First Time Feeding Bones

[Merlin77]

Well, everyone, a very interesting event has just gone down with our cats. They have eaten raw bones (served by us) for the first time. Now, I say the "first time", but in reality they have eaten mice and birds before, so they are experienced.

Snake was the most professional. She grabbed part of a chicken wing off the plate and went off to eat it by herself. She chewed very well, and didn't leave any leftovers.

Willy was also very confident, and managed to eat a few pieces too.

Raven was very eager, but she and Suki definitely were less certain in eating the bones. They really enjoyed the meal, however.

I do have one question, though: I've heard that too much bones can cause constipation. Is this a problem? I divided up two chicken wings (the kind you see in stores meant for humans to bake and eat) and kept the meat on the bones.

Thanks for reading!

 

[orange&white]

It depends on the rest of the diet and how many bones you offer in proportion. In a raw diet, bones should be 10% of the entire diet (leeway of 5%-15%). The main concern is the calcium to phosphorous ratio. Bones are almost all calcium and meat is high phosphorus, but no calcium.

If you're feeding bones as treats, with processed canned or dry cat food, then you should be able to make them around 10% of the diet with no problem. Chicken wings are good as dental treats. Wish I could get my cats to eat them whole without dragging them all over the house and playing with them for a half-hour!

 

[furmonster mom]

I tend to make sure a bone meal is well balanced with organs, liver seems to work best. I feed bone-in meals every other day. If poops seem to get a bit dry, I might replace a bone day with a plain meat & organ day. After nearly a decade of feeding raw, it can still be a bit of a "play it by ear" kinda deal.

 

[Merlin77]

Ah, okay. That makes sense. Thanks guys!

 

[Neo_23]

I have nothing else to add but bravo to your kitties.