TCfeline Special Formula premix

TCfeline Special Formula – a versatile premix for making homemade cat food for adult cats

Ingredients: New Zealand whey protein isolate, calcium carbonate, dehydrated Antarctic whole krill, taurine, Feline Future B Complex (Choline L-Bitartrate, Niacin, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Methylcobalamin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine HCI, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, D-Biotin), Vitamin E succinate, Iron Bisclycinate, Vitamin A palmitate (Retinol), Vitamin D3, Potassium Iodide.

TCfeline Special Formula is formulated without gelatin and bone or other source of calcium phosphate. Bone or calcium phosphate are added to diets as a source of calcium and phosphorus. Gelatin intends to mimic the skin and connective tissue of prey. By relying on phosphorus from meat alone and balancing it with calcium from calcium carbonate, the cat food made with TCfeline Special Formula is a diet lower in Phosphorus and lower overall ash content than a diet prepared using TCfeline Original premix, or raw diets prepared with bone.

This makes using TCfeline Special Formula ideal for preparing a homemade diet reduced in Phosphorus for adult cats 12 years and older, as well as cats with Chronic Kidney Disease IRIS Stage 1, 2, and 3.

It is not a Phosphorus restricted diet, and there is no need to obtain your veterinarian’s consent to use TCfeline Special Formula. The diet prepared with TCfeline Special Formula is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Profiles for adult maintenance, and meets the recommended allowance of nutrient requirements of adult cats for maintenance established by the National Research Council.

Lower in phosphorus for kidney disease:

Without bone or calcium phosphate and gelatin, TCfeline Special Formula is lower in phosphorus than a diet made using TCfeline Original or a raw diet made with bone. A diet reduced in phosphorus is recommended for cats 12 years old or older to help delay aging related Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). For cats with CKD, a reduced phosphorus diet is an essential part of their management plan.

CKD cannot be cured with any diet, but diet can be a key to helping to prevent kidney disease for as long as possible. Diet can also help manage symptoms when kidney disease has occurred, along with the guidance from your veterinarian, fluid therapy, and medication. Dietary phosphorus or dietary protein are not implicated in the cause of kidney disease. Kidney disease cannot be prevented by feeding a low phosphorus or low protein diet earlier in the cat’s life. However, when aging related scar tissue in the kidneys has replaced a large amount of normal filtration function, dietary Phosphorus appears to accelerate decline of kidney function if not reduced. Reduction of protein only plays a possible role in IRIS Stage 4 of CKD, and should be supervised by your veterinarian. Otherwise, healthy adult cats and cats in IRIS Stage 1-2 should not have the protein in their diet reduced, because older cats have protein requirements similar to kittens due to an ageing related decrease in the ability to absorb certain nutrients.

Lower in overall mineral content to help prevent bladder stones

Using TCfeline Special Formula is not a treatment for bladder stones, but diet reduced in overall mineral content by omission of bone, calcium phosphate and gelatin can be helpful in the prevention of bladder stones. The causes of bladder stones in cats vary,but a diet high in protein and moisture, and reduced in the minerals calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium is universally applied to help prevent them. A diet high in protein and low in calcium can help lower urine pH. A diet reduced in phosphorus and magnesium means less of these minerals are excreted in urine where they can potentially form crystalline form in the bladder. A diet high in moisture means more urine output and more frequent flushing of the bladder before stones can grow too big.

Fortified with Vitamin A, D, and B Complex and Iron, making addition of raw liver not necessary.

TCfeline Special Formula is fortified with Vitamin A, D, and B Complex and Iron, and does not require addition of raw liver as a source for these essential vitamins and mineral. Fresh, raw liver is a concentrated, natural source for many essential vitamins and trace minerals, and is something the cat would naturally consume with prey every day. However, inclusion of raw liver is an obstacle for many users and for some cats. TCfeline Special Formula makes it possible to create a diet without the need to add liver. In the event that inclusion of some raw liver is necessary for flavour, to assure the cat will eat the food, it is safe to add 50 g or 1/4 cup liver to any of the recipes listed in the included User Guide.

