Just like dogs, cats love to nibble on their treats, but the ones available commercially might not be ideal for your feline friend. A cat treat is a good way to train your pet while feeding them something they love. However, not all brands keep their nutritional requirements in mind. Moreover, some are also loaded with preservatives to increase their self-life, which can be harmful to your cat’s health. The key to a healthy cat is a healthy and tasty homemade cat treat.
So, here are some cat treat recipes you can try at home for your pet!
1. Chicken/Tuna+ Spinach Treat:
For this recipe, you will need:
- 0.44 pounds of boneless chicken (breasts or thighs)
- An egg
- 1-cup oats
- 1-tablespoon of catnip
- 1/4th of all-purpose flour
- 1 cup fresh spinach leaves
Start by preheating your oven to approximately between 320 and 360oF. Next, steam your chicken/tuna depending on what your cat likes. Once the chicken is properly steamed and cooled, blend all the ingredients in a food processor. Next, mix it thoroughly with the flour and knead it well. Now spread out the dough with a long rolling pin and cut out your desired shape with a cookie cutter (the smaller, the better). Place these cutouts on a baking sheet placed over a baking tray and bake them in your oven for a minimum of 20 minutes.
Once the treat has cooled down, you can feed it to your cat and store the rest in air-tight containers for approximately 7 days.
2. Grain-Free Treats For Cats With Sensitive Stomach:
If your cat has a sensitive stomach and doesn’t do well with grains, this recipe is just what you need. For this recipe, here are the ingredients:
- Tuna (2 Cans)
- Cooked Pumpkin (1/2 Cup)
- Egg Yolks (3)
- Coconut Flour (1/2 Cup)
- Olive oil (1 tablespoon)
Preheat your oven to a minimum of 350oF and blend all the above-mentioned ingredients in a food processor until it has a fine mashed consistency. Now, spread out this mixture on parchment paper laid out on top of a baking tray. But, before you do that, make sure you apply the olive oil gently on the paper to ensure the treats do not stick to the paper. Now, let it bake in the oven for a minimum of 15 minutes, and then break it into smaller pieces and store it in an air-tight container.
3. Cold Fish Treats:
For this recipe, you will need:
- Salmon or Tuna (Any fish your cat loves)
- Empty Ice Tray
- Water
Boil or steam the salmon or tuna until soft. Now blend it properly by adding some water. Make sure it isn’t too diluted but has a paste-like consistency. Using a spoon, fill in the ice tray with the paste and pop it inside the freezer. Let it sit inside for a minimum of 6 to 8 hours. Once the treats have hardened, gently pop them out of the tray and keep them in an air-tight container inside the freezer and feed it to your cat on hot summer days.
4. Catnip-Beef Treats:
For this particular cat treat recipe, you will need the following:
- Minced Beef (1/2 to 2 pounds)
- Eggs (2)
- Catnip (2 tablespoons)
Start by combining all these ingredients into one large bowl. If you find it difficult to mix it by hand, blend it in a food processor. Now, spread this mixture over a foil-lined on top of your baking sheet. Now, place the baking tray inside the oven while keeping the temperature low to medium for a minimum of 8 to 10 minutes. Now, gently remove the tray and let it cool down. Once the mixture has cooled down, it will harden, and you can break it into small pieces and store it for later use.
5. Tuna And Cornmeal Treats:
For the tuna and cornmeal treats recipe, you will need the following:
- Tuna (1 can)
- All Purpose Flour (1 cup)
- Cornmeal (1 cup)
- Cookie Cutter
- Egg (1 piece)
Start by preheating your oven to at least 330 to 340oF. Now, add all these ingredients into a mixing bowl and keep kneading until you get a soft dough. Now, let this dough sit for a minimum of 10 minutes. Now, gently spread out the cornmeal on a large surface and lay out the dough to be rolled. Once you have properly rolled out the dough, use a cookie cutter to cut out your desired shapes. For this purpose, you can use the YXCLIFE Cookie Cutters, which are made of stainless steel and come in various shapes. Once you have cut out your desired shape on the rolled-out dough, place them on the baking paper and pop them inside an oven for a minimum of 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Mini Cat Meatballs:
For this tasty cat treats, you will need these ingredients:
- Powdered/Dry Milk (1/2 cup)
- Wheat Germ ( ½ cup)
- Honey (1 teaspoon)
- Ground Beef (Lean type-1/4 lb)
To create these mini cat meatballs, start by mixing all the dry ingredients together. Now, slowly add the honey and ground beef to the mixture until you get a homogenous mixture. Create small balls that would be easy for your cat to eat. Now, bake these meatballs in an oven at 350oF for about 5 minutes as they cook fast. Let it cool down and store it for later use. These meatballs can be used for 10 days.
