We feed the cat properly with natural food: what to feed at home, veterinarian advice and menus. How to make dry cat food at home? Wet food for cats

A relative of the king of beasts should not eat sausages

Cats are close relatives of lions. The basis of the diet of the king
animals - the animal protein of the caught prey and all the components of its stomach. The prey of cats is much more modest, but still it is a small predator. In the wild, cats feed on small mammals (catching mice), attack birds, lizards and frogs, and feast on fish.

By eating whole prey, cats get all the necessary nutrients, including vitamins and minerals. The diet of domestic cats should not differ from the diet of cats living in the wild. Therefore, food from the master's table, such as fried fish, potatoes or sausages, is not suitable for a domestic predator.

In order to form an animal diet that will not cause health problems, you need to have knowledge of the basics of nutritional physiology. It is this knowledge that we will share with you in our article.

Natural nutrition: pros and cons

Every cat needs a balanced diet rich in proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. The pet can get them from natural products prepared by the owner himself.

The advantage of feeding your cat natural food is that you will know what foods are in the pet's diet. And certainly do not allow any "chemistry" there. In addition, industrial feed looks unnatural, unusual for humans. Therefore, owners often have doubts about the benefits and safety of this type of feeding.

The disadvantage of using natural products for cat food is that ready-made meals quickly deteriorate and require knowledge, skills and time to cook.

If you decide to become a nutritionist for your cat and learn the basics of cooking for animals, read our article below.

Treasured BJU: feeding a cat with natural food

There are no single rules in compiling a cat's diet. It all depends on the individual characteristics of the animal. Some cats like variety in their food, others prefer one or two types of food. If the pet does not like the food, he will starve until the owner begins to reckon with his preferences.

When compiling a natural diet, some owners include only meat food in it. Remember that tailed predators need nutrients, vitamins, micro and macro elements that are found in plant foods. The lack of these substances is reflected in the appearance of the pet: the cat's hair begins to fall out, fall into tangles, dandruff appears.

In order for a cat's diet to be balanced, it must include quality foods containing proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Let's talk about the main sources of nutrients in the cat's diet separately.

Protein Sources

The main part of the cat's diet should be proteins. They are necessary for the growth and normal functioning of the body. Proteins are made up of amino acids, some of which are not produced in the body of the pet and must be supplied in sufficient quantities with food.

Sources of protein for cats:

Meat and meat products;
Fish;
Dairy products;
Eggs.

Feed your pet lean beef. Also, the animal can be given lamb, rabbit meat, chicken and turkey meat.

By-products are an integral part of the diet of any cat, as they have a high biological value. For example, the liver contains a lot of vitamin A, fatty acids and trace elements.

Of the offal, the cat is given beef or chicken:

Liver;
kidneys;
Heart frozen raw or boiled.

Include fish in the cat's diet: river or sea. It should be given no more than 1-2 times a week. Fish is in no way inferior to meat in terms of biological value, but it contains a large amount of mineral salts, which are deposited in the form of crystals in the kidneys and ureters. Also, too frequent consumption of raw marine fish leads to a lack of B vitamins in the cat's body.

Sea fish is given to a pet in a boiled form, while large bones are taken out of it. River fish are also fed boiled, as they are often infected with helminth larvae.

Eggs contain all the necessary trace elements, but do not give them to your cat more than once a week. Raw egg white is completely excluded from the pet's diet, as it negatively affects the normal molting process and causes dermatitis. Boiled egg white can be given to a cat occasionally, chopping it with a knife. Many pets like omelet, which is cooked in milk or water. The yolk is given to the cat both boiled and raw. It is added to cereals or offered separately.

Dairy products are an important part of a cat's diet. Milk in its pure form is recommended only for kittens, as most adult cats do not digest it and cause digestive problems. You can give low-fat dairy products:

Kefir;
Ryazhenka;
Yogurt;
Cottage cheese;

Include these products in the diet of an adult cat 1-2 times a week.

Sources of Fat

In the diet of a cat must be present vegetable and animal fats. A lack of fat can lead to skin diseases, slow growth and development in kittens, and impaired reproductive function in adult pets. However, excess fat, which leads to obesity, is also harmful.

The source of healthy animal fats for cats are:

Butter;
egg yolks;
Fish fat;
Offal.

The composition of butter includes polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E. They help to increase immunity, strengthen the walls of blood vessels, and speed up metabolism. Of the vegetable oils, sunflower, corn, olive and linseed are the most useful for a cat. Vegetable oil is recommended to be added to the feed daily for ½ teaspoon.

