5 Delicious Homemade Cat Food Recipes (original) (raw)

Kate Barrington / Cats.com

Note_: The cat food recipes in this article are not intended to be the basis for a complete diet.

Whether you’ve got a cat with complex dietary needs or you’re frustrated by a lack of appropriate commercial options, you may be wondering if homemade cat food is a better bet. Making your own cat food from scratch sounds like a wonderful way to customize your cat’s diet—and show them a little extra love—but it’s not a decision to be taken lightly.

It takes time and research (not to mention a significant financial investment) to create a complete and balanced diet for your cat. Unless you’re working closely with a veterinary nutritionist, the risks may outweigh any potential benefit.

In this article, you’ll learn how to choose a homemade cat food recipe and receive tips for achieving balanced nutrition. You’ll also find five homemade cat food recipes to try yourself.

How to Assess Homemade Cat Food Recipes

Before we dive into the details, we want to make one thing clear: homemade cat food isn’t the right choice for every cat or cat parent. It’s important to talk to your veterinarian before making the switch and keep them involved in the process to ensure your cat doesn’t develop any nutritional deficiencies.

Many of the homemade cat food recipes online miss the mark. They might be packed with species-appropriate animal protein but lack other essential nutrients. Or they may contain the right nutrients in the wrong balance.

When researching homemade cat food recipes, keep an eye out for signs that the recipe might not be nutritionally balanced (or that it’s otherwise inappropriate for your cat). Here are some examples:

Unless you’re a veterinary nutritionist yourself, we don’t recommend creating homemade cat food without a recipe. Nutritional balance is extremely important, and it may be difficult to achieve the necessary amounts of trace nutrients unless you choose your ingredients intentionally. Read on to learn about a product that might make the task a little easier.

Why We Recommend Using a Premix Supplement

Kate Barrington / Cats.com

It’s possible to replicate a wild feline diet using specific ratios of muscle meat, organs, and bone but it’s tricky. Such diets usually require multiple animal sources for muscle meat and organs to prevent deficiencies or excesses of key nutrients.

For example, liver from duck and ruminants (like beef and lamb) are richer in vitamin A than from chicken and pork. Using only chicken and pork liver may not be ideal, however, because it doesn’t contain enough copper.

To sidestep nutritional challenges, many cat parents add supplements to their homemade cat food.

We recommend homemade cat food premix supplements, also known as meal completers. They’re formulated to fill in the nutritional gaps when mixed with fresh meat. But they’re not perfect. You still have to do some research and consult your veterinarian to find the product that best suits your cat’s needs and your homemade diet plan.

Here are some things to consider when shopping for a homemade diet premix:

Formulated By a Veterinary Nutritionist

Licensed veterinarians are trained to diagnose and treat small animals but most veterinary programs have limited coverage for animal nutrition. A recipe developed by a veterinarian is a good start but one formulated by a board-certified veterinary nutritionist is better.

Provides Complete and Balanced Nutrition

Read the fine print to determine whether the premix is formulated according to AAFCO or FEDIAF nutrient requirements. Some products are only intended for supplemental feeding and others require the addition of eggs, liver, or other ingredients to fill nutritional gaps.

Consider Specialized Formulas

Some premix companies offer multiple formulas for cats in different life stages or with specific dietary requirements. For example, a recipe formulated for senior cats might have lower levels of phosphorus to support kidney health.

Consider the Type of Diet You’re Feeding

Many meal completers are intended to be mixed with ground or chopped meat. Such products may contain higher levels of calcium than premixes designed to be used with a mixture of ground meat and bone. Decide what kind of diet you want to feed and select a product formulated specifically for that diet.

5 Sample Recipes for Homemade Cat Food

Below you’ll find a small sample of homemade cat food recipes. The collection includes several recipes balanced through the use of a premix supplement and others through ingredient variety and the use of individual supplements. We purchased the ingredients for all five recipes then prepared and tested them ourselves.

Note: The following recipes have been gathered from online sources or, where applicable, taken from the manufacturer’s instructions for the premix supplement being featured. Whether you use one of these recipes or another, we recommend working with a veterinary nutritionist to tailor it to your cat’s specific needs.

1. Turkey Breast and Sweet Potato Recipe (using Balance It® Carnivore Blend® premix)

Turkey Breast and Sweet Potato Recipe

Kate Barrington / Cats.com

Turkey Breast and Sweet Potato Recipe

Kate Barrington / Cats.com

Balance.it is a homemade pet food solutions company based in the United States. It was founded in 2003 by Dr. Sean Delaney, BS, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Nutrition), a board-certified veterinary nutritionist. It’s essentially an online service that builds custom pet food recipes using the brand’s assortment of premix powders.

I used the Balance.it recipe builder to create a recipe for a 10-pound, 5-year-old neutered male cat. Out of four recipes, I selected the high-protein, low-carb option. This recipe makes about 170 grams of food and contains 265 calories.

