10 Types of Homemade Cooked Cat Foods – Easy & Healthy
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As cat owners, we want the very best for our feline companions. Part of ensuring that your cat is healthy includes offering them a complete and balanced diet, rich in beneficial foods.
Preparing cat food yourself can be a convenient option for you. Not only are the ingredients easy and affordable, but cooking your cat food at home can save you money against purchasing commercial cat foods. However, designing a recipe that meets all of your cat’s nutritional needs is quite difficult, and the recipes in this article were not formulated by veterinary nutritionists.
Some of these recipes have great reviews for being able to help cats who suffer from certain conditions, such as digestive or skin and coat issues. With so many different homemade cooked cat food recipes available, you may want to give them a try and see if your cat enjoys them. Please keep in mind that these recipes don’t tick all the boxes in terms of nutrients your cat requires for a healthy diet. These recipes should be seen as an occasional treat for your cat alongside a properly balanced diet.
A Word of Caution: We put the following 10 recipes through formulation guides for nutrients and they were all lacking in some way for long-term feeding. Should you prefer to cook for your cat on a long-term basis or your pet has health needs requiring a special diet, we recommend you consult with a qualified veterinary nutritionist to help you.
Top 10 Types of Homemade Cooked Cat Foods:
1. Salmon and Rice Recipe
Salmon and Rice Recipe
Ingredients Â
- 1 cup dry rice
- 3 cups water or broth
- ½ cup unseasoned bacon
- 2 cans carrots
- 2 cans pink salmon
InstructionsÂ
- Pour water into a pan and add the rice and mix. Then add the unseasoned bacon.
- Pour any liquids from the cans into the pan and bring to a boil on the stove.
- Then turn down the simmer and stir the dish when the ingredients start to stick together.
- When the rice is cooked, add the salmon and carrots to the pan and mix it.
- Let it cool and then it can be fed to your cat over several days.
Notes
- Simple and easy to make
- Makes several servings
- Contains some essential fatty acids from the salmon
- Very high in sodium and carbohydrates
- Care should be taken when reheating rice as it is a common cause of food poisoning
2. Chicken and Rice Recipe
| Prep Time: | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time: | 20 minutes |
| Servings: | 4 meals |
Ingredients:
- 100g dark chicken meat
- 75g white rice
- 50g potato
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions:
The chicken should be cooked separately and then boiled and chopped. The white rice must be boiled in a pot before adding it to the final mixture and the potatoes must be thoroughly boiled and mashed to a fine paste. Once all the separate cooking has been done, the mash, chicken, and white rice should be mixed, and a tablespoon of olive oil should be added during the mixing process.
- Rich in protein
- It may be suited to cats with digestive issues
- High in carbohydrates
- Not balanced in vitamins and minerals
3. Chicken and Oatmeal Recipe – Ideal for Cats with Digestive Upset
| Prep Time: | 3 minutes |
| Cook Time: | 15 minutes |
| Servings: | 2 meals |
Ingredients:
- 100g dark chicken meat
- 75g oatmeal
- 50g sweet potato
- 1 tsp safflower oil
Instructions:
Boil the chicken meal until it is thoroughly cooked and then chop it into smaller pieces to make it blend in easier with the oatmeal. Boil the oatmeal and sweet potato until they are fully cooked. Let these ingredients cool down and then mix them in a bowl. During mixing, you can add a teaspoon of safflower oil.
- Rich in protein
- Dark meat source of some taurine
- It may help if the cat has an upset stomach
- High in fat and carbohydrates
- Cooking ingredients separately before combining
4. Rabbit Stew Recipe
| Prep Time: | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time: | 1 hour |
| Servings: | 2 meals |
Ingredients:
- ½ lb rabbit meat
- 1 tsp olive oil
- Unsalted vegetable stock
- 20g sweet potato
- 20g carrots
- 20g celery
- 1 tsp of parsley
Instructions:
Sauté the rabbit slices in olive oil and sprinkle it with chopped-up parsley. Cover the rabbit slices with unsalted vegetable stock and then put the dish in the oven and let it boil. Then turn it down to simmer and add the chopped-up vegetables. Return to the oven for a further 45 minutes and then let the meal cool down before feeding to your cat. This recipe has a longer cooking time than other recipes, but the final product is worth it for your cat.
- Novel sources of protein may help digestive issues
- Rich in protein, low in carbohydrate
- Long cooking time
- Essential nutrients not balanced for continued feeding
5. Sardine Cat Food Recipe
| Prep Time: | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time: | 20 minutes |
| Servings: | 4 meals |
Ingredients:
- 2 cups sardines in oil
- â…” cup white rice
- ¼ cup parsley
Instructions:
This is a simple recipe that is easy and convenient to make for your cat. The dry white rice must be boiled until it’s cooked. Then chop the parsley into small pieces so that it is easier for your cat to chew and swallow. Once the rice has been cooked, you must then add the rice, parsley, and 2 cups of sardines in oil into a large mixing bowl. Mix well and then once the rice has cooled down, you can feed it to your cat.