Sources of carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are a source of energy that cats need, but in small amounts. Include cereals in your pet's diet. Boil them in broth or milk diluted with water. You can add butter or sunflower oil, pieces of vegetables, meat or fish to the porridge.

Offer your favorite cereal - an excellent source of complex carbohydrates and fiber. They are high in calories but low in fat. Cats can be given:

Buckwheat;
oatmeal;
Rice;
Corn;
Wheat porridge.

An excellent source of carbohydrates is raw or boiled vegetables. They are mashed, given in small pieces or rubbed on a grater.

From vegetables, cats are given:

Green beans;
Carrot;
cauliflower;
zucchini;
Pumpkin.

It is useful to introduce greens into the pet's diet: parsley, dill, lettuce, spinach. Most cats are happy to eat grass sprouted at home. Vegetables and greens are mixed with meat or fish, and also given separately.

Add bran to your cat's diet, which is a valuable source of fiber. Dietary fiber fiber enhance intestinal motility and improve the state of microflora. Bran is added to both meat and sour-milk feeding.

Natural food for cats: 3 simple recipes for a lazy owner

We told you about the main components of the diet of domestic cats - proteins, fats and carbohydrates. They provide energy to the pet's body. Let's talk about how to cook tasty and healthy food for your tailed friend from the available products.

For each animal, the composition of the diet is selected individually, based on its needs, period of life and state of health.

As we already wrote, the pet's menu should include four food groups:

Meat;
Dairy products and eggs;
Fats and oils;
Grains, vegetables.

Here are three universal recipes that every owner can use.

Beef meatballs "Nedelka"

Ingredients:

Beef - 2 kg;
Rice - 200 g;
Frozen vegetables (carrots, broccoli, corn, bell peppers) - 400 g;
Beef broth - 100 ml;
Olive oil - 2 tablespoons.

Cooking

Cut the beef into small pieces. Boil frozen or fresh vegetables, cool them. Boil and cool the rice. Twist all the ingredients in a meat grinder, adding beef broth, olive oil. From the resulting minced meat, form portioned balls. Put the prepared meatballs in the freezer. Defrost as needed and give to the cat.

The resulting number of meatballs for an adult animal is enough for 7 days of nutrition.

Ice cream for cats "Pushistik"

This ice cream can be used as a summer treat and differs from the usual "human" ice cream in the absence of ingredients that are harmful to cats (sugar, fat, dyes).

Ingredients

Low-fat cottage cheese - 200 g;
Kefir or fermented baked milk - 100 ml;
Vanillin - 0.5 teaspoon.

Cooking

Using a blender, mix all the ingredients and pack in plastic cups. Insert an ice cream stick or plastic spoon into each cup. Place the ice cream in the refrigerator for 6 hours.

Warm the finished portion a little in the palm of your hand so that the ice cream easily separates from the walls. On a hot day, offer a treat to your pet.

Chicken pate for cats "Lakomka"

You can give this pate to your cat as a treat as an addition to the main menu. Its use will help diversify the pet's diet.

Ingredients:

Chicken kidneys / liver / hearts - 1 kg;
Carrots - 1 pc;
Walnuts - 100 g;
Butter - 50 g;
Chicken broth - 200 ml.

Cooking

Boil selected chicken offal and carrots, cool. Grind all the ingredients into a gruel, mix, add chicken broth. 1-2 hours after cooking, the pate will become thicker.

Store the treat in the refrigerator and offer to your cat as needed.

Remember: for a pet to be healthy, its diet should not contain seasonings and spices. Human food is not suitable for animals. The food you offer your pet should be varied and balanced. However, creating a perfectly balanced diet for a cat is difficult. Therefore, veterinarians recommend giving them special vitamins. Read on to find out what vitamins your pet needs.

Does a cat need vitamins in a natural diet?

At certain stages of life, the body of every cat needs vitamins and minerals. The body of a pregnant cat, kitten or an elderly animal must be supported additionally, including vitamins in the pet's daily diet. Cats fed natural food should be on a special account and additional vitamins, micro- and macronutrients should be given to them constantly.

In addition to vitamins for wool, which are most often used by owners, a pet needs multivitamins, as well as dietary supplements containing calcium, phosphorus and other trace elements.

Pet stores have a large number of vitamins and fortified treats that you can purchase for your pet. The information on the package or a store consultant will help you choose the right complex.

