Switching cat to raw diet — transition tips

Moving a cat from wet pouches to raw is a great step — raw diets are typically 70–75% moisture, so your Russian Blue will be getting excellent hydration as part of every meal. That said, cats evolved in arid environments with a naturally low thirst drive, and most do poorly on sudden food changes, so the transition itself really matters. Before I give you a plan, a couple of quick questions: how is your cat's digestion currently — any loose stools or sensitivity on the pouches? And are you planning to go fully raw straight away, or would you be open to a gradual blend approach over a few weeks?

Good news — a food-motivated cat with a settled stomach is the ideal candidate for this switch. Gradual is definitely the safer route. The standard approach is to replace about 25% of the meal with raw for the first week, then 50% the second week, 75% the third, and fully raw by week four. The key thing to watch is stool consistency — slightly firmer stools are normal on raw, but if you see mucus or very loose output, slow the pace down. One more thing: have you decided between a complete commercial raw or making your own blend?

For a straightforward transition, I'd go with Natures Menu Complete & Balanced Raw Nuggets for Cats. They're sold in small frozen nuggets which makes portion control very easy — you can mix them directly with the pouches during the transition weeks without any guesswork. They're nutritionally complete to FEDIAF standards, high in real meat protein (chicken and turkey varieties work well as first choices since they're similar in flavour profile to most pouches), and the texture is close enough to wet food that food-motivated cats usually accept them quickly. Defrost overnight in the fridge and serve at room temperature — cold raw straight from the fridge often gets refused.

Yes, absolutely keep the fountain. Raw diet moisture is brilliant, but free access to fresh moving water is still important — especially for a Russian Blue, which is a breed with a genetic predisposition toward hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and good hydration supports cardiovascular and kidney health long-term. A fountain also reinforces the drinking habit for any day when she eats less or you need to temporarily switch back to pouches. Think of it as a safety net rather than a redundancy.

Perfect plan. Start with chicken or turkey first, keep the transition slow if her stools firm up a lot, and don't be surprised if she's a little suspicious for the first few days — that's normal. By week three most cats are actively preferring the raw. Good luck with the switch — she's going to be in great shape on this diet.