Can Cats Eat Raw Chicken?

Some cat owners believe that raw meat and poultry are healthy for their pets because they contain more nutrients and maintain the feline hunting instinct.

However, housecats are generally more susceptible to infections caused by raw meat consumption than stray cats.

Learning about the risks of feeding cats raw chicken and the symptoms of parasitic and bacterial infections is essential for every owner considering incorporating raw poultry into their pet’s diet.

Is Raw Chicken Safe For Cats?

Felines are carnivores that primarily rely on protein, so poultry is an excellent food for cats. In nature, cats feed solely on raw meat and rarely experience health issues caused by such a diet.

Cats can indeed digest raw meat, but raw chicken, in particular, isn’t risk-free for cats. The reason why raw chicken isn’t safe for cats lies in bacteria salmonella, and other pathogens often found in poultry.

Salmonella can cause severe food poisoning in cats and humans. Perhaps, you’ve heard that you should cook poultry thoroughly and use different cutting boards and knives for poultry and other foods.

Salmonella is the reason, and it’s equally dangerous for your pet as it is for you. Pathogens are prevalent in commercially produced chicken, but even organic poultry can be contaminated.

Campylobacter is another harmful to humans and pets bacteria often found in raw chicken. The symptoms of campylobacter poisoning are similar to those of salmonella poisoning but typically manifest later.

Clostridium perfringens is relatively uncommon in raw chicken, and the symptoms usually last for 24 hours as opposed to several days, but it’s still unpleasant and risky for a cat.

Apart from harmful bacteria, raw chicken can contain parasites, including trichinella, tapeworms, and gape-worms. The worst thing is that a cat that has eaten contaminated chicken may later pass on the infection to owners.

However, even chicken not containing harmful bacteria or parasites can harm feline health. Raw chicken leg, wings, and other body parts apart from fillet may contain small bones invisible to the naked eye.

Cats can’t properly chew and digest bones, so they are a serious choking and intestinal blockage hazard. Sharp pieces of bones may pierce the cat’s throat or gastroenteric tract organs, causing sepsis.

Lastly, raw chicken doesn’t have a complete nutritional profile, unlike specially formulated cat food.

Cats need an adequate level of taurine, fat, amino acids, vitamin K, fiber, and other elements that chicken either lacks on contains in insufficient amounts.

So, while poultry is a suitable food for cats, it shouldn’t be the base of a cat’s diet, and boiled chicken is significantly better than raw.

Benefits of Chicken For Cats

Although raw chicken poses several risks for cats, the health benefits of chicken for cats can’t be denied. Chicken is an excellent source of protein, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamins B6 and B12, and essential amino acids.

The feline diet should consist of at least 50% protein, and 80% of calories in chicken come from protein. Unlike dogs, cats can’t synthesize amino acids and therefore should receive them from food, such as chicken.

Amino acids are integral for feline vision, digestion, and cardiovascular health. Thiamine, also known as vitamin B1, is vital for carbohydrate metabolism and proper brain function.

Vitamin B2, known as riboflavin, also helps synthesize carbohydrates and assists in oxygen supply into organs. Pantothenic acid or vitamin B5 maintains the proper fatty acid and glucose metabolism.

Selenium in chicken supports the feline nervous system, phosphorus maintains healthy bones and teeth, bonding with calcium, and potassium regulates the digestive tract function.

In short, regular chicken consumption benefits all feline bodily systems. Chicken is one of the healthiest cat treats and can be a substitute to dry food if combined wisely with other foods for the correct nutrient ratio.

Raw chicken contains more class B vitamins, phosphorus, selenium, and potassium than cooked chicken. However, the nutritional difference between raw and boiled chicken for cats is insignificant.

Boiling is the best chicken cooking method for cats because boiled poultry preserves more healthy elements than roasted.

Symptoms To Watch Out For

Salmonella bacteria found in raw chicken causes an infection known as salmonellosis. The condition can lead to intestine inflammation and blood infection. The first symptoms may manifest from four hours to several days after ingesting contaminated chicken.

