Are chicken bones OK for cats?

In news:LWFkb.97405$gv5.36221@fed1read05,
NO Email composed with style:
~Shelly~ wrote:

"~Shelly~" wrote in message
...
had a question about the safety of chicken bones and cats.

Thanks everyone for helping me out with this. Now that I know it's
OK, I'll let my kitties go hog-wild on the raw bones whenever
available. I bet they'll be thanking you, too :-}


I would check with your vet before you do this. Most likely none of
the people recommending it have any veterinary or medical training.
Your vet knows best versus some unknown "voice" on the internet.

I personally have concerns about bones that have been frozen but can't
find anything other than anecdotal accounts saying that frozen bones
will splinter the same as cooked bones.

On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 23:07:42 -0700, "~Shelly~"
dijo:

Have I been denying them for no good reason, or should I continue to
withhold chicken bones?

I've read all the responses from others to your query, and feel I
should voice an opposing view.

I've shared my life with many different cats over more than three
decades. In all that time I have always shared my meals as well, at
least the meat part. And that includes the bones from fried chicken.
(I'm partial to Popeye's spicy chicken.) And none of the cats has ever
had the slightest problem with it.

I should add that I do make sure that I eat all the breading off the
fried chicken before letting the cat have the bone. I've noted that
cats don't seem to like things picante. And besides, the breading is
pretty heavy in carbs and stuff that isn't probably very healthy for
them.

I think the reason they have never had a problem is the same as why I
have never had a chicken bone impale my throat or internal parts. You
see, I just chew the meat off the bone. I don't eat the bone itself.
My cats instinctively do the same thing. I remember one cat who loved
the chicken bones more than most. He would chomp the ends off the
drumstick and other large bones and crunch them down. He would also
gnaw on the rest of the bones to get all traces of meat off them. But
the center portion of the bones were always intact when he was
finished.

My current cat (Old George) is part wolf -- that is, he really bolts
his food down. But when I give him a chicken bone he eats it much more
carefully. I've even seen him spit out pieces of bone, the same as I
do when I accidentally get a bone sliver in my mouth.

There are those who distinguish between cooked and raw bones, claiming
that the cooked bones will splinter. Well, then they'd be dangerous
for me, too. After all, humans have been eating cooked birds only for
a few thousand years. We didn't have kitchens during our evolution.
Most of us critters have figured out how to eat our prey without
causing harm, including humans. It may have taken us a few million
years, but we've got it down. I think cats are just as clever. At
least, all of mine have always handled it easily.

--
Bogus e-mail address, but I read this newsgroup regularly, so reply here.

On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 23:07:42 -0700, "~Shelly~"
dijo:

Have I been denying them for no good reason, or should I continue to
withhold chicken bones?

I've read all the responses from others to your query, and feel I
should voice an opposing view.

I've shared my life with many different cats over more than three
decades. In all that time I have always shared my meals as well, at
least the meat part. And that includes the bones from fried chicken.
(I'm partial to Popeye's spicy chicken.) And none of the cats has ever
had the slightest problem with it.

I should add that I do make sure that I eat all the breading off the
fried chicken before letting the cat have the bone. I've noted that
cats don't seem to like things picante. And besides, the breading is
pretty heavy in carbs and stuff that isn't probably very healthy for
them.

I think the reason they have never had a problem is the same as why I
have never had a chicken bone impale my throat or internal parts. You
see, I just chew the meat off the bone. I don't eat the bone itself.
My cats instinctively do the same thing. I remember one cat who loved
the chicken bones more than most. He would chomp the ends off the
drumstick and other large bones and crunch them down. He would also
gnaw on the rest of the bones to get all traces of meat off them. But
the center portion of the bones were always intact when he was
finished.

My current cat (Old George) is part wolf -- that is, he really bolts
his food down. But when I give him a chicken bone he eats it much more
carefully. I've even seen him spit out pieces of bone, the same as I
do when I accidentally get a bone sliver in my mouth.

There are those who distinguish between cooked and raw bones, claiming
that the cooked bones will splinter. Well, then they'd be dangerous
for me, too. After all, humans have been eating cooked birds only for
a few thousand years. We didn't have kitchens during our evolution.
Most of us critters have figured out how to eat our prey without
causing harm, including humans. It may have taken us a few million
years, but we've got it down. I think cats are just as clever. At
least, all of mine have always handled it easily.

--
Bogus e-mail address, but I read this newsgroup regularly, so reply here.

