How to Cook Chicken for Cats: 5 Vet-Approved Recipes
Quality, store-bought cat food is formulated to give your cat everything they need to grow to be healthy and happy, but there may be occasions when you want to give your cat something homecooked. For example, on a special occasion when your kitty deserves to be extra pampered or you are celebrating something and want them to join.
While chicken alone will not be enough to provide your cat with all the nutrients they need, it is a high-protein food that most kitties simply love. In this guide, we include five easy recipes for homemade chicken cat-friendly foods and include tips on how to cook chicken safely for your pet.
Remember, before offering homemade food to your cat, it’s best to speak to a vet to make sure it is safe.
Before You Start
Before we jump into our chicken recipes, there is some important information to keep in mind.
Cats are susceptible to food poisoning, just like humans. When selecting chicken to cook for your cat, it’s essential that you use fresh, healthy meat. If the chicken smells bad or looks discolored, it is probably spoiled, and you should not feed it to your cat.
Another factor to keep in mind is that you should only feed your cat boneless chicken. When preparing your cat’s meal, be sure to remove any bones to prevent a potential choking hazard.
Finally, remember to cook your cat’s chicken until the inside registers 170°F on a meat thermometer. If you’re not using a meat thermometer, make sure there’s no trace of pink left in the chicken and that the texture has changed from soft and flexible to firm and stringy.
Keep in mind that the correct portion for your cat will differ depending on various factors. Bigger, more active cats and pregnant or lactating cats may need to consume more calories. Old cats may require less.
If you’re still unsure, your vet will be able to help you figure out how much to feed your cat.
The 5 Vet-Approved Recipes on How to Cook Chicken for Cats
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 the best diet for your cat is.
1. Simple Shredded Chicken
Simple Shredded Chicken
This recipe for simple shredded chicken serves as a great base to add to other dishes, including three of the recipes below, but it can also be served up on its own. You could make a large batch and store it in the fridge to use in recipes for up to 3 or 4 days.
4.5 stars from 2 votes
Prep time
10 min
Cook time
15 min
Total time
25 min
Equipment
- Large pot
Ingredients
- Boneless skinless chicken breast
- Water
Instructions
- Place the chicken in a large pot and cover it with water.
- Place the pot at medium-high temperature until it begins to boil, then turn the heat down to medium for around 15 minutes.
- Check the internal temperature of the chicken and cut into it to make sure it’s no longer pink.
- When the chicken is cooked, place it on a board and use two forks to shred it.
- Once it’s cooled down, you can feed the correct amount to your cat.
Notes
2. Homemade Chicken Pâté Cat Food
Homemade Chicken Pâté Cat Food
Prep time
15 min
Cook time
30 min
Ingredients
- 106 g baked, shredded chicken
- 98 g steamed broccoli
- 83 g carrots raw
- Cat-safe, unsalted chicken broth
- 1 ½ tsp canola oil
- 0.37 g Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Pet Liquid
- 0.75 g Morton Ionized salt
- 3.77 g Balance IT® Feline
Instructions
- Place the cooked meat and vegetables into a food processor and add 1 tablespoon of cat-safe chicken broth or water.
- Add the oil, salt, and supplements to the mix. Blend the ingredients until it becomes a pâté or paste, adding a tablespoon of broth as necessary—the mixture should not become soupy.
- Serve when the pâté has cooled down to room temperature.
Notes
Related reading: Can cats eat chicken broth
3. Simple Chicken & Quinoa
Simple Chicken & Quinoa
If you have the ingredients for this one pre-prepared, tossing it all together shouldn’t take long at all.
Prep time
25 min
Cook time
30 min
Ingredients
- 103 g baked shredded chicken
- 69 g cooked quinoa
- 6 g canola oil
- 0.37 g Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Pet Liquid
- 0.75 g Morton Ionized sal
- 4 g Balance IT® Carnivore blend
- Water or cat-safe stock
Instructions
- Place the quinoa into a pot and cook it using either water or cat-safe stock.
- Let the quinoa boil for 15 minutes, then set aside for 10 more minutes.
- Place the chicken, cooked quinoa, oils, and supplements into a pot and stir together.
Notes
Image By: Tagwaran, Shutterstock
4. Chicken and Pumpkin Meatballs
Chicken and Pumpkin Meatballs
This recipe calls for cottage cheese, which in large amounts could cause your furry pal to get gastrointestinal issues, so it’s best to offer this food in small amounts as a treat rather than a main meal. If your cat has a sensitive tummy, you should test a small amount first and wait for a few hours to see if it suits them before giving them more.
Prep time
20 min
Cook time
35 min
Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded chicken
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup cottage cheese
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 cup oats
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 320°F and grease a baking tray with a little oil.
- Place all the ingredients, except half of the oats into a bowl and mix them together.
- Aim for the consistency of dough, then shape it into balls with your hands.
- Roll each meatball in the remaining half of the organic oats and place it onto the prepared baking tray.
- Bake the meatballs in the oven for 12–15 minutes until golden brown.
- Set aside to cool down before serving.
Notes
Related reading: Can cats eat meatballs
5. Chicken Soup
Chicken Soup
Prep time
5 min
Cook time
1 hr 30 min
Servings
4 bowls
Ingredients
- 800 ml water
- 2 chicken legs with skin and bone
- 1 carrot
- 1 celery stalk
Instructions
- Roughly chop the celery and carrot.
- Place the vegetables, chicken legs, and water into a pot.
- Bring to the boil and simmer for 90 minutes.
- Strain the soup, discarding the vegetables, skin, and bones.
- Separate into four portions and store in the fridge.
Notes
Related reading: Fruits and vegetables cats can eat
Final Thoughts
There is a whole variety of dishes you can cook up for your feline friend using chicken. The recipes we’ve listed are for tasty foods that can supplement your cat’s complete diet, not replace it. If you want to provide your cat with an entirely home-cooked diet, it’s best to speak to your vet, who will be able to help you formulate one.
Featured Image Credit: Okssi, Shutterstock
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Chelsea Flake Mortensen is a writer with a passion for cats. Growing up, she spent quite a bit of time around cats, along with a variety of other interesting pets. Chelsea holds a BA in English and Creative Writing from Brigham Young University.
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