5 Homemade Dry Cat Food Recipes
When it comes to sorting through the brands and styles of cat food on the market, you might be a bit confused about which ingredients are essential in your cat's diet. Dry cat food is a cost-effective and easily stored product compared to its wet counterparts, but how do you choose one that's right?
Rather than mindlessly searching for a kitty-approved kibble that's nutritious and delicious without breaking the bank, you could consider doing something bold: creating your own dry cat food! With these recipes, learning how to make dry cat food is so simple!
Of course, before becoming your cat's chef, you should consult a veterinarian to ensure that the recipes you intend to use and the ingredients selected are ideal for your pet. After all, you don't want to go through the trouble of producing a low-quality product like the few you can find in the pet store!
Once you're in the clear with a vet, here are five of our favorite recipes your kitty can test out!
The 5 Homemade Dry Cat Food Recipes
1. Nutritious Salmon Dry Cat Food
Salmon Dry Cat Food Recipe
Making dry cat food at home is a great way to feed your cat healthy food. You can save money by baking up a large batch ahead of time! Try this nutritious salmon dry cat food recipe.
Prep time
10 min
Cook time
20 min
Total time
30 min
Equipment
- Oven
- Sheet pan
- Parchment paper
- Rolling Pin
- 2 bowls
- Sharp knife or pizza cutter
Ingredients
- 15 oz canned salmon
- 15 oz water
- 3/4 cup cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4.5 cups flour
- 1/2 cup brewer's yeast
- 1 cup wheat germ
- 1 cup dry milk fat-free
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F. Cover your baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix together your dry ingredients.
- In a second bowl, combine the salmon with the oils. Stir to break up and combine.
- Mix water into your dry ingredients using a wooden spoon or your hands.
- Add the salmon and oil to the mixture. Stir to combine until you have dough.
- Roll the dough out (using parchment paper if necessary) to about 1/4 inch thickness. Then cut into small squares.
- Spread your kibble on the baking sheet and place it in the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes, flipping once or twice.
- Remove the dry cat food from the oven and let it cool completely. Then serve it to your cat! Store the leftovers in an airtight container.
Notes
2. Tasty Cat Approved - Dry Cat Food Recipe
This recipe offers a simple guide to preparing a cat-approved kibble in a few short steps. Additionally, the author provides a few points to consider when preparing your cat food and the dos and don'ts of interchanging certain ingredients. That makes changing the flavors of this dry cat food an easy task your cat will surely appreciate.
3. Salmon or Shredded Chicken Cat Kibble Recipe
This is quite the comprehensive recipe as it includes all the critical components of a full-course meal. Since it's packed with grains, meats, healthy cat fats, vegetables, and the slightest amount of dairy, your feline is sure to get a well-rounded meal!
The recipe makes approximately 12 cups of dry kibble per batch, depending on your feline's portion sizes, and should last a fair amount of time. If you have more than one kitty, double up and store it in the fridge in an airtight container for 2–3 weeks.
4. Dry Cat Kibble Recipe
This recipe is bound to be a favorite for your kitty, and it combines dry kibble with a wet Chicken and Vegetable Medley. The author uses a variation of mackerel, kitty-friendly oils, and other ingredients to create 12 servings, which can be stored in your fridge for up to 3 weeks.
We should also note that each step is conveniently paired with a photo or video, which makes copying this recipe an absolute breeze!
5. Homemade Multicolored Cat Kibble
This recipe is included in a quick 4-minute video. The author gives you a simple description of what she believes her cat's diet requires and how much of the prepared food she feeds to her cat daily.
The result is an array of kibble colors, which might be more fun for the owner than for the kitty! Either way, this is an excellent recipe if you are looking for a simple fishy kibble your cat will likely enjoy.
Our Favorite Product Right Now
Since you invest a lot of time curating the perfect homemade recipes for your cat, it would only make sense to present it in a high-quality, modern bowl to match. Serve your cat in style with the Hepper NomNom Cat Bowl! Dual, stainless steel bowls are wide and shallow for optimum comfort and an elegant wide tray collects crumbs or splashes. Learn more about the NomNom Bowl here.
- NO MESS - The 360° tray on this cat food and water bowl set has a raised design to catch and contain stray crumbs and drips. Protect your indoors and floors from wet and messy meals!
- WHISKER FRIENDLY - Shallow and wide metal containers with flat bottoms ensure your kitty can enjoy mealtime free from whisker fatigue!
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Wrapping Up
When selecting a recipe for your cat's food, you may find a dry kibble far more appealing than whipping up a wet or raw one. However, the most crucial part of creating their food is that you can ensure they are getting the proper nutrients and proteins they need to thrive without any harsh or unnecessary additives.
If you are committed to cooking dry cat food, we hope that you (and your kitty!) found one here that you love, considering it easy to learn how to make dry cat food. As we mentioned, before making any drastic changes to your feline's diet, make sure you get the thumbs up from a vet! They may even consider altering a recipe to make sure it meets the dietary needs of your fuzzy buddy.
Looking for more great recipes for your feline? Check these out!
Feature Image Credit: Pixel-Shot, Shutterstock
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Christian started writing for a local newspaper as a teenager, and he's been involved in the publishing industry for most of his adult life. Combining his love of writing with a passion for animals, he is currently the Director of Editorial at Pangolia and the Editor-in-Chief at Catster.
Christian lives in the Philippines with his wife, son, and four rescue cats: Trixie, Chloe, Sparky, and Chopper.