Ingredients:

Instructions:

  1. Roast the turkey breast at 350℉ until it reaches an internal temperature of 165℉.
  2. Bake the sweet potato with the turkey until the flesh is tender.
  3. Scoop the flesh from the sweet potato out of the skin and weigh out the desired portion.
  4. Finely chop the turkey breast then weigh out the amount needed.
  5. Combine the sweet potato and turkey in a mixing bowl.
  6. Add the supplements and stir well to combine.
  7. Divide into the desired number of meals, feeding one immediately.
  8. Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Nutrient Content:

Caloric Distribution

Notes: If you want to prepare multiple meals at once, you can prepare extra turkey and sweet potato. Weigh out the proper portions and combine them in airtight containers. Add the supplements just before feeding. Freeze any extra you won’t use in 3-4 days.

2. Cooked Meat Recipe (using EZComplete Fur Cats)

Cooked Meat Recipe (using EZComplete Fur Cats)

Kate Barrington / Cats.com

Cooked Meat Recipe (using EZComplete Fur Cats)

Kate Barrington / Cats.com

Food Fur Life is a homemade pet food supplement company based in the United States. The brand’s EZComplete Premixes are made with human-grade ingredients and manufactured in an FDA registered and inspected facility. EZComplete Fur Cats requires nothing more than boneless meat and water. Pet parents have the option to serve the food raw, or they can cook the meat before adding the premix.

Food Fur Life recommends using lean proteins like turkey breast, chicken thigh, or pork loin with EZComplete Fur Cats. I chose to prepare a cooked version of this recipe using ground beef I already had on hand. To reduce the fat content, I skimmed off the fat after cooking the beef.

Ingredients:

Instructions:

  1. Place the ground meat in a slow cooker.
  2. Add ¼ cup of water per pound of meat then cover the cooker with the lid.
  3. Cook on low heat for 4-6 hours until the meat is cooked through.
  4. Let the meat cool then shred or finely chop it into bite-sized pieces.
  5. Stir in the EZComplete until it is thoroughly mixed in.
  6. Divide the mixture into individual portions—try to divide the cooking juices as evenly as possible.
  7. Refrigerate or freeze the portions in airtight containers and feed as desired.

Nutrient Content (Dry Matter)

Notes: The nutritional values above are taken from Food Fur Life’s nutrient analysis using EZComplete with turkey breast.

3. Raw Ground Rabbit Recipe (using Alnutrin for Meat & Bone)

Raw Ground Rabbit Recipe (using Alnutrin for Meat & Bone)

Kate Barrington / Cats.com

Raw Ground Rabbit Recipe (using Alnutrin for Meat & Bone)

Kate Barrington / Cats.com

Alnutrin premix supplements are made by Alternative Nutrition, LLC. The company was founded in 2008 by Marta Kaspar and is based in the United States. Alnutrin offers a small selection of supplements and three premixes formulated according to AAFCO nutrient profiles. Two premixes contain calcium for use with boneless meat and the third is for homemade recipes including meat, organs, and bone.

Because one of my cats has food allergies, I feed them both a rabbit-based commercial diet but have been curious to try homemade cat food. I selected Alnutrin’s Meat & Bone premix because it’s specifically designed to be used with whole rabbit or chicken (with bone and organs).

Ingredients:

Instructions:

  1. Cut the meat off the rabbit carcass and chop it into 1-inch pieces.
  2. Chop or crush the bones into pieces small enough to feed through your meat grinder.
  3. Grind the meat, bones, and organs into a bowl.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the Alnutrin and water.
  5. Stir the mixture into the ground rabbit then divide into portions and freeze.

Nutrient Content (Dry Matter)

Nutrient Analysis (As Fed, per 100g)

Notes: This premix is designed to be used with a combination of meat, organs, and bone. If you’re using whole rabbit, check to be sure it includes the organs. If not, you may need to source them elsewhere or use a different premix. The nutrient analyses above are taken from Alnutrin’s nutrient analysis using a whole dressed rabbit carcass.

4. Ground Chicken Thigh with Bone and Organs Recipe (from Feline Nutrition Foundation)

Ground Chicken Thigh with Bone and Organs Recipe (from Feline Nutrition Foundation)

Kate Barrington / Cats.com

Ground Chicken Thigh with Bone and Organs Recipe (from Feline Nutrition Foundation)

Kate Barrington / Cats.com

If you’re willing to put a little more work into your cat’s homemade diet, you can prepare your own cat food using raw meat with bone, organs, and supplements. This recipe was created by the Feline Nutrition Foundation and is commonly recommended by raw diet supporters and even raw diet brands like Hare Today.

I prepared this recipe using fresh chicken thighs, chicken organs, egg yolks, and supplements. To grind the animal ingredients, I used the Weston Electric #12 meat grinder and sausage stuffer. I had a little trouble with some of the bones but it helped to crush them a little before feeding them through.

