John Dow asked: There are so many options available to the health conscious cat owner. Do I buy manufactured food and cat treats? If I buy manufactured, should I buy canned or dry? What fresh ingredients are the best for my cat?
While you must make the decision about whether to go manufactured, fresh, or a combination of the two, you should know there are lots of options about preparing your own healthy, tasty cat treats. There are also some things to remember about the best nutrition for your cat.
Cats need a combination of dry and moist food choices. The moist choices usually provide the more natural dietary needs cats have as true carnivores. The protein content is usually higher, providing them with more of what they need in each feeding. Yet moist foods have less filler, so it may take more food to fill kitty’s tummy.
The dry choices are also important. They do help to satisfy the cat’s hunger. I think we would go broke trying to keep our cat Tommy full on only canned cat food products! Second, the crunchy texture of the dry cat food choices provides dental care for your cat. Keeping teeth clean is an important aspect of his health, and it avoids the unpleasant sedation required for the vet to clean them.
Purchasing the variety of foods and cat treats necessary to keep your cat at its optimum health can be burdensome, both in the quantity of products you purchase and the space to store them, but also financially. One alternative to purchasing is to make your own cat food.
So many choices are available for a cat owner who wants to make his own foods. There are recipes available for kitty biscuits and crunchy treats. There are recipes for chicken and fish meals. There are recipes for those who desire to add a vegetable based element to their cat’s diet.
Some of my favorite cat treat recipes are so easy to make, and Tommy absolutely loves them. It’s as if he tastes the love that goes into preparing them! I have a couple recipes for kitty cookies, which we give Tommy as treats. The one he likes best is a flour-based recipe, and it includes wheat germ, and molasses.
Another of Tommy’s favorite recipes is a chicken and broth mixture rolled in a tortilla. The texture of the chicken blended with the broth is very similar to a canned cat food, and when it is rolled in a tortilla and sliced, it is very convenient to reward him every so often with a tasty treat. This recipe has to be refrigerated, and it can only be kept a few days before you run the risk of food poisoning.
Believe it or not, another favorite of Tommy’s is a kitty taco. This one is so easy for me to make anytime I brown ground beef for my family meal. It includes bone meal and cheese, which always brings Tommy running.
If you want a daily cat food instead of just cat treats you may consider a fish-based or a chicken-based homemade recipe. Tommy is a fan of anything that is made fresh. One of the greatest benefits of making your own cat food is you know exactly what quality of ingredients is going into the food. You can be assured your cat is getting choice cuts of fish and chicken, rather than animal by-products. Also, if you choose to add a vegetable component to your cat’s diet, you are certain that your cat is not getting leaves, stalks and other plant by-products that can be found in some manufactured foods.
I have the luxury of taking the time to cook for my cat and my family, but that was not always the case. If you find yourself on a busy schedule, and stepping foot in the kitchen to cook for the cat makes you cringe, you might consider a couple options.
First, plan your cat’s diet around your family’s diet. When you fix fish for the family, purchase a little extra to turn into cat treats. When you make a batch of cat food, it will only last a couple days in the refrigerator. Any cat can eat the same meal a couple days in a row, if it is a fresh, homemade option.
Second, use a couple hours on a weekend or free evening to prepare several recipes at once. You can freeze these homemade options until you are ready to use them. While you are preparing some of the perishable items, you may also opt to mix up a couple batches of homemade treats, which last longer and usually don’t need refrigerating.
Cat owners love their cats, and we want them to have the best diet without breaking the bank or our schedules. There are lots of cat treat recipes that cats love and they require only a little extra time to prepare them. If your cat is anything like Tommy, he will love the time and effort you put into preparing his meals. You can provide your cat with the safest, most beneficial diet by using some innovative, simple homemade cat treats recipes.
Jorge