Use with meats that are ground with bone

Because bone and gelatin have been omitted from this premix, TCfeline Special Formula is uniquely suited, and gives the option, to add them back in with the use of meats ground with bone, like whole ground raw chicken or whole ground raw rabbit. This restores the diet to include “skin and bones” and reflects the whole prey model. It is a popular and economic way of feeding cats, because you get more value out of the meat. It is because of the popularity of feeding meat ground with raw bone that this option is included here. Please note, raw poultry is a recognized risk for infection with Salmonella and Avian Influenza. Diets made with using meats ground with bone are not suitable for young kittens, because kittens may not be able to fully digest the bone to absorb the calcium, and bone can lead to obstruction of the intestines. When using TCfeline Special Formula with meat that is ground with bone, any and all benefits of a diet reduced in phosphorus and reduced in ash are cancelled out.

Use with cooked meat

Because TCfeline Special Formula is fortified with vitamins, it is suitable for use with cooked meats, as long as the premix is added after the meat has been cooked and cooled.

Not for kittens or pregnant or lactating cats!

TCfeline Special Formula is a versatile premix to feed adult cats. It is, however, not suitable for kittens or adolescent cats or pregnant or lactating cats, because it is too low in calcium and phosphorus. Growing cats or pregnant or lactating cats have high nutritional requirement for calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium to support normal growth, bone development, and milk production. Please use TCfeline Original for kittens and expecting cats.

Preparation instructions and options for using TCfeline Special Formula.

Whenever possible, use a scale to measure ingredients by weight. A digital scale with a range of 1 – 2000g is ideal. Please note that when resorting to using volume measurement, the amounts can only be approximates.

Recipe #1
Suitable for any healthy adult cats, ideal for older cats to help preserve healthy kidney function, ideal for cats in early to mid stage kidney disease.

• 20 g (3 level tablespoons) TCfeline Special Formula
• 250 ml (1 cup) water
• 900 g lean ground raw meat (no bone and organs).

Yields 9 portions of approximately 130g each.

Recipe using meat ground with raw bone

Suitable for any healthy adult cats for a diet that stretches the budget and is based on the “whole prey” model. Grind meat with bone several times, graduating to an ever finer grinder plate to assure bone is reduced to a fine gritty texture to maximise nutrient absorption and eliminate risk of intestinal obstruction or perforation. The resulting diet is no longer reduced in Phosphorus or ash.

20 g (3 level tablespoons) TCfeline Special Formula
250 ml (1 cup) water
100 g raw liver
1200 g ground, raw, whole fryer chicken or fryer rabbit with bone.

Yields 12 portions of approximately 130g each.

Recipe with butter and cooked yam

Reduced in protein by 36% and suitable for cats with IRIS stage 4 chronic kidney disease. Below 0.5% Phosphorus on a dry matter basis. Contains enough Calcium Carbonate to function as Phosphorus blocker. Do not use more Calcium Carbonate, but instead, resort to another Phosphorus blocker, per advise by a veterinarian. Some cats do not like this recipe or belch from this recipe due to the high fat content. In that case, it is advised to resort to a Veterinary prescription kidney diet.

30g TCfeline Special Formula (measure by weight for accuracy)
250 ml (236g or 1 cup) distilled water
1-2 capsules Omega 3 fish oil
700g EXTRA lean ground meat (no bone and organs). Cooked meat can also be used.
400g yam, steam-cooked and pureed (source of energy from carbohydrates, and potassium)
80g UNSALTED butter, whipped into hot yam (source of energy from fat)

Yields a total of 1446 g of food or 12 daily portions of 120 each. Divide this portion into several small feedings, like 30g 4x day. This diet is 69% moisture and contains 10% fat. Each 120 g portion contains approximately:

190 kcal
738 mg Calcium Carbonate
7 g of protein
12 g fat
9 g carbohydrates
82 g (86 ml) water

Recipe with cooked meat

In some instances it is necessary to feed a cooked diet. Poultry meats are always saver when fed cooked. For the recipe below you can steam cook 900g of raw, boneless, skinless lean meat, in pieces like chicken thighs, or lean ground meat. In a steamer pot, steam cook the meat for 15-20 minutes or until internal temperature is at 165C (74F). Alternatively, buy or use 840 g already cooked meat, like meat stripped off a BBQ chicken from the grocery store deli. Do not combine the premix with raw meat first and then cook. The premix contains heat sensitive nutrients and should never be cooked. Do not cook ground meats with bone.

20g TCfeline Special Formula
250 ml (1 cup)
cooked meat (read above)

Yields 9 portions of approximately 130g each.