Gizzards Update

[NRD]

I am making progress on the raw front. I had tried chicken wings at first, no bone, just meat pieces, which was going ok, with chaos among the four at first because they were so excited but only sporadic success at first with the actual chewing/enjoying (Snowby spit up. Blizzy wouldn't chew).

At the suggestion of someone here, I have tried gizzards the past week, as "appetizers" before dinner, every other day, and it's now going pretty well. They are calmer now when I give them each their first piece of gizzard (calm being a relative term, lol)-- a piece that requires them to chew some but not for very long. And guess who, last night, was the most voracious gizzards eater? Snowby! She chewed her piece, then looked up at me for another one, then another one, then yet another one. She is really getting into it, to the point she will steal the others' if they leave it on the floor for an instant. Little Hersh still runs into the dining room with each piece, growling his little growl, then chews for about a minute and swallows, then comes back for more. Blizzy, who loves to swallow things whole, is less thrilled with actually having to chew his food, but even he finally chewed and ate two pieces last night. And Hersh, my food-obsessed Hersh, who has been the most skittish about the gizzards, continues to eye them warily, then carefully lift a piece up by his left paw into his mouth, then chew until he swallows, then repeat the process with another piece. It's so funny, since he is always ready to pounce on my food.

But they are all getting some good chewing action, starting to strengthen those jaws. And watch out for Snowby, she could be transforming from milktoast to The Gizzard Snatcher. I will start reintroducing some pieces of chicken wings later in the week, once they are more used to the gizzards.

[littlesushi]

congrats! it's so awesome that your kitties are getting a good jaw workout and that they are progressing well! our cats haven't quite gotten to the point of gizzards yet but i cannot wait for the day! we've had some forward and backwards progress on the raw and they are back on chicken breast chunks now with the occasional quail pieces with bone in them. they have decided to spit out the bones though O_O.

[Beth_Laubenthal]

Awesome!