The cost of homemade cat food ranges between $0.90-1.52 per day depending on the recipe. I compared the cost of the best in each category of commercial cat food. And you could save thousands per year making cat food at home.

It will take more time to make your cat’s food at home. But the long-term savings and benefits are worth it!

I’ve been raw feeding Jericho since 2018.

I used to spend around $3 per day on commercial complete raw food.

And now I spend around $1.52 per day on Jericho’s homemade raw meaty bones and whole prey diet.

Here’s what we’ll cover on homemade cat food:

PS – If you’re ready to make healthy homemade (raw or cooked) cat food right meow, my Raw Feeding Cats Blueprint is for you! The average cost for my recipes per day for one cat is only $1.40.

My Raw Feeding Cats Blueprint (available as a video course and ebook) includes my proven food transition plan that 337+ cat parents used to switch their cats from processed food to a healthy homemade diet. The Blueprint also has 17 fresh cat food recipes (raw and cooked!) so you can feed a healthy raw & homemade diet easily and confidently.

cat eating homemade raw cat food

Is making homemade cat food cheaper?

Yes! Making homemade cat food is cheaper. You have complete control over the ingredients and therefore more control over the cost.

Here are some tips to save more:

  • Manager specials at grocery stores
  • Talk to your local farm or butcher about specialty cuts
  • Rewards points from online retailers
  • Raw food co-ops to save on shipping costs

I was able to get a big bag of turkey giblets (heart, gizzards, and liver) for just $6 from a local farm.

The heart and gizzards were enough for 1 month. And the liver lasted about 3 months.

Plus, it’s always cheaper to make food yourself versus paying someone else to do it for you.

Cost of homemade cat food compared to commercial food

Diet typeCost per day
Dry$1.77
Wet$6.74
Freeze-dried raw$6.75
Ground raw$2.41
Homemade raw$1.52

This is based on feeding 200 calories per day to one cat.

I chose the best of the best within each category to do a fair comparison.

I know you want the best of the best for your cat. Or you wouldn’t be here reading this!

I used the cost of Jericho’s homemade raw meaty bones diet for this comparison. But you could probably spend less than this.

Jericho’s diet costs a bit more because I feed whole prey and lots of variety.

This is better for us because I only use 2 supplements. Both are whole foods – nothing synthetic!

Let’s look at those savings per year…

Diet typeCost per year
Dry$646.05
Wet$2,460.10
Freeze-dried raw$2,463.75
Ground raw$879.65
Homemade raw$554.80

So you could save thousands if you’re going from wet or freeze-dried raw!

Even going from ground raw to homemade is a nice chunk of savings.

What could you do with those savings?

food processor grind up raw cat food

Is it worth it to make your own cat food?

It is worth it to make your own cat food because you have complete control over the ingredients and how it’s made. Therefore you have more control over the quality and the cost.

Benefits of homemade raw meaty bones

The benefits of raw meaty bones are excellent. You can’t get the teeth cleaning, mental stimulation, and enrichment benefits anywhere else!

The biggest benefit for me is complete control over Jericho’s diet.

The first raw cat food I fed Jericho was RadCat. Unfortunately, the FDA mishandled a sample, and it tested positive for bacteria. The FDA forced a recall, and RadCat went out of business.

So I had to frantically find a new complete raw food. And this was back in 2018 when there weren’t as many options.

The next raw company I found had way too many synthetic supplements. But I didn’t have any other options. That’s what pushed me to go to homemade. And now that company doesn’t even make cat food anymore!

You may also have to work around out-of-stock proteins, formula changes, or the company could get bought out.

This happens all the time, especially with dry and wet foods.

Plus the recalls for dry and wet foods are much more severe. Like deadly aflatoxin mold, plastic choking hazards, pentobarbital (euthanasia drug), and the list goes on.

There are potential risks with all types of cat food. But you have way more control when you feed homemade raw meaty bones.

cat grabbing rabbit raw meaty bone

Save money on raw cat food

Raw cat food in general (but especially homemade) will help you save more money in the long run.

Cats cannot survive and thrive on dry food only. You may save money in the beginning because the food is cheaper.

