I bought some cut up chicken liver bits in a plastic tub. Froze them. Now thawing them under cold running water. I am a vegetarian and have never prepared raw meat. I want to boil them for my cat since that seems like the easiest way, for me. Do I drain the blood, cut stuff out? I have NO idea what looks 'good' in raw meat parts..
Advice? What to look for? How long to boil? should i add anything to it so my cat likes it more? Do I drain the water after wards or could I do it in a little amount of water and keep the water since we feed her really watery canned shredded chicken due to health issues?
Karen L2011-11-21T14:55:57Z
Favorite Answer
Don't boil them. Bake them. When they're thawed, put them in a shallow baking pan just the way they came from the store and cook at about 325F for 10 minutes. Take them out, stir them around a bit and try another 5 minutes. They do not have to be cooked until they dry out for pets, so if they still appear to be bleeding a bit, that's fine as long as they're mostly cooked. It's very easy to overcook them, and overcooking them tends to destroy some of the taurine in them, particularly important if you are feeding a cat. Then you can mash them up, adding a bit of water if that makes it easier. I use a pastry cutter to do that. Cooked chicken liver is more like mashed potatoes in texture than it's like meat but liver also tends to have stringy bits which you might want to cut with scissors.
I'd try mixing a bit of the mashed liver with the shredded chicken, see how the cat likes that. I haven't had to convince a cat yet to eat liver. Most of them love the stuff but if yours is not well, or not used to "real" food, it might be easier at first to mix the liver with something the cat is accustomed to. I don't know what canned chicken you're using, but you might want to consider fresh chicken. Some canned products are a bit heavy on the salt. I get boneless skinless chicken thighs for my cats. Bake at 325F until the juices run mostly clear, chop into bite size pieces.
RE: How to prepare, cook chicken livers for pets? I bought some cut up chicken liver bits in a plastic tub. Froze them. Now thawing them under cold running water. I am a vegetarian and have never prepared raw meat. I want to boil them for my cat since that seems like the easiest way, for me. Do I drain the blood, cut stuff out? I have NO idea what...
I boil the chicken livers for my cats. Once it comes to a boil the cooked blood comes to the top and I poor this out while adding more water. I do this until there is no more impurities on top. Boil for another minute or so and remove from heat. Let sit for about 10 minutes then remove to a container to refrigerate. This is like crack to my male cat! For my female, I take a piece and mash it w/some of the liquid from the boiled liver and she drinks it all up!
I wouldn't boil them. I would put in a saute pan (you can use a touch of vegetable oil if needed) and just brown them and heat through, don't overcook. Let it cool before giving to kitty. I do this all the time for my dogs.
I also have this recipe for liver brownies that I've made for my dogs. Involves grinding up the liver and mixing with other ingredients and baking. They love them though I can't stand liver and it wasn't pleasant for me. However, I think the dietary needs for cats will probably differ a bit so I'd google some cat treat recipes with it if you feel like making the investment of cooking.