How We Switch Cats to a Raw Diet (Without Stress, Starvation, or Drama)
- Tiara Kim
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
At XMMO, we see food as more than fuel. Food is information. It tells your cat’s body how to heal, how to digest, how to maintain muscle, hydration, and organ health. That’s why so many of our conversations with cat parents eventually lead to the same question:
“How do I switch my cat to a raw or fresh food diet safely?”
The short answer?Some cats switch in a week. Others need three months (or longer).Both are normal — and both can be done well.
This guide walks you through a cat-led, realistic, and kidney-friendly approach to transitioning.
Step One: Stop Free Feeding (This Is Non-Negotiable)
Leaving food out all day makes switching diets almost impossible.
Cats are far more open to new food when they’re appropriately hungry. Free feeding:
Dulls appetite
Encourages picky behaviour
Disrupts digestion
Increases the risk of obesity and metabolic disease
Start feeding measured meals at set times. This alone often improves interest in fresh food within days.
Step Two: Introduce Fresh Food Slowly
Begin by offering a small amount of fresh food alongside your cat’s usual diet. Watch how they respond:
Energy
Stool quality
Appetite
Comfort
If all looks good, gradually increase the fresh food while decreasing the old food. There’s no rush. The goal is acceptance, not speed.
“But My Cat Lost Weight on Fresh Food…”
This is one of the most common — and most misunderstood — concerns we hear.
What’s usually happening isn’t weight loss from fresh food.It’s underfeeding.
Dry food contains almost no water. Fresh and raw food contain a lot of moisture.If you feed the same volume as kibble, your cat simply isn’t getting enough calories.
You must adjust the amount.
When portions are corrected, cats don’t waste away — they thrive.
How to Mix Fresh Food and Dry Food (Properly)
If you want to transition gradually using both foods, portion maths matters.
Example:
Lola eats ½ cup of dry food per day
That equals roughly 8 ounces of fresh food per day
A simple transition plan:
Morning: 4 oz fresh food
Evening: ¼ cup dry food
Once she’s comfortable, replace the evening dry meal with fresh food too — until she’s fully transitioned.
👉 The end goal is always fully fresh food, because even the best dry food is still dry — and that matters.
Why Dry Food Is the Worst Choice for Cats (Yes, Even “Good” Brands)
Cats are designed to get water from food.Dry food — no matter how “premium” the ingredients — puts chronic stress on the kidneys and urinary system.
Raw and canned food share something critical: moisture.
That’s why many cats do best when transitioned:
Dry → canned
Canned → raw
From Canned to Raw: The Smart Way
Once your cat is eating canned food happily:
Start mixing tiny amounts of raw food into the canned food
Increase slowly over time
This works because the texture and moisture are already familiar.
⚠️ Avoid “tough love.”Cats are not dogs. They will starve themselves. And that can trigger serious medical issues — especially in overweight cats.
A slow switch is safer. Cats must eat daily.
Watch the Litter Tray
Stool tells you everything.
Loose stool? Pause the transition.
Resume only once stools are firm again.
Slow doesn’t mean failing — it means listening.
When Health Issues Are Involved
Many cats arrive at fresh food because of:
Chronic diarrhoea
Vomiting
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Skin and allergy issues
Cats with damaged guts may struggle with raw food at first. That doesn’t mean raw food is wrong for them.
Start with cooked food, then transition to raw over several months.
Food can be a miracle — but healing isn’t always linear.
Get the Right Support
If you’re seeking veterinary guidance, speak with a vet who is open to raw feeding. Expecting helpful answers from someone firmly opposed to fresh diets is often an exercise in frustration.
A holistic or integrative practitioner can make a world of difference during tricky transitions.
There is no single timeline.There is no perfect method.There is only your cat, their body, and their pace.
Go slow. Adjust portions. Respect appetite.And remember — cats have long memories. Make this a positive experience.
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