Can cats eat raw chicken? Is raw chicken safe for cats to eat? What’s the best way to feed cats raw chicken? Or are you panicking because your cat ate raw chicken?!
Maybe your cat is clawing at your legs when you’re preparing raw chicken, or you’ve run out of cat food. Our guide answers the benefits and risks of cats eating raw chicken, but also gives you tips to ensure that your cat stays healthy and safe.
If you’re thinking about feeding raw chicken or any raw diet to your cat, understand the facts first. Here’s what you need to know.
Can cats eat raw chicken?
In the wild, cats are predators and catch their own food. You may have seen your own furry friend hunting for animals such as birds and mice and bring them home to you as presents… or their feast. So is eating raw chicken any different?
Cats are strict carnivores in their natural habitats, meaning that they can eat raw meat. Therefore, it is safe for cats to eat fresh raw chicken. You simply have to be sure that the meat is fresh and salmonella free. Read on for information about different types of raw chicken.
Their natural diet when eating raw meat is high in protein, moderate in fat and also includes a small number of carbohydrates. Thus, cats are adapted to eat raw meat, organs and even bones from animals they catch.
When a cat catches a bird or small rodent, they pretty much eat the whole thing! Their digestive tract is short and acidic, meaning that raw meat can be digested in around 12 hours, not giving bacteria enough time to grow. Thus, preventing food poisoning.
Here’s a video of a cat eating a whole raw chicken. Skip to the end to see how much raw chicken this little black cat managed to swallow up!
Health considerations
There’s more to it than just saying make sure it’s fresh raw chicken. For example, domestic cats have adapted over time, making commercial diets a preferred and more ideal source of protein and nutrients.
There are many health benefits and risks associated with cats eating raw chicken. We’ve summarised the risks and precautions you should take before giving your feline friend a piece of your poultry.
Is raw chicken good for cats?
Are there benefits of cats eating raw chicken?
Cheap commercial diets can contain a lot of filler ingredients that no sane person has ever heard of. Whereas, with raw food, you can avoid preservatives and additives that pet companies add to make some extra dollars because you know exactly what you’re feeding your cat.
Cats need amino acids to stay healthy, and there are plenty of those in animal protein contained in raw chicken. Further to this, raw chicken is low in carbs (unlike plant-based food), meaning that it won’t cause weight gain or digestive problems for your cats.
Vets also say that cats eating raw chicken may also see improved hydration, as raw chicken contains more fluids than dry cat food. Aside from hydration, a well researched and prepared raw diet can also ensure that your cat will consume well-balanced meals with the right quantities of micronutrients required for a healthy cat diet.
Raw foods have also been proven to improve cats’ immunity from diseases and result in much more predictable behavior. Who would have thought that some raw chicken would be the solution to a crazy cat?!
On the other hand, feeding a cat raw chicken or other raw meat also comes with many drawbacks…
Is raw chicken bad for cats?
Every cat owner wants to ensure that their cat is healthy and well-fed. Chicken isn’t as bad as some other foods that cats typically don’t consume, such as chocolate or grapes. However, it’s also not the best source of protein.
Although cats are carnivores and raw chicken is safe for cats to consume, it’s strongly unrecommended to feed your cat raw chicken on a daily basis.
In fact, numerous studies warn that raw chicken is the source of many bacterial infections. One such study, even showed that one cat died from salmonella as a result of consuming raw chicken. A more recent study by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) concluded that 3.8% of young chicken samples that the USDA tested were contaminated by salmonella.
Although farmers and companies have been taking extensive measures to reduce the occurrence of salmonella in raw chicken, the risk is still there.
Amino acids in chicken
Cats require taurine, arginine, methionine, and cysteine for their bodies to function properly.
Raw chicken isn’t as nutrient and vitamin-rich as high-quality cat food. It lacks an amino acid called taurine, which cats need to keep them healthy from various problems such as hair loss and reproductive issues.
Salmonella
Contrary to earlier advice, cats can actually develop food poisoning from eating raw chicken. Despite a shorter digestive tract and strong acids, this doesn’t make all cats 100% immune from pathogens such as salmonella. For example, salmonellosis in cats is an infection that can be caused by cats eating raw chicken.
