How to Make Healthy Cat Food at Home

An increasing number of pet owners are choosing to make their own cat food because they have concerns that the commercial brands are not safe for their pets.  They want their cat to have a natural and healthy diet that is free from the corn fillers and the ‘meat of questionable origin’ that can be found in most commercial foods. 

A diet of homemade food can work well to improve the health of all cats, especially those that have specific dietary needs.

Your Cat’s Dietary Needs

A diet for a cat needs to be very high in protein, but there are certain foods that you will want to avoid.  Do not ever feed your cat raw eggs, milk, or pork, as cats cannot digest these ‘human’ products very well.  If you want to give your cat milk, be sure to buy lactose-free cat milk available at most pet stores.  You should avoid chocolate, bones, and onions as well.  Chocolate and onions can actually be poisonous to both cats and dogs, even in small amounts, and giving bones is always a risk because even a tiny splinter stuck in their throat can mean choking or an expensive vet visit.   Cooked eggs are okay for your cat.

Real Meat and Veg

Cooked ground meat, such as beef, turkey, and chicken, should be the main part of what you feed to your cat.  You can add bits of cooked chopped up vegetables if you wish, such as carrots or squash to the ground meat.  Cats don’t need vegetables to survive as they can’t process them like we can, but veggies help to add bulk to the cat’s diet to keep their insides moving.  Mix it up with your hands so that the cat will be getting both the veggies and the meat.  You might want to add just a little bit of fish oil and a pinch of salt as well to make it taste better. 

Try Pre-Cooked Meat

For variety, you can add some strips of precooked meat to their diet too.  Chicken is a great source of protein, as is lean beef and turkey.   Do not be tempted to give them the fat trimmings from your own meals.  Even if your cat isn’t fat, fat and rinds provide no useful nutrients and only give them extra calories and heart-unhealthy fats.

This is a simple way to make your own cat food at home, and it is a very healthy diet for your animal.  No matter what you are feeding your animal, if you notice any changes in their health or behavior, take your cat to the vet immediately to make sure that you are feeding them the right things, and they have not developed allergies to the new food.