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Nutrition

6 Tuna Popsicle Recipes for Cats You Can Make Today (Vet Verified)

By Jessica Kim · Reviewed & fact-checked by Dr. Chyrle BonkVet Approved
Dr. Chyrle Bonk
Reviewed & Fact-Checked byDr. Chyrle BonkDVM (Veterinarian)
On top of healing animals and writing for veterinary publications, Dr. Chyrle Bonk owns a small cattle herd! When she’s not busy with those things, she can be found somewhere in the Idaho outdoors with her husband and two kids.View authorThe information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research. Read about our vets
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Tuna Popsicle Recipes for Cats You Can Make Today

Many of us turn to frozen treats to escape the summer heat. However, most ice cream and popsicles contain ingredients that aren’t safe for cats to eat. Fortunately, your cat can enjoy their own versions of popsicles that will also help them keep cool on hot summer days.

Cat popsicles only use ingredients that are completely safe for cats. The best part is that they’re super easy to make. Here are some tasty tuna lollipops and cat popsicle recipes that you can make at home today.

divider cats oct 2024

The 6 Tuna Popsicle Recipes for Cats

1. Our Favorite Tuna Popsicle Recipe

Easy At-Home Tuna Popsicle

This recipe combines two things that cats love—tuna and catnip. It’s super easy to make and doesn’t require very many ingredients. It’s sure to be a hit with your cats during the summer, and they’ll certainly love you for giving them this savory snack. It’s also a fairly low-calorie snack while being packed with protein. Just make sure that when you’re shopping for ingredients, purchase tuna packed in water rather than oil.

Easy At-Home Tuna Popsicle

Prep time

5 min

Freezing Time

3 hr

Total time

3 hr 5 min

Servings

12

Equipment

  • Ice cube tray
  • Cup

Ingredients

  • 1 can water-packed tuna
  • Bottled water
  • Crushed catnip

Instructions

  1. Fill the ice cube tray halfway with bottled water.
  2. Drain the liquid from the canned tuna into a separate cup.
  3. Fill the rest of the ice cube tray with the liquid.
  4. Add catnip and tuna to each cube.
  5. Store in the freezer for at least 3 hours.

Notes

Image Credit: Bangkok Click Studio, Shutterstock


2. Yogurt-Based Cat Treats for Summer

abyssinian kitten eat yogurt_GCapture_shutterstock
Image Credit: GCapture, Shutterstock
Prep Time:10 minutes
Freezing Time:3 hours
Total Time:3 hours and 10 minutes
Servings:12 servings
Difficulty:Easy

This frozen tuna lollipop treat is perfect for cats who like the tangy taste of yogurt. It’s also a good way to add probiotics to your cat’s diet. The recipe does list a jar of chicken with chicken broth baby food. However, if you don’t have any baby food, you can always just use low-sodium chicken broth. Just make sure that the chicken broth doesn’t contain ingredients that are harmful to cats, like garlic and onions. Pet stores usually also sell chicken broth specifically made for pets.

Equipment

  • Mixing bowl
  • Spatula
  • Ice cube tray

Ingredients

  • 1 can of chunk light tuna
  • 5-oz jar of chicken with chicken broth baby food
  • Plain yogurt
  • Fresh dried catnip

Instructions

  1. Add the tuna and chicken baby food into a mixing bowl.

  2. Scoop 2–3 spoonfuls of yogurt and add to the mixing bowl.

  3. Stir until the mixture is smooth.

  4. Scoop the mixture into your ice cube tray.

  5. Keep the ice cube tray in the freezer until the mixture freezes completely.


3. Summer Snack Simple Tuna Popsicle

Prep Time:10 minutes
Freezing Time:3 hours
Total Time:3 hours and 10 minutes
Servings:6 servings
Difficulty:Easy

This cat popsicle recipe is a good option for older cats because of its smooth consistency. The instructions include blending the tuna until it forms a paté-like consistency. While the original recipe calls for popsicle molds, you can use a regular ice cube tray if you don’t have any.

