Can a cat eat raw chicken? Maybe, This question also pops up in your mind. Well, this is quite a controversial topic for cat owners regarding the health of kitties. So if you are already having a kitty at your place or are willing to bring one anytime soon, this article is a must-read for you!
Like us, a balanced diet with the right nutrients is vital for your furry friend’s healthy well-being. However, our digestive tract is different from our felines; therefore, certain things are not suitable for us, but cats. Humans are naturally unable to digest raw meat; therefore, we can’t eat raw chicken. However, your furry bundle of love is blessed to be able to eat raw chicken safely.
Finding the best diet for your canine friend can be tricky, but you want to keep your pet healthy and happy. Obviously, you cannot try every kind of food available to find the perfect match.
Feeding chicken to your pet dogs is a safe bet. Chicken is an excellent protein source, but you cannot exclusively feed your pet dog on chicken meat.
However, remember that It alone does not provide a nutritionally adequate diet to your cat. The deficiency of nutrients in your furry friend’s diet makes them vulnerable, especially the growing animals, who are preliminary victims. Kittens need a proper and balanced concentration of nutrients in their diet to fulfill their growing body needs. Growing Kittens with an unbalanced diet and deficiency of various nutrients lead to skeletal abnormalities, orthopedic diseases, and fractures.
Therefore, here is an ultimate guide for you to understand this query in detail!
Cat and Raw chicken
Raw Chicken isn’t just safe to be consumed by your furry friend, but in fact, they love to have a piece of juicy and fresh raw chicken in their diet.
You have to keep in mind that your cat is basically a carnivore that can gulp raw meat. Unlike humans, cats’ digestive system is designed to take care of certain bacteria present in raw meat. But avoid risking this on them with expired food.
However, feeding your cat with chicken or most other poultry products creates significant nutritional problems and may cause various health issues in your canine friend. People mostly prefer chicken necks for raw-fed cats because these meaty bones provide a natural balance of minerals to your pet. Chewing these bones also provides an added benefit to your kitty’s good dental health.
What to keep in mind while purchasing raw chicken for your cat?
A wide variety and quality of raw chicken are available in the market, with some being loaded with artificial preservatives. Veterinarians around the world recommend only using Organic chicken, which is absolutely fresh. You must never choose a chicken from a producer that uses hormones or antibiotics in the growing process.
Raw Chicken is quickly affected by bacteria, but luckily, cats are not much susceptible to salmonella bacteria as humans are. As a result, cats naturally wouldn’t eat if it’s not fresh. So yes, your cat wouldn’t eat raw chicken that you have already left out, clever human!.
Therefore, as long as you are going for a 100% organic raw chicken, there isn’t much to worry about your feline!
The Nutritional Requirements of Cats
The Nutritional Requirements of Cat are quite complex as most of the energy they get is from amino acids (protein) and fats. The interesting part is that, compared to a usual omnivore, cats require as much as 3 times more protein to achieve ideal growth.
Studies also prove that cats who do not consume enough protein are at high risk of suffering malnutrition and other health issues. Not just that, other complex chains of amino acids are also required, including taurine, arginine, methionine, and cysteine, for the optimal functioning of your feline friend. And these nutrients must be supplied in the diet, as cats are unable to synthesize or conserve these acids by themselves.
With that, cats’ vitamin requirements are also distinctive, as they particularly need lots of Vitamin B, including especially niacin, thiamin, and pyridoxine. Furthermore, Vitamin A and D are also required in appropriate quantities for optimal vision, strong bones, and ideal; muscle growth. These essential vitamins, along with Vitamin B, E, and K, are richly found in animal tissues.
Why feed chicken to your feline?
Chicken meat is the most common source of protein that is used in pet food. It is an affordable source of meat that anybody can afford and manage their budget. Like any other diet source, chicken meat has its own pros and cons:
Pros of chicken meat for cats:
- Chicken is high-quality meat that is a fantastic source of protein for cats.
- Chicken meat offers your cat a more variety of meat. Its different parts provide tastes, marrow ration, fats, and proteins.
- It is available in small portions, so it is easy to serve fresh.
Cons of chicken meat for cats:
- Depending upon the chicken farming, chicken meat may have a deficiency of Vitamin D.
- A diet of only chicken becomes the reason for malnutrition in pet felines, especially kitties.
Benefits of chicken meat for cats:
Pet Felines require protein to get energy, and chicken meat is full of proteins with lots of energy. It also provides the following benefits:
- Chicken is leaner meat, and it fulfills your furry friend’s protein requirements without adding extra calories.
- Chicken meat provides the omega 6 fatty acids that support your cat’s healthy skin and shiny coat.
- Chicken also provides essential amino acids and glucosamine to your fur baby and makes it ideal for building lean muscle tissues and ideal bone health.
Chicken for Cats – proper diet or a treat?
No doubt, chicken can be a valuable diet for your cats that provides extra protein. It can also work as a suitable meal replacement when you don’t have proper cat food. However, raw chicken is not the central part of your feline’s diet, and with the only raw chicken diet, you cannot expect good health and a properly functioning immune system for your cat. There is no harm to feed a small portion of skinless and properly boiled or raw chicken to your cat as regular food once or twice a week as a tasty treat.
You may also consider chicken as treat for your cat, especially during the training days.
Can Cats Eat Raw Chicken Bones?
A significant query associated with this topic is if you can feed chicken bones to your feline. Well, bones do provide some additional nutritional value, particularly calcium. Not just that, many expert veterinarians recommend providing your cat with a small, breakable bone to be chewed as it improves dental along with mental stimulus.
Although many consider raw bones better than the cooked bones, which may shatter inside your cat’s throat, no scientific studies prove that.
Still, we’d recommend keenly observe the bowel movements of your cat after offering her bones to ensure whether it’s safe or not. In case you observe any trouble with indigestion, vomiting, gas, or other related issues, then strictly stop feeding bones. If you feel your feline friend is constipated, then you may cut down on the number of bones.
What about Raw Chicken Necks?
Raw Chicken Necks are a perfect alternative for those individuals who do not intend to feed raw bones to your cat. Chicken Necks can be a great option, as these bones are small and easy to chew. They are loaded with various essential minerals and vitamins, for instance, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus.
Hence, raw chicken necks can indeed be a great option, as long as your cat is tolerant to them.
Can My Cat Eat Raw Chicken Liver?
Similar to the neck, Chicken is also absolutely great to be offered to your furry friend as it’s a highly nut nutritious organ. The most amazing part is that it can compensate for all your cat’s nutritional deficiencies as the liver is raw. The liver is super rich in plenty of B vitamins, amino acids, calcium, iron, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, and many more!
However, you must be careful to only feed it in appropriate quantities as feeding organs in large quantities is a primary reason for diarrhea in cats.
Conclusion
Conclusively, Chicken is indeed an incredible addition to your feline’s diet, as long as you are following the right precautionary ways. The benefits of feeding raw chicken are diverse, and within no time, you’d observe great results.
It may be a bit inconvenient to look for raw organic meat for your feline friend and even maybe a bit costly, but trust me, those furry smiles and licks make it all worthwhile!