i Need instructions on how to make broth for cats...very simple instructions

empirefalls

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I am a male, i can make toast real good.

There are plenty of cat broth recipes on the internet but each recipe seems to have variations on 'how to' make it.  Plus i dont trust the recipes i find on blogs all that much

What is a simple,basic, method to make cat broth?

This is what i comprehend so far.

buy a chicken in a store

put the chicken in a big pot with water

boil it for hours and hours if not 2 days:

giv the liquid which is broth to cat

I know there is more than that but that is just basic guideline to what i understand
 
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shadowsrescue

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I have changed up the format just a bit.  I have made bone broth now at least 10 times.  I boil the chicken ( you need at least a 5 lb chicken and preferably organic) as the instructions state in the video for 4-6 hours.  Then I debone the chicken (save the meat to give to the cats or eat it yourself) and place the bones and skin and liquid in a crock pot. You want just enough liquid to just cover the bones.  If you add to much the broth will not gel.   I add 1/4 c of cider vinegar.  I then let it cook on low for 24 hours.  I just did not want to leave my stove on for 24 hours.  This method works so well.  I then strain the bones from the liquid.  You can whirl it in a blender if you want to be sure you got out all of the bones. Allow the broth to cool to room temp before packaging.  By the time it is at room temp if should have gelled some.  If it does not gel it is still good, you just added too much water.  The first time I did it, I added way to too much water and it did not gel.  Now I have it done really well. You can keep the broth in the fridge for up to 5 days, but you then need to freeze it.  I portion mine out into small containers and label for the freezer.

I have been enjoying bone broth for myself.  We eat a whole chicken about every 10 days.  I remove all the meat ( actually DH does as he is the best!)  and then place the bones in the crockpot with water, and vinegar for 24 hours.  When I make for the pets I don't cook it for myself first as I don't want the added spices for the pets.

It's really pretty simple.  Let me know if you need more help.
 

catapault

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Speaking from a culinary viewpoint - by the time you boil a chicken for 5 hours there is little if any nutrition in the meat. IF, I repeat IF - you could find a stewing hen, then maybe. But most chickens sold today are Rock Cornish Cross and are slaughtered at 12 weeks of age. They will not provide what you are looking for in terms of nutrition when cooked for the suggested 5 hours.

When I make chicken stock I buy packages of chicken backs and necks. Better proportion of bone to meat for this purpose. And less expensive too.

If you can find chicken feet (sometimes sold as chicken "paws") add them to the backs and necks. The feet are high in collagen and will help the strained, cooled stock to gel.

As soon as the stock is strained pour it into a clean metal pot. Put a lid on, tilted just a bit. Set the pot in a sink of cold water. Add a tray or two of ice cubes. You want to cool the stock down as quickly as possible. When it is at room temperature pour into smaller containers and refrigerate until cold, then freeze.

It is very important as regards food safety that the stock be cooled down as quickly as possible.

If making stock for soup I add carrots, celery, onion, bay leaf, peppercorns. Not necessary for bone broth for the cats.
 

catapault

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Yes. However ShadowsRescue says "Then I debone the chicken (save the meat to give to the cats or eat it yourself)" Little if any nutrition in a young , 12 week old chicken cooked for 5 hours. Ditto for the broth. You need a tough old bird (sold as stewing hen or fowl) for better results. That's which I suggest backs and necks, plus chicken feet - higher proportion of bone to meat.
 

shadowsrescue

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Yes. However ShadowsRescue says "Then I debone the chicken (save the meat to give to the cats or eat it yourself)" Little if any nutrition in a young , 12 week old chicken cooked for 5 hours. Ditto for the broth. You need a tough old bird (sold as stewing hen or fowl) for better results. That's which I suggest backs and necks, plus chicken feet - higher proportion of bone to meat.
Yet if you watch the video, you give very little of the meat to the animal.  The broth is then cooked for 24 hours.  Cooking necks, backs and feet is also a great idea.  You can do any type of bones for the broth; beef, fish or pork.  I just always do chicken.  The broth is what you ultimately want to feed the pets.  The cider vinegar helps to leach nutrients from the bones.  I have fed some of the meat to my pets, but usually I am just going for  the broth after a 24+ hour cook.  I am wanting the nutrients leached from the bones not the meat.
 
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empirefalls

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I am going to try both methods/advice before all is said and done.
 

abby2932

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I am going to make a bone broth for my cat this weekend with rabbit bones.

He has been having some spontaneous allergic reactions to his food recently (doing well on rabbit only) and I'd like to make a bone broth in case he has Leaky Gut.

