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

[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.

[maskreant]

yeah, i'm reluctant myself. some say that raw food keeps most of the nutrients, but some also say that cooking food makes nutrients easier to digest.

you never win.

[blondferret]

I've been feeding my cat cooked food with minimal ingredients. I'd rather not drastically change his diet and upset his stomach. He's had stomach problems in the past and I'd rather not repeat that.

[maskreant]

pets are the hassle we love... i remember my cat, for some reason, wanted to eat carpet and that wasn't fun for his stomach, either.

how did you guys meet? adoption?

[blondferret]

Yeah, I adopted him almost two years ago. He was a very vocal cat when I met him at the shelter... well, he still is a vocal cat.