I admit I haven't posted much about making food for cats. There is one simple reason: Cats are finicky and they hate leftovers!
Generally, we make food in large batches so we don't have to cook every day. I like to use the slow cooker or bake large pans of loaf-type food. This doesn't always work so well for kitties.
Our old kitty, Star, loved cooked chicken thighs or fresh-baked fish. She didn't love leftover chicken thighs or fish. She had Hue pretty well trained to cook something for her every few days.
Making food for cats should be balanced with the correct amounts of vitamins and minerals, just as for dogs. Cats are obligate carnivores and their diets should have a higher meat content than their canine counterparts. I love raw-feeding for my kitties, but not all cats will eat raw food. They do like their food served warm (body temperature, just like fresh-killed prey).
Most cats will eat about 4-6 ounces per day, depending on the fat content in the diet.
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces 95% lean pork muscle meat
- 4 egg yolks
- 3 ounces fresh or frozen mussels (or 1.5 ounces dehydrated or freeze-dried mussels)
- 2.5 ounces chicken liver
- 2 ounces butternut squash
- 1.5 ounces raw beef liver (or 0.75 ounces dehydrated or freeze-dried beef liver)
- 1 ounce kale
- 1 ounce oyster (or 1 capsule 15mg zinc picolinate)
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons wheat grass powder
- 1 teaspoon eggshell powder (2 teaspoons Animal Essentials Sea-Cal)
- ½ teaspoon cod liver oil, No added vitamins A or D (or ½ teaspoon Sunn-E K9, or 1 tablespoon wheat germ oil, provides 20mg/30iu vitamin E)
Nutrition:
18.46% protein, 6.43% fat, 3.93% net carbs, 41.8 kcal/oz
Makes 22.25 ounces of food.
This recipe was formulated in Animal Diet Formulator to meet the nutritional requirements established by FEDIAF for adult indoor cats.
Instructions:
This recipe can still be fed raw if preferred. The butternut squash should be steamed or baked. The kale should be steamed or finely chopped for better digestibility. Chop and mix all ingredients together.
To bake: Finely chop and mix all ingredients except supplements and egg yolks together. Pour into loaf, casserole, or muffin pans. Cover to retain moisture. Bake at 325° F for 30 to 60 minutes depending on size of pan; should be lightly done, not overcooked (juicy in the center). Add supplements and cooked or raw egg yolks after food is cooled. Mix thoroughly.
To slow cook: Add ¼ to ½ cup of water or bone broth into the slow cooker. Add all of the ingredients except supplements. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. If your cat prefers a smooth consistency, you can use a hand blender to blend everything together after cooking. Add supplements after food has cooled and mix thoroughly.
Feeding recommendations: Most cats will eat about 4-6 ounces per day. Adjust as needed to maintain ideal body weight. Feed warmed to room temperature.
Practice safe food handling techniques including washing of hands before and after handling raw meat. After cutting raw meats, wash all surfaces with hot, soapy water.
We recommend pre-portioning and freezing any extra food you don't plan to feed after 72 hours. Frozen food is best stored up to 3 months after freezing for optimal nutrition.
All nuts, seeds, grains, tablet based supplements, and produce used in this recipe should be finely chopped for better digestibility, bioavailability, and distribution. A food processor works great for this step!
Fine powder supplements and oils should be thoroughly mixed into recipe.
Capsule/perle ingredients may be opened for better distribution.
Fish oils or other sources of omega 3 fatty acids should be added at the time of feeding.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose, treat, or replace consulting a primary veterinarian for individualized care.