Can Cats Eat Chicken Broth? Is it Safe [Explained]

Perhaps you’ve read about the advantages of soups and stews in your meals, but can chicken broth also benefit your feline? Moreover, when you get cold, you know that chicken broth has lots of health advantages. But can you share it with them if your feline is ill and tries to sneak a little chicken broth from your bowl? Moreover, most cat owners ask can cats eat Chicken Broth. Can we add chicken broth to their cat’s dry food?

Felines can easily consume chicken broth. In reality, chicken broth isn’t only safe for children to ingest but also good for cats. Chicken broth includes vital nutrients that improve healthy conception in felines. Moreover, it helps cats keep a robust heart, steady eyesight, and a balanced reproductive system.

But most cat owners are confused about how to feed broth to the felines and what kind of broth is good for cats. Don’t worry; this entire article covers chicken broth for the cat’s topic and an easy formula for adding broth to your cat’s diet. 

What is Chicken Broth?

Chicken broth is a delicious liquid made by boiling chicken, spices, and vegetables (optional) on low flame for a couple of hours. The boiling water pulls the nutrients out of the food items, so the broth is concentrated with various nutrients and flavours. It is the first step in making soup and is particularly useful during the winter. It also helps combat the flu and is a preferred diet for sick people.

Also Read: Can I Feed My Cat Chicken Every Day?

Can Cats Have Chicken Broth?

Definitely! Cats love chicken broth. In addition to being very nutritious, it also keeps your pet well-hydrated. Cats are really bad at drinking water, so chicken broth helps meet their hydration needs. The broth is a great way to give them all the nutrients from bones without any hazards of choking on a bone. 

However, make sure to prepare your broth yourself. Commercial broths contain a lot of sodium, which makes them unsafe for your cat to consume. High sodium is harmful to cats as it sucks the water out of their system, leaving them thirsty, dehydrated, and urinating more often. They can also develop vomiting, diarrhoea, and lethargy.

Onion and garlic are also added to commercial broths; while they taste good for us, they are toxic for cats. They damage cat red blood cells and cause hemolytic anaemia over time. So if you are short of time, no broth is always better than stored broth.

Check Out: Can Cats Eat Cooked Chicken Bones? Cooked Vs. Raw

Is Chicken Broth Good for Cats?

There are various benefits of giving your pet chicken broth regularly. It is rich in amino acids (protein building blocks) that serve many purposes in your cat’s body:

• Joint health: chicken broth contains collagen, which is required for bones, joints, and ligament formation in cats. It also contains glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate, both these compounds form synovial fluid, which is a fluid in joints that helps easy movement with no friction or pain. It also contains calcium and phosphorus, which promotes bone formation. This is why chicken broth is especially good for older cats or cats suffering from arthritis.
• Liver health: The broth’s amino acid glycine helps remove liver toxins.
• Gut health: Glycine helps in the production of hydrochloric acid, the acid in the stomach responsible for breaking down food. Additionally, collagen boosts intestinal health.
• Boosted Immune System: Conjugated linoleic acid helps strengthen your pet’s immune system, making it stronger to fight against diseases.
• Hydration: Chicken broth smells like meat, so cats have no problem slurping it up. This is great because cats do not like drinking regular water. As cats are carnivores, i.e., they only eat meat, they need more water to support their liver and kidneys to clear out toxins.
• Beneficial for sick and older cats: Just like humans, when cats get sick, they lose their appetite. However, they cannot resist broth. The broth is especially beneficial if your cat has diarrhoea. Not only are they getting hydration, but they are also nutrients they are otherwise not eating, which will help their immune system clear out the infection faster. Older cats lose interest in food altogether, and pouring a tablespoon or two of chicken broth over their food tempts them to eat again.
• Cats with painful gums and teeth: Cats with periodontitis, identities, tooth resorption or teething kittens might be in debilitating mouth pain and may not eat altogether (as chewing will worsen the pain). Chicken broth is great for such cats as it is a nutritious meal that does not cause any pain.

You Might Also Like to Read: Can Cats Eat Human Food?

How to Feed Your Cat Chicken Broth? How Can I Safely Give Chicken Broth To My Cat?

