Lots of cat parents want to know how to make cat food because more of us realize that processed cat food is bad for cats.
Processed cat food is high in carbohydrates, mystery meats, and it’s cooked to death.
I’ve learned this the hard way over and over with my cats who all ate dry food. Diabetes, liver disease, cancer, CKD, and the list goes on.
This is exactly what pushed me to raw feed Jericho.
Because a fresh, homemade cat food is made with real ingredients that nourish our cats from the inside out!
Overweight cats lose weight naturally, senior cats get their energy back, behavior and litter box issues improve, and our bond gets stronger with our best friend.
This is exactly why I recommend homemade raw cat food as a pet nutritionist.
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Here’s how to make cat food:
- Create a homemade cat food plan
- Upgrade your cat’s processed food
- Choose a complete cat food recipe
- Make your first batch of cat food and take notes
Make homemade cat food easily and confidently – get the shortcut
If you’re ready to make healthy homemade (raw or cooked) cat food, my Raw Feeding Cats Blueprint is for you!
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 homemade diet easily and confidently.
Create a homemade cat food plan
First, you need to create a homemade cat food plan to prevent stress and overwhelm.
Stress and overwhelm hold us back and donât give us progress. But a PLAN – woooo girl! A plan is your best friend.
Upgrade your cat’s processed food
Upgrade your catâs current diet with healthy treats, toppers, and fresher food. This makes the switch to homemade MUCH easier.
Choose a complete cat food recipe
Choose a complete cat food recipe. And make sure a nutritional analysis is provided.
Most free recipes online (even “vet-recommended” recipes) are not complete!
I’ve included homemade cat food premixe options and Dr. Becker’s recipes below.
Make your first batch of cat food and take notes
Youâll learn so much each time you make cat food. Taking notes will make batching future recipes easier and faster!
Why is my cat so picky about healthy food?
I prefer to say cats are cautious (not picky!) about food changes because this is a survival instinct that all cats have.
Cats prefer routine and donât like sudden changes.
On top of that, processed cat food is very addicting! Just like how we get addicted to sugary foods. I had a huge sugar addiction â bread, cookies, ice cream. Even when I gave up bread and sweets I became addicted to pistachios!
Whatâs the common theme here? High carbohydrates (aka sugar).
Cat food (especially dry) is high in carbohydrates.
Since cats are carnivores and donât eat carbs⊠Pet food companies have to add flavor enhancers to the food so cats actually eat it.
Unfortunately, cats get addicted to these flavor enhancers. So then you try to put down fresh, healthy food (that doesnât have flavor enhancers) your cat is like, âGimme my junk food!â
This is why we upgrade treats, toppers, and processed food before we switch to homemade food.
Is it worth it to make your own cat food?
Yes, it’s worth it to make your own cat food because you have complete control over the ingredients, the quality, and how it’s made. Therefore you have more control over the cost.
It’s also worth it in the long run because fresh food is healthier for cats.
Processed food may be cheaper up front. However, feeding dry food only to cats can cause overeating and weight gain which leads to obesity.
Obesity alone puts your cat at a much higher risk for diabetes, liver disease, cancer, urinary issues, and shortened lives. You’ll end up spending more money, time, and stress going to the vet more frequently and on potential medication.
I’ve worked with many diabetic cats who required insulin shots twice daily. Other cats with kidney issues require fluid injections daily. This is very stressful for both you and your cat.
So it’s worth the investment to make healthy cat food because your cat stands a chance at living a healthier, longer life.
Can I feed my cat homemade food every day?
Yes, you can feed your cat homemade food every day as long as your cat’s homemade food is complete and balanced.
Cats need specific nutrients from specific foods. So we need to make sure homemade recipes are complete for our cat’s life stage.
The best way to get a complete recipe is from a nutritionist or to formulate it yourself inside diet formulation software.
Easy and healthy homemade cat food recipes
Beware of free vet approved cat food recipes online. I checked 3 of them in diet formulation software, and they are not complete.
Use either a recipe premix completer or a recipe from a nutritionist. In both cases, request a nutritional analysis so you know it’s a complete recipe.
The easiest way to get started with homemade cat food is to use a homemade completer premix.
This will help you get into the routine of planning, shopping for ingredients, and making the food.
Alnutrin homemade completer premix
You can buy all of the ingredients from Hare Today. Create an account and you’ll earn discount points on your purchases.
Hare Today homemade cat food recipe:
- Meat, bones, and organs chub
- Alnutrin for meat and bone supplements
- Fish oil supplements
There is a small Alnutrin bag that mixes with 5 pounds of food and a large bag that mixes with 35 pounds of food.
Do not use the “+ calcium” option since you are using a meat mix that includes bone.
Instructions for mixing are on the supplement bag and the product page.
You will add fish oil supplements fresh at mealtime according to the instructions on the bottle.
This is a very easy option, but you will pay more shipping fees. This option works best for people who live near PA and OH.
