Catsitting For A Month, Told To Only Feed Cooked Chicken

[concernedfriend]

Hi everyone,

I've never owned cats, but recently agreed to feed my friend's cat every day while they are away for a month. I'm about halfway through the catsit. Before they left, they showed me how they cook and feed him lean breast and thigh meat, soaking it in warm water for him to hydrate more. I also leave out a bowl of water and scoop the litter. They've been feeding him this diet for at least a month before I started. [Edit to add that I do think the diet was different before but I'm not sure what it was. I think they switched because he was having issues. I do think they tried wet food.] I'm not sure what the diet was before that, but they have mentioned feeding him tumeric before so I am not sure what their philosophy is.

Before now I assumed that they knew what they were doing since they do take him to the vet, but tonight I did some googling and read about taurine, vitamins and calcium, so to say the least, I am now very concerned. If they supplement usually, they certainly did not ask me to continue doing so while they are away. There are about two weeks left in the catsit and I'm not sure how best to bring this up with them. I thought I'd post here and ask if there are any good reputable articles specifically addressing feeding only chicken. I'm a bit afraid about what happens if they just want me to continue their diet for him. On the one hand, I love my friends and don't want to endanger my relationship with them or make decisions about their pet, but on the other hand from everything I've read tonight, this is terrible for the long term health of the cat, who in fact has persistent health issues with his back legs/hips and arthritic pain.

Any advice on whether this is an emergency, or links would be appreciated. I'm making my way through the articles on this site, but something perhaps more detailed would be helpful! I am planning to pass the info along in an email tomorrow, as they are out of the country. Please advise!! Thanks!

 

[LTS3]

No, a diet of nothing but plain chicken is NOT a complete balanced diet for cats. It lacks the necessary vitamins and minerals a cat needs. Do you know if this diet is vet recommended for some health issue?

Can you call the friends and confirm that just chicken with no supplements is what they feed to the cat? Also express concerns that maybe the diet isn't nutritionally balanced and if you could feed the cat regular canned or dry food as well. If the friends insist on feeding the cat what they normally feed, I don't think there is much you can do You can show them this resource on how to make a home cooked diet balanced for cats but it's their decision to feed what they want, even if it's completely unbalanced and puts the cat at risk for nutritionally deficiencies.

Home-Cooked Cat Food Resources

 

[di and bob]

Meat contains taurine, which is essential for cats, but they should be giving a good vitamin too, to cover all bases. Since he is having issues a call to the vet might be in order, but I would definitely talk to your friends first, they may have a very good reason for the diet. Right now I am feeding an elderly cat bacon and raw hamburger because that is all he will eat.

 

[concernedfriend]

I will double check about whether it's a vet recommended diet for an issue, and mention the taurine and calcium. Thanks!

 

[talkingpeanut]

Meat contains taurine, which is essential for cats, but they should be giving a good vitamin too, to cover all bases. Since he is having issues a call to the vet might be in order, but I would definitely talk to your friends first, they may have a very good reason for the diet. Right now I am feeding an elderly cat bacon and raw hamburger because that is all he will eat.

Meat loses a significant percentage of taurine when cooked, so this diet is quite concerning.

 

[lisahe]

Meat loses a significant percentage of taurine when cooked, so this diet is quite concerning.

This is a very good point. Dark meat tends to have more taurine than light meat. And saving cooking liquids to feed with the food can help preserve nutrients. No matter what, though, plain chicken isn't enough!

C concernedfriend -- it's great that you're asking about this. Good luck!

 

[lisamarie12]

I manage a small Indy pet supply retail store. Last year I had a customer who was mostly feeding her 5 year old cat Almo canned food for several months (chicken only, no supplements, intended for "supplemental feeding only"), with a little dry food on the side. And guess what? In addition to various health issues, eg, low energy and difficulty walking, the cat was also beginning to lose her eyesight (lack of taurine).

As far as your relationship with your friends, if it were me? I would do everything possible to intervene - the cat needs an advocate.

And I can't imagine any reputable vet would advocate such a deficient diet for more than several days, at most a week if the cat had some gastrointestinal issues or if the cat (or dog) was being prepped to begin an elimination diet (to gauge for allergies or food intolerances).

 

[orange&white]

That's a horrible diet and people feeding only boneless meat (or any unbalanced diet) are one of the reasons most veterinarians hate homemade diets. The taurine will be almost totally lost in the cooking water. The cat needs bones (not cooked) or some source of calcium, liver, and some minimal supplements.

