Liver for dinner

About once or twice a year, we have liver for dinner. Fister LOVES raw liver, but since his bladder crystals problem, he's only had his diet food - this time we've been very strict about it. The vet says: Cats doesn't get bored with the same food, but I doubt it a little bit. However, I cut and fried the onions and closed the door firmly to the kitchen before opening the liver. A minute later, Fister was standing on the other side of the door miawing like crazy! He's used all his miaws for this week! OHHHH, it's so hard not to give him a little piece, he just loves it! Well, I did give him a very little (only what could fit in a spoon. I wish there was a list of things cats with this problem could eat, without getting sick again. The things he can't have is food containing too much Phosfor, Calcium and Magnesium.

By the way, our vet has just recenly got a new diet food he can have, it's called Urinary program by Royal Canin - and it also only has 15% fat in it! Luckily he likes it! :D

I know what you mean, Randi, about it being so hard not to give in when they want something so bad. And how do they know we have something we like the instant we bring it out of the refrigerator??!!?! Peanut could be sound asleep in the other room, but if I bring sliced turkey out of the refrigerator she is there so fast that I don't even think you could have seen her come if you were watching. :D

Lucky Fister got liver tonight. :) I'm sure he wasn't happy at the time because he wanted more, but I bet he's glad he got at least a little taste now.

Tubby & Peanut's Mom

Before I opened the kitchen door, I had to put on it on the frying pan - only left a few pieces on the table. I know myself, I hadn't been able to resist him otherwise. :rolleyes: But, yes he had a little taste. He soon forgot about it though - his little female friend was sitting in the other window! LOL! :D

Don't they have an amazing sense of smell! :D

In all fairness though....liver has a rather strong odor. Very long story but the only time I cooked liver was when I was keeping house for a widower in college. (I was in college...he wasn't.) Anyway...he wanted me to prepare his late wife's recipe for liver which involved parboiling it first. I knew VERY little about cooking (had to look up the word "parboil") but I can still remember the smell. Poor man...never asked for it again. (Might have been my attempt to use the corn meal mix to make gravy.)

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Originally posted by Randi
But, yes he had a little taste. He soon forgot about it though - his little female friend was sitting in the other window! LOL! :D

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Oh my, a little kitty love to take his mind off his stomach. What a good idea!!! :D

Is uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh........are sardines bad for cats?

No, sardines are actually good for them in moderate quantities. The oil in the fish is good for their hair coat. Like anything else, though, they can get too much of a good thing!

Only the thought..... (I'm vegetarian)

My friend was cooking liver the other day for her dog and cats. They were all so nervous and impatient for her to get ready.

Once in a while I get tuna and sardines (tinned) for the cats. They love it (but my husband has to feed it to them :rolleyes: )

Lucky Fister for getting liver! We don't dare to give it to Casper and Kitty (both of us don't like liver), if we would, they'd probably never eat anything else anymore :rolleyes:

Both Don and I love liver and whenever we have it - there are three cats PLASTERED to the kitchen door as I cook it. We have to lock them in another room while we eat (course we save them some!!) or they just dive bomb our plates!!

Lynne

Lynne! That's just typical! :D But as soon as the liver is cooked, Fister is not really that interested. It may be because it has been covered in onions and cream sauce with spices! :D

My cats must have odd tastes, because any canned cat food with liver in it is quickly SHUNNED . . . actually, Debra will go so far as to try and "cover" it like she would her excrement in the litter box . . . :eek: . . . I only WISH she would cover that consistently!

Being a vegetarian, I have never cooked liver . . . maybe smelling the "real thing" might garner a more positive reception from them . . . ?

I'm talking about a young cows liver! ;)

Mind you, there's a world of difference from raw to cooked liver - at least for Fister! :D He will only have it raw. It's the same with fish, they have to be raw! :rolleyes:

Liver or other raw meats as an occasional treat is probably OK. I do myself. A word of caution: while uncooked may save nutrients, it may also save a lot of bacteria. The safest bet would be to get the slices the butcher just put out.

Hi Lut - I prefer lambs liver - very mild taste. Yummy!!

Lynne

Lynne! Perhaps you can help here? We bought half a lam and also got a big piece of liver - but I've never cooked that before, so I put in the freezer. If you have any suggestions or recipees, I'll appreciate it. If not, I think I may end up giving it to the back yard cats! :D

Message in your PM Randi :D !

Lynne

Just a caution, I'm sure the liver is fine to feed them as is flavouring it with garlic but I've read in several books that onions will cause aenemia in both cats and dogs. I've found dried liver treats called Kitty Kisses that my kitties love. I just shake the jar and they come running. I use it to find out where they are when they don't respond to their names being called. Also since I'm a vegetarian it lets them have something they love and I don't have to prepare the stuff.