The source of infection can be poorly cooked fish or meat. And in the end - a disease not only of the animal, but also of its owner. Cats have helminthiases in common with humans, so the owner can easily pick up worms from a pet by stroking and kissing him. Especially often children who spend a lot of time with four-legged friends become infected with worms from cats.

The right way to solve the problem of infection of a cat with worms

In order to prevent infection of the cat with parasitic worms, special anthelmintic drugs are used. When choosing a remedy for prevention or treatment, pay attention to its spectrum of action. A modern drug should solve the problem of infection with the most common parasitic worms: round and tapeworms at all stages of their development.

Pet store shelves are full of many types of industrial ready-made professional cat food. Many of them, especially the economy and super-economy product line, can cause irreparable harm to the health of your furry pet.

Owners who sincerely want to see their animal happy for many years often think about cooking food for cats at home. Sometimes this is prompted by an animal disease, in which dry food is prohibited. Not every owner can afford to purchase expensive high-quality dry or wet canned professional premium class food for a cat based on the latest technologies. Cheap feed, abundantly flavored with artificial flavors, dyes that enhance the smell, attracting the animal, can cause food addiction, similar to a drug one. In this article, we will look at what you can cook for a cat from homemade food.

Some owners immediately feed their pets with natural food, while others come to this later, appreciating the benefits of this type of food. Products for this are almost always available in the refrigerator, they are much cheaper than ready-made purchased feed.

Many owners want to make their own healthy homemade menu, preferable for a cat's sensitive stomach, without preservatives, sugar, chemicals, bones, reducing the risk of food poisoning, allergies, and you can always control the menu and pet's diet.

Requirements for natural food

Dishes prepared by the owners of fluffy beauties themselves will be useful and suitable for pets if certain rules are followed. You need to understand - a careless attitude to the issue of feeding can cause harm, lead to illness, death of a family friend. It is necessary to observe those nutritional standards that this individual is able to eat in nature. It is important to adhere to the following requirements:

the daily diet of a cat should contain a sufficient amount of components of animal origin, Omega 3 and 6 fatty amino acids;
home-made food should be complete, balanced, taking into account the physiological natural needs, age, breed characteristics, activity, sensitivity of the digestive organs, health status, gender, providing the animal with the necessary amount of energy. All this requires a certain experience, analysis. It is worth developing a natural menu under the guidance of a veterinarian to carefully calculate the nutrients the cat needs, to obtain all the necessary elements in the diet;
necessarily weighing products, strict accounting of the volume of food. A pet does not know how much food he needs. The result of this approach is often obesity, digestive, cardiac, respiratory problems. The danger is both an oversupply and a deficiency of nutrients;
cat food should contain the necessary trace elements (necessarily phosphorus, calcium), including vitamins;
a serving of food must be completely eaten.

Nutritional needs of cats

In nature, cats lead a predatory lifestyle, feeding on birds and small rodents. Their jaws are able to tear off, gnaw off pieces of meat, but they swallow them completely, whole, because. do not have chewing teeth. Animals can eat food in pieces, eat chopped food, dishes in the form of pastes, cereals.

The feline family, like all other predatory animals, carbohydrate products are not recommended, they are not broken down in the stomach and are harmful. The preferences of a person and a cat are different, although pets can enjoy their owner's favorite dish with pleasure. There are capricious individuals who are content with a certain type of product, indifferent to the rest.

Cats need a diet high in fat and protein, the latter they need twice as much in volume as dogs. The pet's diet is carefully planned taking into account the accepted feeding. The nutrition formula for a cat is simple: half of the diet should be protein (meat), 1/4 fiber - vegetables, 1/4 carbohydrates - cereals.

Features of permitted natural food:

the main share of the diet (more than 85%) should be meat: lean chicken, beef, rabbit, about 8% of body weight - up to 6 months of age, after a year - about 4%. Chicken requires careful introduction into the diet, as it has recently caused severe allergic reactions. The meat is given with scalded boiling water or boiled with the addition of vegetables, a few drops of vegetable oil. Pork is strictly prohibited;
fish: sea, low-fat varieties - once a week, in order to avoid urolithiasis, instead of raw meat, whole or only boiled (hake, pollock, blue whiting, tuna) to prevent severe anemia, without bones. Mackerel, haddock, flounder, salmon, cod are allowed. Freshwater fish must be boiled to eliminate the problems associated with the defeat of cats with helminths, and the destruction of the harmful enzyme - thiaminase. It is not permissible to feed castrated cats and sterilized females with fish products;
fermented milk products: kefir, medium-fat cottage cheese, less than 5%. Milk cannot be added to the menu. Lactose is poorly absorbed by adult cats due to the lack of an enzyme - lactase, but pets that tolerate the product can be given boiled as a source of calcium in the body. Cheese, cream, sour cream - heavy products for the pancreas;
offal: liver (when raw it relaxes the intestines, when boiled it acts as a binder), kidneys, lungs, heart (contains a lot of taurine necessary for cats) - are served raw a couple of times a week. Not all cats are able to digest them. Loose stools, vomiting - a reason to refuse this food;
eggs - quail, chicken are allowed, as an independent dish and with the addition to fermented milk products. Contain a lot of biotin, which strengthens the coat;
vegetables - almost everything is allowed, except for potatoes, cabbage, beets, fruits - except for citrus fruits, bananas. You can combine several types or stop at one product preferred by your animals. They are given raw in crushed form, as a separate dish or mixed with meat. Not absorbed, needed for good digestion;
cereals and bran - useful for peristalsis, help maintain beneficial intestinal microflora. You can give porridge: rice, buckwheat, oatmeal;
oils: olive, pumpkin, linseed - envelop the mucous membrane of the digestive organs, normalize their work;
greens collected far from the city limits, sprouted rice or oats are given periodically.

A vegetarian diet, useful to humans, predators, is contraindicated, it negatively affects well-being, causing blindness, cardiac arrest, death, regardless of the addition of the necessary vitamins to food.

Feeding frequency

Kittens up to 2 weeks old are fed every 2 hours, a kitten aged 1-2 months - 5-6 feedings, a kitten 3 months old - three to four times a day, six months old - twice. For adult cats, food is left uncleaned, they can be allowed to eat as much as they want or feed 2-3 times a day. When several individuals are nearby in the house, it is necessary to ensure that they do not eat someone else's food. Sterilized and castrated animals are fed once a day.

It is important to give cat food at the same time to develop a proper diet. Meat, long-digested food, is left for evening feeding. Constant access to food is not needed to avoid overeating and obesity.

After eating, cats usually rest in secluded places, they should not be disturbed. If you refuse to feed, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, fever, you should immediately seek help from a veterinarian.

The remains of food in the bowl are not left for a long time - souring, spoilage of food can cause poisoning of the animal. Food not eaten within an hour is thrown away.

How to accustom a cat to new food

Cats quickly get used to a certain type of food, so they may initially refuse innovations. Continue to offer a new diet to your pet, sometimes replacing it with a completely familiar food, the animal will become interested in the product over time.

You can start introducing the ingredient, gradually adding it to the usual feeding, replacing it completely after 1-2 weeks.

Self-compilation of the menu for cats begins if they are ready to correctly calculate the amount of necessary components, nutrients. If you are a busy person, travel or work a lot, who can provide proper care and nutrition for your little friend?

The animal needs not only boiled, but also raw food or ready-made food, supplying the body with important substances, amino acids, which are destroyed during heat treatment. In this case, the best solution would be to feed with industrial feeds that can provide all the vital components.

How to cook food

After studying the cat's needs, you can begin to create a menu for cats. At the same time, it is important to maintain a balance, because when using nutrients in excess, the pet may experience serious health problems. This will require a lot of time and financial resources. Feeding natural food requires a competent approach. With such a vital question, it is better to seek the help of a veterinarian.

Homemade cat food should be at room temperature or slightly warmed. Pieces are given small: the cat eats quickly, large parts may not be digested, cause vomiting.

Dishes for feeding

Better suited are special bowls intended for cats, expanding towards the bottom - they turn over less, slide. Their size accommodates a single portion of food, food does not crumble, does not smear on the walls, bottom. It is not recommended to use double containers simultaneously with water and food: food often gets into the liquid, the animal refuses to drink.

Nutrition calculation

Natural nutrition is convenient, allows you to control the weight of pets, the amount of nutrients, mineral and vitamin supplements. But it requires the correct calculation of the daily norm, otherwise the animal will not avoid health problems in the future. For different ages, the amount of food is individual.

How much food is needed

From ten weeks the baby can be weaned from the mother. Before reaching the age of 9 months of food, he needs no more than 10% of the total body weight. For example, with a weight of 1.5 kg, a kitten needs 150 g of food. It can be meat, dairy products in a ratio of 50:50.

