DIY: Healthy Homemade Cat Food Recipes - Going Evergreen (2024)

Give occasional treats to your loving pet cat with the best nutritious homemade dishes, rather than serving them readymade market foods. There are two reasons: one being emotional and the other is for wellness. Cooking food for your loved ones shows that you care, while at the same time, you would want to see your pet living healthy and for long. So it is better to avoid such foods whose ingredients you are not aware of, and stick to the naturally healthy foods.

Healthy Homemade Cat Food

Raw Cat Food Recipe (wet)

Ingredients

  • Canned mackerel – 1 cup
  • Sunflower seed oil – 1 tbsp
  • Cooked organic brown rice – 1 tbsp
  • Chicken or beef broth, or water – 1-2 tablespoons

Raw Cat Food

How to make

Blend all the above in a food processor until thoroughly mixed well and serve your cat instantly. You can store the remaining inside the fridge for 2-3 days.

Easy Cat Food Recipe (with chicken)

Ingredients

  • Pre-cooked chicken (broiled or baked) – 1 cup
  • Steamed broccoli – ¼ cup
  • Steamed carrots – ¼ cup
  • Chicken broth – Few spoons according to consistency

Easy Cat Food with Chicken

How to make

Blend the ingredients in the mixer adding chicken broth as required to make a smooth (but not soupy) mixture. Serve after it completely cools.

Cooked Cat Food Recipe

Ingredients

  • Ground lamb – 1 cup
  • Brown rice (steamed) – ½ cup
  • Minced alfalfa sprouts – 6 tbsp
  • Small curd cottage cheese – ¾ cup

Cooked Cat Food

How to make

Fry the ground lamb until it browns and then drain and cool it. Take a dish and serve the ingredients together. Do not refrigerate the leftovers for more than 3 days.

Homemade Dry Cat Food Recipe (Kibble)

Ingredients

  • Cornmeal – 1 cup
  • Soy flour – 2 cups
  • Whole wheat flour – 3 cups
  • Wheat germ – 1 cup
  • Canned mackerel – 1 (15 oz)
  • Vegetable oil – 5 tbsp
  • Cod liver oil – 1 tbsp
  • Milk (fatless) – 1 cup
  • Brewer’s yeast – ½ cup
  • Water – 2 cups (or as you need)

Dry Cat Food with Kibble

How to make

Take a large bowl and mix all the above ingredients, while in another bowl mash the fish and add oil and water. Now mix the ingredients of both the bowls and mix evenly. Make the dough mixing it by hand and roll it to a thickness of about ¼ th-inch diameter. Use a knife to cut small ¼ th pieces. Now preheat your oven to 350 degrees and put the bits inside, placing them on a greased sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes while tossing the bits so that they brown evenly from all sides. Let the bits cool completely before removing from the oven. Refrigerate the kibbles transferring them inside an airtight container. It won’t spoil for a long period of time.

Homemade cat food for kidney disease

Renal or Kidney diseases in cats (CKD) are very common for which, only prescription diet is recommended, made by your cat’s vet.

Homemade food for senior cats

Older or matured cats need less energy from their foods since their rate of metabolism is slow. Hence, it is better to avoid high calorie diet, as your cat grows older. Also, a raw-food diet has proven to have many benefits for senior cats. Raw food diet might include rabbit meat, thighs of chicken or turkey (baked partially for killing surface bacteria). Some senior cats prefer cooked diets, and it is advisable for the owners to use 3 ounces of cooked dark-meat chicken, lamb, pork, or fish such as salmon or tuna as the basis for adult cat food.

Chicken Gravy Recipe for Cats

Ingredients

  • Chicken liver – quarter cup
  • Mixture of chicken gizzard and heart – half a cup
  • Water – 2 cups
  • All-purpose flour – 2 tbsp.
  • Salt – quarter tsp.

How to make

Boil the chicken parts in the water until it is tender. Remove the chicken and chop them while keeping the stock aside. Take a saucepan and pour the stock, the flour, the meat and salt and keep cooking over low heat while stirring from time to time until the gravy is thick. You can, optionally, blend this in a blender to make a puree and preserve them as ice cubes for a longer period of time. Your cat would cherish this tasty dish as also get enough protein from its diet.

Homemade Fish and Vegetable Recipe for Cats

Ingredients

  • Sardines in oil – 1/3rd can
  • Canned trout – 1/3rd can
  • Canned salmon – 1/3rd can
  • Grated carrot – 2 tbsp.
  • Cooked oatmeal – 1/3 cup
  • Steamed broccoli – 1 tbsp.
  • Boiled egg yolk – 1
  • Salt – as much required

How to make

Mash all ingredients in a big bowl and serve this to your cat. Store the leftover inside the fridge, no more than three days. You can easily understand how much tasty and ‘cattie’ this fishy dish would be!

Vegetarian Salad Cat Recipe

Ingredients

  • Catnip – for garnish (minced) – 1/8 tsp.
  • Alfalfa sprouts (chopped) – ½ cup
  • Zucchini (grated) – ¼ cup
  • Fish/chicken stock – 1/8 cup

How to make

Take a medium size bowl and mix together all the ingredients, except the stock. Toss all of it together properly. Finally, garnish this with the minced catnip and serve this to your beloved cats and kittens. You can always store the leftover inside your fridge for about three days.

Fish and Turkey Meal for Cats (dinner/lunch)

Ingredients

  • Turkey (precooked) – ½ cup
  • Tuna in oil – 1 can
  • Carrot (mashed and cooked) – 1 tbsp.
  • Brown rice – 2 tbsp.

How to make

Put all the above ingredients in a blender and blend smoothly. Serve this to your cat. For the leftovers, you can also keep it in your refrigerator for 3 days, after which, you discard.