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Originally Posted by Randi

About once or twice a year, we have liver for dinner. Fister LOVES raw liver, but since his bladder crystals problem, he's only had his diet food - this time we've been very strict about it. The vet says: Cats doesn't get bored with the same food, but I doubt it a little bit. However, I cut and fried the onions and closed the door firmly to the kitchen before opening the liver. A minute later, Fister was standing on the other side of the door miawing like crazy! He's used all his miaws for this week! OHHHH, it's so hard not to give him a little piece, he just loves it! Well, I did give him a very little (only what could fit in a spoon. I wish there was a list of things cats with this problem could eat, without getting sick again. The things he can't have is food containing too much Phosfor, Calcium and Magnesium.

By the way, our vet has just recenly got a new diet food he can have, it's called Urinary program by Royal Canin - and it also only has 15% fat in it! Luckily he likes it! :D

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Hi, have you ever looked into raw feeding diet? It is wonderful, especially for a cat who has health problems. The reason why your cat goes nuts when he gets the raw liver is because cats are carnivores. They NEED the meat in their diet. Have you ever heard of a cat in the wild craving grains or fuits and veggies? I certainly haven't and that is because they can't digest it. They crave MEAT! Have you ever put thought as to why your cat is having health issues. It is because kibble is CRAP!!! Cats can't digest all those fillers that they put into the dried cat food! They can barely live on that garbage. And is absolutely the reason for his health problems. I guarantee you if you put your little critter on a raw diet his bladder issue would be non-existant! That vet of yours is making a ton of money off of you. I guarantee that you could feed your cat raw meat for a heck of alot cheaper that what he is charging you for that junk you are feeding your cat now. I have noticed HUGE changes in my cat for the better since I changed him over to raw. His temperment is better, he is more playful, he doesn't shed anymore, his litter box stopped stinking. Need I say more. Not to mention that I have read hundreds of emails from others like you who have had cats with health problems and have switched over to raw. They have all noticed that their cats health issues are gone. If you really care about your cat, do him a favor and get him off that junk. Trust me when I say that he will thank you for it. And you will safe a ton of money on vet bills.
Melissa

Hi, have you ever looked into raw feeding diet? It is wonderful, especially for a cat who has health problems. The reason why your cat goes nuts when he gets the raw liver is because cats are carnivores. They NEED the meat in their diet. Have you ever heard of a cat in the wild craving grains or fuits and veggies? I certainly haven't and that is because they can't digest it. They crave MEAT! Have you ever put thought as to why your cat is having health issues. It is because kibble is CRAP!!! Cats can't digest all those fillers that they put into the dried cat food! They can barely live on that garbage. And is absolutely the reason for his health problems. I guarantee you if you put your little critter on a raw diet his bladder issue would be non-existant! That vet of yours is making a ton of money off of you. I guarantee that you could feed your cat raw meat for a heck of alot cheaper that what he is charging you for that junk you are feeding your cat now. I have noticed HUGE changes in my cat for the better since I changed him over to raw. His temperment is better, he is more playful, he doesn't shed anymore, his litter box stopped stinking. Need I say more. Not to mention that I have read hundreds of emails from others like you who have had cats with health problems and have switched over to raw. They have all noticed that their cats health issues are gone. If you really care about your cat, do him a favor and get him off that junk. Trust me when I say that he will thank you for it. And you will safe a ton of money on vet bills.
Melissa

sorry, just learning how to post!

you know reading all this about what your cat's eat, mine must be the strangest cat in the world!!!!!!!!!!! lol she wont eat canned cat food, wont eat treats, wont eat table food of any kind raw or cooked, the only food she will eat is her dry cat food and every once in a while she will eat a very small piece of sardine. i have offered anything and everything over the years, she is 14 and she does not want any of it. I have to say though thank God she is in good health and so far (knock on wood) she has been great for all of these years. My mom used to cook liver for me and she never even showed any interest at all in it. lol she must be an odd duck.....

mcdam01, I don't know whether you noticed, but this thread is from 2002. ;) Funny it should pop up to the surface today, as I'm having liver again this evening. :D

Since then, Fister had his operation and is doing fine. :) I'm pretty sure he got these problems because we fed him canned Whiskas, and we all know that that is not the most healthy food around.

I don't agree with you about the vet food being crap, and since I started feeding him Hills dry food, he's not been sick, so I believe it's quite healthy for him :) Cats who are prone to UTI's should not have food with too much Phosfor, Calcium and Magnesium in it.

I can assure you that my vet is not making a lot of money off me, he's a very nice guy and wouldn't dream of doing so. On the contrary, he suggested I should get 10% off. :)

But yes, a raw diet is probably OK too, and I think some members here feed their cats a raw diet, I just haven't looked into that.

Thanks for your input, anyway!