As obligate carnivores, cats need to eat meat and to avoid
eating unhealthy, misguided treats. Even feeding your cat
too much dry food can cause problems such as constipation or
an overdose of carbohydrate "highs".[1] Cooking for cats
can be a very enjoyable pastime for both human and feline
pet alike. If you enjoy cooking and preparing meals, why not
extend this enjoyment to cooking for your feline pal now and
then. This article explains the dietary essentials, as well
as suggesting some occasional cooking possibilities for your
cat.
!! Steps !!
Be familiar with the dietary requirements of cats. Cats have
nutritional requirements that are vastly different from our own,
requiring careful consideration and planning of the food they're
receiving. Cats need a diet high in protein and fat; cats need twice
the amount of protein that dogs need.[2] Cats need approximately 85
percent meat, fat, offal, and bone in their diet, with vegetables,
herbs, and roughage making up only 15 percent of feline dietary
requirements.[3] A healthy diet for a cat will ensure the
following:[4]
* Water. Available at all times, clean and easily accessible.
* Protein. Double the amount needed by dogs, and several times more
than that needed by human beings. Most cats won't eat food
containing less than 20 percent protein.
* Fat. Cats need fat for energy, essential fatty acids, fat-soluble
vitamin intake, and taste.
* Vitamin A. Cats need a good dose of this vitamin. It is found in
liver, eggs, and milk (see "Warnings" on all items below).
However, too much vitamin A is dangerous, and liver should not be
fed more than twice a week or more than 10 percent of the diet.
* Vitamin B. Cats need vitamin B and will readily eat brewer's yeast
if there are signs of deficiency, such as loss of appetite for a
few days or a fever. Feeding cats raw fish or an all-fish diet
destroys vitamin B, as does cooking or processing food.
* Vitamin E. Vitamin E is needed to break down unsaturated fats in
the cat's diet. Too much fish and fish oil, especially red tuna
(addictive), and horse meat can cause steatis or yellow fat
disease. Commercial fish preparations for cats usually add vitamin
E.
* Calcium. This is an important part of building and maintaining
your cat's bones.
Understand the feeding needs of cats. When developing a diet for
your cat, there are some important things to keep in mind:
* Kittens need to be fed 3 to 4 times a day from the ages of six
weeks to three months. By six months of age, feeding can be reduce
to twice daily.
* Adult cats need to be fed 1 to 2 times daily.
* Dried food is important for dental health.[5] However, care must
be taken not to include too much carbohydrate in a cat's diet;
some vets go so far as to recommend keeping it to 3 to 5 percent
of the cat's diet.[6] Recent studies have revealed that most
commercial dried foods contain too much processed grain or
carbohydrate content, leading to increased prevalence of feline
diseases and reduced longevity.[7]
* Cats cannot thrive (or survive) on a vegetarian diet.[8][9] It is
recognized that there is intense debate and passion on this topic
but placing the cat's natural needs first is a primary concern of
cat well-being. While there are specific supplements some
vegetarians feed to their cats, such as taurine, and numerous
suggestions for vegetarian cat diets, a vegetarian diet for a cat
can result in blindness and heart failure. Not only is this type
of diet a highly intensive effort for an owner, it risks a
shortened lifespan and diseases, especially if it introduces a
higher level of unhealthy carbohydrate products into the cat's
diet.
* A fully home prepared diet with no quality brand name commercial
foods included requires careful balancing to ensure that your cat
is getting everything it needs. It is not recommended unless you
have thoroughly researched what your cat needs and have raised the
matter with your vet. If you do embark on a home produced diet, at
the very least add a supplement of calcium carbonate (1/2 teaspoon
per 100g / 3.5 oz of meat), and a whole cooked egg or raw egg yolk
(uncooked egg white is indigestible; even uncooked yolk is not
advised given current salmonella scares). Any raw meat must be
deep frozen for 14 days to kill any parasites; it is safer to cook
all raw meat before feeding it to your cat.[10]
Be aware that cats are easily addicted to eating a certain way. If
you haven't already noticed this, it can be frustrating to try and
change your cat's diet. Don't be surprised if your cooking efforts
are rebuffed! Persevere and keep trying until you pique your cat's
curiosity. Removing your cat's usual food on the occasion of
trialing the new food is an important part of encouraging her to
give a new food a go.
* Don't leave uneaten food out. If she hasn't eaten it within the
hour, dispose of it. Just try again another time.