Buy all of your ingredients on Hare Today.
TC Feline homemade completer premix
You can buy TC Feline on Etsy and Amazon.
NOTE: TC Feline sells 3 different supplement mixes.
- Original without liver – does not include liver, recipe requires fresh liver
- Plus chicken liver – already includes liver, do not add liver
- Plus beef liver – already includes liver, do not add liver
TC Feline homemade cat food recipe:
- 1/4 cup premix mixed with 1/2-1 cup water
- 2 raw egg yolks (optional)
- 2 lbs raw boneless meat
- 3.5 oz raw liver (only add fresh liver if you’re using the original premix without liver)
You do not need to add a fish oil source because krill is included in the TC Feline mixes. TC Feline mixes also include a bone source.
Buy TC Feline on Etsy and Amazon.
Know Better for Cats homemade completer premix
You can use Know Better for Cats premix for raw or cooked homemade cat food.
Know Better for Cats homemade recipe:
- 2 lbs. boneless meat
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 cup Know Better for Cats premix
You do not need to add anything else!
You can buy everything that you need on Raw Feeding Miami. Get 10% off your first purchase when you use that link. Create an account and earn discount points.
Or buy Know Better for Cats premix on Amazon.
3 homemade cat food recipes created by Dr. Karen Becker:
Dr. Becker’s recipes above require you to buy vitamins and minerals separately.
Premixes and Dr. Becker’s recipes are good for beginners. But you may feel that your cat has a lack of variety and too many supplements. Plus Dr. Becker’s recipes include veggies which are not part of the cat’s natural diet.
If you feel this way, you’ll definitely connect with Dawna’s story below.
Can I make homemade cat food for multiple cats?
Letâs talk about Dawna and her clowder of 7 cats. Now she has 8 cats. But she had 7 when we started working together.
Dawna was dealing with food allergies, rodent ulcers, behavior issues, and picky cats.
She was feeding a combination of canned food, dehydrated lightly cooked food, and homemade food using a premix and a recipe.
Thankfully Dawna kept a food journal, and she was able to pinpoint what caused bad reactions.
But (as Iâm sure you know) cat food companies change formulas all the time. And you need a magnifying glass to read those ingredients. Itâs so annoying!
Dawna was frustrated because thereâs a lack of consistency. And it was even recommended to try a hydrolyzed protein dry diet. Aka an insanely expensive prescription DRY diet.
And Dawna knew that the problem wasnât the protein. It was the chemical preservatives and additives that go into cat food. Thatâs what caused allergic reactions and all these other health issues.
So Dawna finally decided to go all in on homemade cat food. She didnât want to rely on premixes because sometimes itâs unreliable to order them.
Dawna wanted to find recipes that worked for her.
So Dawna became a member of my Raw Feeding Cats Blueprint video course. My PURR blueprint here helps you plan everything out to avoid stress and overwhelm. And I include complete and balanced recipes (with a nutritional analysis).
My course helped Dawna realize that it was okay to slow down and take small steps. There are many ways to feed our cats a homemade diet.
Dawna was able to quit stressing and bribing them which helped all of them relax. And to her surprise, Aster dug into raw without her even trying!
And it only took about a week for Dawna to see amazing results.
No more food allergies, no more picky eating, no more behavior issues, no more rodent ulcersâŠ
And no more stress for Dawna! Sheâs a busy cat mom and found a healthy homemade cat food meal plan that works for her and her cats.
Itâs truly amazing to see the benefits of a fresh, homemade diet. We see our cats relax, get more energy, maintain a healthy weight, and health issues go away.
Even more amazing is how our relationship with our cats changesâŠ
Dawna now trusts her instincts that her cats need more real food just like her childhood farm cats.
âEven if you canât always do completely homemade and end up supplementing their diet with reconstituted freeze-dried raw or canned food, at least youâll be able to know what to look for in a good quality cat food and wonât have to settle for bad food for your cats especially if your kitty has allergies, youâll know how to omit the problematic ingredients and avoid the reactions and meds used to treat them.â
And thatâs exactly what I empower you to do: make the best decision for your cat.
Because you should never rely on someone else to tell you what to do for YOUR cat. YOU are your catâs best advocate.
Iâm here to provide the information so you can make the absolute best decision. And share my experiences to cheer you on along the way!
Dawna and her cats have shown us that our cats need more real, fresh food. Processed foods are inconsistent and cause more problems than itâs worth.
But healthy homemade cat food gives us complete control. We control the ingredients, the quality, and how itâs made.
And itâs amazing to see the results of a healthy homemade diet!
Sandra and so many other cat parents feel more empowered to know whatâs good and what should be avoided for their cats.
And their cats are healthier because of it!
Ready to switch to healthy homemade food for a happier cat?
Grab my Raw Feeding Cats Blueprint (video course or ebook) and get the same plan that Dawna and 337+ other 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!).