Can my cat eat day old chicks.

[Beautifulkitty]

I have been looking at things my mainecoon kitten can eat and I came across day old chicks. But could she choke on the bones ?

I have a snake that eats chicks so it's not a problem getting them.

Yes providing they aren't cooked.

Mine have had chicken wings/thighs before with no issue although thighs are a struggle.

Just make sure you feed them on a hard surface and be ready to give the floor a wipe down because it will get dragged about.

Yes as long as they are raw. They won't choke on them. They're designed to eat small prey.

I meant to give as a whole .

So I can give them as a whole chick feathers and head etc .

Surely there’s whiskas on offer?

Well I guess if kitty got hold of them without you there she would have them! My cat has eaten a mouse before though (whole!) And then chucked it back half an hour later.

What a treat it was cleaning THAT up! Regurgitated mouse! 😍🐭

!

I do give whiskas but it's not that great for mainecoons . So I will need to change it. I have been looking for something that's better but not to expensive. I thought a chick might top her up abit protein wise.

I alternate with a raw diet called PurrForm. My mog loves it and it’s great for her digestive system.

My Maine Coon has raw rabbit from Purrform https://www.purrform.co.uk/farmed-rabbit-ground-bone-tub-adult-cat/ because he has a pancreas problem and needs a low fat diet.

This was the lowest fat content I could find, and fortunately he loves it. As a youngster he used to catch his own rabbits and bring them home to eat in he kitchen, so this is a much tidier solution.

@pelagra how many feeds would the one you showed me do ? Roughly. My kitten is 4 months old

I suggest Felix pouches. Much tidier.

I give CatOfAle Arden Grange grain-free dry food because he gets a runny bum on normal biscuits. I recommend it or a similar grain-free food if allergies are a problem.

I’d opt for Katkin myself, the thought of possible regurgitation of a chick makes me vom, but you are of a stronger constitution than me!

We've had 8 Maine Coons over the last 30 years. We have always raw fed,

Chicks are not ideal, they are really intended as food for reptiles, they don't contain sufficient meat for a cat. Rabbit is much more suitable if you can get hold of it but it is far easier to buy trays of mince from Nutriment or similar. Raw food needs to be be frozen first to make it safe but I presume you are already aware of this.

Surely those feeding raw food that has bones and skin removed are removing a lot of the benefit of the raw food? Bones are brilliant for a cat's teeth. Mine eat a lot of rabbits and they tend to eat the whole thing, occasionally leaving heads. The rabbits are self caught not provided by me.

Thank you I will look .

Some of the minced food does have bone pieces in it.

What pelagra suggested looks excellent to me. Maine Coons do love rabbit.

I will look at that to. I'm not sure how easy that is to get hold of or the cost. Definitely looking though

If cost is an issue why on earth did you get a Maine coone?

My toothless old boy would chomp his way through chicken bone despite the lack of teeth!

My new boy won't eat raw and despises all wet food

It's not a massive issue. But that does not mean I need to spend over the top prices. If it was a massive issue I would be talking about go cat . But im not sometimes there's a middle ground. People have made suggestions and i have said I will look

Could I recommend the better quality canned foods from Zooplus such as Wild Freedom, Cosma and Feringa as an alternative to the raw.

Maine Coons have very large appetites and they do not do well on cheap food. I would avoid Whiskas, Felix and Butchers. Applaws is okay but they will eat several cans a day, so the raw mince or larger tins are always a better option for MC than the small pouches.

Not joking when I say that I can feed my giant breed dog on a good quality kibble for less than it costs to feed a Maine Coon 😆

I find one tub does about three days. My boy has Royal Canin dry food available at all times, but mainly eats the raw rabbit.

I order 20 tubs every two months. It is delivered well packaged and stays properly frozen. The cost is £136, which is a bit eye watering.