Equipment

  • Popsicle molds
  • Blender

Ingredients

  • Canned tuna
  • Catnip
  • Water

Instructions

  1. Scoop canned tuna into the blender.

  2. Add water to the blender. The amount of water should be a 1:1 ratio with the tuna.

  3. Blend until completely smooth.

  4. Pour the mix into the popsicle molds.

  5. Sprinkle catnip on top.

  6. Keep in the freezer until frozen completely.


4. DIY Tuna Frozen Cat Treats

Tuna popsicle recipe for cat
Image Credit: moderncat
Prep Time:10 minutes
Freezing Time:3 hours
Total Time:3 hours and 10 minutes
Servings:12 servings
Difficulty:Easy

This recipe only uses two ingredients and is an excellent choice for picky cats or cats with sensitive stomachs. Along with being easy to follow, these instructions make clean-up faster with the use of a Ziplock bag. You can’t find a recipe that’s faster and more convenient than this one.

Equipment

  • Blender
  • Ice cube tray
  • Ziplock bag

Ingredients

  • Canned tuna
  • Water

Instructions

  1. Pour the entire contents of the canned tuna into the blender.

  2. Add an additional ½ cup of water.

  3. Blend the mixture until it achieves your desired consistency.

  4. Pour the mixture into a Ziplock bag.

  5. Cut the corner tip of the Ziplock bag.

  6. Squeeze the mixture into your ice cube tray.

  7. Freeze and serve after the mixture has frozen completely.


5. Goat’s Milk & Tuna Catsicles

homemade-cat-popsicles
Image Credit: homesalive
Prep Time:5 minutes
Freezing Time:3 hours
Total Time:3 hours and 5 minutes
Servings:12 servings
Difficulty:Easy

Goat’s milk has several nutritional benefits for humans, including reducing inflammation and boosting the immune system, which may apply to cats as well. It’s also a good natural source of probiotics. However, it does contain lactose, so if your kitty has lactose intolerance, you’ll want to try a different cat popsicle recipe.

This frozen tuna lollipop recipe is a great way to incorporate goat’s milk into your cat’s diet. It’s also fast and easy to make, so your cats will be able to enjoy this tasty treat all summer long, no matter how hot your city is.

Equipment

  • Mixing bowl
  • Spoon
  • Ice cube tray

Ingredients

  • Canned tuna cat food
  • Goat milk
  • Cat treats (optional)

Instructions

  1. Scoop canned cat food into a mixing bowl.

  2. Add an equal amount of goat’s milk as the canned cat food.

  3. Mix until well incorporated.

  4. Scoop the mixture into an ice cube tray.

  5. Keep in the freezer and serve when completely frozen.


6. Easy Broth Popsicles With Tuna

Cats Eating a Popsicle
Image Credit: _Nils Jacobi_Shutterstock
Prep Time:5 minutes
Freezing Time:3 hours
Total Time:3 hours and 5 minutes
Servings:12 servings
Difficulty:Easy

You can still make cat popsicles even if you don’t have an ice cube tray or popsicle molds. This recipe uses disposable cups as ice cube tray substitutes. It also only requires 2-3 ingredients, so it’s another great option for cats with sensitive stomachs.

Equipment

  • Mixing bowl
  • Spoon
  • Disposable cups or ice cube tray

Ingredients

  • Low-sodium chicken broth
  • Water
  • Canned tuna (optional)

Instructions

  1. Pour the chicken broth into a mixing bow

  2. Add the tuna and mash; add small amounts of water to smoothen the consistency.

  3. Scoop the mixture into the disposable cups or ice cube tray.

  4. Freeze until frozen completely.

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divider cats oct 2024

Conclusion

Cat popsicles are an excellent way to keep your cat cool during warmer months. Most recipes are also super quick and easy to prepare, and they don’t require very many ingredients. So, make sure to stock up on cans of tuna and try some of these recipes today. You’ll be sure to win some extra brownie points from your cat while helping them stay cool and hydrated.

See Also: 


Featured Image Credit: Nils Jacobi, Shutterstock

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