When it comes to your pet’s diet, it cannot be that simple. The market today offers an extensive array of cat food. However, you cannot and should not simply trust one over the other.
You must take time to learn and understand the impact of each ingredient.
One of the most common foods in question when it comes to cat food is raw chicken. Is it really good for your feline or not?
This is the most important thing to determine, and we try to get it all cleared up here.
Table of Contents
- Can Cats Eat Raw Chicken
- A Cat’s Diet In The Wild
- The Nutritional Requirements Of Cats
- Feeding Raw Chicken To Your Cats
- Raw Chicken: The Good Side
- Food Control
- No Unnecessary Nutrients Consumed
- All-natural And Healthy
- Raw Chicken: The Bad Side
- Safety
- Incomplete Nutrition
- Chicken Parts In Your Cat’s Diet
- Raw Chicken Bones
- Raw Chicken Necks
- Raw Chicken Livers
- Other Chicken Organs
- Raw Chicken For Kittens
- Can Cats Eat Raw Chicken: The Answer
Can Cats Eat Raw Chicken
The question is simple and direct. It cannot be answered in the same way though. This is simply because a number of things have to be considered. Basically, cats can eat raw chicken. However, it cannot be just any uncooked chicken. Also, a chicken is made of many different parts.
It is important to be clear about the requirements for a chicken to be safe for a cat to consume. You should also be aware of the different parts of a chicken and its value as a part of your feline’s diet.
A Cat’s Diet In The Wild
The original lifestyle of felines is in the wild prior to their domestication. As obligate carnivores, they feed on animals.
Their normal diet consists of a triangle where protein serves as the base, fat in the middle, and carbohydrates on the tip. This is supported by their way of life in the wild where they prey on smaller animals. They naturally eat raw meat.
Consequently, their system has developed to be more effective in processing proteins more than starch.
However, their domestication forced them to get used to cooked food, be it in the form of kibbles or wet foods. There is a concern now whether they can go back to eating raw food.
The Nutritional Requirements Of Cats
Proteins and fats are the main sources of energy for cats. As obligate carnivores, they need up to three times more protein than other animals.
When they have fewer proteins in the body, there is a tendency for malnutrition to occur. According to some studies, felines continue to create energy from protein even when there is very little of the nutrient in their bodies.
Other essential nutrients needed by cats are amino acids like arginine, cysteine, methionine, and taurine. They are required for the normal functioning of their different body parts. However, they cannot produce these in their bodies. They have to acquire these through their diets in a greater amount than other animals.
Taurine is quite a complicated amino acid especially for cats. It is available only in protein derived from animal tissues and not from plants. The heat processing that food undergoes as well as the amount of fiber it contains both impacts the amount of taurine available for cats to consume.
In terms of vitamins, cats also need B, A, D, E, and K. They are unable to store these vitamins, so there should be a constant source of them. They are actually found in animal tissues.
Feeding Raw Chicken To Your Cats
When it comes to raw chicken, there are a couple of things that go on both sides of the scale. The benefits and risks that come with any raw food for humans or any other animals also apply for felines.
Raw Chicken: The Good Side
Food Control
A raw diet means you are able to control the kind and amount of food that your cat eats.
No Unnecessary Nutrients Consumed
Commercial food is commonly bulked up using indigestible carbohydrates, which cats are unable to digest properly.
All-natural And Healthy
Feeding your cat with raw food such as raw chicken ensures that your pet gets the nutrients from sources with good quality and within the required quantity.
Raw Chicken: The Bad Side
Safety
The biggest concern that revolves around the argument against raw chicken feeding for felines is how safe it is. Raw chicken, like any other raw food, has a higher risk of containing bacteria, which is harmful to your pet.
There were studies conducted that involved cats on a raw diet who ended up dying because of salmonella. In new USDA studies, 3.8% of the chicken samples tested were positive of salmonella contamination.
Incomplete Nutrition
Despite having all the amino acids that your cats need, chicken cannot make up for all the nutrition that your cat requires.
Chicken Parts In Your Cat’s Diet
There are numerous components of raw chicken. You cannot assume that all parts of it are safe for your pet. Below is an assessment of each one’s value to your cat’s diet.
Raw Chicken Bones
There is no completely tested and proven advice when it comes to chicken bones. The decision to feed these to your cat will be up to you.
Chicken bones have high nutritional value, especially in calcium. They also help stimulate your pet mentally and physically. However, bones naturally have a tendency to splinter, which is risky when inside the intestines.
Since there is no scientific background to these, it is best to take matters into your hands. When feeding chicken bones to your pet, you should stick around to make sure he is safe when doing so. Once the meal is over, you should be watchful of his bowel movements.
You should stop feeding bones if there is blood in his bowels, gas, vomiting, and other indigestion issues. If constipation occurs, you should lessen the amount fed.
Raw Chicken Necks
When it comes to feeding chicken bones to your feline, necks are actually a good option. They are quite small, so they are easier to chew and digest. More so, they are high in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium along with other vitamins and minerals.
Even though they are safer than other bones, it is still highly recommended to watch your pet. You should be watchful of the consumption process as well as the bowel movements that follow.
Raw Chicken Livers
The Majority of the nutrients that cats need can be found in the animals’ organs than any other meat. Chicken liver is one of the most nutritious organs that benefit your pet’s diet. It contains vitamins B, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and proteins to name a few.
You should be careful not to overfeed though. Too much chicken liver in their diet leads to diarrhea.
Other Chicken Organs
Generally, organs, as well as muscles, are good for your feline’s diet. Organs that work more actually contain more taurine, which is one of the nutrients needed by cats. The heart is one of the most hardworking muscles.
However, the consumption of organs should be properly monitored. Too much can lead to digestive issues.
Raw Chicken For Kittens
Feeding raw chicken to your kitten brings the same benefits and poses the same risks as with adult cats. Hence, the final answer lays in your hands.
Technically, after younger cats are weaned, they can eat anything that their adult counterparts can. However, you should be more careful with the bones and meat sizes simply because they have smaller systems.
Another thing to bear in mind is how kittens need more nutrients as they are still in the growing stage. You should ensure that all the things they need are provided by the raw diet that you are arranging for them. Otherwise, you might put their development at risk.
Can Cats Eat Raw Chicken: The Answer
The answer is in your hands. This is because both the good and bad exist in feeding raw chicken to your feline.
Raw animal meat is rich with certain nutrients that your cat needs to maintain a healthy body. However, they can also be potentially contaminated with several types of bacteria that can put your cat at risk.
If you decide to feed your pet raw chicken, you must pull out all the stops to ensure that it is completely safe. This means being salmonella-free and without large bones.
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