Warning: Foods you must never serve to your cat/kitten

  1. Alcohol
  2. Chocolate
  3. Coffee, Tea, Energy Drinks
  4. Dairy Products (especially for adult cats, even though your cat loves milk, else they might end up in chronic diarrhea)
  5. Onions and Garlic
  6. Moldy Foods
  7. Grapes and Raisins
  8. Xylitol (a food sweetener)

You be a cat lover or not, do share with us your thoughts, ideas and more cat recipes, if you have with you. We would love to share them with our other readers.

DIY: Healthy Homemade Cat Food Recipes - Going Evergreen (2024)

FAQs

What homemade food can cats eat daily? ›

14 Human Foods That Cats Can Enjoy
  • 1) Cooked Lean Meats. Because cats are obligate carnivores, they love meat and will likely eat any kind you give them. ...
  • 2) Cooked Fish. Fish is another favorite for many cats. ...
  • 3) Scrambled or Hard-Boiled Eggs. ...
  • 4) Cucumbers. ...
  • 5) Steamed Broccoli. ...
  • 6) Peas. ...
  • 7) Carrots. ...
  • 8) Bananas.
Sep 4, 2022

How do you preserve homemade cat food? ›

Storing homemade cat food is not as hard as you think. Overall, a combination of vacuum sealing and a cooling method (refrigeration, chilling, or freezing) are your best options, depending on the type of food you've prepared.

How long does homemade cat food last? ›

Like other fresh, homemade foods, DIY cat foods have a limited shelf life. In the refrigerator, a batch lasts about five days. Dr. Roberts suggests cooking in large batches and separating the homemade food into smaller portions, storing the rest in the freezer and thawing as needed.

Do vets recommend homemade cat food? ›

If done correctly by a board-certified veterinary nutritionist, a homemade diet is good for cats – or better said, a cat can do just as well on a homemade diet (some would argue better) as a commercial diet,” says Joe Bartges, DVM, PhD, professor at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine and a board- ...

What is the best natural diet for cats? ›

Dr. MacDonald suggests homemade cat diets should likely consist of close to 50% protein: “whether that's beef, chicken, turkey, venison, or rabbit. At least half would be meat-based.” “Cats don't need a lot in the way of vegetables, but they are a good source of vitamins,” he continues.

Is it cheaper to make your own cat food? ›

The cost of homemade cat food ranges between $0.90–1.52 per day depending on the recipe. I compared the cost of the best in each category of commercial cat food. And you could save thousands per year making cat food at home. It will take more time to make your cat's food at home.

Is it better to feed cats raw or cooked meat? ›

Cooked meat such as boiled chicken may also be offered occasionally, but please ensure there are no cooked bones, onions/onion sauces or other toxic substances present (see below). As mentioned above, raw meat and bones carry bacteria that can make both animals and humans ill and so are not recommended.

What food can I cook for my cat? ›

Cooked, lean meats such as beef, chicken, turkey, liver and lamb are all ok for you cat to eat. However, it's important that you take great care when serving to make sure the meat's cooked through – never give cats raw meat – and remove all skin and bones before feeding your cat.

Is canned tuna good for cats? ›

Cats can eat canned tuna, as long as it is packed in spring water only and has no seasonings or additives. Never feed your cat tuna in brine or sunflower oil, which is for human consumption only. Brine is salt water, and its high sodium content can lead to an electrolyte imbalance in your cat.

Can cats eat scrambled eggs? ›

Yes, cats can eat eggs. Fully cooked eggs are a great nutritional treat for cats. Eggs are packed with nutrients, like amino acids, which are the building blocks to protein, and they're also highly digestible. Scrambled, boiled, however you choose to prepare them is fine.

What vegetables are good for cats? ›

The Best Vegetables for Cats
  • Carrots. Carrots are rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and nutrients including: ...
  • Peas. Peas are a low-calorie treat many cats enjoy, myself included! ...
  • Spinach. Spinach is becoming an increasingly popular ingredient in many cat food recipes, and for good reason. ...
  • Green Beans. ...
  • Broccoli. ...
  • Zucchini.
Nov 1, 2022

Can I make my own cat food for my cat? ›

You have complete control over the ingredients in your cat's food. Some commercially available cat food brands include ingredients that aren't necessary for your cat, such as vegetables, fruits or added grains. By making your own cat food, you can prioritize the meat, vitamins and minerals that your cat needs.

Are eggs good for cats? ›

Eggs are not only a perfectly safe food source for cats – they offer much in the way of nutritional benefits. Aside from being rich in protein, eggs are also a great source of linoleic acid, Vitamin B2 and B12 and water-soluble Vitamin A – all of which are wonderful for your cat's skin and coat.

Can cats have chicken broth? ›

It's typically OK to give your cat a bit of chicken broth or baby food, but make sure it doesn't include onions or garlic (or too much sodium). If you suspect your cat may have consumed any of member of the Allium family of foods, contact a veterinarian immediately.

What should I feed my cat daily? ›

Most cats need 4-5 ounces of canned food per day, total. Pate-style varieties tend to be higher in calories per can than the varieties that more resemble people food with chunks and gravies- this can be useful when trying to fine-tune the number of calories per day being consumed.

What should a cat eat per day? ›

Dr. Sabrina Kong, DVM, a staff veterinarian at WeLoveDoodles, says that the average indoor cat needs between 20 and 30 calories per pound of body weight per day. Your cat's specific calorie requirements may vary depending on factors such as age, activity level, reproductive status, and underlying health conditions.

How much homemade food should I feed my cat? ›

Unless it is balanced by a board certified veterinary nutritionist, homemade food should only be fed as a treat (no more than 10% of caloric intake). Of course, if your vet asked you to feed certain things to get your pet to eat or do a short term bland diet, thats a different story.

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