Chicken Bone Broth for my cats

[beggargirl]

Hi all,

After coming down with two nasty bouts of EColi in 3 months, and having the doctors advise me to eat chicken noodle soup and dry toast and Gatorade until I could tolerate real food, I got sick of the sodium rich canned chicken noodle soup and looked up info about anything that I could still eat with a shredded intestinal tract that was nutritious (I had lost 20lbs in that 3 months).

In my search to find a way to get more calcium and other nutrients in my diet I came across a recipe to make broth out of chicken bones, and it ended up being easy and enjoyable to make in my crock pot, with the touted benefit of being super healthy and just the thing for someone with a crappy digestive system who needed easy to absorb nutrients.

Now it looks like this is something I am going to be making all the time, even now that I'm starting to get better, and I've heard some people mention that they make it for their cats.

I'm going to give this a try so that I can make a batch and set a bunch aside for my two cats. My civvy has become a picky eater recently and possible has some digestive issues like IBS or an allergy we haven't determined yet, so I am hoping this helps her out. My sugar cat is about 4 years in remission, and I'd be happy to give him a healthy non processed delicious treat.

I have eliminated onions and garlic (mmmmm) from the recipe this time, and the remaining chicken bones, cider, carrots, celery, thyme, and parsley seemed to be safe and healthy for the kitties.

I'll give them their first try tonight when it is ready (I cook it for almost a day), and see how they like it. They do seem to like the small bits of chicken they get as a treat as I de-meat the carcass to get it ready.

Does anyone else make something similar for their cats?

 

[JoyceOlive]

I cook up legs and thighs in my pressure cooker..I think it locks in the juices.three of my six cats are crazy for chicken with broth poured over top.My sugar cat in particular.He can't get enough chicken broth.I know the legs have the most calcium in them.I dice up all the chicken and I freeze it in the small cat food cans.Then I freeze the broth in ice cube trays and take out when I need a couple,warm in micro and pour over the chicken.I have also made the recipe on Dr.Lisa Piersons site too,using the chicken legs and thighs adding the broth instead of water and the chicken livers,lightly cooked,plus essential vitamins and bone meal.

 

[Jill & Alex (GA)]

I make bone broth for all of us. Poultry is easier to digest than beef so I usually use chicken or turkey carcasses.

I'll often simmer a whole chicken (organic, no preservatives or additives) including neck, gizzards, liver, & heart in spring water for 12 - 18 hours or as long as I can. Add 1 - 2 tablespoons of Braggs Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (with the Mother) to help the bones leech all their nutrients along with some cut up carrots and celery. I take the meat off the bones when it begins to slide off easily and save some for treats and some to be made into chicken salad or reserved for chicken soup. If I do a turkey I simply start with a turkey carcass.

When done simmering I strain the broth well to remove all the bones and other solids. Most of them have turned to mush anyway. Half of it gets frozen in small containers to be used as needed for my cats. I add seasonings to the other half for us.

My cats get a couple teaspoons of broth added to their meals.



ETA: I just found out the other day you can freeze bones/carcasses until you're ready to use them to make broth.

 

[Dyana]

My acupuncture vet has recommended the bone marrow soup to be fed to my cat a couple of times.

 

[beggargirl]

I cook up legs and thighs in my pressure cooker..I think it locks in the juices.three of my six cats are crazy for chicken with broth poured over top.My sugar cat in particular.He can't get enough chicken broth.I know the legs have the most calcium in them.I dice up all the chicken and I freeze it in the small cat food cans.Then I freeze the broth in ice cube trays and take out when I need a couple,warm in micro and pour over the chicken.I have also made the recipe on Dr.Lisa Piersons site too,using the chicken legs and thighs adding the broth instead of water and the chicken livers,lightly cooked,plus essential vitamins and bone meal.

Adding a bit of vinegar will help leech the calcium and other minerals out of the bones apparently.

I make bone broth for all of us. Poultry is easier to digest than beef so I usually use chicken or turkey carcasses.

I'll often simmer a whole chicken (organic, no preservatives or additives) including neck, gizzards, liver, & heart in spring water for 12 - 18 hours or as long as I can. Add 1 - 2 tablespoons of Braggs Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (with the Mother) to help the bones leech all their nutrients along with some cut up carrots and celery. I take the meat off the bones when it begins to slide off easily and save some for treats and some to be made into chicken salad or reserved for chicken soup. If I do a turkey I simply start with a turkey carcass.

When done simmering I strain the broth well to remove all the bones and other solids. Most of them have turned to mush anyway. Half of it gets frozen in small containers to be used as needed for my cats. I add seasonings to the other half for us.

My cats get a couple teaspoons of broth added to their meals.

ETA: I just found out the other day you can freeze bones/carcasses until you're ready to use them to make broth.

I am glad to hear others are doing this. I can't wait to give my cats their new treat! When I was sick I caught my sweet cat licking my empty chicken noodle soup bowl when I wasn't looking; I can't wait for him to get his own bowl (minus the noodles).

 

[dirtybirdsoaps]

Interesting, some reason I never even thought to make this....would be great for me and the kitties Not to sound special, but does it matter how much water you cook it in?

 

[beggargirl]

Interesting, some reason I never even thought to make this....would be great for me and the kitties Not to sound special, but does it matter how much water you cook it in?

Here is the original site I got the recipe from (and it has step by step pictures!):

http://www.theyummylife.com/Slow_Cooker_Chicken_Broth

It just says to add enough water so that all the ingredients are immersed. Apparently it might not 'gel' or be as rich if you add too much, but it doesn't sound like a big deal.

Just remember that onions and garlic are bad for the cats and omit those. I am omitting the pepper and bay leaf as well.