Making Cat Food At Home allows for customization and caters to specific dietary needs. However, it requires careful planning and execution to ensure nutritional balance. This guide explores the intricacies of preparing homemade cat food, offering recipes and essential tips for success.
Evaluating Homemade Cat Food Recipes
Before transitioning to homemade cat food, consult with your veterinarian. Many online recipes lack essential nutrients or offer improper balance. A balanced diet is crucial for a cat’s health. Look for these red flags in recipes:
- Lack of Expert Input: Recipes should be developed by a board-certified veterinary nutritionist.
- Missing Nutritional Information: Recipes should list nutrient values and align with AAFCO minimums.
- Overly Simplicity: Recipes relying solely on a few ingredients without supplements likely lack necessary nutrients.
- Lack of Portioning Guidelines: Recipes should include instructions for portioning based on your cat’s needs and calorie estimates.
- Supplemental Feeding Only: Some recipes are not meant to be a complete diet. Be sure the recipe you choose is designed for daily feeding.
The Importance of Premix Supplements
Replicating a wild feline diet with precise ratios of muscle meat, organs, and bone is challenging. Using premix supplements, also known as meal completers, helps bridge nutritional gaps when mixed with fresh meat.
When choosing a premix:
- Veterinary Nutritionist Formulation: Opt for premixes formulated by board-certified veterinary nutritionists.
- Complete Nutritional Profile: Ensure the premix meets AAFCO or FEDIAF nutrient requirements.
- Specialized Formulas: Consider life stage and health condition specific formulas (e.g., senior cat formulas with lower phosphorus).
- Diet Compatibility: Select a premix designed for your chosen diet type (e.g., ground meat with bone or boneless meat).
5 Homemade Cat Food Recipes
These recipes provide a starting point for making cat food at home. Remember to consult with your veterinarian to adjust them to your cat’s individual needs.
1. Turkey & Sweet Potato with Balance It® Carnivore Blend®
This recipe uses Balance It® Carnivore Blend® premix for a balanced diet.
Ingredients: See original article.
Instructions: See original article.
Nutrient Content & Caloric Distribution: See original article. This provides a complete nutritional breakdown of the recipe.
2. Raw Ground Rabbit with Alnutrin
This recipe utilizes Alnutrin for Meat & Bone premix and is designed for raw feeding.
Ingredients & Instructions: See original article. Includes specific instructions for grinding rabbit.
Nutrient Content: See original article. Note that this recipe uses whole rabbit, including bones and organs.
3. Cooked Meat with EZComplete Fur Cats
EZComplete Fur Cats simplifies homemade cat food with just boneless meat and water. This version uses cooked ground beef.
Ingredients & Instructions: See original article. Offers guidance on cooking the meat in a slow cooker.
Nutrient Content: See original article. Provides the nutritional analysis based on using turkey breast.
4. Prey Model Raw Diet (PMR+)
This recipe follows the 80/10/10 PMR ratio (meat/bone/organs) and includes necessary supplements.
Ingredients, Supplements & Instructions: See original article. Emphasizes variety in ingredients and provides a link to a helpful calculator.
Nutrient Content: See original article. Offers estimated values as nutrient content can fluctuate based on specific ingredient choices.
5. Ground Chicken with Bone & Organs
This recipe requires grinding chicken with bone, organs, and added supplements.
Ingredients & Instructions: See original article. Includes specific instructions on preparing and grinding the ingredients.
Nutrient Content: See original article.
Conclusion
Making cat food at home offers control over ingredients but necessitates careful consideration of nutritional balance. Consult your veterinarian, choose recipes wisely, and utilize premixes to ensure your cat receives a complete and healthy diet. Remember that food safety is paramount when handling raw ingredients.