Ingredients:

Instructions:

  1. Remove the skin from half the chicken thighs and the bone from 20-25% of them.
  2. Weigh out 4.5 pounds from the remaining chicken and rinse it well.
  3. Cut the chicken meat and organs into 1-inch pieces and crush the bones as much as you can.
  4. Feed these ingredients through your meat grinder along with the salmon oil capsules.
  5. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk together with the other supplements.
  6. Pour the slurry over the ground ingredients and mix well.
  7. Portion the mixture into smaller containers and freeze.

Nutrient Content (Dry Matter)

Nutrient Analysis (As Fed, per 100g)

Notes: The creator of this recipe recommends using wild salmon oil or small fish oil in capsule form because it doesn’t go bad as quickly as liquid. Do not use cod liver oil—it’s too high in vitamin A for cats. For the other supplements, by dry powder in capsules (or loose powder).

5. Prey Model Raw Diet Recipe (from Little Carnivore)

Kate Barrington / Cats.com

Prey Model Raw Diet Recipe (from Little Carnivore)

Kate Barrington / Cats.com

The Prey Model Raw (PMR) diet is a popular method for formulating homemade raw cat food. The general ratio for the diet is 80% meat, 10% bones, and 10% organs (80/10/10). The PMR+ diet follows the PMR ratios but includes supplements to fill in any remaining nutritional gaps.

Because nutrient content varies greatly from one animal ingredient to another, it’s important to include variety when following this model. I put together the following recipe following the guidelines set forth by Coline Doebelin, a feline nutritionist and creator of The Little Carnivore raw feeding website. I calculated ingredient ratios for a 1,000g batch of food.

Ingredients:

Supplements:

Instructions:

  1. Chop the ingredients into 1-inch pieces and crush the bones, if needed, to feed them through your meat grinder.
  2. Grind the ingredients together in the appropriate ratio OR grind all ingredients separately and weigh out the appropriate amount.
  3. To determine feeding amount and supplement dosages, use The Little Carnivore calculator and your cat’s body weight.
  4. Divide the ground mixture into the appropriate portions and freeze in airtight containers.
  5. At mealtime, measure out the recommended supplements and mix with the thawed food just before serving.

Nutrient Content (Dry Matter)

Note: Nutrient content varies depending on the ingredients you use. This is an estimate using primarily chicken, turkey, and beef ingredients.

Nutrient Analysis (As Fed, per 100g)

Notes: There are many ways to create a recipe using PMR ratios—this recipe is just what I came up with using ingredients I had on hand or could easily access. If you want to try it yourself, I recommend thoroughly reviewing the guidelines on The Little Carnivore and working with your vet (or a veterinary nutritionist) to tailor the recipe to your cat’s needs.

Best Supplies to Make Homemade Cat Food

We recommend a homemade diet consisting of ground meat (or ground meat and bone) and a premix supplement tailored to your cat’s nutritional needs. Here’s a preview of some of our top recommendations for these products, including the meat grinder I used to test the recipes.

#2

aac-table__image

Balance It

9.8

Picked by 31 people today!

Balance It Feline

#3

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EZComplete

9.5

Picked by 25 people today!

EZComplete fur Cats

#4

aac-table__image

Alnutrin

9.4

Picked by 21 people today!

Alnutrin for Meat & Bone

#5

aac-table__image

TCfeline

9.3

Picked by 18 people today!

TCfeline

#6

aac-table__image

Raw Meow

9.3

Picked by 18 people today!

Raw Meow Mix

#7

aac-table__image

Purrform

9.3

Picked by 18 people today!

Purrform

Frequently Asked Questions

Is homemade cat food safe?

Commercial cat food is processed in specific ways to destroy foodborne pathogens. If you’re switching to homemade cat food, you’ll need to take certain precautions to keep you and your cat safe. For example, take these precautions when working with raw meat:

• Clean and disinfect all surfaces and cooking tools (food bowls, spoons, etc.) that came into contact with the raw meat
• Wash your hands thoroughly after preparing a meal with raw meat
• Do not allow your cat to lick your face after he’s finished his meal
• If you have children, ensure that they do not touch the raw meat or allow the cat to lick their faces after the cat finishes his meal

When properly prepared and stored, homemade cat food is perfectly safe.

How much does homemade cat food cost?

The cost of homemade cat food varies significantly depending on the ingredients you choose and the amount you feed your cat. Pricing will also vary depending whether you chose a cooked or raw homemade diet.

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 isn’t 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.

How much should I feed my cat?

The average adult cat needs about 200 calories per day, or about 6 ounces of homemade food. The calorie content of the food will vary, of course, depending on the proteins and fats you use. Talk to your veterinarian and consult online calorie calculators to determine your cat’s specific calorie requirements and go from there.