Switching a Chartreux to raw food at 7

Switching a seven-year-old Chartreux to raw is a sensible move — the carnivore diet research is solid, and Chartreux are particularly prone to kidney issues as they age, so cutting out the fillers and starches found in most pouches genuinely matters. Before I point you toward something specific: is your cat currently healthy, or are there any kidney, dental or digestive concerns already on the vet's radar? And what pouches have you been using — single protein or mixed?

That's actually a really common picture — rotating cheap mixed pouches keeps cats eating but doesn't do much for weight or long-term health. The good news is raw often naturally corrects mild weight issues because the protein is bioavailable and genuinely satiating, rather than cats eating volume to compensate for poor nutrition. Given she's seven, I'd also want to keep moisture intake high throughout the transition. Can she be fussy, or does she tend to eat whatever's in front of her?

Good — a non-fussy, food-motivated cat makes this much easier. For a healthy seven-year-old making her first move into raw, I'd start with Natures Menu Country Hunter Raw Nuggets, specifically the chicken or turkey variety. They're complete and balanced, frozen in small nuggets so portion control is straightforward, and the format is close enough to wet food in texture that most cats accept them without protest. The ingredient quality is genuinely high — named meat, no grain, no rendered meal. For the transition: swap 25% of her current pouch for thawed nuggets on day one, move to 50/50 by day four, 75% raw by day seven, and full raw by day ten. Go slower if you see loose stools, but most cats handle this brand well precisely because it's not an aggressive fat content. She'll likely drop that half kilo within six to eight weeks.

The Country Hunter nuggets are genuinely complete — they include taurine, which is non-negotiable for cats, and the mineral balance is correct. You don't need to add anything if you're feeding it as the sole diet. The one thing worth doing at seven years old is getting a kidney panel at her next annual check, not because raw causes problems but because it's the age where early chronic kidney disease starts showing up in Chartreux regardless of diet. Catching it early gives you real options. Other than that, you're set.

You're making a genuinely good call for her at this life stage. Freeze a few weeks' worth if you find a good deal — they keep well and you'll want consistency during the transition. Good luck with her.