RMB question

[CinderandWhiskersMom]

Hi. I'm slowly changing my cats over to a canned diet, due to what I have read here. They are currently on about 50/50. I wanted to know more about their teeth health. Does anyone feed their cats Raw Meaty Bones to chew on to help there teeth. What exactly are they? I mean, I read to give them chicken wings and necks, but what other bones are safe? Also, do you give them to them whole or break them or grind them -- I really am new to all of this so any info would be appreciated. Plus, if you give them to them whole, do they run off with them -- my cats are indoor only, and the idea of raw chiken blood (aka samonella) on my carpets is not appetizing. Any thoughts, ideas, suggestions?? Any other things besides raw bones I could give them for their teeth? Thanks!

[coaster]

Some people grind raw meat and bones. But you lose the "chew" benefit. If you give raw meat and bones, the bones should be small enough for the cat to crunch up before swallowing. Otherwise there's a risk of choking. Chicken wings, necks, and backs are good. Salmonella isn't as much a concern in cats as in humans as they're not as prone to it. Remember the raw meat eaten in the wild isn't always a fresh kill. You do need to be concerned about trichinosis in pork and "mad cow" in beef and venison. Don't feed on carpet. Feed on hard-surface floor that can easily be cleaned. And this is important: if the raw meat is a substantial portion of the diet, it needs to be supplemented with additional nutrients.

http://cats.about.com/cs/catfood/tp/toprawdiet.htm

At present the beef supply in the U.S. can be considered safe from "mad cow", but I can't speak for other countries. Trichinosis can be killed by freezing at 5 F or below for two weeks:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites ... prevention


Sol is knowledgeable about raw diets. You can pm if you have more specific questions.

[CinderandWhiskersMom]

Timskitties, thanks for replying, but I'm still confused.
You say the pieces should be small enough for them to eat without chocking, but then you said chicken wings and necks were ok? Should I crush them? They seem large for a little cat!

I am not looking to feed this as there entire diet, I just want to give them something to help keep their teeth clean, so I don't need to know too much about supplementing, but thank you for the warning.

I wasn't concerned about the cats getting salmonella, I was concerned about the humans and I planned on feeding them in the kitchen, but then I was thinking that maybe they would snatch up a big bone (for a cat) like a chicken wing and run into another room and eat it on the carpet (like a dog would do) I don't have a door to my kitchen to keep the cats in, it leads right to the carpeted areas of my home.

What abou plain old raw meat, like a piece of chickne cutlet, large enough that they would have to chew -- would that help their teeth, or is that something they could choke on??

Thanks again!

[coaster]

Originally Posted by CinderandWhiskersMom

You say the pieces should be small enough for them to eat without chocking, but then you said chicken wings and necks were ok? Should I crush them?

Sorry....the bones should be small enough so that the cats can crunch them up into swallowable pieces in their mouths. And the first time you feed them, monitor closely to make sure they know how to do that.

I was thinking that maybe they would snatch up a big bone (for a cat) like a chicken wing and run into another room and eat it on the carpet

Yes, that will very likely happen.

What abou plain old raw meat, like a piece of chickne cutlet, large enough that they would have to chew -- would that help their teeth

That's fine, and that's not likely to choke them, but plain raw meat won't help their teeth. Teeth need scraping.

[CinderandWhiskersMom]

Okay -- thanks!! Less confused now!!

[CinderandWhiskersMom]

Anything besides raw bones to help clean a cats teeth (besides brushing) ??

[Sol]

Lamb ribs are great for teeth cleansing. The cat will probably not be able to eat the whole bone, but it will give the cat something to do and the jaws, teeth and the upper body will get some great exercise.