Bones/Chews

I know dogs love the elk antlers I sell, which makes sense has wild dogs would eat the bones of animals. I would think the same would be true of cats, as wild cats eat the whole animal... don't they? That's where they'd get more calcium and other nutrients, would they? But I don't ever see bones or chews for cats.

Thoughts?

I agree and have wondered the same thing. I can't believe more people haven't commented on this thread! I don't remember exactly what the behavior was, but when River was a kitten, she was doing *something* that prompted me to look for bones/chews for cats and I couldn't find anything. I do remember looking at several stores for something like that though, and even going to the dog section to see if they had anything small enough and wondering if the ingredients would be safe for cats, etc...

RIccaDawn said:

I agree and have wondered the same thing. I can't believe more people haven't commented on this thread! I don't remember exactly what the behavior was, but when River was a kitten, she was doing *something* that prompted me to look for bones/chews for cats and I couldn't find anything. I do remember looking at several stores for something like that though, and even going to the dog section to see if they had anything small enough and wondering if the ingredients would be safe for cats, etc...

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I thought somebody would have something to say on this. I was expecting somebody to point out that lions or whatever actually don't chew bones, as a way to show they won't work for cats. I don't know.

Since we weren't getting any responses here I decided to do a bit of reading on the subject.

It seems that cats would be okay with bones, but only if they're small enough. A couple of people mentioned raw chicken wings, as not only was the meat good for cats, but the bones were nice and small too. That makes sense, as a cat (at least not a big cat like a lion) is not going to take down a deer, elk, or cow.

I also read that even some smaller bones, like that of a turkey, may not be good either as they are too hard and can hurt a cat's tooth. The person said something about the size of a turkey, and the small bones having to support that weight. Chickens, rabbits, mice, birds, that sort of things would work.

I hope somebody else chimes in here, but I figured I'd pass along what I read since at least one other person is curious about this subject.

Cats do eat the bones of their prey. In the wild that would be their main source of calcium. Eating bones is also good for dental health. But cats eat bones as part of consuming their prey. Generally they don't do "recreational chewing" like dogs do.

There are chew sticks available for cats but not many likely because most cats won't chew on them.

mschauer said:

Cats do eat the bones of their prey. In the wild that would be their main source of calcium. Eating bones is also good for dental health. But cats eat bones as part of consuming their prey. Generally they don't do "recreational chewing" like dogs do.

There are chew sticks available for cats but not many likely because most cats won't chew on them.

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I'm not asking for recreational purposes, as I know that chewing bones can be good for dogs. I was assuming that was good for cats, but I don't see any bones/chews for them, so wasn't sure.

Yes, they would be good for cats also. *If* they would chew on them which most won't.

mschauer said:

Yes, they would be good for cats also. *If* they would chew on them which most won't.

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It'll be a while since I'm getting a kitten, but I'll look into it down the road.

And yes, cats need MUCH smaller bones than dogs. Chicken ribs, quail bones, chicken wings (not the big one of the three, just the smaller two), rabbit ribs... until they're better at chewing, these are the best "starter" bones.

Great. Another thing to add to the list of things I need. Okay, maybe I don't need it all, but I want my cat to be as happy and healthy as possible.
 

Just a reminder, cooked bones aren't safe for kitties, only raw bones are!

kittylover23 said:

Just a reminder, cooked bones aren't safe for kitties, only raw bones are!

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Thanks.

kittylover23 said:

Just a reminder, cooked bones aren't safe for kitties, only raw bones are!

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GREAT job on the reminder!!!!! Very important information!

I wouldn't think a cat would need raw bones for calcium. If you're feeding them food with complete nutrition, they should be getting everything they need nutrient-wise. If not, there are vitamin supplement treats out there for cats. I would never feed any of my animals actual bones because they could pose a choking hazards.

If your kitty seems to like to chew things (I know my kitten does), there are a few options for chew toys. I know for a fact the company Petstages makes a few different chew toys for cats that (supposedly) help their dental health and encourage them to take out their desire to chew on something more appropriate than... say, college textbooks (as a random, nonspecific example ). Kong might make some too, but don't hold me to that. I know I've seen Petstages dental chews at places like Petco and Petsmart, but you can also find them online at Amazon. I haven't tried the Petstages chews yet, but I do plan to in the future. If anything, they'll probably make fun toys.

LDG said:

And yes, cats need MUCH smaller bones than dogs. Chicken ribs, quail bones, chicken wings (not the big one of the three, just the smaller two), rabbit ribs... until they're better at chewing, these are the best "starter" bones.

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My cat gets the whole wing, and if it's big leaves the big bone.  With small wings she eats the lot.  Her teeth are perfect. 

HOWEVER - not all cats will eat a raw wing.  Her brother turns his nose up at them.

Yeah, I would just second what everyone has said:  first, make sure the bones for dogs are RAW and unflavored.  If they are in the refrigerator or freezer section, probably raw.  Do not feed cooked bones of any size under any condition. 

Rabbit bones are an appropriate size for cats.  As are cornish hens and quail.

And, if you feed your cat canned food, then be careful of your cat getting too much calcium/phospherous (and what ever other vitamins/minerals are in bones).

I have been feeding my cats raw bones for 2 months now and they seem to love it.