With caution — cats and chicken hearts
One of the best organ meats you can feed a cat. Chicken hearts are exceptionally high in taurine — the amino acid cats cannot synthesise themselves — and provide a biologically appropriate protein and fat profile. The only limit is quantity: organ meat fed in excess causes loose stools and, over the long term, vitamin A toxicity from the liver content. Fed correctly, they're an excellent addition to any cat's diet.
🏆 PawKeen Safety Score™ — Chicken Hearts for Cats
"I recommend chicken hearts to virtually every client who asks about raw feeding or nutritional supplementation for their cat. The taurine content is remarkable — roughly 70–130mg of taurine per 100g of chicken heart, compared to perhaps 10–20mg in equivalent cooked chicken breast. Given that taurine deficiency is the number-one nutritional cause of feline dilated cardiomyopathy, adding a few chicken hearts to the weekly rotation is genuinely good preventive medicine. The caution is the same as with all organ meat: it is a supplement, not a meal base."
The straight answer
Chicken hearts are genuinely one of the best things you can feed a cat. They are a natural, species-appropriate food packed with taurine — the one amino acid cats cannot make for themselves and the one most commonly deficient in cats fed processed food diets. Served raw or lightly cooked, in sensible amounts, chicken hearts are not a treat you're giving in spite of your better judgement. They're a supplement that does a specific, well-documented nutritional job.
The "sometimes" rating is not a warning — it is a quantity signal. Too much organ meat at once causes digestive upset, and too much over months causes problems. The right amount is modest, regular, and deliberate.
Why taurine makes chicken hearts genuinely special
In 1987, Pion and colleagues published a landmark paper in Science documenting an outbreak of feline dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) linked to taurine deficiency. Cats were going into heart failure on commercial diets that were considered nutritionally complete by the standards of the time. The study triggered a reformulation of most commercial cat foods to include supplemental taurine, and the rate of diet-related DCM dropped dramatically. It is one of the clearest examples in veterinary nutrition of a specific nutrient deficiency causing a specific, measurable disease outcome.
Cats are unusual among mammals in that they have an unusually high metabolic demand for taurine (used for bile acid conjugation, retinal function, and cardiac muscle maintenance), combined with a limited ability to synthesise it. They depend almost entirely on dietary taurine from animal-source protein.
Chicken heart is one of the richest dietary sources of taurine that a cat owner can practically access. Per 100g raw, chicken heart contains approximately 70–130mg of taurine — compared to roughly 10–20mg in cooked chicken breast, and essentially zero in plant-based proteins. The heart is a working muscle that demands continuous aerobic energy, and taurine is a critical component of that metabolic machinery. This is why heart meat is consistently higher in taurine than skeletal muscle.
For cats on a primarily dry food diet — which remains the most common feeding approach in Australian households — adding chicken hearts a few times per week provides a meaningful taurine boost beyond what the processed food guarantees.
Raw vs. cooked — which is better?
Both are safe. The distinction is nutritional efficiency.
Raw chicken heart retains more taurine than cooked. Heat causes some amino acid degradation, and the specific degree depends on temperature, cooking time, and moisture. Boiling causes more loss than light poaching; long slow cooking causes more loss than brief steaming. If you're using chicken hearts primarily for their taurine content, raw or barely cooked is the better choice.
If you're not comfortable with raw poultry handling or your cat has a compromised immune system, light poaching (water just below simmering, 3–4 minutes for whole small hearts) is a reasonable compromise — you lose some taurine but the hearts are still a far better taurine source than most commercial cat food ingredients.
Frying is not appropriate — the added oil, potential seasoning, and high heat all work against you.
Handling raw chicken hearts: Treat them exactly as you'd treat raw chicken for cooking. Rinse briefly under cold water, serve on a dedicated raw feeding plate or silicone mat, and wash your hands and the surface thoroughly after. Do not store prepared raw hearts at room temperature — thaw in the fridge, use within 24–48 hours.
In Australia, chicken hearts are available fresh from most supermarket deli counters (Coles and Woolworths typically stock them in the offal/specialty meats section) and consistently from Petbarn and Pet Circle as part of raw pet food ranges (Proudi and Big Dog both include heart in their formulations).
