
If you’ve thought about giving your cat turkey, it probably sounded like a good idea since it’s a bird, and seems like natural prey for a cat. But what about today’s turkey, with all of the processing it goes through, and all of the preservatives that are used?
In simpler times you could likely have given your cat a raw piece of turkey with no troubles. But today’s foods are different than those of yesteryear, and you always have to consider whether a food is good for your cat or not, even something like turkey. Not all turkey is created equally, plus you have to consider whether or not it’s cooked or not. Since most turkey that we humans buy is already cooked, or frozen and waiting for the oven, it’s tricky to come upon turkey that a cat could have.
Deli style sliced turkey is something you shouldn’t give your cat, because it’s loaded with sodium, and it’s cooked. If you’re going to give your cat turkey, it should be raw and preferably organic. Since you likely don’t have a lot of raw organic turkey lying around, it’s best not to give your cat anything in between.
Can I Give My Cat Turkey? Answer: Not Recommended
Rather than going through the process of making sure the turkey you’re thinking of giving your cat is OK or not, it’s best just to avoid it altogether. For example, if you’re thinking of giving them some cold cuts, it’s best not to. If you’re thinking of giving them some leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner, it’s still not a good idea. It’s normal for these ideas to pop in your head if you’ve run out of cat food and are looking for alternatives to hold them over while you can go to the store.
If it’s just a one time occurrence, it’s likely fine to give them a little bit of meat, but this should never become a habit, and you shouldn’t give it to them for two meals in a row. A cat’s digestive system would be most ready for raw meats, either poultry or beef. But today’s domesticated cats do well with cat food, as that’s what they’re raised on and what they’ve grown accustomed to. You can play your part by getting them a quality brand of cat food, one that has meat as the first ingredient listed.
Better Options
You’re on the right track by thinking of giving your cat a food rich in protein. They definitely have a protein requirement that needs to be met for optimal nutrition. The good news is that if you are feeding them a quality cat food they should be getting all of the protein they need, as well as the other vitamins and minerals that are essential for them. You can also buy some specialty cat treats if you want to give them something to light up their day. These are always a better option than giving them table food, and won’t develop the bad habit of bugging you while you’re eating.
Feeding Your Cat the Best
As the owner feeding your cat is one of the most important roles you have. You don’t want to skimp on this part, as it plays such a big role in your cat’s life. It effects how energetic they are, and how playful they are. In the long run it will also help them live longer if you are always giving them quality food. That’s why as hard as it might be to invest in better cat food, you should always try to avoid the lower priced brands that are full of a bunch of nutrient-void fillers that don’t do anything for your cat.
You don’t have to go nuts and get them something like Fancy Feast and serve it in a crystal glass, but just be sure to check the list of ingredients, or ask your vet’s assistant what they would recommend for your cat’s breed, age, and medical history. Once you get the feeding down, you’ve knocked out a big part of your job. Next is just keeping the litter box as clean as you can and you’ve stacked things in your favor to have a happy and healthy cat for years to come.
Finding the right poultry or turkey, minus the nitrates, preservatives, antibiotics and other harsh ingredients is a lot easier than finding a bag of cat kibble minus all of those harsh ingredients.
And feeding your cat fully cooked white meat turkey, chicken breast, pork tenderloin, and beef tenderloin are actually best for your pets digestion. Their bodies are more capable of breaking down and digesting the meat than it is any cat kibble you can buy. Fresh cooked meat is also better for their kidneys, heart, livers and intestinal tract.
Even better for your pet is if you also incorporate healthy grains such as brown or wild rice, oats and barley. By adding fresh vegetables such as fresh pea’s or carrot’s and fresh berries like cranberries to your pets daily food intake would also be greatly beneficial to your pet kitty.
Cats suffer with less kidney and bladder infections, urine crystallization issues and UTI’s when fed the right nutrients in their purest forms. Not to mention how much stronger their little hearts and livers are, when fed in this way compared to just feeding them cat kibble, daily.