Symptoms of salmonellosis include:
- diarrhea
- fever
- vomiting
Your furry friend is also likely to come across as tired and may show signs of rapid weight loss. If this happens, you should consult a local vet immediately.
Salmonellosis in kittens and older cats
Kittens and older cats are at increased risk of salmonellosis as a result of their undeveloped or poorer immune systems.
Listeria
Other diseases that may occur as a result of a cat eating raw meat include listeria.
Listeria is an infection caused by Listeria monocytogenes (a bacterium) and is often found in cattle and poultry meat, as well as water and soil.
Symptoms of listeria are:
- diarrhea
- vomiting
- fever
- tiredness
If untreated, Listeria can lead to the affected cat’s death.
Tips for safely feeding cats raw chicken
If you’re worried about any of the above-mentioned risks, such as salmonellosis or listeria when feeding your cat or cats raw chicken, you can always cook the chicken first.
Of course, just like humans, different cats prefer different foods. However, cooking raw meat doesn’t only kill potentially lethal bacteria, but also makes the chicken tastier for your cat. You can also add some oil, rice or small quantities of plain cheese if your cat is into that sort of thing.
Overall, we strongly recommend that your cat is fed cooked chicken rather than raw. Not only will this mean that your cat isn’t placed at risk, but it will also mean that as the cat gets older and their immune system gets weaker, you won’t have to remove their favorite meal or treat from their diet.
If you still want to try feeding your cat raw chicken, be sure to take out any smaller or sharp bones. It would also be best if you only made raw chicken a treat, rather than a meal. Keeping to only small portions of raw chicken will help minimize the risks of your cat becoming ill.
You should also remember that chicken sold in commercial stores is intended for cooking. It would have been prepared and washed in chemicals such as water. To keep your cat safe, purchase chicken that’s intended for raw consumption by cats. If you can, look to a local butcher or farm for local fresh poultry – you’ll be getting fresh meat and will support a local business.
Other solutions are to purchase frozen raw chicken diets that are designed and pre-prepared by pet companies. Such meals will be salmonella free and safe for your cat to consume.
Other cat chicken feeding questions
How much raw chicken can I give my cat?
According to our local vets, this is the most asked question relating to raw food diets for cats.
Every cat is different, as they have different activity levels, their age, sleep for varying lengths, health and genetics. Equally, the raw chicken you feed your cat will have different nutritional values to that available to us or other people locally, nationally and internationally.
There are basic guidelines you can follow to feed what is considered as a good amount of raw chicken to feed your cat. Our guidelines are for cats that are over one year old. Younger, pregnant and nursing cats and kittens will require twice the amount of food per pound of body weight as they’re growing and need more nutrients.
Vets typically recommend that you feed your cat 2% to 4% of their total body weight per day. Therefore, if your cat weights 10 pounds, 3% of that would 4.8 ounces per day.
| Cat weight | 2% | 3% | 4% |
| 8 lbs | 2.56 | 3.84 | 5.12 |
| 9 lbs | 2.88 | 4.32 | 5.76 |
| 10 lbs | 3.20 | 4.80 | 6.40 |
| 11 lbs | 3.52 | 5.28 | 7.04 |
| 12 lbs | 3.84 | 5.76 | 7.68 |
To do this calculation yourself, take the cat’s weight in pounds and multiple it by 16 (there are 16 ounces in each pound). Then, multiply it by the percentage you want to work out (eg. 0.03).
Therefore, if your cat weighs 10 lb, do 10 x 16, which equals 160. Then, if you want to work out 4%, do 160 x 0.04, which is 6.4 ounces.
After a few weeks of feeding your cat raw chicken based on the above formula, weigh your cat again and adjust the amount of food based on whether the weight has increased or is decreasing. The aim is to maintain your cat’s weight.
Can cats eat raw chicken bones?
We told you that you can feed a cat raw chicken in small quantities and as long as it’s prepared correctly. However, can you feed a cat chicken bones?
Many vets and experts recommend that cats should be allowed to carefully chew breakable bones for dental health and mental stimulation. After all, bones provide nutritional value, most importantly calcium.
Some experts explain that raw chicken bones are better than cooked bones because cooked bones are likely to splinter inside your cat’s digestive system. At this time, there are no digestive studies to confirm this. Therefore, the safest thing to do is to either follow the advice of your own vet. Simply give them a call and ask.