How much food does an adult need

For a mature animal, the amount of feed is prepared at the rate of 5% of the pet's weight. With a cat weighing 4 kg, food needs 200 g, the composition is the same as for babies: equal shares of meat and sour-milk products. You can mix some vegetables (10-15 grams) and a couple of drops of vegetable oil into your food.

It is not always possible to weigh an adult cat separately. You can do the following: stand on the floor scales with the animal, then subtract your weight, as a result, the mass of the furry friend will remain.

Water

Access to clean filtered water for cats should be constant, it is important that the liquid is always in sight. Furry pets, like all mammals, need it. Often cats prefer to drink from large, deep dishes: buckets, basins, ignoring small bowls.

A large dog bowl will serve as an ideal container: the water will remain clean for a long time, it is difficult to turn the dishes over. The amount of necessary liquid the cat regulates independently, drinking the required volume. You need to monitor older animals, because constipation that has appeared may indicate a violation of the water balance. To get rid of problems with the intestines and avoid dehydration, cats are transferred to feeding semi-liquid food.

Dish recipes

Cats are even more gourmet eaters than humans. This is facilitated by their origin and habits that have developed over the years. Monotonous food quickly bothers them, a change in diet is necessary at least a couple of times a week. If it is impossible to cook often, long-term storage dishes are prepared.

What do cats eat from homemade food? It can be homemade dry food and minced meat, portioned out in portions stored in the refrigerator.

How to make dry food

This type of food is convenient to use, you can take it with you on the road, it does not take up much space. But cheap industrial feed contains a lot of dangerous chemicals that can kill an animal. High quality food is not available to every cat owner. Therefore, self-made dry food, created from high-quality natural products, dried to a certain moisture content, will be an excellent substitute for expensive ready-made feeds. It is also convenient on the road, has a long shelf life. Cat food can be prepared from almost many products available at home. It all depends on the imagination of the owner and the taste preferences of the pet. The main thing is that it should be useful and have good taste. Cats are happy to eat such a tasty, inexpensive food.

Recipe #1:

500 g beef liver;
carrots, cottage cheese 500 g each;
eggs - 2 pcs;
cottage cheese, zucchini, beets - each 100g.

Products are independently ground with a meat grinder, eggs are driven in, everything is mixed. The resulting minced meat is molded in the form of meatballs or cutlets, distributed on a sheet, sent to the oven for drying for 40-50 minutes. It is taken out, after cooling it breaks into small pieces.

Recipe #2:

500 g of liver;
500 g of hearts;
1 kg chicken soup set;
2 carrots;
1 cup boiled cereals (buckwheat, pearl barley, rice - you can alternate).

The meat is beaten off, finely chopped, ground together with hearts, liver, carrots using a combine. The resulting pate is evenly laid out on a baking sheet or silicone sheet, baked, dried in the oven for 40 minutes. Cut, broken into small pieces. Stored in the refrigerator for a long time.

Homemade natural dishes

These recipes will take a little effort, time, which is important for busy modern people. With the help of such dishes, your pets will always be full, satisfied.

Liver with oatmeal:

chicken liver, beef;
half a glass of oatmeal;
frozen green peas;
a little sunflower oil.

The liver is boiled or stewed. Oatmeal is boiled. The crushed liver is mixed together with peas and oatmeal.

Chicken breast with vegetables and rice:

carrot;
half a glass of rice;
1 breast;
2 glasses of water.

Breast, rice are boiled. The meat is chopped, mixed with rice and grated carrots.

Diet for allergies:

2 cups minced lamb meat;
half a cup of zucchini or carrots;
a glass of boiled dark rice;
50 g of cottage cheese;
a quarter teaspoon of garlic powder.

Whip the ingredients with a blender, feed warm.

Examples of a cat menu for the day

Cat food rations from cooked homemade food (based on an animal weight of 4.5 kg).

breakfast: 30 g cottage cheese, 1 chicken egg, water;
lunch: 40 g of cottage cheese, 30 g of chicken hearts, water;
dinner: 70 g rabbit meat, 40 g cottage cheese, water.

breakfast: 15 g of vegetables, 50 g of boiled fish;
lunch: 20 g of kefir, 45 g of cottage cheese;
dinner: 20 g of kefir, 70 g of lean meat.

No. 3 (for all methods, write):

500 g of beef;
2 hard-boiled eggs;
1.5 - 2 cups of rye crackers;
chopped parsley.

