Thought I would try making some homemade cat/dog food and bought what I heard others speaking of...but now what? Do I cook the meat and mix it with brown rice? The tub of chicken livers is gross, by the way, but I can see how this is less expensive than commercial food, as well as healthier.
Thanks in advance!
Darn, I thought you were fixing dinner! I love chicken livers. I soak mine in tobasco and black pepper for a couple of hours, then I roll them in seasoned flour and fry them in bacon grease until they are completely done and have a bit of a crunch.
I know that doesn't help you much for the kitties. Mine love chicken livers that have been lightly sauteed in butter, cooled and mashed for them.
Posted 2 years ago by KYKAT 12 23 #
Hi CW! Actually, I like chicken livers! OK, maybe I'm strange. When I buy them, I cook them in a skillet with butter and a bit of garlic--yum! But that's people-style. Perhaps just boil the chicken thighs, pan fry the livers, cook the rice normally, then put all the ingredients together, minus the bones in the thighs. I really don't think seasoning is necessary, do you? Good luck!
Kykat--your recipe for the chicken livers sounds really good-have to try that!
Posted 2 years ago by MaxandCali'sMom #
CW---I used to make my dog homemade food w/chicken broth, mixed veggies, and ground turkey. I would just boil the livers, thighs, and rice in some chicken broth.
Posted 2 years ago by FondaHonda #
Chicken livers can cause runny poop - that's why I always do liver on bone-in days. To much bone can cause constipation, to much liver causes dairrhea SO they even each other out.
Preferably you want to feed the liver and meat raw and don't use any grains - they just equal undigestable carbs. Carbs = fat cat.
For one lb of meat you can use .8 ounces of liver, to much over that and there will be some problems. If you smash the chicken thighs with a hammer and break the bone in to mush that is probably the best way for beginner cats. Raw bone is great for cats but NEVER feed cooked bone.
So a good balanced recipe would be:
1 lb chicken thighs cut into pieces w/ smashed bone still in
2 lb meat w/o bone (heart is really good, also red meat)
.15 ounces liver
.15 ounces other secreting organ (easiest to find is probably kidney)
2 oz sardines
Posted 2 years ago by furryfriends50 #
NO! Be careful with this raw food thing---you will be missing essential nutrients if not done precisely.
Posted 2 years ago by Sheba's Mom in Raleigh, NC #
I was just wondering if it's safe to hand them out to the ferals rather than to toss them in the trash. I for one am not comfortable with the complexities of a raw food regime for my crew. =)
CW..I have given cooked chicken to mine though as supplements to the other expensive foods that we run out of now and then and if you are going to cook the chicken and livers I'd simply boil them. Cook the rice...and stir them together. I haven't tried giving brown rice to my finicky cats but our dog LOVES it!
Actually like cats dogs don't need any plant materiel.
Raw feeding a dog is the same as a cat: 80% meat, 10% bone, 5% liver, 5% other secreting organ.
The only thing differant is that a dog can handle larger bones and doesn't NEED to have hearts (but still should) because they can make their own taurine.
If you cook you need to supplement most things back in, raw is much easier than offering cooked meals.
Forget the recipe I posted above, I put it into the calculator wrong.
It should be (if raw):
1 lb bone in chicken drumsticks OR chicken necks
2 lb boneless meat (heart is great, than red meat, than the darker white)
2.4 ounces liver
2.4 ounces secreting organ (kidney is easiest to find)
2 ounces sardines
the math
--------------
16 (ounces of bone in meat) * 30% (how much bone is in it)= 4.8 ounces bone
16 + 32 = 48 ounces total amount of bone and meat
48 * .05 = 2.4 ounces liver and ounces of kidney
and for 48 ounces of raw you want 80% meat, 10% bone, 5% liver, 5% kidney which equals:
38.4 ounces boneless meat
4.8 ounces bone
2.4 ounces liver
2.4 ounces kidney
or you can just use this instead of figuring it out by hand:
http://artsiekat.com/forumpics/RawCatDiet.xls
also, cats and dogs are going to be needing 2 - 4% of their body wieght in food a day. It depends on how active the animal is, the farm cats only get 3% and are doing great so far through the winter with their wieght.
I think a tub of chicken livers (at least here) is about 1 lb which is WAY to much. IF you do use that much be prepared for some very runny stools and it can also be toxic if it is a main part of the food they get.
Posted 2 years ago by furryfriends50 #
I am very interested in feeding raw, but unfortunately the meat source in my country is tainted.
But I have started to give my cats steamed chicken plus a bit of chicken liver, and they absolutely love it! I don't dare to give them too many though, because I don't know the exact amount to feed 6-week-old babies! :p (yes, they are that young)
With steaming, I won't be losing the juice from meat like boiling will.
And my other question is, will it be save to give my cat Joe (he is having a very bad UTI and kidney infection) some steamed chicken meat and liver too? I heard that chicken is too high in protein for someone with a troubled kidney?
Thanks!
He acts well, and eats well. My vet and I are worried about his swolen kidney (both!) and frequent urination (small amount of pee) with occassional traces of blood. The vet gave him antibiotics. He got well for awhile, but then relapsed. Now we are just maintaining his food, and giving him meds whenever he urinates blood. Well, so far he's gone 2 days without meds! :)
Anyway, I gave him a tiny bit of chicken breast (like 4 dice-sized) and 2 dice-sized liver. And he gobbled it(although he has ulcers in his mouth)!!! I'm planning on giving these to him every day :)
I started a new thread with two recipes that you could use :)
Posted 2 years ago by furryfriends50 #
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