From: Marek Williams

"~Shelly~"
dijo:

Have I been denying them for no good reason, or should I continue to
withhold chicken bones?

I've read all the responses from others to your query, and feel I
should voice an opposing view.

I've shared my life with many different cats over more than three
decades. In all that time I have always shared my meals as well, at
least the meat part. And that includes the bones from fried chicken.
(I'm partial to Popeye's spicy chicken.) And none of the cats has ever
had the slightest problem with it.

I should add that I do make sure that I eat all the breading off the
fried chicken before letting the cat have the bone. I've noted that
cats don't seem to like things picante. And besides, the breading is
pretty heavy in carbs and stuff that isn't probably very healthy for
them.

I think the reason they have never had a problem is the same as why I
have never had a chicken bone impale my throat or internal parts. You
see, I just chew the meat off the bone. I don't eat the bone itself.
My cats instinctively do the same thing. I remember one cat who loved
the chicken bones more than most. He would chomp the ends off the
drumstick and other large bones and crunch them down. He would also
gnaw on the rest of the bones to get all traces of meat off them. But
the center portion of the bones were always intact when he was
finished.

My current cat (Old George) is part wolf -- that is, he really bolts
his food down. But when I give him a chicken bone he eats it much more
carefully. I've even seen him spit out pieces of bone, the same as I
do when I accidentally get a bone sliver in my mouth.

There are those who distinguish between cooked and raw bones, claiming
that the cooked bones will splinter. Well, then they'd be dangerous
for me, too. After all, humans have been eating cooked birds only for
a few thousand years. We didn't have kitchens during our evolution.
Most of us critters have figured out how to eat our prey without
causing harm, including humans. It may have taken us a few million
years, but we've got it down. I think cats are just as clever. At
least, all of mine have always handled it easily.

Then perhaps you've been lucky. Cats I've known will eat the cooked bones.
Why take a chance that one will splinter when you can feed the bones raw and
don't have the worry.
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

From: Marek Williams

"~Shelly~"
dijo:

Have I been denying them for no good reason, or should I continue to
withhold chicken bones?

I've read all the responses from others to your query, and feel I
should voice an opposing view.

I've shared my life with many different cats over more than three
decades. In all that time I have always shared my meals as well, at
least the meat part. And that includes the bones from fried chicken.
(I'm partial to Popeye's spicy chicken.) And none of the cats has ever
had the slightest problem with it.

I should add that I do make sure that I eat all the breading off the
fried chicken before letting the cat have the bone. I've noted that
cats don't seem to like things picante. And besides, the breading is
pretty heavy in carbs and stuff that isn't probably very healthy for
them.

I think the reason they have never had a problem is the same as why I
have never had a chicken bone impale my throat or internal parts. You
see, I just chew the meat off the bone. I don't eat the bone itself.
My cats instinctively do the same thing. I remember one cat who loved
the chicken bones more than most. He would chomp the ends off the
drumstick and other large bones and crunch them down. He would also
gnaw on the rest of the bones to get all traces of meat off them. But
the center portion of the bones were always intact when he was
finished.

My current cat (Old George) is part wolf -- that is, he really bolts
his food down. But when I give him a chicken bone he eats it much more
carefully. I've even seen him spit out pieces of bone, the same as I
do when I accidentally get a bone sliver in my mouth.

There are those who distinguish between cooked and raw bones, claiming
that the cooked bones will splinter. Well, then they'd be dangerous
for me, too. After all, humans have been eating cooked birds only for
a few thousand years. We didn't have kitchens during our evolution.
Most of us critters have figured out how to eat our prey without
causing harm, including humans. It may have taken us a few million
years, but we've got it down. I think cats are just as clever. At
least, all of mine have always handled it easily.

Then perhaps you've been lucky. Cats I've known will eat the cooked bones.
Why take a chance that one will splinter when you can feed the bones raw and
don't have the worry.
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

In article ,
Marek Williams wrote:

There are those who distinguish between cooked and raw bones, claiming
that the cooked bones will splinter. Well, then they'd be dangerous
for me, too. After all, humans have been eating cooked birds only for
a few thousand years. We didn't have kitchens during our evolution.
Most of us critters have figured out how to eat our prey without
causing harm, including humans. It may have taken us a few million
years, but we've got it down. I think cats are just as clever. At
least, all of mine have always handled it easily.

