Updated June 20th, 2023
It is with dread that I watch a continuous increase in the cost for the ingredients that make the TCfeline premix since the latter half of 2021. Many of the ingredients come from abroad, like the freeze dried bone and whey isolate. Although raw material shortages and shipping delays caused by the pandemic are now a thing of the past, inflation and cost of fuel, as well as a changing planet continue to drive prices up, especially for animal derived products. Recently, gelatin went up 30% in cost, forcing me make an increase to the Original Formula. An increase of $1.00 for every product was necessary to cover the cost for the included User Guide.
There are a few things you can do to offset some of the increased cost:
1.) Order two pouches at once to save on shipping per pouch. It costs marginally more to ship two pouches compared to shipping one.
2.) Order two pouches and re-order as soon as you open the second pouch. This isn't really a money-saving tip, but saves you stress and frustration. I urge customers to reorder at least one month before running out of food, but it is even better to reorder the day you open the second pouch. Supply shortages and glitches in delivery delay receipt of raw materials for the premix on my end more often now then ever, affecting how soon I can ship your order.
3.) If you can, order four pouches at once and get a 10% discount. Keep the extra pouches in the freezer to extend the shelf life.
4.) Buy meat wholesale. You can get a variety of meats directly from meat packers or farm direct. Do some research into what is available in your area. The average cat consumes 73 pounds (33 kg) of meat per year. Buying 6 months (37 pounds) of your cat's meat in advance from a wholesale source saves money and time, and prevents stress. Package the meat as 1 pound portions and keep frozen in a chest freezer (look to your online classifieds for a used free or cheap freezer). Thaw the meat in the fridge for making cat food. Re-freeze as individual cat food portions, or cut the recipe in half, or less, and feed the cat food fresh out of the fridge over 2-3 days instead of re-freezing it (that is what I do with my 9 cats).
5.) Meat prices are going up as well, but pork appears to remain affordable. You can blend lean red meats or poultry meats with half lean pork (not sausage meat!!!). Cats love pork! Buy only commercially raised pork, because pasture-raised pork can carry Trichinella spiralis (a nematode parasite).
6.) Use fresh liver with TCfeline Original instead of the freeze-dried alternative. Fresh liver is far less expensive and a better choice nutritionally. Resort to using the freeze-dried liver alternative only if your cat will not eat the food otherwise.
7.) If your cat is an adult, you can alternate with or switch to TCfeline Special Formula. TCfeline Special Formula is not for sick cats, although it was formulated to be reduced in Phosphorus for cats with kidney disease and cats that can not have bone because of recurring constipation. It is a balanced diet, drawing its source for calcium from other ingredients, and in many cases preferred by cats for its taste. It is, however, not suitable for kittens, adolescent cats, or pregnant or lactating cats that need a diet higher in minerals, and minerals from a food source like bone while they are growing. TCfeline Special Formula costs less, because you use less, and some of the most expensive ingredients (freeze dried bone and gelatin) are not a part of it. One option with TCfeline Special Formula is to add the bone and gelatin back in with use of meats with bone (like whole ground chicken), which will create more portions of cat food per batch for the same cost. A product insert details all your options with preparation instructions.
8.) Alternate the use of the premix with my recipe for cat food you make from scratch. My original cat food recipe from scratch will NOT be less expensive, but grinding a whole chicken to make cat food might. Here is the recipe for it.
Implementing some or all of these suggestions can make the cost of feeding your cat considerably less.
Thank you for buying my premix!
-Natascha
