These days, homemade cat chow is the newest thing. With good cause, a lot of pet parents have adopted it. It only takes a few minutes to find hundreds of homemade food for cats recipes on the internet. Start looking into it and choose meals that provide all the nutrients you need without sacrificing flavor.
The Nutritional Needs of Cats
Want to plan and create the best food for cats? Put some effort and thought into understanding cats' dietary needs. The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) strongly urges cat parents to stick to vet-approved homemade cat food recipes as much as possible. Fiddling with ingredients when preparing homemade food for cats can be disastrous, if done incorrectly, and you will end up leaving out certain important nutrients.
Cats need proteins more than anything else. These proteins must come from an animal source. Plant-based proteins are not great because cats have trouble digesting them. The protein helps with muscle development and its maintenance so its quantity in food should be high. Taurine is one such protein and amino acid that is essential for the kitty’s heart function, vision, and reproduction.
Fats provide energy to the cat so that she can feel strong and active all day long. Absorption of fat-soluble vitamins is only made possible by fats.
No good can come of a deficiency. This means taking special care to include vitamins like B-complex, A, and E and minerals like calcium and phosphorus.
Felines do not feel thirsty often. The result: they do not drink the right amount of water needed. Their hydration needs to come from food so add water to their food.
Benefits of Homemade Cat Food
Hand-picked ingredients: You have the liberty of going for the best quality and fresh ingredients only. There will be no fillers and preservatives. Artificial additives are also gone. PetMD thinks that this is really helpful for cats with sensitivities and allergies because you can leave out the ingredients that can be triggers for the cat.
Customize All You Want: Making it at home means tailoring the meals to your cat's specific needs. You can take into account weight management and their allergies or sensitivities.
Freshness Factor: A freshly made meal is heavenly for both humans and cats. For felines, it also promises improved digestion and greater absorption of nutrients.
Affordability: Making cat food at home is cheap. Nutritious cat food can be heavy on the pocket. This is a great alternative.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Nutrient Deficient Food: When making recipes at home, we make substitutions. We tend to replace ingredients with something that is available at hand. This can mean leaving out useful nutrients and vitamins. So stick to the recipe and avoid substitutions.
Harmful and Toxic Foods: Experienced pet parents are aware of the toxic food for cats. These are onions, garlic, chocolate, and some spices. They can be dangerous for cats. Learn about foods that are harmful to cats.
Incorrect Methods: Cooking technique has great significance. Undercooking meats and other ingredients will mean that harmful bacteria are not destroyed so they can make your cat sick.
Best Cat Food Recipes
Simple Chicken and Rice Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked chicken breast (finely chopped)
1/4 cup boiled rice
1/4 cup chicken broth (low sodium)
1/2 teaspoon fish oil (optional)
Instructions:
Blend chicken, rice and broth.
Transfer to a bowl.
Pour a few drops of fish oil for extra omega-3 fatty acids.
Fish and Sweet Potato Delight
Ingredients:
1/2 cup cooked white fish (like cod or haddock)
1/4 cup mashed sweet potato
1 tablespoon steamed carrots (mashed)
1/4 cup fish broth (unsalted)
Instructions:
Add fish, sweet potato and carrots to a bowl and mix.
Pour in the fish broth to achieve the desired consistency.
Stir well and serve once cooled.
Turkey and Pumpkin Feast
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked turkey (ground or shredded)
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
1/4 cup green beans (finely chopped)
1/4 teaspoon taurine supplement
Instructions:
Mix turkey, pumpkin and green beans.
Add the taurine supplement and mix thoroughly.
Serve at room temperature and store leftovers in the fridge.
Beef and Carrot Mix
Ingredients:
1/2 cup lean ground beef (cooked)
1/4 cup steamed carrots (mashed)
1/4 cup cooked quinoa
1/4 teaspoon fish oil
Instructions:
Throw the ground beef, carrots and quinoa in a bowl and mix well.
Mix in the fish oil for added nutrients.
Let it cool before serving.
Chicken Liver Pâté
Ingredients:
1/2 cup chicken livers (cooked and finely chopped)
1/4 cup chicken broth (low sodium)
1/2 boiled egg (mashed)
1/4 teaspoon calcium supplement
Instructions:
Blend the chicken livers, broth, and egg in a food processor until smooth.
Add the calcium supplement and mix well.
Serve small portions and refrigerate the rest.
Conclusion
Preparing homemade cat food has a few pluses. The benefits for your cat's health are huge. But only when their nutritional requirements are fulfilled. There are some pitfalls, as well. These can and must be avoided at all costs. Following homemade cat food recipes is easy but have a word with the veterinarian and run these recipes by them. Only make them if they are a good fit for your cat.