I think I can follow all the instructions here to make the broth but how much broth do you give a cat, a teaspoon or two? Is it something to include in the diet daily or only for a short period of time?
 

shadowsrescue

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I am going to make a bone broth for my cat this weekend with rabbit bones.

He has been having some spontaneous allergic reactions to his food recently (doing well on rabbit only) and I'd like to make a bone broth in case he has Leaky Gut.

I think I can follow all the instructions here to make the broth but how much broth do you give a cat, a teaspoon or two? Is it something to include in the diet daily or only for a short period of time?
You can feed only the broth or the broth and some of the meat for a few days and see how your cat responds.  If you are trying to figure out Leaky Gut you may not want to feed any other food so the rabbit and broth would be the only food he should he should for a few days.  Make sure you save some of the cooked rabbit meat to use once the broth is done.  Then feed the meat and broth together for a few days.  Just give a small amount of each a few times each day.  I would start with an ounce or so of meat and then a few tablespoons of the broth.  It is very nourishing.  Yet I have never made it with rabbit.  Be sure not to add any spices or salt.

Once you feed this for a day or two, you can then keep the extra meat and freeze it for future uses and then continue with a Tablespoon or so of broth a few times each day.  It is fine to give it daily.  I only use it when I feel my animals need it or when they are ill, but it is fine to give daily.
 

abby2932

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shadowsrescue shadowsrescue thank you for the quick response!

I will feed the rabbit and broth only for a few days and see how he reacts. I will then continue to feed him his normal rabbit (which is ground raw with added supplements) and add a tablespoon or so of the broth every day.

One quick question...if I did include a tablespoon of broth a day...won't that be too much calcium? I only assume that because since the broth is made from bones, it must have tons of calcium in it.
 

shadowsrescue

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I am not certain about the calcium content.  You can certainly add less.  I have never given it daily as I have only used it when my animals are not well.  Maybe only offer a teaspoon per day.

One of the things I have read over and over is that cider vinegar is needed to help leach the minerals from the bones.  It is an important step when cooking the bones once the meat has been pulled off. 

I hope it works out well for you.
 
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empirefalls

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I have 5 drumsticks that i bought today. Perdue. Not the best but not the worst

Can i make bone broth with them?
 
 

shadowsrescue

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I have 5 drumsticks that i bought today. Perdue. Not the best but not the worst

Can i make bone broth with them?
 
You really need to have about 2 lbs of bones or it won't work.  You can cook the drumsticks and take the meat off and then freeze the bones until you have enough.  I tried making it once with a smaller chicken and didn't have quite enough bones and it really did not turn out too well.  I would suggest getting more bones or just freezing the cooked bones you have taken the meat off of and waiting until you have enough.
 
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empirefalls

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Ok thanks

shadowrescue.  saved me from ruining chicken for my cats

Will go out and get the 2lb recommendation
 

snowcat7

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What about cooking some chicken meat, then putting it in the blender with the water it's cooked in and making kind of a gruel?  I could put the Pet Calm or Composure in that????
 

shadowsrescue

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What about cooking some chicken meat, then putting it in the blender with the water it's cooked in and making kind of a gruel?  I could put the Pet Calm or Composure in that????
What are you wanting to use the bone broth for?  If you are wanting to add Pet Calm or Composure you can just add it to wet food.  The bone broth is used mainly for animals that are not feeling well or as a topper for picky eaters. 

You certainly can cook the chicken and use the meat and some of the broth and feed a bit to your cats, but it won't have the same benefits of bone broth.  It would just be a way to disguise medicine or use a topper or special treat.
 

snowcat7

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The cat I want to make broth for is very healthy.  I just want to disguise Pet Calm in it so she'll get the Pet Calm and not taste it.  I've ordered some Composure and I'm **HOPING** it doesn't smell awful like the Pet Calm.  I think it's the Valerian in the Pet Calm that smells like rotten eggs - at least to me it does!  Lizzy Cat has been very jealous of a new rescue kitten we have.  Kitten (Luka) used her box early on and that was a huge mistake.  Lizzy started marking outside her box.  I washed all their boxes and put new litter in and no mistakes so far.  Knock on wood!  I'm just wondering when will be the magic time I can let Luka use the litter room without all heck breaking loose! 
 
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empirefalls

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Thursday, August 6,2015 8am est

Today is the day !

Just took 3 pounds of chicken drumsticks [bought yesterday,perdue],

washed them off in tap water,

placed them in a crock pot with just over a gallon of water

low heat

i plan to go from a minimum of 8 hours to 24 hours to completion.

reading everyone posts and watching the video multiple times to make sure i do this correctly and to make sure i have not skipped a step.

I have not yet added cider vinegar but will do so within the hour.
 
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