Tuna And Catnip Treats
Every good kitty deserves a treat or two especially if it contains catnips! Cats absolutely love catnips, a herb from the mint family Labiatae. It contains an active ingredient known as nepetalactone, which may cause a high in your cat to help your furry friend relax! However, be sure to moderate your cats intake of this homemade cat recipe as too much catnip may cause nauseousness.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Recipe Instructions:
Cat Feeding Mistakes: Going Vegetarian Or Vegan
According to some vets, another up-and-coming mistake made when feeding cats is trying to make cats vegetarians or vegans.
Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they must eat mainly meat and animal organs to thrive. The amino acid taurine, for example, is found only in animal tissue. Lack of taurine can lead a cat to experienceheart problems, blindness, and even death.
The nutrients cats need that come from meat, can be provided in the food synthetically, Case says. But you have to be very careful, and aware of the cat’s nutritional idiosyncrasies. Because most of us arent quite sure of our own nutritional needs, it can be next to impossible to guess the needs of our cats.
Continued
Using Oils And Supplements For Added Nutrients
This is where making homemade cat food can get a little tricky. Using oils and supplements is a must when making homemade cat food, but you have to be very careful as to what youre using because there are only a few that are okay.
Fish, safflower, sunflower, flax, canola, and corn oil are great to add into homemade cat food. Calcium supplements are also a great option, as well. However, you will need to ensure that they are mixed equally with other ingredients and dont off the balance.
Don’t Miss: Cats Years In Human Years
If Youre Still Overwhelmed Use A Raw Cat Food Premix
Vitamin premixes make your job a lot easier. Youll just grind or chop up your meat of choice, then mix in a supplement blend and perhaps a few salmon oil capsules. It reduces the raw cat food making process from an hour-long affair to just a few minutes and takes some of the worries out of the process. Our favorite raw cat food premix is EZComplete, which is one of the only products thats been nutritionally analyzed. While every finished product will be slightly different and your food may have some nutritional differences from the example on the EZComplete website, the nutritional analysis does give us some peace of mind.
How To Get My Cat To Eat Homemade Cat Food
It will be easier to switch a cat from canned food to raw or cooked. Typically, the transition takes about a week. You start serving food in 20/80 ratio, then 40/60, 50/50, and replace the old food gradually. However, the process of transition may take months dont give up. Some pet owners suggest starting with raw/cooked food treats, such as chicken wings.
Also Check: Whats The Name Of Hp Lovecrafts Cat
A Hungry Cat Often Looks For Mischief
Another factor to consider is that a hungry cat is a busy cat, often seeking out food, stalking or grumpy towards the other cats , bothering the people around the house, or engaging in other destructive behaviors.
Being busy is good in that it makes the cat more active, which helps burn calories, but the nature of the business is often not appreciated by the rest of the house. By feeding a cat in response to these behaviors, the cat is encouraged to act this way. One of the hardest things to do is to let a cat be hungry without rewarding the associated behaviors.
How Do You Make Raw Cat Food Preparation Easy
Were constantly discovering new ways to simplify the raw cat food making process, and the above hacks are just a few of the things weve realized over the last several months.
Have you had any breakthroughs during your raw cat food journey? What are your favorite ways to simplify and streamline your process?
Please let us know in the comments!
Read Also: 6 Years In Cat Years
Is Raw Cat Food Better Than Cooked
Raw cat food is generally regarded as the most biologically appropriate diet for cats by animal nutritionists, but it isnt the right choice for every cat owner. Also, raw meats can contain bacteria, such as E. coli, that cause foodborne diseases. Do some research to compare the different options and decide which works best for your cat.
Essential Nutrients In A Cats Diet
Creating a well-balanced diet is important when cooking homemade cat food. There are various needs for a proper cat diet to provide an intact pH balance and make your feline as healthy as possible.
The two most essential nutrients are protein and water. Being carnivores, cats require protein to grow, develop, thrive and, of course, survive. Raw cat food, as well as home-cooked one, allows making your furry proper hydration during the day. Thats so important because the level of hydration influences the cats well-being, skin and coat condition.
When it comes to amino acids, you should realize that they are the next in the list of important nutrients for cats. Many acids are kept in protein sources. Taurine is the most basic one that is vital for a felines health.Such necessary amino acids as Omega-3, Omega-6, DHA, LA, AA, EPA, GLA and CLA should be also added to your cats diet. They ensure great health for your furry.
For normal physiological development, it is essential to include vitamins and minerals in your felines diet. Phosphorus, chloride and vitamins C, B6, K and D are crucial for your cats health development.
