[marie73]

I'm trying to improve my girls' teeth.

Can I give them the gizzards that I buy at the grocery store? Just rinse them off? How small should I cut them? My girls have never eaten raw, Charlee is the only one I'm worried about. That little hoover doesn't even chew.

I looked closely at Cali's teeth last night and they're great, Charlee's too. I'd like to keep them that way. Cleo's are awful, she just had 6 teeth pulled and has FORL. Can she even eat raw?

I'd like to give them the little chicken wings, but do I have to ease them into chewing on/eating bones? Again, can I give them the chicken I buy from the store?

Sorry, newb here.

 

[Ritzpg]

I am by no means an expert (calling Auntie Crazy!), but I've been feeding raw for almost six months. So here is my 2 cents worth
I'd start out with gizzards versus chicken neck. Gizzards are very tough to chew but chicken necks are even a little tougher. If you have access to quail, cornish hen or rabbit, try the bones from these animals; they are smaller. AND, if the bones have meat on them, the cats will be more likely to eat them.
Only if I cut gizzards into small pieces will Ritz eat them; on the other hand, she chews bones from quail/cornish hen/rabbit with no problem and a lot of delight.
And, yes, you can use the gizzards you buy at the supermarket.
Ritz had gingivitus a year ago, had to have a dental cleaning when she was just two years old. Two months ago she went in for a Wellness Check, and her vet said her teeth were fine, no signs of gingivitus.

 

[yingying]

I give my girls chicken (or other meat) I got from grocery store. You should freeze them for at least one day, and defrost them to serve. I think this will kill most germs/bacterias.

As of gizzards, my girls don't like gizzard (and liver) at all. They don't mind chewing chicken wing tips, but they won't touch gizzard. Hope you have better luck here. If your cats never eat raw before, maybe they need to start from just meat, then heart, then gizzard, and eventually bones. Gizzard can be hard to chew.

 

[furryfriends251]

Most of what I get is from the grocery store. Chicken gizzards are probably the best option as they are a very tough meat. But like yingying suggested, it may be best to start with a very easy meat like chicken breast so it is not overwhelming at first.

Personally, I'd let Cleo try. My Wilda has all of three teeth and has no issues eating things the size of chicken gizzards - I just need to attack her bone-in pieces of chicken with a hammer before she can eat it

BTW, I think there are Cash & Carry stores in California, I just don't know where in CA. But that is a good place to get chicken gizzards, $4.03 for a five pound box, which is the best price I have found at least where I am.

 

[MowMow]

All 4 of my local grocery stores (Safeway, Market of Choice, Albertsons, and Winco) have gizzards in the same section as the chicken parts. It's a little round plastic container.

Both my guys are chow hounds and attack full gizzards with no trouble. If one of them were finicky I would start with raw chicken bits and work up to gizzards. You can always try and if one or two can't handle the gizzards freeze them (the gizzards, not the cats) for later use.

 

[marie73]

I buy packages of gizzards and hearts for myself, so I know where to find them. :grin: (Of course, I spice-up and bake mine.)

Thanks for all the help, guys!! I'll do some searches tonight and see what I can do. I don't think I can feed raw all the time because in the mornings, I put food down and leave, and you can't do that with raw. But if I can do at least partial, it'll help their teeth.

 

[OwnedByACat]

Those lucky CA princess kitties are gonna love raw! Lucky girls!