Salmonellosis in cats includes a combination of gastroenteric, cardiovascular, topical, and neurological symptoms. The most common feline salmonellosis symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and flatulence, so it can be easily confused with gastroenteric upset.

Severe gastroenteric symptoms lead to weight loss, weakness, dehydration, and lethargy. Unfortunately, the symptoms tend to progress quickly, and without timely treatment, salmonellosis can result in death.

Other symptoms to watch out for include fever, skin irritation, mucus in feces, swelling of lymph nodes, and rapid heart rate. For pregnant female felines, salmonellosis often results in stillbirth.

If salmonella bacteria reach the bloodstream and cause septicemia, a cat may experience symptoms including hypothermia, jaundice, gum paleness, difficulty breathing, lowered blood pressure, and foul anal odor.

However, salmonellosis isn’t the only condition to watch out for if your cat eats raw chicken.

You should also be aware of the parasitic infection symptoms in cats, including dull coat, weight loss, ear infections, skin irritation, stomach upset, and slow heartbeat.

Of course, mild bloating, vomiting, or diarrhea may indicate simple gastroenteric upset rather than a parasitic or bacterial infection. However, there is no way to diagnose a cat at home without sufficient professional experience.

When To See a Vet

Any symptoms of salmonellosis in cats require an urgent veterinary examination to diagnose the disease and find the right treatment. Unfortunately, feline owners often confuse salmonellosis with regular stomach upset and postpone the vet visit.

Veterinarians diagnose salmonella infection in cats based on physical examination and lab test results. The indications of infection include low blood platelet levels, high white blood cell count, anemia, and low albumin.

The treatment of salmonellosis in cats usually includes antimicrobial medications and intravenous fluid administration to deal with dehydration.

Typically, the treatment is carried out on an outpatient basis, but severe cases may require hospital care.

Possible feline salmonellosis complications include irritable bowel syndrome, reactive arthritis, and septicemia, but most cats recover fully with proper treatment.

How To Feed a Cat Raw Chicken Safely

Assuming you’ve made a well-weighed decision to feed your cat with raw chicken, follow safety precautions to minimize the risks. Start by talking to a veterinarian regarding the suitability of such a diet for your cat.

If your cat is used to eating cooked meat or dry food, raw chicken may cause severe gastroenteric issues. If your veterinarian gives a green light on introducing raw poultry into your cat’s diet, do it gradually.

Always purchase high-quality chicken from reputable stores, one you wouldn’t mind eating yourself. The chicken must be as fresh as possible because bacteria thrive as the chicken ages.

Choose chicken fillet over wings or other body parts to reduce a choking hazard. Chicken liver, hearts, and other organ meat are also healthy for felines.

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces on a clean surface. Serve the meat in small servings and throw away any leftovers that have reached room temperature. Wash the cat’s bowl carefully after it has eaten.

Remember to clean the kitchen surfaces and dishes and wash your hands after prepping chicken to prevent bacteria spread. You don’t want to suffer from salmonellosis together with your furry friend in the event of contamination.

Lastly, keep the chicken tightly sealed in the freezer to slow down aging and prevent cross-contamination.

Why Doesn’t My Cat Like Cooked Chicken?

Some feline owners would happily feed their cats boiled chicken for safety reasons, but cooked poultry doesn’t fit their pets’ taste preferences. If you’re struggling with the same issue, you may wonder – why won’t my cat eat cooked chicken?

Each cat is unique, and there’s no universal answer to why a cat loves raw meat, but such a preference is prevalent in former stray cats. If you’ve saved a cat from the street, the chances are that it is simply used to eating prey.

Some cat breeders also prefer to feed their kittens with raw meat. When the kittens grow up and arrive in new families, new owners often struggle to make the pet eat dry food or cooked meat.

Lastly, some felines have more powerful hunting instincts than others. Even if your cat has never seen prey in its life, it may be attracted to raw meat because of the smell, which triggers its instincts.

If you’re concerned about your cat’s safety but can’t make it eat cooked food, replace chicken with raw beef because it has a lower chance of being contaminated.

Sources