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Adding Vitamins & Supplements to Your Raw Diet

Winter 07'
By Shauna Toller of Baylynx Pixie-Bobs
Photo courtesy of Baylynx Pixie-Bobs

When feeding a predominantly raw diet, it is necessary to add the proper vitamins and supplements
to make a complete and balanced diet for your Pixie-Bob. If this is not done, they can become ill.

In our raw diets we use Platinum Performance Feline Wellness Formula and Animal Essentials
Natural Calcium which our veterinarian, a feline specialist, has recommended. They are simple to
add, there is no guesswork, and we don’t have to buy a lot of different expensive vitamins and
supplements to create a balanced diet. One jar of each will last a Pixie-Bob a long time and they are
very reasonably priced. This combination of supplements gives our Pixie-Bobs all of the vitamins
and minerals they need to live a long, happy, and healthy life.

When making the raw food, as described in Pat Knippelmeyer’s article,"Handeling Raw Meat Diets",
add in one teaspoon of the Calcium to each pound of raw food prepared and ½ a teaspoon of the
Platinum Performance for every 7-10 pounds of body weight per cat for that meal. We mix it up
thoroughly and serve it immediately to our Pixie-Bobs. Anything left over after 20 minutes gets
refrigerated. If left out, bacteria will contaminate it and make our Pixie-Bobs sick.

We give our kittens and adults two raw meals a day and leave a bowl of high quality dry cat food out
for them to munch on. This keeps them in excellent condition. On average our kittens can eat up to
3-6 oz, depending on their age, and our adults 6-9 oz per day. We feed them as much as they will
eat in one sitting.

It is important to monitor each individual for proper weight. Feed separately if a cat appears to be
gaining more weight than is appropriate. Decrease their meal portion a little at a time until you see
that they are maintaining the correct body weight.

We gauge this by feeling for their ribs. Since Pixie-Bobs are usually born with a primordial pouch,
many don’t have a tucked up abdomen right before their haunches like you see in other breeds.
Therefore we can’t gauge proper weight by checking for a fat belly. We check their weight by lightly
running our hands along their rib cage and spine. If we can barely feel their ribs and can't feel their
spine, without pressing down, and they have an over all proportionate look to their body, they are
in good condition.

However, you shouldn’t be able to see their ribs. If you can see them and easily feel their spine,
your Pixie-Bob needs more food. Pixie-Bobs are generally a medium to large breed of cat and can
require more food than the average sized domestic. Refer to Pat Knipplemeyer's article, "How do
We Feed Our Pixies?"

Older cats will probably need to have their diets monitored more closely so they
don’t get over weight. Make sure they get their exercise as well. Obesity is one of the main factors
that cause feline diabetes. If you have a diabetic cat, here is a great link to a site created by Dr.
Elizabeth Hodgkins,DVM, "Your Diabetic Cat" She goes over how to manage the disease through
diet, a must read as is her book "Your Cat, Simple New Secrets to a Longer, Stronger Life."

Quality food, good supplements, proper monitoring, and observation of hygienic feeding protocols
are the keys to a healthy and happy Pixie-Bob. You will get the pleasure of having your Pixie
companion with you for a long time.

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