Making homemade food for your cat is not hard to do at all – and anyone can. The moment you make your own cat food, you will realize that raw cat food isn’t complicated.
This will even help you learn how pet food manufacturers make ground raw meals since frozen foods that are made commercially are created in the same way, but just on a bigger scale. Knowing what you feed your cat is very important. While they can benefit from nutrient-packed cat foods, the benefit to you as a cat owner in terms of peace of mind should not be overlooked.
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What Cats Need to Eat
If you choose to make your own cat food, be warned – making it on your own is a time-consuming and exacting business. Striking the proper balance of ingredients including minerals and vitamins, and storing food properly is very important for a healthy and happy animal. As an obligate carnivore, a cat needs:
- Protein from fish or meat
- Amino acids such as arginine and taurine (from fish or meat)
- Vitamins
- Fatty acids
- Water
- Minerals
Carbohydrates such as corn and rice in small amounts are also fine. However, they are not necessary for the diet of your cat. On the other hand, experts say that a modest amount of carbohydrates will also be able to provide useful energy for your cat and might help reduce the expenses of a home-cooked cat food. So, if you’re planning to make your cat’s food at home, consult your vet and ask if a few carbs can help or not.
The Most Important Ingredients for Homemade Cat Food
Meat
Cats are carnivores, so meat should be the number 1 ingredient in his diet. This means your cat’s food must be almost entirely made of meat. Whether you give your cat cooked or raw meat, you need to make sure that you follow safe handling protocol.
Meat Types and Sources
Pork, rabbit, fish, and beef are all considered good animal protein sources for cats. Organ meats such as liver are even full of vitamin A. While cats like tuna a lot, the truth is that canned tuna isn’t very beneficial for them.
Mutton and lamb meat have a bit high-fat level, but cats might like to have some at times. In any case, the meat shouldn’t be processed.
Bones
Make sure not to give your feline friend cooked bones. It’s because cooked bones can splinter easily and can possibly hurt your furry pal either externally or internally. Raw bones are considered a good exercise for your cat’s teeth and a great source of calcium as well. When you feed your feline friend fresh fish, you need to make sure that you take out all the bones first.
Fresh Bone vs Calcium Carbonate or Bone Meal
Cats really like to gnaw on fresh bones but it should be done under supervision and sparingly. If you’re using bone meal in your homemade cat food, then use the type made for consumption. Better yet, you can also grind the bones yourself. It is way easier than it sounds.
Organs
The number 1 source of vitamin A is the liver. Kidneys, on the other hand, are full of iron and vitamin B. Otter offal your feline friend may like includes the tripe, tongue, and heart.
Common Questions About Making Homemade Food for Your Cat
Is It Better to Make Your Own Cat Food?
Homemade cat food can help your feline friend with a sensitive stomach eliminate processed ingredients, avoid allergens, as well as encourage a proper timed feeding instead of giving them free feeding time. This can highly benefit the weight management and digestion of your cat. Making your own cat food can even help your wallet big time.
Can You Feed Cats Raw Meat?
Cats are carnivores by nature so they really need animal-sourced protein in order for them to be healthy. While it is acceptable to also feed your cat dry or wet commercial cat food, chances are you can also offer a wide variety of diets for your feline friend through feeding him fresh, cooked, or even raw meat.
Is Cooked or Raw Meat Better for Cats?
Cats usually digest raw foods way better than humans since they have more acidic, shorter digestive tracts. Most pathogens will even pass through felines without causing any problems. Many cats will also tolerate raw food, however, those cats with health issues like immune-mediated disease might need cooked food.
Conclusion
Making homemade cat food can give you control over what goes into the diet of your cat, which lets you select the supplements and meats you use. Also, contrary to what most people think, making your own cat food is often less expensive compared to commercial diets. The ground, supplemented food can be the best foundation of your cat’s nutrition. To sum it all up, we recommend that you try varying meats and adding in whole meat pieces, with and without bones, in order to provide psychological stimulation and dental benefits.
Please note that making your own cat food can have a lot of positive health benefits. However, if your feline friend is ill, you should consult your vet prior to changing your cat’s diet since this may not be suitable for felines that have medical issues like chronic kidney disease.