Recommended Reading: How Old Is 31 In Cat Years
Chicken Stew Homemade Wet Cat Food
Cats love stew, and what better way to make them drink more water with their favorite ingredients added to the mix. The preparation process is easy and makes up for a perfect dinner or lunch serving for your fur friend.
A chicken stew is best for cold winter months that require additional effort to keep your pet warm and fuzzy.
How To Make Natural Homemade Kitten Food Using Meat *chunks*
I do not suggest feeding meat chunks to kittens that are younger than 6 to 8 weeks of age. Each kitten will develop slightly differently, but a kitten should be at least 6 weeks of age before eating meat chunks. When the kitten is younger than this, ground meat should be fed. Ground meat more closely resembles the regurgitated food the mother would provide its kittens. It is at about 6 weeks of age that kittens really begin to be able to eat larger pieces of meat.
Feeding a kitten a wholesome raw meat is extremely simple. The kittens will just sink their teeth into the meat chunks and begin happily chewing away. Don’t worry either that a kitten might not be able to chew, eat or swallow a meat chunk. I’ve witnessed kittens, approximately 5 weeks old, eating chicken necks with no problems at all. I’ve seen kittens eat a whole fish also at about 4 to 5 weeks of age. It’s interesting too because the kittens would just eat the meat of the fish on the first day. On the second day, they still eat just the meat. By the third day, the kittens are eating the fish, bones and all. My point is that kittens have the natural ability, even at a young age, to eat meat even if it is a meat chunk.
How to prepare meat chunks and vegetables has already been explained on the second and third pages of Part 3. Read them again if you have to.
Don’t Miss: How To Count Cat Years
Could Homemade Cat Food Cause Nutrition Problems
The biggest concern with feeding a homemade diet, whether that’s cooked or raw, is ensuring nutritional adequacy. This means that the complex requirement for particular nutrients in particular ratios is addressed, and that the overall diet is balanced. Getting one nutrient or level wrong can have serious knock-on effects on other nutrients. Reports of health problems from feeding nutritionally inadequate home-prepared diets are increasing. While growing kittens are more at risk, these also include adult cats.
Homemade diets have not typically undergone feeding trials or even laboratory analysis to confirm they support the lifestage that they were intended for. Cats especially have very particular needs and many recipes ‘out there’ are from unknown or questionable sources.
Chemical analysis of the home-prepared food is one of the best ways of knowing if a diet is suitable for a pet, and individual nutrient levels can be compared to the defined standards .
The best advice is that if you wish to feed a home-prepared diet, you should do so under the guidance of your vet, who will be able to access help from the nutrition services at the Royal Veterinary College or Edinburgh Vet School, which have specialist nutrition software to help design nutritionally adequate recipes.
Advice given by Dr Sue Dawson.
Easy Homemade Cat Food Recipes
Dr. Burch shares some recipes that allow for a balanced nutrient profile to help promote a healthy lifestyle for cats. âHealthy adult cats require 40% of high protein, 10-15% carbohydrates, and 45-50% fats in their diet,â says Dr. Burch.
âThe supplementation found in the meal recipe ensures adequate heart health with taurine from the Wysong, joint and heart health with the fish oil, and intestinal health with the psyllium husk,â says Burch.
Don’t Miss: Domestic Shorthair Calico
Figure Out How Much Food Your Cat Needs And Then Add Raw Cat Food Preparation To Your Calendar
This step might be hard to pull off when youre first getting started, but once youve determined how many feeding days you get out of a given recipe, use those numbers to create a schedule. You can do this on a physical calendar or create a recurring event on Google Calendar. If you choose this option, add a reminder so that you dont forget.
How Much How Often
Most cats will eat their main meals at dawn and dusk, when they would normally be hunting and catching prey in the wild, so those are often the best times to feed them.
Continued
How much your kitty should get in their bowl depends on their age, size, and how active they are, but the average is about 200 calories per day. Its a good idea to ask your veterinary team to help you calculate your cats needs. Pay careful attention to the calorie counts on all foods you give to your cat, Churchill says. The calorie count can vary significantly from food to food.
Cats will also nibble during the day if you leave food sitting out, but be aware: They arent good judges of how much they should eat.
Overfeeding is an epidemic, Churchill says. When cats gain too much weight, they can have problems like joint disease, heart disease, and diabetes.
Vets say its best to feed cats at specific mealtimes, and to put food away at all other times.
If your cat is more chowhound than finicky feline, it might be most helpful to switch to a food lower in calories rather than cut back on quantity, Hill says. The problem with restricting food is that it can lead to mean cats.