Make sure only to give homemade broth to your feline. Do not give them store-bought broth. While preparing at home, do not add any seasonings or salt. Cool it to a lukewarm temperature before serving your pet chicken broth in a bowl. Cats get very excited about chicken broth and can easily burn themselves if it’s served fresh off the stove.

Alternatively, you can also pour a few tablespoons of broth over dry kibble, to make your cat more interested in food.

Interesting Reading: When Do Kittens Start Eating Food And Drinking Water?

How Do You Add Chicken Broth to Your Cat’s Diet?

1. Make Chicken Broth by Yourself

Adding chicken broth to the feline’s normal diet is a terrific idea; you’ll probably need to cook your own to check that it’s suitable for your feline.

This happens because store-bought chicken broth often includes additional salt, seasonings, and other components, making it unsuitable for giving to cats.

So, it’s better to cook only chicken bone broth at home. Also, when you’re cooking chicken broth avoid putting any additional flavours or flavour enhancers like you do when you’re preparing it for yourself.

2. Serve Chicken Broth as a Food topper

Rather than using water, cats must be given chicken broth as a food topper, or you can even pour it simply into the bowl. Simply combine chicken broth with your cat’s usual food and whisk everything together to create gravy as a supper topping.

Felines are obligate carnivores, so keep in mind that they’ll surely love it. It can be added to their meals on a regular basis as a special reward to observe how your feline will respond to it. An excellent starting point is adding 1-2 tbsp of broth to your cat’s meal and checking his reaction. 

If you’re using a powdered or dried version, just sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons of powder over your cat’s meal and also add a little water to mix it well.  If your feline experiences any alterations in bowel motions, you must quit feeding them broth.

3. Serve Chicken Broth in a Water dish

Your feline will consume more fluids if you put chicken broth in your cat’s food; they’ll also receive hydration and salts, which helps to balance their energy. Moreover, if you put this broth in your feline’s water dish, they’ll consider it as water and drink it more.

4. Serve Warm broth

Be careful not to serve the broth cold. Make sure when you provide food with broth to your feline, and it must be at room temperature. Moreover, it is advised that you can also serve high-quality frozen, dried meals and any other item with broth to make it more tempting for your feline.

How to Cook Chicken Broth?

Chicken broth is extremely easy to make at home. Here is the recipe we know your cats will enjoy:

1. You will need chicken, a pot of water, celery, and a carrot. The celery and carrot are safe to add to the broth and provide extra nutrients. They are also completely optional.
2. Put the uncooked chicken, celery, and carrot into a pot of water. Make sure they are fully submerged in the water. 
3. Turn the stove on high until boiling starts.
4. Once the water begins to boil, reduce it, separating it. It would be best if you simmered it to the point where the chicken falls off the bone. You can always check every hour if it has reached that point.
5. Once your broth is ready, strain the entire broth, separating the broth from its contents.
6. Make sure the broth has no bone, not even a small fragment. Strain it once more to be absolutely sure, as it can be a choking hazard for your pet.
7. When the stock has cooled, serve it. Avoid serving heated broth. Cats get very excited about broth and can easily burn themselves.
8. You can freeze the extra broth and store it for another day.

Also, Check Out: How Long Should Kittens Eat Kitten Food?

Why Your Cats Should Only Have Home-Made Broth?

The store-bought broth is a huge no-no. While we find it delicious due to added ingredients, it is hazardous for your feline’s health. It contains high amounts of sodium, which acts as a diuretic in your cat, making them thirsty, dehydrated, and pee too much. Onions and garlic are also a part of it; both of these foods make cats develop hemolytic anaemia.

There are other substances and preservatives that your pet may be poisoned by. So if you don’t have time to boil ingredients at home, do not resort to the commercial broth. It’s either home broth or no broth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Wrap Up!

Chicken broth is a tasty treat packed with nutrients, a few calories, and a lot of hydration. Cats cannot seem to resist chicken broth. It has various benefits, so it should definitely be included in your pet’s diet. However, it should be made at home and not store-bought as commercial broths are incredibly harmful to your cat’s health.

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