But think about the long-term health issues that could happen.

For example, two of my mother’s cats developed a urinary blockage when they were eating dry food only.

A urinary blockage is a life-threatening emergency.

Cats have to stay at the emergency for several days to resolve this issue. My mom paid about $8k on each emergency trip.

I can’t tell you what to spend your money on.

But I look at it like this…

  1. Save money now on cheap low-quality food. Spend more money, time, stress, energy, and potential heartbreak in the long run because your cat is unhealthy.
  2. Spend your hard-earned money on actual food. Save money in the long run because your cat is at a healthier weight, has better teeth, and more mental stimulation from eating a species-appropriate diet.

I’ve learned the hard way over and over many times. Moving forward, I will only feed homemade raw meaty bones and whole prey.

cost of homemade cat food raw meaty bones diet

How much should I budget for cat food?

Budgeting for homemade cat food is completely dependent on your situation. There are too many variables to put an exact number on it.

But a good range would be $1-2 per day per cat.

It depends on how many cats you have, the cat’s weight, and where you buy ingredients.

Going back to Jericho’s diet…

I spend a little more to feed whole prey and lots of variety. But that’s because I’d rather spend my money on whole foods and not synthetic supplements.

Additionally, I eat the same secreting organs and supplements. So I look at it as saving money since we share.

whole prey raw diet for cats

Which homemade food is best for cats?

The best homemade food is complete for your cat’s life stage.

A proper diet for cats should include lots of protein variety and various cuts of meat.

Raw meaty bones are a must if you’re looking for the absolute best. Whole prey is a great addition too!

I prefer to use whole foods instead of synthetic supplements. But sometimes additional supplements are necessary when you don’t have access to variety.

It’s important to get a recipe from a nutritionist or formulate your own using formulation software. Beware of free vet approved cat food recipes online. I checked 3 of them in diet formulation software, and they are not complete.

plate of homemade raw cat food

But my cat is too picky to eat healthy food

Sandra had two kibble-addicted cats. Dirk is older and started to gain weight. Avery was young and healthy, but she had very picky eating habits.

Dirk had trouble jumping to his favorite spots, and Sandra started to worry that he would develop diabetes. And she didn’t want Avery to be a picky cat her whole life!

So Sandra started researching about cat food.

sandra dirk avery kibble addicted cats switch to raw

Sandra thought wet food would help because it is healthier than dry food.

But then she discovered raw feeding, and “it all started to make sense! This is what they eat in the wild, and would make them feel their best!!!

She was excited to try raw, but she knew so little about how to transition them to this diet. And she didn’t know what to give them in the quantities they needed to be healthy.

Then Sandra found me and my course. She became a course member, and she followed my signature PURR blueprint.

My signature PURR blueprint works with your cat’s natural instincts. So you can focus on having fun with your cat instead of feeling stressed and overwhelmed dealing with a picky cat.

Sandra said, “This was such an indispensable tool. It eliminated any fears, or questions I had about the transition, making everything feasible, easy to understand and convenient.

And now Dirk and Avery (previously two kibble-addicted cats) enjoy a lightly cooked homemade diet! Sandra doesn’t worry about them not getting the nutrients they need. She’s confident that what she’s feeding is the best.

On top of that, Dirk lost weight naturally (no starving) and he’s more energetic and playful.

Sandra felt close to her cats before starting this journey. But her connection and bond with her cats is much stronger now than it was before.

switch cat to homemade raw diet recipes jess caticles

Sandra and her cats have shown us that our cats need more real, fresh food. Processed foods are inconsistent and cause more problems than it’s worth.

But healthy homemade cat food gives us complete control. We control the ingredients, the quality, and how it’s made.

And it’s amazing to see the results of a healthy homemade diet!

Sandra (and hundreds of other cat parents I’ve worked with) feel more empowered to know what’s good and what should be avoided for their cats.

And their cats are healthier because of it!

Ready to switch to healthy food for a happier cat?

Grab my Raw Feeding Cats Blueprint video course and get the same plan that Sandra and 337+ other cat parents used to switch their cats from processed food to a healthy homemade diet.