Nutritional breakdown
| Nutrient | Per 100g raw chicken heart | Why it matters for cats |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | ~17g | High-quality complete protein with all essential amino acids |
| Taurine | ~70–130mg | Cardiac function, retinal health, bile acid conjugation |
| Coenzyme Q10 | ~2–3mg | Mitochondrial function, antioxidant; supports cardiac health |
| Iron | ~5mg | Oxygen transport in haemoglobin |
| Zinc | ~6mg | Immune function, skin and coat health |
| Vitamin B12 | ~9µg | Neurological function, red blood cell production |
| Phosphorus | ~163mg | Bone health — note: needs to be balanced with calcium |
| Fat | ~10g | Appropriate for cats; primarily unsaturated |
| Calories | ~185kcal | Meaningful energy density — adjust meal size accordingly |
The organ meat ceiling — why you can't just feed hearts freely
Every veterinary nutritionist will give you the same answer on organ meat: 10–15% of the total diet, maximum. The reason is not that organ meat is dangerous — it is that it is too nutrient-dense in certain dimensions to be the whole diet.
Vitamin A: Liver is extremely high in preformed vitamin A (retinol). Cats cannot excrete excess vitamin A efficiently, and chronic over-supplementation causes hypervitaminosis A — a condition that presents as neck pain, reluctance to move, bony outgrowths around the spine and joints (exostoses), and eventual debilitating joint stiffness. I've seen this in cats whose well-intentioned owners fed raw liver daily for months.
Chicken hearts are lower in vitamin A than liver, so this specific risk is less acute. But if you are already feeding liver regularly, adding hearts on top pushes total organ intake into excess territory. The 10–15% ceiling applies to combined organ meat intake, not each type separately.
Digestive upset: Too much organ meat at once, regardless of species-appropriateness, causes loose, dark, often foul-smelling stools within 12–24 hours. This is a reliable signal that the serving size was too large. Cut back by half and reintroduce gradually.
Phosphorus: Organ meat is higher in phosphorus than muscle meat. For cats with kidney disease, phosphorus restriction is often clinically indicated. Chicken hearts should be discussed with your vet before being added to the diet of any cat with known renal issues.
How to introduce chicken hearts for the first time
Many cats accept chicken hearts enthusiastically on the first offer — the smell is strong and palatable. Some cats, particularly those raised entirely on dry food, do not immediately recognise fresh meat as food and need a transition period.
Start with half a heart, cut small, mixed into the regular meal. If your cat ignores it initially, try warming it slightly (30 seconds in warm water, not microwave) — the temperature and scent release are closer to fresh prey. Most cats come around within a few attempts.
If your cat is a confirmed dry-food-only cat and you're trying to transition them to any wet or raw food, chicken hearts are a useful starting point because the flavour is intense enough to be interesting even to a food-conservative cat.
🚨 My Cat Ate Chicken Hearts — What Now?
Chicken hearts are not a toxicity risk. If your cat ate a large amount (e.g., got into a whole pack) and is showing signs of significant GI distress, call your local vet or the Animal Poisons Helpline on 1300 869 738.
Signs that warrant a vet call:
- Loose
- dark
- or very soft stools within 12–24 hours of feeding (sign of too much organ meat at once). With long-term excess: lethargy
- bone pain
- reluctance to move — signs of vitamin A toxicity from excessive liver consumption. Chicken hearts specifically are lower in vitamin A than liver
- so the risk is lower
- but it applies if hearts and liver are both fed regularly
If your cat ate a large amount or is showing the signs above: Don't wait — call immediately.
📞 Animal Poisons Helpline: 1300 869 738Available 24/7 across Australia. Have your cat's weight, breed and approximate quantity consumed ready when you call.
Frequently Asked Questions
Coles and Woolworths both stock fresh chicken hearts in the offal section of the meat department — typically sold in 250–500g packs, priced around $3–5. This is the most accessible option for most Australian cat owners. Pet Circle and Petbarn carry raw pet food brands (Proudi, Big Dog, Vets All Natural) that include heart as a component. If you have a local butcher, they can often supply hearts fresher and at better value than supermarkets.
Chicken hearts sit at the intersection of nutrition and practicality — one of the few foods where "natural" actually delivers measurable benefit for cats. For context on how organ meat fits into a broader raw feeding approach, see our raw feeding guide for cats. For cats with heart disease or kidney disease, see our best wet cat food in Australia guide for veterinary diet options.
📚 Sources & Further Reading
- Fascetti AJ, et al. Taurine deficiency in cats fed commercial diets — a clinical review. JAVMA 2003.
- Pion PD, et al. Myocardial failure in cats associated with low plasma taurine. Science 1987;237(4816):764-768.
- USDA FoodData Central — Chicken heart, raw. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
- Cornell Feline Health Center — Feline Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Taurine. https://www.vet.cornell.edu
- Australian Veterinary Association — Feline Nutrition. https://www.ava.com.au
