Do you make your own cat treats?
@wildcatsthree (289)
United States
January 22, 2010 1:36pm CST
After the pet food recall in 2007, I became very aware of what's in my pet's food and started feeding them all natural formulas because most commercial cat food's first ingredient is corn or some other grain and my research has shown that cat food should be primarily meat. I have 2 cats, Gidget who is very finicky, and Lola who will eat just about anything food-wise. But when it comes to treats, they both seem to turn their noses up to just about anything I've tried. I even made my own dehydrated chicken slivers which they seemed to love at first, but now finicky Gidget is turing her nose up to them as well. My 2 dogs and Lola love the chicken strips. So I'm wondering if any of you have a recipe that will win over a finicky kitty.
5 responses
@Loverbear (4918)
• United States
23 Jan 10
I make my own dog food, cat food, and dog and cat treats. I do augment their home made food with commercial foods-preferably Iams.
You might try dehydrating chicken livers for the cats. Also you could blend chicken and the livers together and kind of make a jerky out of the mixture. Your animals are kind of like humans, they get tired of the same thing time after time. Also, get some pork and try making treats out of that.
I don't have that problem with the cats...in fact I discovered that one of them likes Chicken Alfredo! They figure if I eat it they'll like it.
I went on line and did a search for recipes for dog treats and came up with about 100 of them. I haven't done that yet for cat treats. It would be worth the time though.
@wildcatsthree (289)
• United States
23 Jan 10
Thanks for your suggestions Loverbear. And Verabear, I make my own dog food too. After researching, this is what I use:
1 # Ground meat (chicken, turkey, beef, rabbit etc) with the bones and organ meat ground with it, 3 eggs, 1 cup of dehydrated dog food mix with 1 cup of water (I usually use The Honest Kitchen's mix as it is a balanced dog food you just add meat to) and I also add a can of pure pumpkin (not pie filling as it contains sugar) Pumpkin has a lot of nutrients and it aids digestion.
Mix it all up and freeze in contains large enough to hold 3 or 4 days worth. Then just thaw as needed. I don't cook the meat as from what I've read the raw is the best for nutrition and overall health of your dog. Cooking the meat destroys a lot of the nutrients. Their systems are made to eat raw food so don't be afraid of parasites etc. - just be careful when handling it for yourself. It's very important the meat have ground bones and organs with it as they contain vital nutrients your dog needs.
In place of the dehydrated dog mix, you can also make it using your own vegetables and fruits but be very careful which ones you use as some are poisonous to dogs. I also run them through my blender first, as a dog has a short digestive tract and can't digest larger chunks of vegetables like we can. You can easily find a list of foods that are poisonous to dogs by doing an internet search. Just to be safe,I personally never add garlic to my dog's food as some lists contain it while others don't. Hope this helps you
@kaylachan (69844)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
22 Jan 10
I don't make my own cat treets. On rare occassions I'll get turky meat from the store next door and feed it to my cat Precious. Though if your cat's picky, perhaps he/she simply isn't a treat-type cat. Not all cats like receiving treats. I've had a few over my lifetime that were like that. Real picky type animals and did not like treats. even store-baught ones.
@wildcatsthree (289)
• United States
22 Jan 10
Yes I agree she probably isn't a treat type cat - about the only thing she eats besides her food is cheese off a pizza, which she only gets sparingly.
@Tallygirl09 (1380)
• United States
22 Jan 10
My girls are rather spoiled like yours. They are very choosy about their treats. The only one that they consistantly seem to like is the Greenies one that is supposed to be healthier for them. No additives, Preservatives, colors added etc. If you haven't heard of them you might want to look them up.
It's amazing how many of the pet food is nothing more than corn and grains with just abit of real meat and vitamins added. I was shocked and dismayed when I did some research on it a few years ago.
Mine both love beef jerky and my hubby makes his own so they get to share that which is nothing but meat!
@wildcatsthree (289)
• United States
22 Jan 10
Well, we've tried the Greenies, and although they went for them for a few months, they no longer want them either. thanks for the suggestion though.
@bystander (2292)
• Philippines
23 Jan 10
in the philippines, the favorite feed given to cats, especially native cats, are table leftovers or anything with fish. however, with imported hybrid cats, there is a wide array of foodstuff that can be bought from pet shops and supermarkets.
food preferences of cats vary, depending on the owner. and they can be trained to appreciate food you prepare and serve them.