Start cooking. Once you've got the basics of feline dietary needs,
you're ready to start cooking for your cats. Note that the the
following ideas are suggested recipes for occasional variety and do
not represent a diet plan. If you wish to cook or make homemade cat
food as a permanent dietary change for your cat, it's important to
do your research to create a balanced diet that meets all of your
cat's needs, and to get your vet's stamp of approval. And these
recipes may not be liked by your cat – she'll let you know soon
enough! If you have any concerns, talk to your vet about the
appropriateness of cooking food for your cat, especially if your cat
is growing, pregnant, unwell, or has medical conditions. Some
suggestions for you to try:
_*Lisa Pierson's chicken thighs*_:[11] Purchase free-range, antibiotic
and hormone-free whole chicken thighs from a reputable source. Boil
the thighs to cook the outside while leaving most of the chicken meat
raw. Place the thighs straight into cold water. Remove some of the
meat from the bone and cut into chunks of around 1/2 inch (12.7mm)
using sharp kitchen scissors or a knife.
* Place the remaining meaty bones into a meat grinder with a
grinding plate of .15 inch (4mm) holes. Run 4 oz of chicken livers
per 3 pounds (1.3kg) of raw chicken meat through the grinder. Run
2 cooked eggs per every 3 pounds (1.3kg) of raw chicken meat
through the grinder. Mix everything together in a bowl and
refrigerate.
* In a separate bowl, for every 3 pounds (1.3kg) of raw chicken
meat, pour in 1 cup water, 400 IU (268 mg) vitamin E, 100 g
vitamin B-complex, 2,000 mg taurine, 2000 mg wild salmon oil, and
3/4 tsp light salt (with iodine). Mix all together.
* Pour the supplement mix into the ground chicken mix and mix well.
Make meal sized portions and freeze (the average cat eats about 4
- 6 ounces / 113g to 170g a day).
* _*Steamed rice and salmon*_: Mix a little steamed rice with some
chopped salmon and a little bit of water. The consistency will be
soup-like; simply pour into your cat's bowl.
* _*Chicken and vegetable stew*_: Use a whole small chicken for this
recipe. Wash the chicken, then add to a large pot filled with
water. Cut vegetables into small pieces and add to the pot (the
type of vegetables are up to you). Add a little rice and cook
until the chicken almost falls off the bone and vegetables are
tender. Completely debone the chicken; this is important because
cooked chicken bones splinter easily and can result in serious
intestinal damage. Pour the cooked stew into a blender. Blend or
chop into a coarse mixture. The resulting pieces should be cat
bite-size. Freeze in individual portions; thaw in the fridge.
* _*Chicken and carrot rice*_: Put equal parts cooked chicken,
cooked brown rice, and cooked carrots into a blender. Pour in 2
teaspoons of fat leftover from cooking the chicken (if any). Serve
at room temperature.
* _*Oats and eggs*_: Bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Add oats,
cover and turn off heat, letting oats cook for 10 minutes until
soft. Stir in eggs, letting them set from the heat for a few
minutes. Mix remaining ingredients. Yield: about 12 3/4 cups.
Freeze whatever cannot be eaten in 2-3 days. Daily feeding: small
cat— 1/2 to 3/4 cup; medium cat—1 to 1 1/3 cup; large cat—1
1/2 to 2 1/4 cups.
* _*Cat omelet*_: (*Note*: If you are vehemently opposed to feeding
cats milk, substitute water for the milk; see "Tips" and
"Warnings" below.) Mix together a little milk powder with a small
amount of water; add 2 eggs and beat well. Pour into a small
non-stick frying pan and cook on medium low until done. Flip over
and spread cooked veggies over half the top. Fold like an omelet.
Cool and cut to bite-sized pieces to serve. (Leave the vegetables
out if wished.)
* Some other suggestions include: An oat based raw cat food meal,
tuna cat treats, and holistic cat food recipes for whole health.
Be very cautious before seeking to cook for your cats as a
permanent feeding strategy. Unless you're absolutely certain that
you're getting the balance right, cooking all of your cat's diet at
home can result in deficiencies and harm your cat. Many vets won't
recommend a home-cooked diet for pets,[12] simply because they
know that busy owners may stray from fulfilling recommended recipes
aimed at providing optimal nutrition due to time constraints, as
well as concerns about the lack of sufficient knowledge about
dietary needs, and lapses of attention to the diet caused by human
life events. If you're eager to cook for your cats all the time, it
is doable, it just requires a lot of (often conflicting) research
and weighing up of the options of what's available in your area.
* Consider your lifestyle. If you travel a lot and have other people
feeding your cats, are you going to be able to ensure that their
home-cooked diet is adequate? If you work long hours, are you
prepared to make up batches of food each weekend to be feed
throughout the week?