The meat is boiled, ground with a meat grinder along with eggs, the ingredients are mixed with breadcrumbs, herbs, dipped in boiling water for a couple of minutes. Give the cat half-baked.

What foods are dangerous

Before you go to the kitchen to prepare food for your pet, you need to consider several factors. It should be understood: foods that you like can be harmful to cats.

Cats are prohibited:

chocolate, products with cocoa beans - contain theobromine, toxic to animals;
onions, garlic, grapes, raisins;
tomatoes, eggplants;
sugar, salt, soda, baking powder;
sweets (sweets, cakes) cause diabetes, allergies;
spices, spices;
alcohol;
artificial sweeteners;
tea, coffee, products, drugs from a human pharmacy containing caffeine;
dog food (dry, wet), because has a different composition:
pork, lamb;
bones, heads, tails, paws can cause intestinal obstruction, trauma to the digestive tract;
semolina, millet, corn porridge - useless food;
pasta, flour - cause obesity, constipation, colitis;
the remains of human food (fried, smoked, baked);
sausages;
raw eggs;
veterinarians do not recommend feeding cats with raw meat purchased in the markets, in stores - it often contains dangerous hormones, antibiotics;
pickled vegetables, fruits;
freshwater fish - the risk of infection with helminths;
seafood;
mushrooms - the cat's body does not digest, does not produce enzymes that can break them down, the cat can even get poisoned by edible ones;
nuts - are not digested, can cause a severe allergic reaction, up to respiratory arrest.

Feeding a pet with a natural menu requires a competent, attentive approach. It takes a lot of time, often a lot of money, to provide the animal with a varied, balanced menu. A cat, just like us, cannot constantly eat the same product.

It is especially important to monitor the nutrition of animals that have been ill, undergone surgery, pregnant, young and suffering from chronic diseases. In such cases, it is best to consult a veterinarian or feline health professional to rule out hazardous foods. Sometimes even healthy food is harmful if used in excess.

Before you sit down at the table yourself, you should feed the animal. A hungry cat is especially sensitive to the smells of human food, begins to intensively beg for food, then eats with increased appetite, which eventually causes obesity.

Be attentive to the behavior of the pet: a product that does not fit must be immediately excluded, replaced with another one. If your home friend has a good appearance, it is vigorous, healthy, playful, then the diet is correct. This means that food prepared by one's own hands will give your pet good health, a long, happy life, and excellent health.

Cat food prepared industrially does not require much time and effort from you, they are easy to purchase and give to your pet. This is especially important and convenient with a busy work schedule. However, one cannot ignore the fact that some of these factory-made foods can be harmful to your cat's health. Therefore, an increasing number of pet owners are choosing to switch from commercially available foods to a more natural diet for their pets.

Specially prepared homemade cat food, made from fresh and wholesome ingredients, can be, if not the mainstay, then a pleasant and healthy addition to your pet's diet. In addition, such food is much more natural, it is closer to the natural diet of cats than anything that is offered in pet stores.

Before preparing food for your pet, you need to know a few rules

There are foods that are harmful to the health of cats:

pork,
chocolate,
mushrooms,
salt.

You should also avoid feeding your cat with raw eggs (boiled eggs can be given calmly), raw fish and milk, at least these foods should not be fed frequently. Most people who own multiple types of pets often feed their pets the same food items. You can't do that.

Choose Recipes High in Protein

Owners should be aware that cats need a lot of protein (they need 5 times more protein than dogs), which inevitably means that dog food may not be the normal food for a cat. For each type of animal (for example, cats, dogs, chinchillas), you need to cook separately. There are many simple and affordable recipes that you can use to provide a complete and balanced diet for your cat.

Of course, as we all know, cats are picky eaters, so there is no guarantee that they will like all the recipes, but some of them are sure to please. The main thing to start with is what your cat loves and what smells good.

Use different sources of meat

The more of them, the better (chicken, turkey, beef, rabbit, duck, etc.). This provides a more complete balance of nutrients and enriches the feed with different flavors and textures. You can use different sources of meat at the same time.

There are varying opinions about the use of bones in cat food. Personally, I never use them because of the danger of choking, puncturing or blocking the digestive tract.

Add products containing taturine

The heart of various animals should be added to the diet, as it is one of the best sources of taurine, which is an essential amino acid for cats. If you do not give your cat enough hearts (about 10% of the diet), you need to supplement taurine in the form of food supplements.

