feeding your cat chicken & veggies

silly_ goose

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i have 2 kitties, both 1 year old. i ran out of cat food, and i got paid today so i can certainly go buy some but i had been feedin my cats kind of random things. nothing bad. one day i fed them shrimp, one day i fed them broccoli. tonight i was thinking about boiling some chicken. i didnt add any seasonings to this stuff, just straightly boiled & they did choose to eat it. they were a little unsure of the broccoli but when they realized i didnt have anything else to give them, they chowed down on it. anyways. like i said tonight i wanted to boil some chicken, and i want to mix it in with cat food that ill be purchasing after work. how do i go about boiling the chicken? how long do i boil it? should i dice the chicken up first? any info would be greatly appreciated!!!! thanks cat lovers!
 

goldenkitty45

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We do a lot of boiling chicken breasts (for us) and the gang gets their share too. Usually chicken breasts (boneless) takes about 1/2 hour to cook after the water is boiling. If you are using boned chicken - make that a good 45 mins of boiling. Be sure to take out any bones as cats and dogs cannot have the cooked chicken bones at all.

Dice or shred it up and let cool before you give it to them.
 
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silly_ goose

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well the raw chicken i have is in the freezer. can i still cook that? would i just thaw it out and boil it for 30mins (after the water has started to boil)?
 
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silly_ goose

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oh when i googled it, there were lots of things that said brocolli was good for cats. mine ate it, and they are still very lively. its been about a week. it probably varries from cat to cat.
 

uluagirl

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Hi,

I just saw all of you have beautiful signature pictures and wonder how to do that. I have studied the FAQ and the instructions for posting pictures. However, on my User CP, there is no link to edit signature. Could you show me how? Thanks,
Jeanie
 

auntie crazy

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I don't know if broccoli itself is toxic to cats or not, but it's not any good for them for sure.

Cats are obligate carnivores and can't properly digest fruits, vegetables and grains. So when they eat these foods, their little bellies may be full, but they don't get the nutrition they need from the meal.

Most of it ends up a nasty smelling mess in the litter box. This is why, generally speaking, cats fed dry foods have larger, stinkier poos than cats on wet - more of what they eat is indigestible to them and goes right through.
 

fattykitty

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It should be fine. I might add a few more veggies (don't put more total in-just give smaller portions each) and finely dice them. It should be fine for them to eat the chicken raw anyway-no need to boil.
 

auntie crazy

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Originally Posted by fattykitty

It should be fine. I might add a few more veggies (don't put more total in-just give smaller portions each) and finely dice them. It should be fine for them to eat the chicken raw anyway-no need to boil.
Raw is great for cats (see the raw food forum here). Veggies are no good at all - you should stop feeding them altogether, NOT feed them more.
 

fattykitty

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Originally Posted by Auntie Crazy

Raw is great for cats (see the raw food forum here). Veggies are no good at all - you should stop feeding them altogether, NOT feed them more.
I don't mean adding more in amount, just giving more variety in what you do give. Like if you add a table spoon of veggies, give a few different veggies rather than one big tablespoon of brocoli. They do eat the stomach content of their prey in the wild (too little for them not to) and many enjoy cat grass. But anyway, that's another debate.
 

auntie crazy

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Originally Posted by fattykitty

... They do eat the stomach content of their prey in the wild (too little for them not to) and many enjoy cat grass. But anyway, that's another debate.
In the interest of clarification...

Cats actually don't eat stomach contents if they can help it (dogs don't either). If they're starving, they'll eat the whole carcass, but if they're doing fine, quantity-wise, they leave the stomachs behind. (Squeamish WARNING: When I feed mice, I always have to either gut the little buggers first, or pick up after the cats.)

And they eat grass precisely because it is indigestible - it acts like fiber and helps the digestive system "move" along, if ya' get my meaning.
 

yosemite

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Originally Posted by fattykitty

I don't mean adding more in amount, just giving more variety in what you do give. Like if you add a table spoon of veggies, give a few different veggies rather than one big tablespoon of brocoli. They do eat the stomach content of their prey in the wild (too little for them not to) and many enjoy cat grass. But anyway, that's another debate.
Agreed - although they are carnivores they do get grains and veggies from their prey in the wild so it certainly isn't going to hurt them. The only time I would be concerned is if the contents of the food had more grains and veggies than meat. And, naturally I wouldn't ever recommend any food with by-products.

You'll hear some folks say tomato is bad for cats, garlic is bad for cats, well like everything else in life I wonder how much they would need to eat before it is bad for them. I had a cat that loves spaghetti and meat balls - including the noodles. He lived to 15 years old and being a barn cat, he didn't have the greatest start in life. A lot will depend on each individual cat as well.

Reminds me of the old adage I heard that parsley was an aphrodisiac - but you had to eat 2.5 acres for it to be effective.
 

denali

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Feeding raw to my cats DEFINATELY is cheaper for me then feeding them canned grainfree. But I suggest if you are going to continue feeding them a homecooked diet that you do the research on how to balance it properly to meet your cats nutritional needs. If you feed a homecooked diet you will definately need to add taurine. Taurine is one of the most important ingredients in the cats diet. You must balance the diet properly. Meats and the wrong veggies will not be a balanced diet for your cats. Some meats have a higher taurine content then others but some say the taurine is lost when the meat is cooked. This is why pet food companies have to add back taurine into their food. It is lost in the extreme temperatures.

Of all diets I think raw feeding is the best for our feline companions. But I think if anyone is interested in feeding raw/homecooked then please do your research first on balancing the diet.....Good luck!
 
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