My first cooked chicken cat food!

lcat4

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Apr 30, 2013
Messages
213
Purraise
32
Well, either way it's good! The only ground meat that I've cooked for the cats was venison. I cooked it in a skillet, and it was my cats' least favorite of their food options. I didn't know if it was the taste of venison or the method of cooking (other cooked meats are baked). I may have cooked it too long, it seemed a bit tough/crunchy. Next time I cook ground meat, I'll try the method suggested in your TC Feline link.
 

denice

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Feb 7, 2006
Messages
18,838
Purraise
13,144
Location
Columbus OH
From a human point of view venison is a very strong tasting meat with a definite gaminess.  Of course I guess the idea is that is what cats like.  I grew up on a farm and ate a lot of venison, I never did acquire a taste for it.
 

ldg

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jun 25, 2002
Messages
41,310
Purraise
842
Location
Fighting for ferals in NW NJ!
Most of my cats prefer poultry to red meats, though they all seem to like lamb. Lazlo prefers red meats; but anyone that will eat beef also eats venison.

I'm wondering.... Shel has trouble keeping down red meat. I wonder if it's cooked if that makes a difference for him.

...of course, Gary would probably have a fit if I start cooking for the cats, as I so rarely cook for him. :flail: (He likes to do our cooking - and he's better at it. :anon: ).
 

Willowy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 1, 2009
Messages
31,886
Purraise
28,287
Location
South Dakota
I have one on an exclusively homecooked diet. I'd have to separate her from the rest of the cats to analyze her poop :lol3:. Maybe I'll do that someday just for curiousity.

But. . .she never has poop on her britches anymore, like she used to (she's longhaired). So that's a good sign!
 
Last edited:

denice

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Feb 7, 2006
Messages
18,838
Purraise
13,144
Location
Columbus OH
I know I won't try beef.  I tried a commercial wet food with beef in it.  They actually ate it well but Patches who is my kitty with the chronic digestive problems was sick shortly after eating it.  I will probably stay away from venison too.  I do want to try lamb though because I know it is good for babies with digestive and allergy issues.
 

lcat4

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Apr 30, 2013
Messages
213
Purraise
32
They all ate the venison raw...until Lewis started having his regurgitation problems. But even then it wasn't their favorite, so it's probably a taste issue.

Laurie, I don't know why Lewis started vomiting certain raw meats, but not when they are cooked. But don't you solve Shel's issue by serving 50/50?

I cook dinner 6 nights a week, so my husband doesn't really care if I also cook for the cats. He got confused once in the beginning when he saw one meat in the oven, but I served him something else. Now he just asks who I'm cooking for. :)
 

denice

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Feb 7, 2006
Messages
18,838
Purraise
13,144
Location
Columbus OH
Wasn't there something in this thread about cooked meats in general being easier to digest?  That was what led to the whole thing about how much to feed and checking poop.  
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #48

mschauer

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 17, 2007
Messages
6,753
Purraise
2,338
Location
Houston, Tx
I'm wondering.... Shel has trouble keeping down red meat. I wonder if it's cooked if that makes a difference for him.
I wondered that about cats that have trouble with beef. My guys are funny about beef. Sometimes they love it. Sometimes they're so-so about it. I might try a cooked beef food next.
...of course, Gary would probably have a fit if I start cooking for the cats, as I so rarely cook for him. 
 (He likes to do our cooking - and he's better at it. 
 ).
Doesn't  that just mean *he* should be the one to do the cooking for the cats? 
 
Last edited:
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #49

mschauer

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 17, 2007
Messages
6,753
Purraise
2,338
Location
Houston, Tx
I have one on an exclusively homecooked diet. I'd have to separate her from the rest of the cats to analyze her poop
. Maybe I'll do that someday just for curiousity.
I would seriously like to know! 
 

ldg

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jun 25, 2002
Messages
41,310
Purraise
842
Location
Fighting for ferals in NW NJ!
Wasn't there something in this thread about cooked meats in general being easier to digest?  That was what led to the whole thing about how much to feed and checking poop.  
:lol3: Yes, this post: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/263374/my-first-cooked-chicken-cat-food#post_3395371


Laurie, I don't know why Lewis started vomiting certain raw meats, but not when they are cooked. But don't you solve Shel's issue by serving 50/50?
Yes, that works for him. :nod: It was more of a curiosity thing, about the impact of cooking. ...Though interestingly, he can eat ground llama at 100%, and that sure looks like red meat.


Doesn't  that just mean *he* should be the one to do the cooking for the cats? 
:lol3: Yes, and if this were longer than ... seven years ago now, he would probably be primarily responsible for feeding them, even the raw. :rub: But his medical condition has a serious impact on his physical ability, and any physical activity triggers intense pain. He has meds to work through it, but only so many.... :sigh:
 
Last edited:
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #52

mschauer

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 17, 2007
Messages
6,753
Purraise
2,338
Location
Houston, Tx
I have one on an exclusively homecooked diet. I'd have to separate her from the rest of the cats to analyze her poop
. Maybe I'll do that someday just for curiousity.
I would seriously like to know! 
I occurs to me. If there were some stools that are different from the others you would notice that right? Do you give her a digestive enzyme supplement?  
 

