TCfeline Original Formula. Mix with water, raw liver* and
raw meat without bone of your choosing. Detailed preparation instructions are
included. The resulting homemade cat food mimics the nutritional composition of
a mouse and is suitable and recommended as a staple diet for cats of all ages.
This 720 g pouch prepares 180 days of food for the average adult cat. Feed
approximately 1/4 cup (65 gram) of prepared food 2x day.
*Liver is an essential part of this diet and can not be
omitted. It supplies essential vitamins like A, D, and several B vitamins as
well as iron, copper, and zinc. However, TCfeline is formulated to give you a
choice of preparing the food with either FRESH raw liver or FREEZE DRIED raw
liver. Fresh raw liver is to be preferred and is a must when preparing this
food for kittens, but fresh raw liver doesn't work for many who prepare this
food for their adult cat. You can buy fresh raw liver at your grocery store
where you buy your meat, but freeze dried raw liver can be bought at pet stores
where it is sold as dog treats. Please read the label of the freeze dried
product carefully to make sure you are buying a 100% pure freeze dried liver
product.
Detailed preparation instructions are included as User
Guide with each pouch.
As of August 2024, the freeze dried bovine bone (same as
MCHA or Microcrystalline Hydroxyapatite) in TCfeline Original has been replaced
by Dicalcium Phosphate - a pharmaceutical and nutritional ingredient made in
Germany that is nearly bio-identical to bone, but much purer.
Bone is Calcium Phosphate bound to a protein matrix that
also serves as a store for other minerals, like Magnesium, but also as a
depository of bio-accumulated toxic heavy metals from the environment, like
lead. Manufactured Dicalcium Phosphate, in comparison, is a pure and standardized medical grade product used nutritionally as a Calcium and Phosphorus
supplement to fortify human infant formulas, orange juice, breads, and protein
bars, to name some examples. It is a very common source of Calcium and Phosphorus in all types of cat foods when the manufacturer does not rely on bone to deliver these essential minerals. Dicalcium Phosphate is the choice of board certified Veterinary
nutritionist when formulating diets for wild cats in captivity, including
endangered species that are a part of breeding programs.
Like freeze dried bone, it is a tasteless, odorless white powder. It is a extensively used and tested
go-to source by professionals for bio-available Calcium and Phosphorus in all manners of nutritional formulas. It is recognized as safe as food for humans by the FDA, is given an "E" number for being a safe food additive for humans by the European Food Safety Authority, and is on the list of safe food additives for humans by the World Health Organization. The National Research Council describes Dicalcium Phosphate as the primary source for Calcium and Phosphorus in cat foods when the formula does not rely on bone for these minerals. The American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) approves the use of Dicalcium Phosphate as a source of Calcium and Phosphorus in cat food.
Availability of the freeze dried bovine bone has become
extremely sketchy and unsustainable since the pandemic. There were ongoing
supply issues with the New Zealand manufacturer and US distributor. There were
also ongoing delays because of inspections of the material by the USDA upon
entering the USA and again by CFIA and restriction by Health Canada once entering Canada. I simply cannot put my
customers through ongoing, repeated and lengthy product unavailability caused
by red tape. The cost of the freeze dried bovine bone has also increase to a
point where it would dramatically increase the cost of the premix. The updated premix has been carefully reformulated and was
tested several times this summer by an independent laboratory to assure correct Ca:P ratio and for providing sufficient Calcium and Phosphorus for growing kittens without supplying adult cats with an excessive amounts of these essential minerals. The new Dicalcium phosphate is included in the smallest possible amount in addition to other primary sources of Calcium (Calcium Carbonate) and Phosphorus (Meat) in the diet. It serves to balance the formula and meet the nutritional recommendations set by the National Research Council.
Unfortunately, there is some misinformation about Dicalcium Phosphate for cats circulation on the internet. It is true that Phosphorus from Dicalcium Phosphate is much more bioavailable then from bone and meat, but this has been taken into account in the formula. It is also true that an excess of Phosphorus in the diet without standing in proper balance to Calcium can produce transient ill effects on kidneys and can lead to kidney damage long term. However, any form of Phosphorus can do that when not balanced with Calcium or consumed in excess. In TCfeline, Dicalcium Phosphate is but one source of Calcium and Phosphorus and the total of both minerals are in the correct balance or ratio. It is not true that Dicalcium Phosphate causes kidney stones. Kidney stones in cats are rare and when they occur they are almost always Calcium Oxalate stones and not Calcium Phosphate stones. Kidney stones in cats occur mostly in older cats and are linked to existing kidney disease. It is true that cats with existing kidney disease should eat a diet restricted in Phosphorus, and TCfeline Original is not for them. TCfeline Special Formula is a low Phosphorus, low mineral formula that addresses the benefits of feeding a reduced Phosphorus diet to mature cats (12 years +) and cats with kidney disease.
Ingredients: Canadian gelatin, New Zealand whey protein
isolate, calcium carbonate, dicalcium phosphate, Canadian freeze-dried krill,
taurine, Vitamin E succinate, Vitamin A palmitate, Vitamin D3, Potassium
Iodide.
