How to Give Cats Chicken Gizzards

If you are a cat owner, you may worry about whether your cat is consuming the appropriate amount of nutrients from commercial food. After all, cats evolved as strict carnivores and still hunt outdoor prey in addition to eating the food that people provide them. Therefore, if you want to try giving your cat pieces of meat as a dietary supplement, a good item to begin with is chicken gizzard, as gizzards are high in taurine -- a necessary nutrient for cats, as they are unable to make it in their bodies in the way that dogs and people do.

Things You'll Need

  • Fresh chicken gizzards
  • Knife
  • Bowl
  • Warm water
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Instructions

    • 1

      Push on the gizzards gently with your fingertips. Cut off any gristle that you feel, as this may be difficult for your cat to chew if he or she is not used to consuming gizzards. Do not grind the meat, as this exposes the existing minerals to the air and oxidation may destroy them if the meat is left for too long. Additionally, do not cook the gizzards for the same reason. Cats are predators and have strong enough stomachs to eat raw food, provided that the food is very fresh.

    • 2

      Introduce gizzards into the cat's diet gradually. Try providing the meat as an occasional treat to let the cat get used to the taste and texture. When your cat becomes accustomed to gizzards, you may provide the meat as normal food at regular intervals as long as you continue to feed the cat a balanced diet. In order to keep the gizzards as fresh as possible, you may freeze any meat that you are not going to give to your cat straightaway. A cat may turn up its nose at old food.

    • 3

      Remove meat from the freezer the night before you wish to feed it to your cat. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator over night and place it in a bowl of warm water to bring the meat's temperature up. Do not use boiling water, however, as this will cook the meat. Leave the meat to warm for about 15 minutes before feeding it to your cat.