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If you’re worried about what goes into your cat’s food, making it yourself can seem like the perfect solution. However, creating a nutritionally complete and balanced diet for cats is far more complex than it appears. Cats have very specific dietary requirements that are difficult to meet without expert formulation, which is why most pet parents rely on commercial diets developed to meet established nutrient standards for this species. Homemade recipes can still be a wonderful way to offer variety or special treats, just be sure to understand that these should not be fed daily unless they have been properly formulated or balanced by a board-certified veterinary nutritionist specifically for your cat.
Important Homemade Cat Food Considerations
If you are committed to the idea of homemade cat food, there are some important things to keep in mind:
- Cats are obligate carnivores – they need to eat meat, and a lot of it. The majority of a cat’s diet should consist of animal protein in various forms. In the wild, cats will consume the meat, cartilage, organs, skin, and marrow from their prey, and just feeding them muscle meat will lead to nutrient imbalances and deficiencies.
- Cats need taurine – this amino acid is essential to feline health and function, and they cannot generate sufficient amounts themselves. They obtain this amino acid from eating meat, organs, and entrails. They need to consume 250 to 500 mg of taurine per day.
- Cats need fat – cats need to consume foods containing around 9-15% fat on a dry matter basis, depending on their lifestyle and activity level.
- Cats need little or no carbs – in the wild, cats don’t really consume carbohydrates, but our pets will often benefit from some indigestible fiber in their diet to help promote healthy bowel function and prevent constipation.
- Cats need calcium – to mimic the calcium sources they would encounter in the wild, bone meal or crushed eggshells can be added to the food, but only in precise amounts calculated to maintain the correct calcium-to-phosphorus ratio.
Different cats will need different ingredients, depending on their age, breed, lifestyle, and health. If you are thinking of starting your cat on a homemade diet, it’s best to talk to a vet first to make sure you have everything covered.
The 5 Homemade Cat Food Recipes
Preparing cat food with the ingredients you find in your kitchen is a simple way to ensure your cat receives a healthy and delicious treat. This homemade food for cats includes various types of meat, veggies, grains, and supplements to keep your cat nourished and satisfied! We will not be including any raw food recipes due to the risk of pathogen contamination from uncooked meat, but we do recommend gently cooking ingredients to retain nutrients.
These recipes have been approved by a veterinarian because they include only cat-friendly ingredients; however, some of these recipes are not complete and balanced diets to feed your cat on a daily basis. These recipes are a great add-on to your cat’s diet. They are only meant to be fed on occasion and not as a regular staple diet. Please consult your veterinarian to help you decide what is the best diet for your cat.
1. Our Favorite Easy Salmon Cat Food
Salmon Cat Food Recipe
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
- Storage container
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked salmon boneless
- 2 tbsp steamed broccoli
- 2 tbsp fish oil
- 2 boiled eggs
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl or food processor.
- Blend until the mixture is even.
- Divide your homemade cat food into individual portions.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer.
Notes
2. Tuna Ball Cat Food Recipe
- 1 Small can of oil-packed tuna fish
- 2 tbsp bread crumbs
- 1 egg, well beaten
- 1 tbsp of grated cheese
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mash all ingredients together until a paste-like mixture forms.
- Shape into balls and place on a greased baking tray.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Check frequently. When they are golden brown and firm, they are ready.
- Cool before serving.
This homemade cooked cat food recipe is one to keep on hand, as your cat is sure to hang around the kitchen and meow at your feet to request more. These ingredients are likely ones you always keep in your pantry, which makes this a simple and easy go-to recipe.
If your cat is on the heavier side of ideal, we recommend replacing the breadcrumbs with ground flaxseed and using tuna in spring water, not oil. Remember that this particular recipe is not a complete or balanced diet, so it is only meant to be served occasionally.
3. Chicken & Vegetables Cat Food Recipe
- 1 cup broiled or baked chicken
- 1/4 cup mashed steamed broccoli
- 1/4 cup mashed steamed carrots
- Chicken broth, separated
- Place ingredients in a food processor with tablespoons of the chicken broth.
- Puree or crumble the ingredients until it resembles pate cat food. Gradually add broth until the mixture is smooth but not soupy.
- Serve at room temperature.
The cat food recipe includes the classic combination of chicken and vegetables that even your cat will enjoy. You can use an adorable baking mold or ice cube tray to portion and freeze any excess pate!
