To provide the most nutritious snacks for your cat, gourmet treats can be made at home. You can choose the best ingredients and use them according to your cat's tastes and needs.
Homemade Treats Made with Healthy Ingredients
Cats are carnivores. They cannot survive without meat. Commercial cat treats are often full of carbohydrates, sugars and fillers. Preservatives, colorings and undesirable by-products are often included, and many that claim to be flavored with tuna, salmon or other expensive ingredients contain only traces of these ingredients.
Cat treats are not meant to be a substitute for your kitten's food. They are intended to be used sparingly as a reward, an enticement or a treat. By preparing these items at home, you can effectively supplement traditional feline cat food and ensure a complete and healthy diet for your cat.
If most of your cat's meals come from a can, cat food treats that are baked and crunchy can provide needed tartar control for your pet.
Some Healthy Ingredients
Here is an example process for preparing healthy, homemade cat treats:
- Protein - All cat treats should contain meat or fish. Cooked chicken, canned tuna or salmon are good choices. Sardines and mackerel are suitable as well. Avoid anchovies, since they tend to be extremely salty. If you are using chicken or water packed fish, add a teaspoon of olive oil. Use a scant cup of meat.
- Vegetables - Grate or mash carrots, cooked peas or squash. Measure out between two and three tablespoons and add this to the protein source.
- Flour - Add one tablespoon of flour-preferably whole wheat-to the above mixture.
- Grain - Add one-quarter cup of grain ingredients. This can be any combination of cooked rice, rolled oat or wheat germ. Dry bread crumbs are acceptable also, but do not used flavored crumbs.
- Liquid - Add enough water or milk to make a crumbly mix, usually about two tablespoons.
- Mix all ingredients well and form into small balls. Place the treats on a greased cookie sheet and bake for ten to twenty minutes at 350 degrees. Depending upon the size of the treats, cooking times may vary.
- Cool and store in an airtight container. They should be kept in the refrigerator. Freeze what cannot be used within two weeks.
- Some other ingredients you can add to your treats include parsley for fresh breath and a teaspoon or two of unsweetened pumpkin for cats prone to constipation.
Do not add salt, sugar or processed foods to your treats. Fresh, whole foods will provide the best possible results.