“Butcher’s scraps”

When I tell people I feed my cats raw they often ask what it is that I feed. Butcher’s scraps? Well, yes… but I have discovered that “butcher’s scraps” have changed a lot over the years. They're no longer things like tripe, windpipes or chicken heads and feet.

I found a wonderful supplier, who are continually expanding their range. They sell an amazing variety of organs, meat and bone-in meat, and also many kinds of whole prey animals. You could say I’m spoilt for choice.

Everything (except of course items like mice and rats) is from animals raised and slaughtered for human consumption. Their chicken is even biologic. (Shame El Monto won’t eat it… he prefers factory-farmed chicken from the supermarket, little brat.) What they sell are basically the “leftovers” from the slaughterhouse.

That said, it’s mindboggling what’s left after the “good” (meaning marketable) meat has been removed. Chunks of muscle meat too small to be sold als “filet”. Rabbit carcasses still containing heart, lungs, liver and kidney, plus lots of meat attached to the ribs. Lovely meaty duck legs and chicken backs.

All perfectly good stuff, but people won’t buy it anymore. Gone are the days when tongue, chicken necks, heart, liver and kidney were perfectly fine for the dinner table. When meat was scraped from the bone to make râgout and the bone used for making broth. Surely we humans have become spoilt and lazy, but my cats and me don’t mind a bit.:winkwink:

This is what was delivered today. I have my work cut out for me chopping and bagging everything for the freezer.

Herring, veal chunks, duck hearts, duck livers and duck legs.
Attachment 6469

Quail, turkey chunks, deer tongue.
Attachment 6470

8 kgs of rabbit carcasses.
Attachment 6471

El Monto guarding it all. :koolkat:
Attachment 6472

Wow, what a fabulous shopping basket you have there. And these are all from the same supplier? And local? I can only get some of these items, and have to pay a hefty delivery charge too. When I ask for 'scraps' at local butchers, they often say they don't have any, because the meat arrives at their shop ready-trimmed. If I were to track down a wholesaler, I probably wouldn't be able to buy their offcuts because of 'elf n safety' or some other bureaucracy. One butcher did offer me 'beef cheek', though, so must try that!

Yes, all from the same supplier. They’re about 60 km from where I am – in my country this is not considered local, lol. For an order of 60 euros (which will just about fit inside my freezer and feed my cats for a month) I pay 5.30 euros delivery charge. For orders over 100 euros there’s no delivery charge.

I think they source their meats from a number of places: slaughterhouses, the meat processing industry (where it gets trimmed for delivery to shops and supermarkets), but also from Kiezebrink and other Dutch suppliers.

I spoke to the owner the other day and he said business is booming. Good for him!

Wouldn't mind trying my cat on something raw... problem is... he's a kisser and I'll feel a bit... blegh if he licks me on the chin or something lol

My Monty is a licker and slurper (of me and no-one else, ha!) and he's raw fed. I don't much like being covered in cat slime so I discourage it for that reason, whilst taking the compliment of course.