The allure of chicken as a delicious meal is almost universal, resonating with humans and their furry friends. As a cat parent, you’ve probably noticed how your feline companion’s eyes light up at the smell or sight of chicken, sparking the question: “Is it OK to feed my cat chicken every day?”
While chicken can be a delightful treat for cats, offering a rich source of protein and certain nutrients, there are important considerations to be mindful of—like whether chicken alone is sufficient for a balanced diet, the essential amino acids your cat needs, and how much chicken is too much.
In this comprehensive guide, we will explore all these questions and more to ensure that your cat enjoys not just the taste of chicken but a wholesome diet that supports their overall well-being.
Table of Contents
- Is It OK to Feed My Cat Chicken Every Day?
- Should I Cook the Chicken Before Feeding It to My Cat?
- Are There Any Other Considerations I Should Keep in Mind When Feeding Chicken to My Cat?
- Final thoughts
Is It OK to Feed My Cat Chicken Every Day?
The name “chicken” brings delight to me, each time I hear it. I think of multiple ways I could indulge, ketchup, barbecue sauce, roasting the chicken, or making it crispy like KFC’s. I have a beautiful cat that loves to share beautiful food moments with me. As a result of my high appetite for chicken, my cat and I get to eat chicken more often.
It is okay for your cat to eat chicken every day. However, you should understand that; chicken alone cannot give your cat all the nutrients it needs. You need to give the cat his regular kibble and wet foods and use chicken as a treat.
Taurine is an essential amino acid needed in a cat’s diet, cats cannot produce this nutrient for themselves, this is why they need you to provide it for them. An only chicken diet every day cannot provide the taurine needed for your cat, except you’re providing the part of the chicken that has taurine.
Taurine is found in higher quantities, in parts of chicken/turkey that are subjected to so much work, like the heart(since it works all the days of its life). Taurine can be gotten from beef, the leg, thigh, and gizzard of a turkey contains great amounts of taurine, even more than that in beef.
You should also have a proper understanding of when, and how you should feed chicken to your cat, because feeding your cat cooked bones will only lead to bleeding gums and other internal complications which we will detail in subsequent subheadings.
Can a cat survive only on chicken?
An only chicken diet is a NO NO for your cat, only chicken cannot provide the balanced nutrients your cat needs to develop and function properly, most cat owners fail to take charge of how things come along with the cat, from his food, nutrients, care, and will end up being trained by the cat to feed them an only fish or chicken diet. As backed by Dr. Rebecca Remillard.
Your cat requires proteins, fat, carbohydrate, minerals, vitamin, and water. Fluffy has an essential need for protein as they are obligate carnivores who need more meat than your other household pets. Dietary protein develops and maintains the fur, tendon, muscles, ligament, hormones, antibodies, and more.
Your cat also needs fat with omega-3 and 6 fatty acids as a priority. They are important for wound healing, healthy coat and skin, inflammation, and the general health of your kitten. Salmon and chicken are great sources.
Vitamins that are needed by the cat can not be provided by chicken only. For cats who are eating both wet and dried foods, vets would still advise you to get some supplements–how much more, when you place the cat on a chicken-only diet?
How Much Chicken Should I Feed My Cat?
In deciding how much chicken you should feed your cat every day, you need to know the daily calorie needs of the cat and then decide how much chicken you can give the cat. Also, if you’ll be feeding the chicken with canned or dry kibble, you need to measure the calorie per serving, this will help you know the amount of chicken to use and supplement the cat’s food.
Let me give you an example, my ragdoll who is 7yrs weighs 6kg, he requires 40 calories per kg of his body weight, 40 x 6= 240. A chicken thigh contains 109 calories which means that 2 and a half thighs of chicken will be sufficient for my cat. This is how you can calculate how much chicken you should feed your cat.
Is it OK to feed cats chicken breast?
Yes, it’s okay to feed your cat chicken breasts, but as a treat. The chicken breast doesn’t contain enough nutrients required for your cat. Although, it’s pleasant to a senior cat’s stomach. Chicken breast is a great source of protein, but protein alone won’t do for your kitty.
What Are the Benefits of Chicken for Cats?
