Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they need a meat-based diet. That said, there’s nothing wrong with treating your furry friend to a few little treats now and again, and, if you’re feeling crafty, you can DIY your own cat treats with a few simple, feline-friendly, and inexpensive ingredients. Pumpkin is a popular choice of ingredient in such recipes.
Pumpkin is sometimes included in commercial cat foods for its fiber content, and this vitamin-packed winter squash can also be used to make tasty, fall-themed cat treats. In this guide, we’ll share our favorite pumpkin treat-based recipes from various sources.
The 3 Homemade Pumpkin Cat Treat Recipes
1. Pumpkin Pie-Style Cat Treats (Catster Recipe)
Pumpkin Pie-Style Cat Treats (Catster Recipe)
Equipment
- Oven
- Food processor
- Bowl
- Mixing spoon
- Breadboard
- Rolling pin (optional)
- Cookie cutters
- Greased cookie sheet
Ingredients
- 2 cups rice flour
- 1/2 cup oatmeal
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 cup grated carrots
- 1/2 cup unsweetened plain applesauce
- 9 1/4 cup flour for rolling
Instructions
- Fire up the oven and preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Blend the grated carrots, pumpkin, and apple sauce in a food blender. You'll want the consistency to be smooth.
- Place the oatmeal and rice flour in a bowl and mix.
- Add the blended carrots, applesauce, and pumpkin to the oatmeal and rice flour and mix carefully until you get dough.
- Place your dough on a floured breadboard and roll it until it's about 1/4-inch thick. Alternatively, use your hands to pat the dough until you get the thickness you need.
- Cut out the shapes you want with your cookie cutter.
- Bake the cookies for 7 minutes on a greased cookie sheet.
- Turn the treats over and bake for 5 more minutes.
- Take the treats out of the oven and leave them to cool before offering them to your cat.
Notes
2. Pumpkin & Salmon Kitty Bits
- Oven
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Bowl
- Spoon or mixer
- Fork
- Pizza/pastry cutter
- 1 1/4 cups oat flour
- 5 ounces boneless skinless salmon (can/pouch, drained)
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- Take a baking sheet and pop some parchment paper on it.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Mix the cup of oat flour, eggs, pumpkin puree, and salmon in a bowl with a mixer or spoon if you don’t have a mixer to hand. Mix until you get dough.
- Put the dough on your baking sheet and use your hands to pat until the thickness is approximately 1/4 of an inch.
- Prick the dough all over using a fork.
- Place the dough in the oven and let it bake for 15 minutes.
- Take the dough out of the oven and cut it into bits with a pastry cutter, pizza cutter, or whatever you have available.
- Put the bits back in the oven for 15–20 more minutes.
- Allow the bits to cool.
- Store the bits in the fridge in an appropriate container for up to one week. Alternatively, you can freeze them.
Most cats simply adore fish, and it’s not something they get often as—like other treats—it should only be offered occasionally. Including “rare” delights like salmon or tuna in your DIY treats is sure to earn you bonus points from your kitty. These pumpkin and salmon kitty bits by Epicuricloud are made with just four easy-to-find ingredients.
| Estimated prep time: | 10 mins |
| Baking time: | 35 mins |
| Estimated total time: | 45 mins |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
| Servings: | 2 cups of treats |
3. Pumpkin & Chicken Cat Treats
- Medium-sized saucepan with lid
- Knife
- Chopping board
- Blender/food processor
- Mold
- Food thermometer
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/3 cup pure pureed pumpkin
- 1/2 cup water or reserved water from boiling the chicken
- Boil the boneless, skinless chicken breasts (the water should just about cover them). Simmer, cover with a lid, and let the chicken cook until the internal temperature is 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove the chicken and let it cool down. Put the pan water aside to use in a later step.
- Chop the chicken into pieces and put it in a food processor/blender with the pumpkin puree and half a cup of water (or reserved water). Blend until smooth. Add more water if it’s not smooth enough.
- Put the mixture into freezer-safe molds. Leave half an inch between the top of the puree and the top of the mold, as this will allow the mixture to expand in the freezer. Sprinkle some catnip on the mixture for a fancy finish (optional).
- This recipe can be frozen for up to 4 months.
These pumpkin and chicken treats by Janelle Leeson at Rover are made by boiling chicken and creating a blend that goes into a freezer mold. The recipe writer notes that these treats are quite large, so one treat is best shared by two or more cats and it’s best to only half-fill the molds if you have a single cat.
| Estimated prep time: | 10 mins |
| Baking time: | 12–15 mins |
| Estimated total time: | 25–30 mins |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
| Approximate treat weight: | 3 oz each (large) |
| Calories: | 48 |
Final Thoughts
Voilà! Three easy pumpkin-based fall treat recipes made of basic ingredients for your fluff to sink their teeth into. If you enjoy baking and cooking, crafting your own cat treats is a great way to make your cat happy while you do something you love—what’s not to like?!
On a final note, if you’re thinking of getting creative and doing your own recipe, we recommend carefully checking if any ingredients you plan to include in homemade treats are safe for cats. Some—like chocolate, raw meat, raw fish, raw eggs, raw dough, onions, and garlic—are either toxic or pose a bacterial infection risk (raw meat and egg products).
See Also:
- 5 Homemade Cat Cake Recipes: Vet Approved Treats
- 3 Homemade Tuna Cat Treats You Can Make Today: Our Vet’s Recipes
Featured Image Credit: guvo59, Pixabay
