making chicken broth at home and what to do with the chicken?

My (almost) 1 year old kitty needs to take in more liquid so my vet recommended chicken broth. However finding a broth without garlic or onion has been very difficult (maybe impossible?). So, two questions...

how do you make broth that is safe for cats at home?

can she eat the chicken after? (not as an every day thing, but with her wet food?)

I'm a vegetarian so in addition to not knowing how to make broth,  I'd hate to throw the chicken away (but I also don't want to hurt Maya or complicate her situation even more).

thanks!

Since you're making broth for the cat, not yourself, you wouldn't want to add a lot of seasoning (most broths contain onion just for the added flavor). So, you buy a mix of dark and light chicken pieces (cheap stuff, like necks and wings) and throw it into a large pot with enough water to cover. You could perhaps add some celery and carrots for extra flavor (I've read that cats like carrots, but you couldn't prove it by my two). Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and leave it for an hour or so. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon (it will be falling to pieces by that point) and strain the liquid through a colander. Separate into smaller bowls (if you have them) and refrigerate overnight to let the fat congeal on top. Next morning, scrape off the fat and - voila - you have home-made chicken stock without onion for your kittie.

The chicken can be fed to the cat, but be careful to remove all the bones first!

Of course, your kittie might like tuna water, too. You can buy tuna packed in water at most groceries. It's a lot less work and you won't have to deal with unwanted chicken ;-)

Best regards,

PHarber-Murphy

Do you add lots of water to her wet food (it should look soupy)?

If she doesn't like the broth straight, you could try putting some of your broth in a blender and adding a bit of the chicken.

I find that packages of frozen chicken often contains salt. You should check the packaging for sodium.

Yes, make broth at home with just meat and water. No need to even add vegetables! I make "bone broth" for my cat that has intestinal issues and just add it to his wet food. I use it with my other cat to temp her to eat food that's been refrigerated. They both seem to love it.

Regarding the chicken, you can shred the meat carefully away from the bones, making sure there are absolutely no bones. Then freeze it and thaw as needed; this makes a nice treat for cats. Just make sure you don't feed this too often, as it's not nutritionally balanced.

Thanks! I've been adding water to her wet food but there's a delicate balance between "too soupy" and just right. I feel like the water waters the food down and makes it less appealing sometimes. And I haven't been seeing her drink. She has a fountain in her "area" and a mug of water by her food. (She's been known to attack any glass that's out so I thought by using a mug, it would seem like mine and therefore more enticing). So if she's getting most of her liquid from food, I want to make it as appetizing as possible.

When you add water to her food, do you pour it straight in from the tap? I run a tiny bit of hot water (maybe one-half teaspoon) into the can of cat food that I just emptied into my two cats' bowls, stir it around, then mix it into the food. I use just enough water to make the food more like a thick stew (not too soupy). It seems to work well with Mr. Grimsby, who only has four teeth left in his head, but Bertha pretty much ignores wet food altogether.

Best regards,

PHarber-Murphy

P.S. I use hot water because I read somewhere that cats like food that is rat-temperature (for lack of a better way to put it).

I used to add water (also swishing in the can when it was empty) but now broth to the wet food and put it on top of the stove. Not on, but the pilot lights heat the top of the stove enough to speed up the warming process. I noticed she's been eating her wet food more, though it could also be bc she realized she's not getting any dry food.

ah, if only I had a gas stove...I hate electric, but that's what I've got...

Best regards,

PHarber-Murphy