A kitten can eat chicken from as young as 3 weeks. The chicken will provide your cat with lots of benefits; proteins to build and maintain its muscles, l-tryptophan to improve mood, and omega-6 to retain the beauty of its fur.
Chicken contains mood-boosting properties
LL tryptophan, found in chicken is an amino acid that boosts the level of serotonin in your cat’s brain– this neurochemical induces the “feel good” mood in cats. It is very handy in resolving aggression related to anxiety and stress, while also helping to regulate your cat’s sleep. This neurochemical makes it easy to brush a cat that doesn’t want you to brush her.
Provision of vitamin B12 and choline
Dark and white chicken meat provides choline and vitamin B12 for your cat. Choline is a vital vitamin for the cat’s liver health, cognitive function, and nerve transmission. Cats provide choline naturally, but chicken is a great way of supplementing choline.
Since cats are usually susceptible to digestive problems at a senior age, or junior age as a result of what they let into their mouths. Vitamin b12 is a great way to strengthen the cat’s digestive, and nervous systems, it also boosts the cat’s immune system – all these benefits are gotten from chicken.
Dietary protein in chicken will build your cats muscle
As little as 30 grams of dietary protein per meal can help build your cat’s muscles. Also, dietary protein help with your cat’s bone health.
Chicken provides numerous benefits to your cat’s heart, fur, coat, and general well-being.
What Are the Potential Risks of Feeding Chicken to Cats?
Bacteria such as salmonella habits in the chicken can cause issues in the cat’s digestive tract, leading to diarrhea and other related symptoms.
Feeding a cat an only chicken diet can lead to malnutrition, you’ll end up having a cat that doesn’t have either his bones, coat, organs, or brain developing properly. Chicken doesn’t have enough amino acids in form of taurine–that are necessary for cats.
A cooked chicken bone is brittle and it splinters easily, it could lead to injuries to your cat’s gum and it could also lacerate the cat’s through or even cause injuries to the cat’s intestines.
Should I Cook the Chicken Before Feeding It to My Cat?
Cooking the chicken before serving it to your cat is not mandatory. You can serve them raw, raw chicken, especially with the neck bone, which helps to clean up the cat’s mouth.
If you want to cook the chicken before feeding to your cat every day, ensure you don’t add any spice that will irritate the data intestines–neither should you add garlic or onions.
Are There Any Other Considerations I Should Keep in Mind When Feeding Chicken to My Cat?
In feeding chicken to your cat every day, ensure you’re supplementing other nutrients that are not supplied by the chicken.
Don’t give your cat bones, except the neck bone that helps to clean up the cat’s mouth. Cooked bones bruise and take a huge toll on your cat.
Don’t stop your cat’s normal food abruptly, gradually introduce the raw diet.
Is boiled chicken good for cats with diarrhea?
Yes, boiled chicken is very effective for stopping diarrhea in cats. Once a cat’s diarrhea starts, discontinue his normal food for 12 – 24 hours, then feed him cooked chicken breast and skin + rice. Make it a ratio of 50:50, rice 50% cooked chicken 50%, this will help form stool after a short while. Get to your vet if blood is seen in the cat’s stool.
Final thoughts
Is it ok to feed my cat chicken every day? Yes, but chicken alone will not provide all the nutrients the cats need. Chicken could suffice as a great treat for fluffy, but if you must use it as food, you need a supplement to close the vitamin gap.
Chicken is undeniably a tantalizing treat that appeals to both humans and cats. While it’s a nutritious source of protein and certain essential nutrients, moderation and proper preparation are key when incorporating it into your cat’s diet.
Relying solely on chicken can deprive our feline friends of the critical nutrients necessary for their health. Moreover, awareness about potential hazards, like cooked bones or the risk of bacterial contamination, is crucial.
As with all dietary decisions for our beloved pets, a balanced approach, combined with a dash of vigilance, ensures that mealtime remains both a delight and a health-boosting experience. Always consult a veterinarian for personalized advice tailored to your cat’s needs. After all, a well-fed cat is a happy and healthy one.
Do you have any questions regarding what you have read? We want to hear from you!
