What I Love About TCFeline

TCFeline is a high quality Canadian meat completer that is a great way to easily make your cat’s food.  I just want to start off by letting everyone know that I am not affiliated with this company in any way.  These are my own opinions based on personal experience with the product over the last 7+ years.  

I seriously love meat completers because they take the guesswork and stress out of making your cat homemade food.  They allow for homemade food to be so much more accessible to many more people and their cats, and I love that so much.  

Versions of TCFeline

While TCFeline originates from Canada, it is also available in the US and the EU.  There are different versions of TCFeline that are important to understand. 

The original version is the only one available in Canada.  With this version you add plain boneless meat, liver, egg, and water with the TCFeline powder.  Here are the ingredients of the original version:

New Zealand freeze-dried bovine bone*; Canadian gelatin from pork skin; New Zealand whey protein isolate*; taurine; Canadian freeze-dried krill; calcium carbonate; Vitamin E succinate, Vitamin A palmitate, Vitamin D3, Potassium Iodide. (*from grass-fed cattle)

You will note that there are no carbohydrates included, since cats have zero nutritional requirement for any in their diet.  If your cat benefits from having fiber in their diet, you would add that yourself. 

There are two additional versions in the US that already include liver.  One with beef liver and one with chicken liver.  If you don’t want to mess with fresh liver, these are awesome.  With these versions you add plain boneless meat, egg, and water with the TCFeline powder.  

There is also a Special Formula version that was created to provide a low phosphorus diet as well.

meat, liver, egg, bone, and omega-3s

You can use any boneless protein option.  This allows for some important variety since every meat has its own nutritional profile.  It is advised to feed at least three different proteins; however, the more, the merrier, in my opinion.  I use beef, pork, chicken, turkey, venison, goat, lamb, elk, bison, and on rarer occasions, rabbit, duck, camel, and kangaroo.  You can also vary the texture of the meat: ground, pieced, and/or shredded.

If using the original version and adding liver, you can use liver from any animal. In fact, it’s a great idea to feed a variety of livers in rotation. Chicken and beef liver can usually be found in US grocery stores, but lamb, venison, bison, turkey, rabbit, etc., livers from online suppliers are all acceptable options, too.

I really like being able to add fresh egg.  Although it is listed as optional, unless your cat has an egg allergy, I would add the egg since eggs are such nutritional marvels.  

TCFeline uses freeze dried bone for the calcium source, which is really great.  If you don’t want to bother with whole bones or getting a grinder, you can still offer the nutritional benefit of bone for your cat with TCFeline.  

TCFeline includes krill as the omega-3 source, so no need to add any more when you make your cat’s food.  

TCFeline & the Mouse

One of the absolute coolest things about TCFeline, in my opinion, is that it is based on the nutritional profile of a mouse.  This makes SO much sense to me since that is a cat’s natural source of nutrition/food.  The founder of TCFeline shares her process of creating TCFeline on her website. 

I wrote an earlier blog about the differences between the nutritional profile of whole prey animals and current AAFCO guidelines, which you can check out here.  I think basing commercial food products for cats on their natural diet is a no-brainer.  

How to Make Food with TCFeline

Here are step by step pictures of making food with the beef liver TCFeline version:

 

Cost of Food with TCFeline

The cost of TCFeline will vary where you live and your shipping costs.  This is my cost in the US.  It is $72.54 total (with shipping) for the 17oz bag of TCFeline with beef liver ($63.99).  You use 1/8 cup or 0.7oz of TCFeline powder per pound of meat.  This means the cost of TCFeline used with 1 pound of meat is $2.99. 

We also have to factor in the cost of the meat.  Hazel eats 4oz of food daily, so I am showing my daily cost to feed her.  How much food your cat needs will depend on their age, weight, and activity level. Here are examples using beef and pork based on my costs:

• Ground beef from my local grocery store: $5.00/lb
• 1oz of food with TCFeline: $0.50
• 4oz of food (daily amount to feed Hazel): $2.00 

• Boneless pork chops from my local grocery store: $3.99/lb
• 1oz of food with TCFeline: $0.44
• 4oz of food (daily amount): $1.76

Given the cost of canned and commercial raw foods, I consider this a serious bargain for high quality complete raw food.  Using more expensive meats, like lamb and rabbit, will obviously increase the price; however, those same proteins are more expensive in pre-made foods as well.   

Potential Criticism

A criticism of meat completers in general, is that since every meat has a different nutrient profile, how can we know that every batch of food is truly “complete?”  This criticism is assuming that making 100% “complete” food is the goal, which in my opinion, it is not. 

The goal is to provide a balanced diet over time.  This is why feeding a variety of meats in rotation is key. This is how cats naturally eat. By feeding several different proteins, which will each have a varied nutrient profile and fat content, you ensure that your cat is getting a proper diet.  

Importance of Meat Completers

I think completers are an incredibly important resource for pet parents.  Let’s face it, not everyone wants to handle all of the raw components, especially the organs and bones, and/or has the time or inclination to source and assemble a DIY raw diet.

Many people don’t want to calculate individual nutrients either.  These are common reasons that turn people off from feeding raw. 

However, with completers, like TCFeline, the formulation has been done for you. You can mix up the meat, water, and powder in literally less than 5 minutes.  

While this post focused on TCFeline, you can check out this past blog about meat completers in general, and which ones are available where you live.  If you are on the fence about making your cat’s food, I would urge you to give a completer a try, it’s a great and easy way to feed your raw fed feline!