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Can Cats Eat Raw Chicken?

Can Cats Eat Raw Chicken?

The long answer: Though cats need high amounts of protein in their diet, allowing your furball to eat raw chicken may create potential health problems. This is because raw chicken contains bacteria such as campylobacter, E. coli, listeria, and salmonella. 

When contaminated raw chicken is consumed by your cat, she may end up with the following symptoms: diarrhea with blood or mucus, lethargy, fever, vomiting, decreased appetite, and excess salivation. If your cat gets E. coli or salmonella, this may also be passed on to others in the household, including you. 

If you really want to feed your cat raw chicken, make sure you get your human-grade meat supply from trusted sources. Some raw meat products marketed as raw cat food contain harmful preservatives that have been reported to cause thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency.

What to do if your cat accidentally eats raw chicken: Observe for changes in your cat’s behaviour and elimination. If she vomits, lacks appetite, drools excessively, gets a fever, becomes lethargic, or has diarrhea with blood or mucus, contact your vet immediately. He may run lab tests to determine the bacterial infection, and provide treatment through antibiotics or intravenous fluids. 

In summary: Consult with your vet before feeding raw chicken to your pet. Cats are obligate carnivores, but they don’t necessarily need to eat their meat raw to fulfill their dietary needs. Feeding your cat raw chicken might cause parasites to enter her body and result in intestinal infections. She’s better off consuming cooked and unseasoned chicken as an occasional treat.  

Discover which human food cats can safely consume in our “can cats eat” category.

References:

Can Cats Eat Raw Chicken?

Can Cats Eat Chicken?

Information for Pet Owners

Foods Your Cat Should Never Eat

Poisoning in Cats



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