How to Make Healthy Homemade Cat Food (Bulk) for Diabetic and Non Diabetic Cats

Pet owners can make healthy cat food at home.

Cat owners concerned about the quality of commercial pet foods may consider making their own. Homemade cat food can be customized to meet your feline's needs. Some advocates recommend a raw diet, but cooked diets such as those recommended by pet health experts Richard Pitcairn, DVM, Ph.D. and Susan Hubble Pitcairn seem to fill the bill nicely. Their book "Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats" lists a variety of recipes for homemade cat food. They suggest using lean meats and cutting added fats or oils by half for diabetic cats.

Things You'll Need

• 3 lbs ground turkey
• 9 ounces vegetables, carrots, peas, green beans or a mixture
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons steamed bone meal or 2 ¼ teaspoons of eggshell powder as a calcium supplement
• 2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil (or one of each)
• 1 cup water
• 50 milligrams of vitamin B-complex
• 2000 milligrams of powdered taurine
• 2000 milligrams of fish or wild salmon oil
• Food processor or stick blender
• Freezer containers
• Freezer tape
• Marker

Instructions

1. Cook ground turkey in a large pot or skillet. Cook eggs and vegetables separately. Chop up the eggs and vegetables and add them to the cooked turkey. Stir in the bone meal or eggshell and the butter or vegetable oil.

2. Puncture fish oil capsules and add the contents to 1 cup of water. Stir in the vitamin B-complex and taurine. Add the mixture to the meat and vegetables.

3. Use a food processor or stick blender and blend the mixture. Incorporate the ingredients completely. Portion the mix into freezer containers. Label and freeze.

4. Thaw a day's food portion in the refrigerator the night before or take the chill off in the microwave. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Tips & Warnings

• Check with your veterinarian when changing to a homemade diet.

• Opinions vary on whether or not to add grains to a feline diet. Likewise, opinions differ on vitamin and mineral requirements. Make sure your pet is getting adequate vitamins and minerals.

• Most cats eat 4 to 6 ounces per day.

• Take care with calcium supplements such as bone meal or eggshell in animals with kidney or urinary tract problems.

• Some cat food recipes call for onions and garlic which can be toxic to cats and dogs.

References

• "Dr. Pitcairn's New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats"; Richard H. Pitcairn and Susan Hubble Pitcairn; 2005
• "Lapping it Up: The Quick & Easy Guide to Making Healthy Cat Food At Home"; Patricia O'Grady; 2009
• Pet Place.com article: "Dangerous Foods: Are They Harmful to Your Cat?"; Dr. Dawn Ruben