Whether you feed your cat cooked or raw bones, observe your cat carefully to make sure that they’re safe, and monitor your cats next bowel movements. If you notice blood or your kitty has trouble with digestion, vomiting, gas or any other issue, consult a local vet and do not feed them bones again.
Can cats eat raw chicken liver?
Humans eat chicken liver, so can cats eat it too?
Raw chicken liver is high in nutrients; more so than other raw meat. It’s also a great source of protein, calcium vitamin B, iron, copper, phosphorus, magnesium and other necessary and wanted nutrients.
Keep in mind that you should only feed your cat raw chicken liver in small quantities. Otherwise, you risk giving your cat diarrhea. You have been warned!
Can cats eat raw chicken necks?
Chicken necks are made up of small chicken bones and contain a variety of vitamins and minerals.
They’re particularly high in calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus. They’re an ideal treat that your cat can chew on, but please watch your cat when they’re eating raw chicken necks and make sure that he/she doesn’t have trouble with chewing or digesting any part of the chicken neck.
Can kittens eat raw chicken?
If the big cats are allowed, is it also safe for kittens to eat raw chicken?
The answer is, yes. It’s ok to feed your kitten raw chicken. However, just like with adult cats, you must feed them in small quantities or even better, cooked.
When feeding your kitten raw chicken, it’s also strongly advisable that you debone the chicken and feed the chicken in smaller pieces than you would an adult cat.
As with the adult cat section of this article, the main concern about feeding cats raw chicken is that they are not rich in the right nutrients for cats, especially kittens.
A kitten will need a well-balanced diet with all of the vitamins and proteins necessary for proper growth and development. Your kitten’s vet can help you come up with a raw diet for your kitten, but it would be advisable to stick with high-quality cat food that contains everything that your kitty needs to grow into a majestic and healthy cat.
My cat licked or ate raw chicken. What should I do?
Leaving raw chicken unattended can be particularly dangerous if you have a cat. The meat is not prepared for a cat’s consumption and may be infected with salmonella or another bacterium.
If your cat ate or licked raw chicken, watch your cat for symptoms of sickness, such as:
- diarrhea
- fever
- tiredness
- loss of appetite
- vomiting
Salmonellosis, which is caused by salmonella, can be fatal. Salmonellosis can also be passed onto humans, so be sure to consult a vet and doctor as soon as you’re aware that your cat ate raw chicken or other meat.
Summary
If your cat ate raw chicken and after reading this article you have any concerns, it’s vital that you call your vet. Even the slightest worries and concerns should be addressed – even if that’s a quick telephone call with a local vet.
Don’t have a vet? Simply go to Google and search for “vet near me” or click the link.
Insanely comprehensive 🙂 Thank you so much.
As of November, 2021, my cats have totally rebelled against most meats. Most shockingly, they barely eat minced (chopped is rejected outright) fresh white chicken meat (and that too only after I have flavored it by mixing in commercially produced gel-contained chicken or fish bits). Leave alone any other organ of the chicken. And of course lamb and beef, even when fresh and minced/chopped are a big NO! NO! to them. They simply move away from the plate. It’s SO SERIOUSLY TRAUMATIZING ME THAT I HAVE TO FEED THEM THE SAME KIND OF MEAL THREE TIMES A DAY, and their diffetent kinds of expressions of boredom/reaction at having to eat the same kind of meal day in and day out traumatizes me even further. I have done almost everything humanly possible, even alternating wet food with a variety of kibble, but not all my cats (want to) eat kibble. I even changed the butcher from whom I used to get chicken meat, but that also didn’t solve the problem. I don’t have the time to cook chicken for the cats, or pick out bones from raw fish, and am understandably at my wits’ end and SERIOUSLY DREAD FEEDING TIMES. Where am I going wrong/not doing enough? I am DESPERATE for any easily doable ideas/solutions. Anything, please?
Hello Noor. Where are you based? We are currently experimenting with KatKin in the UK. It’s a subscription to freshly prepared (steamed) quality meat for cats. It might be worth trying a few alternative options like this to see what your cat will like, especially if you are able to give them a few different food options throughout the day – and plenty of time to slowly adjust to new food to see if they will like it.