If you were to chew and swallow a chicken drumstick, or worse yet eat it
like a carnivore and mash it just enough to get it down your gullet, you
could well be in trouble from sharp points or obstructions. But you're
not a carnivore, and you don't have the right kind of teeth for crushing
bone. You've got teeth for masticating your food well before swallowing.
Bones aren't easily masticated--people don't eat bones. Wild predators,
however, do.

My husband thought my dog would be able to handle a (cooked) T-bone and
gave one to her with lots of scraps of meat on it. He said, "I'll take
it away when she gets done with the meat and starts chewing the bone."
Sam took one look at it and crunched into it. Shards flying. Yes, when I
picked it up and held it for her, discouraging her from eating the bone
part, she figured out how to flea-bite the meat off. I hardly call that
evolution at work.

When my cat gets ahold of a chicken leg quarter he doesn't gently nibble
the meat off the bone. He slices through that bone like it's nothing,
mashing the meat to bits and using his hind molars to scissor off a
piece small enough to gulp down to where his amazing digestion gets
started.

You've been lucky with your cats, but the next reader who comes along
and believes you, that all cats will "instinctively" hold back from
chewing cooked chicken bones, could end up with a dead cat from it.

-Alison in OH

In article ,
Marek Williams wrote:

There are those who distinguish between cooked and raw bones, claiming
that the cooked bones will splinter. Well, then they'd be dangerous
for me, too. After all, humans have been eating cooked birds only for
a few thousand years. We didn't have kitchens during our evolution.
Most of us critters have figured out how to eat our prey without
causing harm, including humans. It may have taken us a few million
years, but we've got it down. I think cats are just as clever. At
least, all of mine have always handled it easily.

If you were to chew and swallow a chicken drumstick, or worse yet eat it
like a carnivore and mash it just enough to get it down your gullet, you
could well be in trouble from sharp points or obstructions. But you're
not a carnivore, and you don't have the right kind of teeth for crushing
bone. You've got teeth for masticating your food well before swallowing.
Bones aren't easily masticated--people don't eat bones. Wild predators,
however, do.

My husband thought my dog would be able to handle a (cooked) T-bone and
gave one to her with lots of scraps of meat on it. He said, "I'll take
it away when she gets done with the meat and starts chewing the bone."
Sam took one look at it and crunched into it. Shards flying. Yes, when I
picked it up and held it for her, discouraging her from eating the bone
part, she figured out how to flea-bite the meat off. I hardly call that
evolution at work.

When my cat gets ahold of a chicken leg quarter he doesn't gently nibble
the meat off the bone. He slices through that bone like it's nothing,
mashing the meat to bits and using his hind molars to scissor off a
piece small enough to gulp down to where his amazing digestion gets
started.

You've been lucky with your cats, but the next reader who comes along
and believes you, that all cats will "instinctively" hold back from
chewing cooked chicken bones, could end up with a dead cat from it.

-Alison in OH

On Mon, 20 Oct 2003 08:38:42 -0400, Alison Perera
dijo:

You've been lucky with your cats, but the next reader who comes along
and believes you, that all cats will "instinctively" hold back from
chewing cooked chicken bones, could end up with a dead cat from it.

OK, let's suppose for a moment that you are right and I've just been
lucky. If chicken bones can kill a cat, then presumably there are some
people who can relate such an event. I'll be more inclined to believe
it if I hear that it actually happened. Otherwise it sounds too much
like an old wives tale to me. A little statistics would help. We could
start right here. There are tons of cat lovers who read this
newsgroup. If anyone has actually lost a cat because the cat ate
chicken bones, please stand up and let us know. Anyone?

--
Bogus e-mail address, but I read this newsgroup regularly, so reply here.

On Mon, 20 Oct 2003 08:38:42 -0400, Alison Perera
dijo:

You've been lucky with your cats, but the next reader who comes along
and believes you, that all cats will "instinctively" hold back from
chewing cooked chicken bones, could end up with a dead cat from it.

OK, let's suppose for a moment that you are right and I've just been
lucky. If chicken bones can kill a cat, then presumably there are some
people who can relate such an event. I'll be more inclined to believe
it if I hear that it actually happened. Otherwise it sounds too much
like an old wives tale to me. A little statistics would help. We could
start right here. There are tons of cat lovers who read this
newsgroup. If anyone has actually lost a cat because the cat ate
chicken bones, please stand up and let us know. Anyone?

--
Bogus e-mail address, but I read this newsgroup regularly, so reply here.