There was an article I read about a Sphynx breeder weaning the kittens on nothing but raw chicken breasts. The kitten almost died by the time the adopter took the kitten for a vet visit. I'll try to find the article. It can take several months for nutritional deficiencies to appear.

 

[orange&white]

Here is an article to show your friends. I hope they take heed, otherwise they're in for huge veterinarian bills (or a prematurely dead cat).

When Raw Food is NOT the Right Food for Your Pet

 

[valentine319]

Maybe the following would be helpful to the owners.

I just found this. 5 dangerous homemade cat food mistakes + how to avoid them

(link for the site with this is below)
Many of the stories that the anti-raw diet folks cite to demonstrate how "unbalanced" homemade diets are, are examples of people losing their common sense and drifting radically from good recipe-following practices. Our good friend Anne Jablonski has a rather frightening example of this. A woman's raw-fed cat was getting sickly and fragile. It turned out that she had read – and she didn't confirm this information – that bone was irritating to a cat's digestive system. She was also tired of cleaning the bone bits out of the grinder. So, she eliminated the bone from the recipe. She did not provide a calcium replacement. The poor cat had been fed a calcium deficient diet for four years and was dissolving its own bones to compensate.
Read more at Falling Off the Recipe Cliff - Feline Nutrition

 

[valentine319]

Here is an article to show your friends. I hope they take heed, otherwise they're in for huge veterinarian bills (or a prematurely dead cat).

When Raw Food is NOT the Right Food for Your Pet

And this is why many vets are against raw diets. It's the knowledge a percentage of the population won't follow directions or do the research.

 

[lisahe]

And this is why many vets are against raw diets. It's the knowledge a percentage of the population won't follow directions or do the research.

This is so true! I'd add that it's also why vets generally cringe about any homecooked food, whether cooked or raw. I remember our vet's reaction when I first mentioned raw food... she's fine with it now because she knows we're responsible. (I even gave her a sample of supplement for another client whose cat needed a special diet.) But I get the sense she's seen some bad cases caused by pathogens and malnutrition.

 

[concernedfriend]

Thanks for all the links! I've sent them an initial note asking about taurine and supplements, and they responded that the vet is onboard with the diet. The cat also takes arthritis medication for issues with his back legs, and they are seeing how that goes, though they've done multivitamins and supplements in the past. I don't think this has been a long longterm diet, but perhaps a few months to gauge how he does. I sent along some of the links and haven't heard back yet, but hopefully this is a special diet to address his particular health issues. I feel better about it. Thanks to everyone for the links and for chiming in!

 

[talkingpeanut]

Could you speak to the vet?

 

[LTS3]

I'd speak directly to the vet as well and express concerns about the diet. Your friends could just be saying that the diet is vet approved just to get you off their back and they may be ignoring the links and stuff you sent for the same reason.

What is the health reason for the chicken only diet? I'd ask the friends that specifically. Food doesn't affect arthritis unless the cat is eating a lot and is obese which puts presssure on the joints but even in those cases, a chicken only diet is never recommended.

Unfortunately you can't control what your friends feed to the cat. Trying to do so may end up with the friendship falling apart and resentment and anger towards you. The most you can do is provide info about correctly made home cooked diets and hope they read it and realize what they are feeding is unbalanced and may result in serious nutritional deficiences in the cat later in life.

A pre-mix such as EZComplete is the easiest way to make sure a home cooked diet is nutritionally balanced and complete.

 

[orange&white]

No, I wasn't offended...I just really don't know. I have the general concept that heat kills vitamins, so I just try to minimize any use heat on the cats' food. Some say that cold food upsets some cats' stomachs and that it should be warmed to room temp. My cats must have cast-iron stomachs because food straight out of the fridge doesn't bother them. I tell myself they probably prefer it cold the heat of the summer.

 

[kittyluv387]

What a nightmare. This is downright abuse.

 

[valentine319]

Right now microwave is listed as controversial. I really am unsure how much vitamin damage is done.

I chuck the raw food in a baggie and put it in hot water in a bowl (sealed of course ) until it's warm. I grab the bag sideways and shake contents down. Twist back of baggie like a cake pipping tube and cut triangle corner (after pushing meat back). So the opening is at least and inch. Then push it out on a plate. Spread and serve. I buy 100 sandwich baggies for $2. The larger ones are like 40 for $2.

It heats fast.

Just another idea.

 

[orange&white]

What a nightmare. This is downright abuse.

This original thread is fairly old, and I think the problem is resolved. We're sort of hijacking it a bit off the original topic. Should have started a new thread perhaps.