When fed the same food for months or even years, cats are less likely to develop food intolerances than dogs.
Some cats may benefit from the unusual source of protein found in venison. In today’s article, we’ll investigate whether or not feeding your cat this type of meat is a good idea, as well as any potential dangers that may arise.
But can felines eat deer meat? In a nutshell, yes.
Can Cats Eat Venison?
Ground beef or venison is also safe for cats to eat in small amounts.
Due to the high taurine content of venison, it helps reduce the symptoms of feline kidney disease. In fact, taurine is a staple of feline diets because it helps the kidneys do their job of filtering out waste more effectively, thereby reducing the risk of feline kidney disease.
Because of its higher protein content, venison is preferable to other meats when feeding your cat.
Similar calorie counts can be expected from eating white-tailed deer or elk meat. Venison should be fine to feed your cat if he or she is at a healthy weight.
Both are fine for cats to eat, but excessive amounts of protein in the form of venison can be harmful.
Is Venison Good For Cats?
It’s true that some felines can be finicky eaters, and the gamey flavor of venison might put them off.
However, cats quickly adjust to new tastes, so after being fed a small amount of venison over the course of several days, some of them may be willing to try the meat for themselves.
Cats can safely eat it, but it’s not a good idea to give it to them regularly. While venison is an excellent source of nutrients, it may not be the best choice for all cats due to their individual dietary preferences.
Cat owners who go on hunting expeditions and bring home their own deer can rest easy knowing they are feeding their feline friend a healthy diet.
There will be too much leftover meat from the hunt to bother with it.
Deer meat is healthier than other types of meat because it contains fewer calories and less fat. Additionally, venison is a healthier option than chicken or pork due to its lower fat and cholesterol content.
There is little variation in the amount of protein found in venison compared to other meats like beef or shellfish.
You can include some venison in your cat’s diet, but only in small amounts.
Why venison could be good for cats
We all know that cats need a lot of meat in their diet because they are obligate carnivores. However, venison is probably less common in commercial cat food, so it’s best to introduce it gradually.
Vitamins and minerals abound in all kinds of meat, including venison. If you’ve hunted it yourself and are considering feeding it to your cat to save money and provide a more varied diet, make sure to thoroughly cook it first.
Venison can refer to any type of game meat, so it’s hard to say for sure what nutrients it provides. Once the organs have undergone the proper thermal processing, they can be given to cats as well.
Deer meat is perfect for these animals because protein makes up more than 60% of it. It’s a good source of magnesium and iron, two essential minerals.
Hemoglobin in red blood cells carries oxygen and nutrients throughout your pet’s body, and iron is a necessary component of this protein.
Even though iron deficiency anemia in cats is extremely uncommon, it is possible if the cat is not fed a balanced diet.
Deer meat is a good source of vitamin K, and also contains significant amounts of vitamins B6 and B12.
This cut of meat is completely devoid of dietary fiber. Grain and other ingredients are frequently used to bulk up commercial cat diets and reduce costs. Due to their genetic make-up, cats aren’t designed to digest foods high in fiber.
Is Venison Good For Cats With Allergies?
Deer meat is high in protein and other nutrients like iron and vitamins B6 and B12. Venison is a leaner and therefore healthier alternative to other types of meat.
Venison is a great alternative for cats with meat allergies because it contains no grains or carbohydrates.
Each case of an allergy calls for individualized care and cautious meal planning.
Aside from these restrictions, venison is a fantastic option for cats with food allergies.
Is raw venison good for cats?
Do not feed your cat raw venison.
Deer meat may be a vector for bacteria and other pathogens. Make sure the venison is thoroughly cooked before feeding it to your cat.
Before giving your cat any new meat or if you have any doubts, check with your vet.
Infected cats can quickly spread bacteria and other pathogens through tainted food.
To prevent your cat from getting sick, cook the venison thoroughly to kill any bacteria.
As carnivores, felines require a specific diet. The healthiest cats have well-rounded diets.
The bacteria and parasites found in venison could be harmful to your cat. It’s possible to make your cat sick by giving him raw meat.
If you are unsure about feeding your cat any type of meat, or if it is unfamiliar to you, consult your vet first.
It’s important to make sure your cat is healthy before feeding it, as some felines have food sensitivities or allergies.
Can venison be dangerous for cats?
Not very often at all.
Giving your cat venison meat can be risky for their health in some situations.
Food poisoning
Although raw pet food diets have grown in popularity in recent years, they will always carry some degree of risk.
The primary reason for this is the importance of properly cooking the venison before feeding it to your cat.
If you happen to find some extremely fresh venison, you can always freeze it and give your cat a little bit each day. However, that boosts the possibility of bacterial contamination.
It’s not just that your pet could get food poisoning in the traditional (digestive) sense if they eat raw meat; if they’re a kitten or an elderly pet, they also run the risk of developing complications like liver damage.
Therefore, unless you have access to extremely fresh venison, a raw venison diet is not recommended.
Oxalic acid
Oxalic acid is present in venison; while this may not be a problem for humans, even those with a history of kidney disease, this is not the case for cats.
Cats with kidney disease or a history of urinary stone formation should probably avoid venison.
Feeding your pet a diet consisting solely of venison, or giving them unusually high amounts, could cause kidney pathologies due to the oxalic acid’s binding with calcium and leading to the formation of crystals.
While it’s possible that perfectly healthy adult cats won’t have any health problems, the same cannot be said for their elderly counterparts.
Parasites
In addition to harboring a wide variety of parasites in their lungs, hearts, and gastrointestinal tracts, deer and elk may also harbor larval or cystic forms of these parasites in their skeletal muscles, which can be passed on to humans and other mammals.
Common examples include larval tapeworms and Sarcocystis spp., both of which can infect cats when venison is undercooked.
If you’ve ever considered feeding your cat raw venison, you may want to reconsider.
How long will you be feeding venison to your cat?
Rotation feeding is ideal for cats with food allergies because it allows you to feed your pet a variety of foods without compromising the quality of the nutrients they receive.
They can get all the protein and other nutrients they need by alternating between different types of meat like venison.
Most cats benefit greatly from rotation feeding, but those with severe food allergies may require a less frequent rotation.
You can switch your cat’s diet around by feeding it venison for 72 hours, then chicken for 72 hours, and so on. You can alternate feeding your dog venison for 48 hours and fish for the next 48 hours if it has digestive issues.
This routine adjustment will help reduce the severity of allergy symptoms in your pet.
Regularly switching up your diet plan reduces the risk of putting on too much weight. Giving venison to your pet has many benefits, including the following: Delicious and more nutritious than regular dog food, venison is a great choice.
Iron, zinc, and vitamin B are all boosted by eating venison. Your pet’s health depends on these nutrients.
Final thoughts
Although venison is relatively nutritious and contains a number of nutrients that can benefit cats, it is best served as a treat rather than a staple.
While there are a number of ways to safely prepare venison for this species to eat, one of the best is to bake it in the oven.
We advise against grilling because of the potential for fires and the risk of not killing all of the bacteria and parasites in the meat. For this reason, you should never feed your cat a venison steak cooked to a medium-rare doneness.
Owners of cats with a history of digestive sensitivities should test their pets’ reactions to venison by feeding them only small amounts at first.