Willowy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 1, 2009
Messages
31,886
Purraise
28,287
Location
South Dakota
I occurs to me. If there were some stools that are different from the others you would notice that right? Do you give her a digestive enzyme supplement?  
No enzymes. I have some but generally only use them if someone has an upset tummy. I don't really notice the stools because I use a Clumper Dumper-type sifter instead of scooping. I'll try to pay more attention and see if I can tell.
 

smitten4kittens

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
1,449
Purraise
42
Location
pennsylvania
No enzymes. I have some but generally only use them if someone has an upset tummy. I don't really notice the stools because I use a Clumper Dumper-type sifter instead of scooping. I'll try to pay more attention and see if I can tell.
Hi Willowy, What do you supplement your home cooked food with?
 

goholistic

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Feb 27, 2013
Messages
3,306
Purraise
370
Location
Northeast USA
Hi all,

Wow...I'm just now tuning in to this thread. I, too, experimented with a home cooked meal for my cats today! It was first on my to-do after returning from the beach. 


I decided to start simple and adjust later. My cat Sebastian (one of three) has been SO finicky lately, and I wanted to see if he would even go near it.

I picked up 1 lb. of the best quality ground turkey I could find (they only had 96% lean, 4% fat). I sauteed that in pan over medium heat with 2 teaspoons canola oil and gradually added 8 oz. of water a little at time to make a broth. After the turkey was cooked, I transferred the meat and liquid it to a food processor (my cats tend to like a pate consistency). In the same pan, I scrambled a whole egg. After that was fully cooked, I added it to the food processor. I also added some taurine and salmon oil to the mixture and blended. Since I still have not yet ordered an all-in-one vitamin/mineral supplement like Alnutrin, BalanceIt, or TCFeline, I made sure each cat go their own dose of Nu-Cat feline multivitamin, which I crushed and added to their bowl just before serving.

Now, I know this is not entirely balanced, but for my first time I did the best with what I had on hand. If I decide to do this long-term, it's important that it is balanced, complete nutrition. By the way, I just saw the link to TCFeline about slow-cooking meats (http://tcfeline.com/2010/08/16/cooked-meat/), so I may try that next time.

Okay, you want to hear the funny thing. Sebastian is the only one who ate some of it! 
  The other two didn't want anything to do with it...at least not yet. So, do you think that's a good sign that Sebastian ate at least some of it? I would say he ate about 1/3 - 1/2 of it. He seemed to like the broth and just wanted to lick it. Once the mixture got all "dry," he didn't want it anymore. So I would add another teaspoon of warm water to his bowl and stir and he would lap it up again. 


So, that's my first take. I have leftovers, so I will feed it intermittently alongside their commercial canned food and see how it goes.
 

Willowy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 1, 2009
Messages
31,886
Purraise
28,287
Location
South Dakota
Hi Willowy, What do you supplement your home cooked food with?
I'm still experimenting :lol3:. I always make a batch with COTW so I know she's at least getting that much of a balanced diet. But it's expensive (adds $1 per pound). Other batches I've made using powdered taurine, a human multivitamin, and KAL bone meal. Other batches with the bone meal and NuCat vitamins. So far she doesn't seem to mind any of them.
 

smitten4kittens

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
1,449
Purraise
42
Location
pennsylvania
I'm still experimenting
. I always make a batch with COTW so I know she's at least getting that much of a balanced diet. But it's expensive (adds $1 per pound). Other batches I've made using powdered taurine, a human multivitamin, and KAL bone meal. Other batches with the bone meal and NuCat vitamins. So far she doesn't seem to mind any of them.
Thanks. I like to feed them some plain meat once in a while. I want to do it more often so I'm looking into good supplements. I have some powdered taurine already.
 

denice

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Feb 7, 2006
Messages
18,838
Purraise
13,144
Location
Columbus OH
I got my e-mail and I'm supposed to get the Alnutrin Wednesday.  So I'll see how this goes.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #59

mschauer

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 17, 2007
Messages
6,753
Purraise
2,338
Location
Houston, Tx
Be sure to let us know how it goes! How are you going to cook the chicken? In the oven?
 

denice

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Feb 7, 2006
Messages
18,838
Purraise
13,144
Location
Columbus OH
I'm still thinking about how I'm going to cook it..  It will be either in the oven or I'll overcome my fear and get a pressure cooker.  If I use the pressure cooker I will microwave the liver.  I will only make a small amount to begin with because this will be a slow transition I'm sure.  I know cooked meat doesn't keep as long in the freezer.  I am going to add a little rice.  I know that's considered a big no no by purists but with commercial foods they have done better with chicken and rice than with grain free.
 
Top