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Can Cats Eat It?

Can Cats Eat Chicken Gizzards?

By Pettings · Sources checked Nov 2, 2026

Yes, in small amountsTreat size for a 10 lb adult cat: 1/4 ounce cooked chicken gizzard, finely chopped (a few calories)

Cats can eat small amounts of plain cooked chicken gizzards. A gizzard is a thick muscle in a bird's digestive tract that grinds food, so it is lean and chewy. Cooked plain and chopped fine, it can be an occasional treat for most adult cats.

A white hen walking in a field
Photo: Erwin Bosman on Pexels

What Chicken Gizzards Offer a Cat

The Cornell Feline Health Center explains that cats rely on nutrients found only in animal products and evolved on prey high in protein and low in carbohydrate. Gizzards are muscle, so they supply protein and water, and they are closer to ordinary meat than to liver. They are not a source of anything a complete cat food lacks, and they do not carry the vitamin A concern that comes with liver. Their main difference from other cuts is texture. Gizzards are dense and rubbery, and many cats find them hard to chew in large pieces. Because they lack calcium and several vitamins, they work as a treat only.

How Much Chicken Gizzard Can a Cat Have?

WSAVA advises keeping treats under 10% of a cat's daily calories, about 22 to 25 calories a day for a 9 to 11 pound adult. For a 10-pound adult cat with no food allergy and no medical condition, about 1/4 ounce of cooked chicken gizzard, roughly 1 level tablespoon finely chopped, is a reasonable portion. Reduce the regular meal by about that much so total calories stay the same. Kittens, seniors and cats with diabetes, kidney disease, urinary stones, pancreatitis or food allergies should get their veterinarian's advice before trying gizzards.

How to Serve It

Rinse the gizzards and trim off the silvery membrane and any yellow lining or grit that remains. Simmer them in plain water or bake them with no salt, oil, onion or garlic until fully cooked and tender; longer simmering softens the texture. Let them cool, then chop them into pieces no larger than about 1/4 inch. WSAVA advises choosing treats with a size and shape that lower the choking risk, and a whole gizzard does not qualify. Skip fried gizzards, which are breaded and salted, and gizzards cooked in seasoned broth, which often contains onion. The Merck Veterinary Manual says cats are the most sensitive species to onion and garlic. Do not feed raw gizzards. Cornell advises against raw diets because of bacteria, parasites and H5N1 bird flu, and a Cornell study reviewed by Tufts Petfoodology grew live bacteria from 42% of raw cat foods.

If your cat has a medical condition or eats a special diet, ask your veterinarian before adding gizzards.

Common Questions

Can cats eat raw chicken gizzards?

Raw chicken gizzards are not recommended for cats. Raw poultry can carry bacteria such as Salmonella and the H5N1 bird flu virus, and the Cornell Feline Health Center advises against raw diets for cats. A Cornell study reviewed by Tufts grew live bacteria from 42% of raw cat foods and none of the cooked ones. Cook gizzards until tender and chop them small.

Are chicken gizzards hard for cats to digest?

Cooked gizzards are digestible for most cats, but their tough texture can be hard to chew. Simmering them until tender and chopping them into small pieces helps. Large chunks can be a choking concern, and WSAVA advises choosing treats of a size and shape that reduce that risk. Introduce gizzards slowly and stop if your cat vomits or has loose stool.

Can cats eat fried chicken gizzards?

Cats should not eat fried gizzards. Frying adds breading, oil and salt, and the seasoning often includes onion or garlic powder. The ASPCA lists onions and garlic as foods to keep from pets and says cats are more susceptible than dogs. Tufts Petfoodology notes that fatty foods can upset a pet's stomach. Simmer or bake plain gizzards instead.

Can kittens eat chicken gizzards?

Kittens can try a tiny amount of plain cooked gizzard, but it must be chopped very finely because the texture is tough. Most of a kitten's calories should come from a complete kitten food. Ask your veterinarian how many treat calories suit your kitten before offering gizzards or other organ meats.

Are gizzards organ meat for cats?

Gizzards are often grouped with organ meats, but they are muscle tissue from the bird's digestive tract. That makes them closer to lean meat than to liver, and they do not carry the vitamin A concern that comes with feeding liver often. Like any single meat, they are not a complete diet, so serve them as a small cooked treat.

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