4. Beef & Cottage Cheese Cat Food Recipe
- 2 cups cooked ground beef
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 1⁄4 cup alfalfa sprouts, chopped fine
- 1⁄4 cup chopped carrot, cooked and mashed
- 1⁄2 cup cottage cheese
- In a large skilled crumble ground beef. Cook over medium heat just until cooked through but not browned.
- Remove from heat. Drain and rinse under hot water to remove excess fat.
- Cool completely.
- Return to the pan. Add the cooked brown rice, chopped alfalfa sprouts, carrots, and cottage cheese.
- Package into individual meals. This recipe should remain good for three days in the refrigerator. Freeze any portions that won’t be used before then.
Finding a recipe as inclusive as this might be difficult. The main ingredient is beef, but it’s rounded out with rice, carrot, alfalfa, and cottage cheese! We’ve halved the ingredient amounts used in the original recipe as it made quite a large quantity.
5. Turkey & Rice Cat Food Recipe
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons corn oil
- 1/2 cup brown rice, uncooked
- 1/2 pound raw turkey giblets, chopped into kitty-bite-size pieces
- 1/4 cup carrot, chopped fine
- 1/2 cup chopped spinach
- Combine oil and water and bring to a boil.
- Pour rice in boiling water, lower heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
- Stir in turkey giblets, carrot, and spinach.
- Cover and cook on low heat for another 10 or 15 minutes.
You can make the most of your turkey dinner using the giblets as a fancy feast base for your cat’s meal. These nutrient-rich organs are an excellent choice for your feline’s diet. Your cat will be happy to see the turkey giblets in their dish at dinner time!
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Conclusion
Testing our homemade cat food recipes and finding what works with your pet might be a process when preparing your own cat food, but we hope you see how simple it can be with these great recipes for homemade cat food.
Getting the right balance of nutrients can be tricky, and you should always speak to a vet before heading down the road of homemade cat food. However, these recipes can still be used occasionally, as treats or toppers, when combined with a commercially prepared diet that meets established nutrient standards to ensure your cat stays healthy and happy.
If you’re looking for all the benefits of freshly prepared meals without having to worry about whether or not you’ve got everything right, there are now lots of companies producing fresh-frozen meals for cats. They use human-grade ingredients, gently cooked and then frozen to be delivered to your door. All the benefits of homemade, without the guesswork.
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6 Responses
I'm surprised to see rice in your recipe's – my cat is diabetic and I'd rather avoid the carbs in rice, is there something else I should/could replace that with?
You are entirely right to question the rice, as diabetic cats thrive best on a strict high-protein, ultra-low-carbohydrate diet to prevent dangerous blood sugar spikes! When making homemade food for a diabetic kitty, the absolute best replacement for rice or any grain is simply extra animal protein, such as skinless chicken breast, turkey, or lean beef, which adds bulk and calories without the glycemic load. Alternatively, if the rice was strictly being used to add moisture and a bit of fiber to the texture, you can safely swap it out for a very small amount of pureed plain pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) or steamed, mashed zucchini.
However, please be extremely cautious: changing the carbohydrate or protein levels in a diabetic cat's diet can drastically and instantly lower their blood glucose levels. If you change their food without a vet adjusting their daily insulin dosage accordingly, it can trigger a sudden, life-threatening hypoglycemic crash. Please consult your veterinarian before trying any homemade recipe for a cat on a prescription diet.
why add vegetables to cat food? I cannot imagine a wild cat eating a carrot or cabbage?
Dear Stephen Merritt, in small amounts, they are a source of fiber that can help with digestion or hairballs, as well as a low-calorie filler. Too many vegetables should be avoided.
I have read that feeding cats raw meat and eggs is as dangerous as humans eating them. Also, I have read that you shouldn't add seasoning (salt) to the recipes. What do you think about this? Our cat is allergic to white fish and doesn't like the salmon cat food we've gotten in the past…so I'm guessing she just isn't a good candidate for fish – leaving that out as an option for taurine. Do cats really need taurine? Or is it a scam perpetrated by the cat food industry? Just wondering.
Hi Gina, cats ABSOLUTELY need taurine, they must consume it in their diet. Sources of taurine are animal products. Raw feeding is challenging due to concerns with safe sourcing and preparation, but it is definitively possible, an easier option is to try commercially available products that have high quality and safety standards. Cats can consume salt; if you wish to prepare a recipe for them, we recommend you get a complete and balanced recipe formulated for your cat, you could book a consultation at www.pangovet.com to help you with this.