Also, the menu should include the liver or another secretion organ (for example, the kidneys and spleen). Most animals dislike the taste, but it can be masked by grinding and mixing with meats and vegetables. Among vegetables, you can give pumpkin, spinach, carrots, etc. Onions and garlic are toxic to cats and should not be given.

For cooking, you will also need a blender, food processor or meat grinder.

The basic formula for cat food is simple: half protein (meat) and one quarter each carbohydrates (grains) and vegetables (fiber).

Protein is found in turkey, chicken, rabbit, fish and other meats. The best source of carbohydrates is brown rice. As for vegetables, whatever your cat eats will do. The meat can be either raw or boiled. Mix it with boiled vegetables and rice.

And now some recipes for homemade cat food

They are collected from various sources on the Internet. Anything you cook for your cat (with a few exceptions, of course) will be better than anything you can buy in the store, because not only are you in complete control of all the ingredients, but also because you are directly involved in the process. Cats, just like people, appreciate homemade food prepared with love especially for them.

Chicken with rice and vegetables

2 cups chopped or shredded chicken
1/4 cup grated boiled carrots

Cut the chicken into small pieces. Pass the carrots through a food processor. Mix chicken and carrots with rice. Serve at room temperature.

Diet for a picky cat

1 cup boiled chicken
1/4 cup steamed broccoli
1/4 carrot, steamed
Chicken broth, about half a cup

Mix ingredients and serve.

Salmon with rice

150 gr. steamed salmon
1/2 hard boiled egg
1/3 cup boiled rice
1 calcium carbonate tablet (400 mg calcium)
1 tablet vitamin-mineral complex

Mix and serve.

liver holiday

2 cups chopped beef or chicken liver
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup cooked oatmeal
1/4 cup frozen steamed peas

Boil the liver with vegetable oil, finely chop. Add cooked oatmeal and green peas. Cool and serve at room temperature.

From what is

1.5 cups meat - beef, chicken, turkey, lamb (finely chopped)
0.5 cup vegetables - carrots, zucchini, sweet potato, pumpkin or wheat germ
0.5 cup mashed potatoes, rice or oatmeal
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Pass vegetables through a food processor. Cut the meat finely. Mix meat and vegetables, potatoes, rice or oatmeal. Add vegetable oil and serve.

Tuna for lunch

0.5 kg. tuna, canned in oil
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 cup grated carrots
2 tablespoons wheat germ

Mix and serve at room temperature. Do not give more than once a week as it may lead to vitamin E deficiency.

Liver and kidneys for dinner

1 cup boiled chopped liver or kidneys
3/4 cup boiled oatmeal
3 tablespoons grated carrots or zucchini
1/3 cup yogurt
3 tablespoons butter

Mix minced liver or kidney, oatmeal and vegetables. Melt the butter and pour over the mixture. Add yogurt and serve at room temperature.

Holiday

1 cup minced beef
1/4 cup alfalfa or parsley
1/2 cup cottage cheese with cream

Mix ingredients.

Diet for allergies

2 cups minced lamb
1/2 cup shredded carrots or zucchini
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 cup cottage cheese
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Dinner time

100 gr. cooked white chicken meat
1/4 cup cooked mashed potatoes
1-1/2 teaspoons butter

Mix all ingredients in a blender, serve at room temperature.

For breakfast

1 egg
1 tablespoon green beans (cooked or mashed)
1 tablespoon finely chopped carrots
2 tablespoons minced chicken breasts (skinless)
1/3 cup brown rice (cooked)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. You can also puree the mixture in a blender if needed.

Braised chicken for cats

1 whole chicken
2 cups brown rice
6 celery stalks
6 carrots, grated but not peeled
2 small yellow pumpkins
2 zucchini
1 cup green peas
handful of string beans

Wash the chicken, then cover with water in a large pot and simmer. Cut the vegetables into pieces and add to the pot. Add rice. Simmer until the chicken is almost off the bone and the vegetables are tender. Remove the chicken completely from the bones. This is very important because cooked chicken bones can cause serious intestinal damage. Pour everything into a blender and grind the mixture.

Recipe with chicken liver

1/2 cup boiled broccoli or boiled carrots
1/2 cup boiled rice
1 1/2 cups boiled chicken liver
Chicken liver broth

Put rice, liver, broccoli or carrots in a blender and blend them with a little broth.

Chicken with broccoli

A piece of skinless and boneless chicken breast the size of your hand or smaller, depending on how much you want to cook
Two to three pieces of broccoli

Boil chicken and broccoli, mix in a blender until smooth.

