Homemade Cat Food

[blondferret]

Derek Matthews shared a photo. May 15, 2018 near Tisse

Someone please take mercy on my cat and tell me how to make homemade cat food without breaking the bank. Because I'm paying double the rent right now, I can't afford his normal cat food and he is turning his nose up at any of the cheaper store bought food I've bought. It's not like he's starving since I'm mixing some of his new food with his older food, but he only eats his old food and never touches the new food. I curious to find out if he will eat homemade food but I have no idea where to start. HELP!

Comments

[lesinset]

kitty
i have a few recipes for cat food
not sure how fancy it is though

[blondferret]

Mate, I'll take anything to try and get my cat eating his normal amount again!

I'm just kind of glad my owl can hunt for his own food while I'm out of owl feed.

[lesinset]

i make some for the shelter
can make up an extra batch and you can test it first
that why you wont waste time funds on it if he isnt into it

roommate problems
no one said they would move in with you

[blondferret]

Yeah, if you could, that'd be great. He is REALLY picky when it comes to food.

And yeah. No one seems interested in rooming with me. I might just take Jirou up on his offer to move into one of his apartments.

[lesinset]

ok

maybe the place isnt big enough
or they dont have a way to get out of their contract
but would go for it
free space with no rent a++++

[blondferret]

I doubt size is the problem. They would get their own room, bathroom, and walk in closet.

But yeah, Jirou and Kenta say that giving them alcohol once a month will work as my "rent." It's just... a really strange concept to me.

[lesinset]

some people are weird that way

rich people have rich people ideas
regular people dont get them at all

[toobigtohandle]

I can ask Suzuki-san to make you some, since Blaise liked the treats she made.

[blondferret]

Please. And perhaps she could share her recipe or show me how?

[toobigtohandle]

She can definitely teach you. You and Blaise should drop by.

[blondferret]

Just let me know when and Blaise and I will be there!

[toobigtohandle]

When do you plan on visiting the apartment?

[blondferret]

I uh... hadn't particularly decided yet.

[invocate]

IDK how helpful it will be, but a guy I follow on YT put up a video of himself making food for his cat. [here]

[blondferret]

Uh... do my knife skills need to be that good? Is he professional chef or something?

[invocate]

TBH I do not know if he is a professional chef, but he does a lot of cooking videos.

So no, I do not think your knife skills need to be that good.

[blondferret]

OK, no fancy knife skills needed. But I wonder if i can do this with chicken and just like cook it. Fish is a fairly expensive meat and i just can't afford it right now.

[invocate]

Probably? Or maybe sprinkle some fish flakes on top for a little extra flavour? Maybe your vet would have some ideas on what cats need for a balanced diet.

[blondferret]

What are fish flakes and where can I buy them?

[maskreant]

someone already linked the YouTube i was thinking of, but i would recommend checking in with a vet to help you assemble the best balanced homemade recipe for your cat. you might lose out on nutrients if you don’t get professional consulting.

anyway, do you always leave your cat’s bowl out and filled?

[blondferret]

Yeah, I plan on calling my vet and asking a few questions. But in answer to your question, no. I feed him twice a day and I leave him water to drink when I'm out for the day.

[maskreant]

usually, if you keep meal consistent and timed, your cat will have to eat eventually. don't let him trick you into thinking that he's starving.

[blondferret]

Have you not been reading what I've been messaging you? I told you, I feed him twice a day. He's not tricking me. I've had my cat for almost two years. I do know how to take care of him and I'm just looking for other food alternatives because I'm short on money due to having to pay more rent. He won't eat the cheaper food and I don't want him to go hungry. I figured making him homemade food might be more appealing to his pallet.

[maskreant]

yes, i read them and i'm not doubting you. i'm still saying that cats can be really stubborn about their diet which is what you've described. he thinks he can still pick and choose, so he won't eat cheaper food even when you won't be able to afford his usual. anyway, i know a group of cat owners that go with a raw diet, but you would need to test it with your cat by offering some raw chicken or whatever protein you'll be working with the most. if he likes it, i'll make some other recommendations.

otherwise, these are items you can use for a cooked diet:

protein (chicken, turkey, beef, pork, salmon)
organs (liver, heart, kidney of the same protein unless it's salmon which you can just add an egg yolk)
fish oil
powdered egg shells or bone

those are the basics and you'll probably read that you need to add supplements like taurine, B complex, and vitamin E (all of these are in AlNutrin if you want a one stop shop) which you can buy in the process of rolling into homemade diet. the ratio i go with for the organ mix is 50% liver, 25% heart, and 25% kidney and it would be about 15% of the main protein's weight. grinders are your friends, but i wouldn't invest in one unless homemade is working for you and your cat.

the best cooking method is one where the ingredients don't lose a lot of moisture, so pressure cookers or roasting in a very tight covered pan work. also, the cooking liquid needs to be reserved and added to the final product.

i'll send you a doc with some recipes, nutritional facts, and measurements that i've used (thanks, cat forums) and worked on my cat. hope this helps.

[ And zip is the link to a google drive. Bless technology. ]

[blondferret]

Thanks for the info. I'll have to think about it. I don't really like the idea of feeding my cat raw food though.