How Do You ....

[Pucks104]

I would like to start giving the kittens a chicken neck or wing to chew on/eat a couple times per eeek. Where do you guys give those to your cats. I am not comfortable with them dragging raw chicken all over the house not to mention that I would probably have dogs fights with everyone trying to get the raw chicken. How do you introduce this to kittens? How do you keep them from choking? Is it safe to give to kittens that have inflamed gums which both boys do now. We have a vet appointment on May 3rd to talk about their dental health care but if I can begin offering them chicken necks or wings I would like to do so. Do you feed this in lieu of a meal or in addition to a meal?

 

[1 bruce 1]

I would like to start giving the kittens a chicken neck or wing to chew on/eat a couple times per eeek. Where do you guys give those to your cats. I am not comfortable with them dragging raw chicken all over the house not to mention that I would probably have dogs fights with everyone trying to get the raw chicken. How do you introduce this to kittens? How do you keep them from choking? Is it safe to give to kittens that have inflamed gums which both boys do now. We have a vet appointment on May 3rd to talk about their dental health care but if I can begin offering them chicken necks or wings I would like to do so. Do you feed this in lieu of a meal or in addition to a meal?

If the gums are inflamed, I would hold off on whole bones until you speak with the vet on how bad these are and if they'll require any kind of surgery. If they're inflamed badly enough to cause discomfort or pain, I would be worried about them chewing off a chunk of bone that needs MORE chewing and attempting to swallow it whole! Some cats skip the bone all together and pretty much strip the meat off.
With choking worries, I feed big, and by big I mean a cat or small dog is given a chunk of meat suitable for a Rottweiler so they learn they MUST chew on it vs. trying to grab something new, small and tasty and attempting to bolt it.
For our really aggressive chewers and those who are paranoid at the thought of possible theft, we opt to feed bones ground and give them big chunks of meat to gnaw on.
Does everyone have a feeding area they're used to eating at? Can they be separate from the dogs?

 

[Pucks104]

I did think it would be better to wait until the vet sees the kittens before starting on the bones. That said I like the idea of starting off with a large hunk of meat that they would have to chew and couldn’t possibly bolt. The cats eat in a room separated from where the dogs eat by 2 baby gates so the dogs can’t stand st the gate and whine or agitate after the kittens. However that room does have a large wool rug in it and I wouldn’t want a piece or raw meat drug around on it. I am going to have to think this through. It may be that since the weather is finally warmer I could put the dogs in the backyard for s few minutes to allow the kittens to work on a piece of meat or meaty bone in the kitchen. I will have some time to think about it as it is a couple of weeks until we can see the vet. Thank you got the ideas.

 

[Gizmobius]

Since they're kittens, there's a chance that they could be started early enough to be taught where to enjoy their yummy meat/bone treat. I started giving my cat raw lamb bones when he was around 4/5 months old and I always gave it to him on a dish towel right next to his food dish. Sometimes he'd try to run off with it but I would always go grab it from him and put it back on the towel. Now he knows that he has to enjoy his bone right there on his designated towel and he'll even come running when he hears the towel drawer open.

You could always try that route with your kitties. It may take some time for them to catch on, or they'll just drag it wherever they please, but it's worth a shot!

 

[Pucks104]

Well that sounds like it’s worth the effort. Once I get the ok from the vet I will start working on introducing raw meaty bone to the boys. I am convinced that it would help keep their teeth cleaner. I am still praying that the inflammation is teething related and not more serious. I have been using my finger to “brush” their teeth with C.E.T. Virbac poultry flavored toothpaste this week and they haven’t seemed to mind. I hope that with really diligent dental care, high quality food and inflammation lowering and immune boosting treatment from my vet we can keep any dental disease in check.

 

[Kelise]

No advice on what to feed/how much to feed, etc. But I can offer something about not making a mess. Small dog crates. I have a 22 in wire dog crate I use to feed one of my cats in (all must be separate). And when I give my dog raw bones or turkey necks or the like, I feed him in a big dog crate that is bare. When he is done, I just slide the tray out, wipe it off, disinfect with rubbing alcohol and done. No mess. No reason the same can't be done for cats.

 

[Pucks104]

Excellent idea Kelise! Thank you!