food nutrition on your own without consulting your vet might be potentially hazardous for your pet since you can never know if his/hers health situation is good or not.
Is Stella and Chewy Good Cat Food?
Stella & Chewy is the number one selling pet food in States. That speaks for itself. Their products come in a few varieties and in few flavors:
- Frozen Stella & Chewys raw morsels – chunks of frozen raw meat like turkey, chicken duck combination, salmon
- Frozen Stella & Chewys raw medallions – patties made from shredded raw meat ( flavor chicken, turkey, duck, duck goose combination)
- Stella & Chewys freeze-dried morsels – the most popular kibble-style food from this brand. These are chunks of freeze-dried meat that you need to rehydrate before serving (salmon chicken, duck, turkey, duck goose)
- Stella & Chewys wet food morsels – morsels of meat in bone broth
- Stella & Chewys wet food pate – smooth food as well soaked in bone broth
Their raw food toppers are insanely popular among doggo’s and catto’s all-around America, even among the pickiest of them all. That should not be any surprise since it is rumored that they only use high-quality ingredients to compose a complete and well-balanced meal for your furry friends.
However, still many pet pawrents (yes, I prefer to call you pawrent) are concerned with the quality and safety of raw food such as this one. Luckily, Stella and Chewys foods are manufactured with food safety in mind, so all their products are exposed to High-Pressure Processing (HPP).
What is HPP?
High-Pressure Processing is a cold pasteurization technique where already sealed in products are exposed to a high level of isostatic pressure (300–600MPa/43,500-87,000 psi) transmitted by water. High pressures above 400 MPa / 58,000 psi at cold (+ 4ºC to 10ºC) temperatures inactivate the vegetative flora such as bacteria, viruses, yeasts, molds, and parasites present in food. This way, manufacturers extend the shelf life of products and guarantee that their food is completely safe for your pet.
HPP won’t affect food’s nutritional properties since this technique does not use high heat for treatment. Treating food with low temperatures will maintain its original freshness throughout the shelf-life.
Let’s take a quick look at the ingredients list, shall we?
Did you here for PMR (Prey Model Raw) Diet before? If you do not, let me explain this model for you a bit better. This usually considers dogs, but since cats were also wild animals before Egyptians domesticated them, this regime is very beneficial for them as well considering the high protein content.
PMR nutrition is one of the many popular raw diets that are suitable for both dogs and cats. This one can be accomplished in two different feeding methods:s
- Whole prey – this includes internal organs, glands, bone, blood (feathers, and fur is still attached to the carcass).
- Franken prey – this includes the usage of multiple animal protein ingredients to achieve PMR diet ratio recommendations.
According to PMR diet recommendations, muscle meats should make up at 80% of the meal; the remaining 20% should be an equal amount of ground bone and organs (note that this type of diet exclude unhealthy processed fat and focuses on healthy fat). But what this has to do with Stella & Chewy’s food?
Well, the ingredients in Stella & Chewys food are in-line with the PMR diet completely. The manufacturer claims that their food is made with 98% meat, organs, bones, and organic fruits and vegetables. Some probiotics, minerals, and vitamins are necessary to ensure that the food is complete and balanced, and they are added as well. These are added to provide the nutritional value of the food since some nutrients may be lost in the preparation process.
The great news is that this cat food recipe has reduce fat content and it is grain-free and gluten-free!
Guaranteed analysis:
- Crude Protein – 48% min
- Crude Fat – 28% min
- Crude Fiber – 5% max
- Moisture – 5% max
The exact ingredient list for Stella & Chewys Marie’s Magical Dinner Dust Cage-Free Chicken Raw Cat Food Topper
Logically chicken is the primary protein source in Chewy s freeze-dried cat food, so I can safely say that this cat food is a high-protein, low-carb formula packed with quality ingredients. Each tablespoon of this food contains 245 kcal, so go easy with it when you top the regular dry cat food and avoid weight gain.
Exactly 98% of this food is made from chicken muscle meat, organs, and bones. This recipe is a combination of ground chicken with bones, chicken liver, and chicken gizzard. The remaining 2% in this recipe is supplemented such as pumpkin seed as a source of fiber.
This recipe is also loaded with natural ingredients like fenugreek seed, dandelion, and dried kelp as great sources of vitamins and minerals. Also, this frozen food includes synthetic vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin E, vitamin D3), minerals (iron, manganese, copper, selenite, thiamine), and it is as well a great source of amino acids. All these ingredients make this food a perfectly balanced, healthy, and high in nutrition.
