Cats are obligate carnivores. Therefore, they love chicken, meat, seafood and other meat-based dishes. Chicken is one of their favorite dishes. However, it would help if you were very careful when feeding poultry to felines. There are some rules to be followed in choosing the type of chicken to feed cats, how you need to cook the meat, and more.
You might love chicken cooked in different formats like fried, grilled, boiled, curries, etc. Your feline friend may look at you longingly when you eat chicken cooked in different ways. Please be informed that the fried and grilled chicken that you devour so much contains spices and flavors that can prove to be toxic for cats. Occasionally, boiled chicken can be given to cats, provided the meat is bland and devoid of any spices, salt, or other seasonings.
Keep reading to know more about whether your cats can eat boiled chicken, and how much chicken you can feed them to keep them safe and healthy.
Basics of buying chicken for cats
Before we get into explaining whether you can give boiled chicken to cats, here is a brief glimpse into some points you should know about buying meat for cats. When you visit big supermarkets, you may find a separate section categorized as “pet-friendly meats.” You may feel thrilled to find something exclusive for your feline friends, and may proceed to that counter.
However, please ensure that you check with your vet first if these “pet-friendly options” are actually safe for your pets or not. In most of these meats, you will find a sulfite preservative, which is toxic for cats, when ingested. So, please refrain from buying these processed and preserved meats. The best meat for cats is the human-grade meat, which you use for cooking. Yes, the way you consume the meat and how your cats consume the meat may be different, but the meat has to be the same.
Giving boiled chicken to cats
Yes, you can give boiled chicken to cats, but only as treats. This means you should feed them boiled chicken occasionally only. According to experts, boiled chicken should constitute only about 20% of your cat’s diet. They may love the blandness and softness of boiled chicken. Nevertheless, you need to ensure that you don’t go overboard when feeding them this dish. It is meant to be a treat. Feeding anymore of this can only cause health hazards in cats.
When you give boiled chicken, ensure that the meat doesn’t contain any cooked bones and flavorings like onions, garlic and other sauces in the meat. It should contain only small pieces of meat. An important equipment that you should have in your home when you have cats is a meat thermometer. This will help you cook meat to the exact temperature, so that it is neither undercooked nor overcooked.
Boiling chicken the right way to be given to cats
Many people aren’t aware of the right way to boil chicken to make it a safe treat for their furry friends. Here, we have explained briefly how you can do this in simple steps. When you boil chicken this way, you can ensure that it is 100% safe for your cats. They will also be free from choking hazards and other health ailments.
- Keep the raw chicken in a big pot and cover it with enough water or chicken broth. Use chicken broth only if it doesn’t contain any spices or seasonings. Plain water is good enough, too.
- Cook the contents on a medium-high flame. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. Stop cooking when the internal temperature of the meat reads 170 degrees F. At this stage, you will also notice that the chicken is no longer looking pink or raw.
- Wait until the meat has cooled down a bit. Once the chicken has cooled down, you can use your fingers or fork to shred the boiled meat. This is an important step, because cats can choke on the meat, if the pieces are big. When you shred the meat, you have to remove even the tiniest piece of bone that you find.
Does boiled chicken bring about any health benefits to cats?
Yes, boiled chicken, if cooked properly in the above method (without any spices, onion, garlic, chilies and other flavorings), can bring about quite a few health benefits to cats. However, this should be given occasionally only and not as the main food.
One of the main benefits of boiled chicken for cats is that it can improve the functioning of the digestive system in felines. Your veterinarian may recommend a diet of rice and boiled chicken for cats suffering from stomach upsets and diarrhea. When the cat eats this simple food for a few days, it should be free from all stomach-related ailments. When giving boiled chicken a remedy for sick cats, please remember to cut down their regular diet.
Some alternatives to boiled chicken
If your cats are perfectly healthy, they don’t need to be fed boiled chicken at all. Instead, you can pick from a bevy of healthy alternatives as treats for them. These include:
- Bell peppers (preferably green)
- Zucchini
- Spinach
- Carrots
- Beans
- Scrambled Eggs
- Broccoli
- Pumpkin
- Peas
- Rice and grains
Boiled chicken and the ones mentioned above are highly nutritious and filled with protein. Even then, you should ensure that they make up only 15 to 20% of your cat’s diet. Eating large quantities of foods that are meant as treats can cause poisoning and gut-related issues in cats.
Final Word
As you can see, boiled chicken can be fed to cats, provided they are given as treats. These should form a very small part of your cat’s diet. Also, you should strictly avoid adding any kind of spices, flavorings, vegetables, or other seasonings to the chicken. Boiled chicken can be given to cats only if it is absolutely bland and devoid of bone. Always shred the meat well after boiling it to avoid choking hazards in cats.