My cat licked raw chicken!

I had raw chicken on the counter, getting ready to cook it.  I left the kitchen for about 5 minutes and when I came back, he was licking it!  Can cats get samonella???  I am keeping an eye on him...any advice????

[JoyRenee]

I do believe cats can get samonella. All you can do is keep an eye out for food poisoning (vomiting, lethargy, diarrhea, etc.).

[suzi-q]

Thank you!  I will do that...so far he seems fine...would it start right away or after a few hours or so?

[JoyRenee]

It could actually take a few days for salmonella poisoning to give you symptoms. He'd definitely be sick. Luckily it's not a death sentence so just keep an eye on him and contact the vet if he starts acting up! Most likely he won't get food poisoning, though. Let's hope so!

I got my information from taking a course in Food Sanitation and Safety and getting licensed in Food Safety and Sanitation a few years ago.

[kitty51]

I wouldnt worry as my vet said its good to feed cats raw chicken wings as it cleans their teeth.so wings are part of a chicken so I think your cat will be ok.

[PrettyKitty1]

Do you know if the chicken was infested or something? Cats natural diet consists of raw meat, raw chicken, raw fish, you know, mice, rats, birds etc... and occasionally some plants like catnip to help with digestion. If the chicken is contaminated or infested with something I would worry. If it's just chicken you got at the market like you always do, then just keep a close watch on him, don't stress though, as I've done that and if the cat meows I start to freak out and already want to take him to the vet lol. Yes I get paranoid when I'm thinking bad things will happen to him.

Don't stress over this. He was, after all, just licking it. Did he take a bite? No, right? Relax hun....your pet will be just fine. Keep me updated on his progress though :)

[Ghilly]

There is really nothing to worry about.  The digestive systems of cats and dogs are much shorter than those of humans, and they are very acidic.  The shortness of the tract means that food doesn't stay in the digestive system more than a few hours, unlike humans, who can retain food in their digestive tracts for 24 hours or longer.  The brief period of time doesn't give the bacteria time to build up and take over the gut, causing the animal to become ill.  Also, the acidity of the gut, because of the enzymes the animals produce, doesn't provide the right environment for bacterial growth.  This is because in nature, animals are equipped to eat whatever prey they can catch, raw, since they don't have humans to cook it for them.  Licking chicken, while it is gross-sounding to us, is not going to be harmful to your kitty.

Ghilly