Can You Make Homemade Cat Food?

Yes, you can make homemade cat food, but creating a diet that provides everything a cat needs is more complicated than simply cooking meat and vegetables. Cats are obligate carnivores, and their diets require specific nutrients in carefully balanced amounts.

A homemade diet can be appropriate for some cats when it is formulated with guidance from a veterinarian or a veterinary nutritionist. Simply feeding homemade chicken, fish, or other meat as a complete long-term diet can lead to nutritional deficiencies.

For most cats, a complete and balanced commercial cat food is the easiest way to meet their nutritional requirements. Homemade food can sometimes be used as part of a cat’s diet when properly formulated.

What Nutrients Do Cats Need?

Cats require more than protein alone. A nutritionally complete diet needs appropriate amounts of protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients.

Important nutrients include:

• High-quality animal protein
• Taurine
• Essential fatty acids
• Calcium and phosphorus
• Vitamin A
• Certain B vitamins
• Vitamin D
• Appropriate levels of other minerals and micronutrients

Cats have nutritional requirements that differ significantly from humans and dogs. For example, cats cannot meet all of their vitamin A needs from plant-based beta-carotene in the way people can.

Can Cats Eat Homemade Chicken?

Plain, fully cooked chicken can be an occasional treat for many healthy cats, provided it is unseasoned and free from bones.

However, chicken by itself is not a complete diet for a cat. Feeding only chicken for an extended period can result in nutritional deficiencies.

If you want to use chicken as an ingredient in a homemade diet, the complete recipe should be formulated to provide all required nutrients.

A Simple Homemade Cat Food Option for Occasional Feeding

If you’re looking for something homemade to offer as an occasional meal or treat rather than your cat’s complete long-term diet, plain cooked meat is a simple option.

You can offer a small amount of:

• Plain cooked chicken
• Plain cooked turkey
• Plain cooked lean beef

Cook the meat thoroughly and serve it without salt, spices, sauces, onions, garlic, or other potentially harmful ingredients.

Remove all bones before serving.

This should complement, rather than replace, a nutritionally complete cat food unless a veterinary professional has provided a balanced homemade recipe.

Foods You Should Not Add to Homemade Cat Food

Some common human foods can be dangerous for cats.

Avoid ingredients such as:

• Onions and garlic
• Chocolate
• Alcohol
• Caffeinated products
• Grapes and raisins
• Xylitol-containing products
• Excessively salty foods
• Cooked bones
• Heavily seasoned foods

You should also avoid feeding raw animal products without understanding the potential risks of bacterial contamination and nutritional imbalance.

What About Homemade Raw Cat Food?

Some owners consider raw diets because cats naturally eat prey. However, a raw diet is not automatically nutritionally complete or safer simply because it resembles what a cat might eat in nature.

Raw animal foods can carry harmful bacteria and parasites, creating potential risks for both cats and people in the household. Nutritional imbalances are another concern.

If you’re considering a raw or homemade diet, discuss the plan with your veterinarian first.

Can Homemade Cat Food Be Used for Cats With Health Problems?

Sometimes a veterinarian may recommend a specially formulated homemade diet for a cat with a particular medical condition.

However, recipes designed for healthy cats may not be appropriate for cats with kidney disease, urinary problems, diabetes, gastrointestinal conditions, food allergies, or other health issues.

If your cat has a medical condition, do not change its diet significantly without veterinary guidance.

How to Make Homemade Cat Food Safer

If you want to feed homemade food regularly, avoid creating recipes based only on ingredients that seem healthy to humans.

A veterinary nutritionist can formulate a recipe according to your cat’s individual nutritional needs. The recipe may require specific supplements to provide nutrients that are difficult to obtain in adequate amounts from ordinary grocery-store ingredients.

Follow the recipe precisely. Changing or omitting ingredients can alter the nutritional balance.

How Much Homemade Food Should a Cat Eat?

The appropriate amount depends on your cat’s age, size, activity level, health, and the calorie density of the food.

Rather than using a generic serving size, determine your cat’s calorie and nutritional needs with your veterinarian. Treats and homemade foods should also be considered as part of the cat’s overall daily intake.

Monitor your cat’s body condition and weight regularly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is homemade cat food healthier than commercial cat food?

Not automatically. A properly formulated homemade diet can meet a cat’s nutritional needs, but an unbalanced homemade diet can cause deficiencies. Complete and balanced commercial cat foods are designed to provide the nutrients cats require.

Can I feed my cat only cooked meat?

No. Plain meat alone does not provide all the nutrients a cat needs for long-term health. It can generally be used as an occasional treat for a healthy cat, but a complete diet needs a properly balanced nutrient profile.

Can cats eat homemade food every day?

They can if the diet is properly formulated to be complete and balanced for the individual cat. A veterinarian or veterinary nutritionist can help ensure the recipe meets those requirements.

Is homemade cat food good for kittens?

Kittens have particularly demanding nutritional requirements because they are growing rapidly. A homemade diet for a kitten should be formulated specifically for growth with professional veterinary guidance.

Final Thoughts

Homemade cat food is possible, but making a nutritionally complete diet is more complicated than cooking meat at home. Cats need specific nutrients in the right proportions, and deficiencies can develop when homemade diets are not properly formulated.

For occasional treats, plain cooked meat can be a simple option for many healthy cats. For a complete everyday diet, use a nutritionally balanced commercial food or work with your veterinarian or a veterinary nutritionist to create an appropriate homemade recipe.