* Consider the need for raw food in your cat's diet – if you're
cooking absolutely everything, how is your cat getting the
nutrition that is normally derived from raw foods or fortified
commercial foods? This is not to say that you cannot feed your cat
such a diet but it will require much effort and care on your part.
!! Video !!
!! Tips !!
* Make up your own mind about raw food in the diet. The
evidence for and against raw food cat diets in household settings
abounds, and even vets don't see eye to eye on this issue.
Although it is commonly stated that meat fed to cats at home must
be cooked, it is important to note that raw meat is the natural
state of a cat's diet.[13] Unfortunately, the potential for the
transmission of parasites has led to a denial of raw meat for
cats, mostly because owners of pets do not have the time or
inclination to put in the effort to ensure that raw food provided
is healthy meat prepared properly. A lack of raw food in a cat's
diet means that many beneficial elements for the cat, including
amino acids, may be destroyed by the cooking process, potentially
reducing the cat's health.[14] Do some research to make up your
own mind and talk to your vet about the possibility or worth of
adding raw foods to your cat's diet, such as chicken necks, etc.
* Milk contains lactose; cats don't have the lactose-splitting
enzyme lactase, and milk can lead to diarrhea for some cats and
kittens. However, not all cats react in this way and may be fine
with milk. It does serve as a source of calcium if your cat enjoys
it and doesn't suffer from side effects but it can lead to
itchiness and inability to digest. It's wise to discuss this with
your vet.
* Clean cat bowls regularly. Dirty bowls can harbor bacteria and
germs, as well as being unpleasant for your cat.
!! Warnings !!
Avoid feeding your cat foods known to be dangerous to them. Remember
that just because you can eat it, doesn't mean your cat can. Foods not
to give your cat include:
* Onions, garlic and chives
* Alcohol – same impact as on humans only much faster - just two
teaspoons of whisky can induce a coma in a 5 pound cat[15]
* Grapes and raisins - it's not known why but these bring on kidney
failure in cats.[16]
* Coffee, tea, and other caffeinated products such as cold
medicines, stimulant drinks and painkillers – large quantities
can kill a cat and there is no antidote.[17]
* Chocolate, even white chocolate – the theobromine is toxic to
cats.[18]
* Candy and gum – if sweetened with xylitol, this can cause liver
failure.[19] Even without xylitol, ask yourself just why you're
feeding junk sugar to your cat.
* Dog food, wet or dry - dog food has completely different nutrient
content. (Note: don't panic about your cat pinching dog food
occasionally; it won't harm her but it should be removed from her
reach. The problem arises with continued feeding of dog food to a
cat.)
* Sugar, sugary food and treats.
* Yeast dough (uncooked) – it expands in the stomach, causing pain
and can ferment and cause alcohol poisoning.
* Human medication of any kind. Acetaminophen and ibuprofen can be
deadly to cats.[20]
* Pantry items - spices like nutmeg, and baking powder and soda are
poisonous to cats.[21]
Be careful with the following:
* Fat trimmings and bones – bones that can split should not be fed
to cats; and fat can cause pancreatitis in cats.[22]
* Raw eggs – raw yolks can be digested but raw whites cannot; cook
the egg whole if also using the white. Given current concerns
about bacterial problems with eggs, consider cooking the whole egg
each time. While cats are less susceptible to salmonella than
humans (it is thought that non-pregnant adult cats are pretty much
immune), the problem is that the cat can be a subclinical
carriers, and salmonella being a zoonotic disease, it can be
transferred to human beings.[23]
* Raw meat should be frozen prior to feeding unless you are
absolutely sure of its healthy origins.
* Liver – no more than twice weekly.
* Tuna – it can be addictive if overfed and result in thiamine
deficiency (too much of the diet devoted to any fish can also
result in such deficiency).
* Milk and milk products – these can upset many cats, including
digestion and itchiness. Talk to your vet if you'd like to
continue using it; not every vet or cat owner is convinced that
milk is inappropriate for cats able to tolerate it.
* Ideas about feeding our pets continue to change as more veterinary
research is released. Update your knowledge continuously, and feel
free to clarify updates in this article too.
!! Things You'll Need !!
* Food preparation items such as bowls, saucepans, meat grinder,
spoons, etc.
* Feeding bowls
* Cleaning equipment
* Storage gear, such as sealable freezer bags or airtight freezer
containers, etc.
!! Related WikiHows !!
* How to Make Tuna Cat Treats
* How to Keep Your Dog from Eating Your Cat's Food
* How to Develop a Holistic Cat Food Recipe for Whole Health
* How to Feed Cats
* How to Make Raw Cat Food
!! Sources And Citations !!
!! Article Tools !!
* Read on wikiHow
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