7. Tuna Cat Treats:
If you are looking for something good for your cat’s teeth, this recipe is just what your feline friend needs. The ingredients you need are:
- Tuna (1 can)
- Oat Flour (1/2 cup)
- Wheat Flour (1/2 cup)
- Egg (1 cup)
- Catnip (1 tablespoon)
- Olive Oil (1 tablespoon)
Preheat your oven to a minimum of 350oF and keep a baking tray ready with parchment paper. Combine all the above-mentioned ingredients with the help of a food processor that features blade attachments. Ensure that the mixture is smooth and mushy. Now, take small sections of this mixture and shape it as you want while ensuring the size is small enough for your cat to eat with ease. Bake this for a minimum of 10 to 12 minutes until you see a light brown coating forming on top. Once it has cooled completely, store it for future use or feed it to your kitty as you like.
8. Delicious Cheesy Treats:
For these cheesy cat treats, you will need the following:
- Cheddar Cheese (Shredded-3/4 cup)
- Wheat Flour (3/4 cup)
- Plain Yogurt Or Sour Cream (1/4 cup)
- Cornmeal (1/4 cup)
- Parmesan Cheese (Grated- 5 tablespoons)
- Water (As required)
Preheat your oven to at least 350oF and keep a baking tray set aside, lined with good-quality parchment paper. Now, combine all these ingredients in a bowl and start forming dough by slowly adding water. Do not pour in a lot of water, or the mixture might become mushy. Take small sections from the dough and roll them out on a clean surface. Next, cut it into small pieces, a minimum of ½ inch, and spread out these pieces on the baking tray. Now, bake it for a minimum of 25 minutes and less it cool down. These treats can be stored in an air-tight container for a long time.
9. Liver And Carrot Cat Treats:
If your cat loves organ meat, your cat would love treats made from this recipe. The ingredients you need are:
- Fully Cooked Chicken Liver (1/2 cup)
- Wheat Flour (11/4 cup)
- Cooked Carrots (Completely mashed- ¼ cup)
- Margarine (1 tablespoon)
In a blender, add the flour, margarine, liver, and water and let it mix until it becomes a smooth paste. Make sure you add water a little at a time to ensure the mixture doesn’t become very watery. Now, start rolling this mixture into small balls and then divide it into smaller pieces. Bake this delicious cat treat in your oven for 12 minutes at 325oF. Now, let it cool and store it in an air-tight container.
10 .Meat Jerky For Cats:
Pet parents that are looking for something delicious for their cats that also clean their teeth can try out this jerky meat recipe. To make this, you will need a dehydrator. For this recipe, you will also need:
- Raw Meat ( Bone-less turkey, beef, salmon, or chicken, depending on what your cat likes best)
- Sharp Knife
You can also try making this meat jerky with organ meat as well. However, you need to keep in mind that organ meat might take longer to completely dehydrate. With a sharp knife, cut up the meat into multiple pieces that are less than 2 inches. Given that the meat shrinks during the dehydration process, making them a bit large. Arrange these meat pieces properly on the dehydrator tray while ensuring there is an ample gap between these pieces for air to dry them out thoroughly. Depending on the make and model of the dehydrator, the timing can vary. Even if your meat jerky isn’t dried properly, you can always pop it in the dehydrator and resume the process. Remember that meat parts with more fat tend to take longer to dry. So, try to use muscle meat as opposed to organ meat.
Conclusion
With these delicious recipes, your cat would love to nibble on them without you having to worry about preservatives or any harmful ingredient hampering their health. Make sure you refrain from adding any ingredient that your cat is allergic to and do not use salt or sugar for preservation purposes. Remember, these homemade treats, when kept in an air-tight jar, can last as long as a month. So, prepare small batches and use them accordingly.
