Can Cats Eat Organ Meats?

Organ meat, or offal, is the edible innards of an animal, and can be safely eaten by cats. In fact, organs are a common ingredient in commercial cat food and homemade diets alike. However, there are some caveats to feeding cats an organ-centric diet, which we will discuss later. 

Keep reading to learn the health benefits and risks of feeding your cat organ meat and how much they should be getting.

When catching prey in the wild, feral cats consume the entire animal: skin, fur, bone, and — you guessed it — organs. In fact, most felines go for the organs first when consuming their prey. It's no surprise that our domesticated "fur-iends" have a taste for organs, too.

Organ meats are especially beneficial for older or sick cats. The odorous nature of organ meats can appeal to cats who've lost their appetite, offering them a nutrient-dense option when regular meat becomes less appealing.

Organ meats often get a bad rap in the US since they're considered much less desirable than muscle cuts — but they are a cheap and sustainable source of quality protein! Plus, they're full of necessary vitamins and minerals and lower in calories than muscle meat.

Let's take a closer look at which organ meats cats commonly eat and how they improve your fur baby's health.

Taurine

Hearts are abundant in taurine, an essential amino acid for cats. Adequate taurine levels can decrease a cat's risks of developing tooth decay, heart disease, and vision loss associated with retinal degeneration.

CoQ10

Heart muscle also contains large amounts of natural CoQ10, an important antioxidant for brain, heart, and cellular functions.

Collagen

Hearts are also rich in collagen, which promotes joint health. Collagen becomes increasingly important as kitties age, and the cartilage in their joints begins to deteriorate.

Natural probiotics

Raw tripe, especially unprocessed green tripe, is packed with the probiotics cats need for a healthy digestive tract. To maintain tripe's nutritional benefits, you should serve it raw. For more info, check out our guide on raw diets for cats.

Vitamins

Kidneys are a significant source of vitamins, including vitamins A, C, and D—to name a few. They also contain a large dose of folate (vitamin B9), which is vital for DNA synthesis.

Minerals

Organs are also terrific sources of calcium, iron, and riboflavin, which are important for your kitty's metabolism, immune system, and skeletal system.

Outside of being included in many cat foods, organ meats are a tasty and nutritious addition to feline diets in moderation. Try to keep organ meats down to about a tablespoon a day or a few times a week, since feeding it too much on top of their regular diet can cause weight gain due to the high fat content in some organs like liver. What's more, overindulging on liver can cause your kitty to consume too much vitamin A, which can potentially cause toxicity.

Keep in mind these are general recommendations that do not account for any health concerns or conditions your kitty may have. If you're thinking about adding organ meat to your cat's diet, talk to your vet first. Your vet can offer guidance on exactly how much organ meat your cat needs for their body type and activity level.

Liver is an excellent source of protein and vitamins for cats. Liver also contains copper, which cats need for blood cell and tissue formation. 

While liver does have many benefits, it is high in fat, so it should be eaten sparingly, especially for cats prone to obesity.  It is also high in vitamin A, which can cause toxicity in cats if they eat too much of it. For these reasons you should serve liver in moderation.

Some pet parents steer away from feeding liver and kidney meat due to their toxin-filtering functions. But experts say that toxin levels in kidneys and livers are equivalent to those in muscle meat. Plus, choosing organ meat from a grass-fed animal can further decrease toxin levels in the meat.

Choosing quality organ meat for your cat is crucial, especially if you plan to serve it raw. When selecting organ meat to serve your cat, aim for meat that is:

• In date
• Fresh or freeze-dried
• Organic
• Grass-fed or vegetarian diet-fed.

Cats can eat raw organ meat but most experts advise against it since it increases the risk of getting sick from foodborne illnesses (both for the pets who eat the raw food and the humans who prepare it.) However some pet nutritionist recommend feeding cats raw green tripe, since it contains live probiotics, and heat can kill the healthy bacteria.

While many pet parents like feeding their cats a raw diet, most experts agree that raw feeding exposes humans and their pets to unnecessary risks. Gentle cooking is recommended to help maintain the nutritional integrity of the organ meats.

Organ meats may be considered by some to be low quality ingredients, but to cats they're a delicacy! 

Experts have likened organ meats to superfoods for cats since they boast a wide variety of health benefits for animals and contain so many essential vitamins and minerals. Plus, the consumption of organ meat can cut back on food waste and help reduce the carbon footprint of meat processing. 

There are some things to consider when feeding organ meats, though. Cats should get no more than a tablespoon a day since some organs, like liver, contain large amounts of vitamin A and can be quite fatty. Still, organ meats can be a healthy addition to most feline diets in moderation.