Please be aware that Stella and Chewy s cat food is made from freeze-dried chicken, and we all know that chicken is a common allergen for cats ( dogs as well)! If your cat is allergic or sensitive to chicken, you can always choose flavors like duck, salmon, duck goose, or turkey. I must say this once more, the things that are very important to me is that this recipe is grain-free, gluten-free, without added hormones, artificial colors, or flavors.
It is simple, a cage-free freeze-dried chicken (or any other poultry like duck, goose, or turkey) paired with organic fruit and veggies, in combination with supplements is one of the best cat food combo ever.
Is Stella and Chewy safe?
Yes, Stella & Chewys freeze dried cat food was recalled in the past twice since they had some troubles with potential listeria contamination, but that was almost five years ago, and since then, nothing similar happened.
Stella & Chewys cat foods are a great option if you tend to start feeding raw or freeze-dried nutrition. The recipe is 98% meat, and it cuts out on all unnecessary ingredients like additives or simple carbohydrates.
The first and only thing that might concern you about this product is the ground bone content. It is pretty high for my taste and it might harm your cats health if this product is consumed regularly. This means that this product is high in phosphorus, so it is not the best choice for cats with kidney disease or for cats that need minimum phosphorus intake for any other reason.
Which brand of cat food is the healthiest?
There are a lot of cat food brands available on the market nowadays, and each one has its pros and cons, of course, so it is very hard to say which one is the best. The food brand that’s great for your cat (for your pet in general) won’t necessarily be that good for your neighbors or friends pet
Also, to feed your cat properly does not mean you need to break a bank. You can buy healthy cat food at all price ranges; you just need to take some time and find the best possible food that will fulfill your cat’s needs and stay in the price range that suits you the most. Remember, a high price on a product does not mean a high-quality product! Read the ingredient list on the back of the product and make sure to find and read the reliable reviews for the pet food you are currently interested in before making a decision.
As said, there are many cat foods available on the market nowadays. Companies like Purina, Taste Of The Wild, American Journey, Weruva, as well Stella & Chewys offer top-notch products in all price ranges. All these foods are trustworthy and will offer you a healthy and quality product for your furball.
Still, I would highly recommend you to try out the Stella and Chewy s freeze-dried cat food since it is made with the highest possible content of meat and organic fruits and vegetables. I can freely say that this is one of the best cat food on the market currently. If you invest a little bit of time in finding out more about this food, you will see that this cat food review is based on three crucial factors:
- High-quality ingredients ( wild-caught duck, chicken, turkey, salmon, etc.)
- Brand reputation (find out more on chewy com)
- Customer reviews (the best source of information)
How long do Stella and Chewy last?
As I already said, Stella and Chewy s freeze-dried cat food is highly nutritional and very high in calories, so you will need only a small amount of it to add to your regular dry food or canned food to implement it. Please don’t go overboard with this cat food since it can go hard on your cat’s overall health and digestive system.
For example, on every ¼ cup of cat’s food, you will need to add only ½ tbsp of the Stella & Chewy s freeze-dried cat food. Of course, this depends on your cat’s weight, activity level, and breed. You can’t feed your cat solely with this food; the only purpose of this food is to supplement the regular cat food if you consider that it comes in 7 oz. bag, you can be sure it will last you for at least a full month.
Final Thoughts
Because your cat deserves the best of the best, I highly recommend you to choose Stella and Chewys freeze-dried cat food and improve nutrition significantly.
Good healthy nutrition is crucial for your pet as much as it is to you. If you know that artificial food full of fillers, hormones, and additives is not good for you and your overall health, why would it be good for your cat or dog (yes you can freely serve this topper to your dog as well)?
Feeding your pet a natural and raw food diet can be very beneficial to them, and you can be 100% sure that you, as a responsible pawrent, are doing a good thing by providing them this kind of meal. Cats are wild animals domesticated with time, so it is only natural that they will thrive more on a meat-based diet than processed cat food with lower content of meat.
Many cats resist unfamiliar foods at first but be patient and serve small amounts with every meal until they embrace it and give it a go. Stella & Chewys mixer is an all-natural topper that is perfect for picky eaters who are refusing to feast on raw food. Just a tablespoon of this supplement will be enough to cover your catto’s daily needs for raw food.
If you need first-hand information about these products please be free to contact Stella and Chewys on their official email address.