- Simple and convenient
- High in protein
- Contains essential fatty acids
- The rice boils separately
- High in fat
6. Chicken and Tuna Recipe
| Prep Time: | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time: | 20 minutes |
| Servings: | 4 meals |
Ingredients:
- 100g tuna
- 75g dark chicken meat
- 50g sweet potato
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions:
The tuna should be boiled or canned, but if you choose to boil fresh tuna, then the cooking time will be around 8 minutes. The dark chicken meat should be boiled until fully cooked, left to cool, and then chopped up into bite-sized pieces. Then it is time to boil the sweet potato and mash it into a fine paste. Once the chicken, tuna, and sweet potato have been prepared and cooled, then you can add them into a mixing bowl and add the tablespoon of oil. Mix well and then feed to your cat.
- Rich in protein
- The chicken, tuna, and sweet potato are cooked separately
- High in fat
7. Chicken and Raw Egg Recipe – Ideal for Cats with Coat and Fur Conditions
| Prep Time: | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time: | 20 minutes |
| Servings: | 2 meals |
Ingredients:
- ½ pound chicken thighs with bone
- 2 ounces raw chicken liver
- 4 ounces raw chicken heart
- 3 ounces water
- 1 raw egg yolk (chicken)
Instructions:
The chicken thighs should be cooked thoroughly until the meat can slip off the bone. Remove the chicken skin and the bones. After this process, you should chop up the chicken thigh into smaller pieces. Then add the raw chicken liver and raw chicken heart into a mixing bowl. Add 3 ounces of water and one raw egg yolk on top of the other ingredients. Add in the chopped-up chicken thigh and blend all the ingredients well.
- High in protein
- Some people found this good for cats with fur issues such as dry skin
- The chicken thigh should be cooked separately
- High in fat and salt
8. Grain-free Meatloaf Recipe
| Prep Time: | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time: | 1 hour |
| Servings: | 25 meals |
Ingredients:
- 1kg organic ground beef, 90% lean
- 1kg organic ground turkey thighs
- 115g organic squash flesh
- 60g organic mixed berries
- 2 cans of sardines in water
- 60g organic kale
- 1kg organic mixed chicken organs, ground
Instructions:
First, preheat the oven to 180º Celsius and use a cheese grater to shred the squash flesh. Puree the organic broccoli, organic kale, berries, sardines, and shredded squash flesh with a food processor. Then place the ground meat into a large mixing bowl and add the pureed vegetable and fruit mixture and mix well. Pour the mixture into a ceramic baking dish and bake in the oven for an hour. Allow the meatloaf to cool fully before dividing it into 25 portions. You can freeze the extra portions and defrost them before feeding them to your cat.
- Lasts for 25 portions depending on size of cat
- Rich in protein
- Full of nutrient-rich ingredients
- Long cooking time
- High in salt
9. Sardine Oat Porridge Recipe
| Prep Time: | 3 minutes |
| Cook Time: | 15 minutes |
| Servings: | 4 meals |
Ingredients:
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 1¼ cups water
- 1 large tin sardines in water
Instructions:
Pour rolled oats into a small pot of water and bring it to a simmer slowly for about 8 minutes. Check that the oats are cooked and thickened before removing them from the heat and allowing them to cool down. Drain the water from the tin of sardines and mash it with a fork, then mix it thoroughly into the oat porridge. Then you can feed it to your cat and refrigerate the remaining porridge. This is a good breakfast idea for cats, and it is easy to make.
- Can be given as a breakfast
- Contains essential fatty acids
- High in fiber
- Oats must be cooked separately
- High in fat
10. Vegetable Omelet Recipe
| Prep Time: | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time: | 10 minutes |
| Servings: | 4 meals |
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp non-fat dry milk
- 2 tbsp water
- 3 raw eggs
- 3 tbsp cottage cheese
- 2 tbsp vegetables, grated
- 1 tin sardines
Instructions:
Mix the organic non-fat dry milk with water, add the three eggs, and beat well. Then cook the mixture in a non-stick pan on medium-low heat for 6 minutes. Flip the omelet over and spread the cottage cheese and grated vegetables (such as carrots, zucchini, or pumpkin) over half the cooked omelet. Fold the omelet and remove it from the heat. Allow the omelet to cool before cutting it up into bite-sized pieces for your cat.
- Contains vitamins and minerals
- Contains fiber and moisture
- Not ideal for cats with sensitive stomachs
- Can’t store for later
Preparing homemade cat food can be a great way to ensure your cat receives the nutrition they need to thrive, and serving it in the right dish is also an important aspect of nurturing their health. Our Hepper NomNom Cat Bowl was designed with feline well-being in mind, featuring shallow, wide, whisker-friendly dishes and slight elevation, promoting great posture and eating habits. Best of all, this bowl is dishwasher safe, meaning the all-important clean-up after each meal is simple.Â
Final Thoughts
Homemade-cooked cat foods can be a good choice for cats in the right circumstances. Most of these recipes are easy and fun to make and contain ingredients that may benefit your cat’s digestive, coat, and overall health.
However, none of these recipes are balanced and complete in the nutrient profile they offer. If fed exclusively, your cat will be ingesting some nutrients to excess such as salt and fat, while developing a deficiency in others, leading to illness. Before choosing a recipe, you may want to look at a few of them and see which ingredients your cat likes best, and which recipe will be the most convenient for you to cook and prep.
Do not switch your cat from standard commercial food to homemade cooked cat food without discussing with your vet or a veterinary nutritionist first to see if this will be best for your cat.
See also:
- 10 Vet-Approved Homemade Cat Food Recipes (Easy & Tasty!)
- Can Cats Eat Raw Eggs? Vet Reviewed Facts & FAQ
Featured Image Credit: Sharaf Maksumov, Shutterstock