What about treats? Its fine to dole them out occasionally, but dont overdo it. They should be no more than 5% to 10% of your cats daily calories.
Recommended Reading: Hp Lovecrafts Cats Name
Diy Guide To Homemade Cat Food
Many cat lovers are turning their attention, time, and talent to making homemade cat food, similar to the trend of dog owners preparing homemade dog food. Since pet owners want to give their beloved pets the best quality ingredients and delicious meals, it is understandable why many owners are making the switch to homemade pet diets.
While this is a great idea, there are a few things to consider before whipping up a new diet for Fluffy. Your friends at Oakland Veterinary Referral Services are here to round up the info on DIY meals for cats.
Healthier For Your Cat
One of the more apparent advantages of homemade cat food is that youll know exactly whats in it. Its much like cooking your meals at homeyoure fully aware of how much salt, sugar, and other ingredients are added.
Considering that youve incorporated the necessary vitamins and balanced nutrients, homemade cat food is healthier.
In some instances, they were even found to be contaminated by fungal mycotoxins, bacteria, and vermin excretions.
In 2007, a number of pet food brands recalled their products due to contamination of melamine . This is a chemical compound used by manufacturers for use in coatings, lamination, and flame retardants, among others . Its highly toxic.
Researchers found dangerous substances in both dry and wet cat food.
Don’t Miss: Fluffy Dilute Calico
Should Your Cat Eat Homemade Cat Food
It is generally recommended that pet owners purchase prepared pet food to ensure that their pets are getting the nutrients they need. It can be difficult to recreate the balance of commercially produced pet food when youre creating it at home.
However, I recognize that there are circumstances that may occur which require you to make homemade cat food for your pets. These situations can include budget concerns, emergencies and more.
Furthermore, I live in an area that is densely populated by barn cats and other strays. They dont have access to commercial cat food, yet they survive and even thrive. They do this because they are instinctive hunters, and our area offers a lot of natural prey. Clearly, a cat does not need commercially produced food to survive.
The Cost Of Homemade Cat Food
When youre determining how much a homemade diet will cost, there are a ton of factors to consider.
Depending on what you already have in stock in your kitchen, you may need to buy some of the equipment and tools we listed above. However, most of these items will be one-time expenses.
The meat is one area where there will be a lot of variabilities. Cost will depend on:
- The Type of Meat: For example, chicken is often less expensive than rabbit, and organic meat will have a higher price tag than non-organic.
- Where the Meat is From: A local farm may offer better prices than a specialty store.
- How Much Meat You Need: Consider the number of cats you have and their appetites. This will tell you how much you need to buy and how often.
Dont forget the supplements. These may be expensive at first, but you can get a lot of use out of them, and they are invaluable to your cats health. Youll also need ingredients like eggs and salt that can be purchased at your local grocery store.
Also Check: Cat Human Age Equivalent
Start Scheduling Two Meals A Day
As cat owners, we normally leave a bowl of dry food for our felines to eat throughout the day. However, when we change their diet, we must stop doing it because grazing on a food bowl gives the cat too much flexibility over the diet and eating schedule. Therefore, the best way is to remove the food after 30 minutes on every serving.
Moreover, you are making your picky cats hungry before the next meal. Thus, when you serve the BARF diet to them, they will cave in and try it out. The goal is to get your cat to eat complete meals twice a day, on schedule.
Except When It Comes To Their Evolutionary Dietary Needs
Domestic dogs and cats have changed a lot over time. But, unlike canine dietary requirements, feline dietary requirements have not evolved from their ancient origins. In fact, domestic cats are nearly genetically identical to African wildcats and their bodies are still designed to follow a similar diet.
In other words, cats are carnivores and they always have been.
More than that, however, they are obligate carnivores they are carnivores by necessity, not just preference. Their bodies are biologically adapted to a diet of raw prey.
Here are some clues that cats are carnivores :
- They have teeth and claws designed to tear flesh
- They have short digestive tracts
- They have digestive enzymes designed to break down protein
- Their bodies are able to utilize animal fat
- Their blood glucose requirements are met through gluconeogenesis
- They lack the enzyme needed to turn carotene from plants into vitamin A
What were trying to say is your cats body requires a very specific type of diet: a meat-based diet.
The only way to keep your cat healthy and avoid nutritional deficiencies is to feed him the type of diet his body can process and utilize properly.
Commercial diets are formulated to provide for your cats minimum needs in terms of essential nutrients, but they arent all biologically appropriate. If youre going to feed your cat homemade food, it needs to be nutritionally balanced and optimized for your cats biology so his body can digest it and utilize the nutrients properly.
You May Like: How Old Is Cat Years In Human Years