Shrimps with carrots

3-4 raw shrimp. It is necessary to cut off the tail and remove the outer layer, boil.
Carrots will need to be boiled over high heat for 10-15 minutes, then beat them in a blender until smooth.

Once the shrimp have cooled down a bit, cut them into small pieces. Mix with carrots.

Meat with cottage cheese

100 gr. meat, beef or poultry
1 tablespoon carrot
1 tablespoon curd
1 tablespoon of sunflower oil.

Flavorings (kelp powder, garlic powder, nutritional yeast) can also be added to food, but only in small amounts.

You can store leftover cat food in the refrigerator, but the same rules apply as for leftover human food - use within a few days or freeze.

Making your own healthy diet for your cat at home is pretty easy.

This way you don't have to worry about all the harmful additives used in commercial cat food. You can easily make your own homemade cat food that is tasty, healthy and healthy. Take these recipes as a basis and experiment.

Remember! Homemade food should provide your cat with all the necessary vitamins and minerals. If you are not sure about this, give additional vitamin-mineral complexes.

Sometimes it can be difficult for a cat to switch from dry food to such a diet, so first you need to switch to wet food (canned and preserves), as they are closer in texture to natural food. And then gradually mix wet food with natural food until you completely move on to the latter.

It's no secret that cats, as members of the cat family, organically eat raw meat. Domesticated to save people from rats and mice, cats did not change this rule. It is impossible not to think about how the health of these beloved hairballs is affected by such easily accessible dry cat food for their owners. If you still think about it, then you really love your cat, since preparing natural organic raw food for her is not an easy task. However, there are a number of rules and regulations that you should not deviate from when preparing treats for a cat.

Natural raw cat food

Meat pretreatment

The presence of bacteria on the surface of the meat is normal. Therefore, before cooking, it must be washed in running water. The same goes for the cat bowl. Even if the bowl looks licked, it should still be thoroughly washed with soap and water. If you are a hardened perfectionist, then you need to disinfect with a 1: 1 solution of vinegar with hydrogen peroxide. Hands should be protected with rubber gloves.

healthy cat food recipe

Basic Recipe

1. 2 kg of raw meat. It can be chicken necks, it is easy for a cat to chew them, thighs and drumsticks;

2. 400 grams of heart, the best option is the animal taken in point 1 (if there is no heart, Taurine 4000 mg);

3. 200 grams of liver, the best option is the animal taken in point 1 (if there is no liver, 40,000 IU of vitamin A and 1600 IU of vitamin D);

4. 2 cups of water;

5. 4 egg yolks;

6. 4 capsules of iron supplement;

7. 4000 mg of salmon oil;

8. 200 mg of vitamin B;

9. 800 mg of vitamin E;

10. Optional: brown and red dry algae, 1/4 teaspoon each.

11. Optional: psyllium seeds, 4 teaspoons each.

IMPORTANT: When replacing the heart or liver, it is imperative to replace the missing mass with meat from point 1.

WARNINGS

Making your own cat food is easy!

If you are new to preparing cat food yourself, then you must definitely follow the stated recipe. You cannot change the proportions and ingredients to your taste, as this will make the food unbalanced and may be detrimental to your pet's health. In the refrigerator, this mixture is stored for up to 2 days, in the freezer - up to 10. It is recommended to defrost by placing the mixture in a closed bag in warm water. There is a risk of overdosing on fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Supplementation should be measured as precisely as possible, otherwise the balance will be upset. During long-term storage of the finished product by freezing, a loss of vitamins occurs. 4000 mg of Taurine should be added before giving food to a cat, regardless of whether the food is made with a heart or not.

The feline family has been eating raw food for thousands of years. Even domestic cats caught and catch mice, rats and other rodents. This suggests that for good nutrition and good health, they need meat in their daily diet. If you're tired of spending a lot of money buying expensive foods, try feeding your pet raw food. Make your own food to make your cat healthy and happy.

Ingredients

2 kilograms of raw meat with bones
400 grams of heart, preferably the same animal whose meat you will use. If you were unable to purchase a heart, then 4,000 milligrams of taurine should be used instead.
200 grams of raw liver, preferably the same animal whose meat you will use. If you can't find liver, then it should be replaced with a supplement of 42 mg vitamin A and 1.7 mg vitamin D, but it's better to use natural liver instead of substitutes.
If you have replaced the ingredients with taurine and vitamins A and D, then you will need more meat. For example, if you couldn't find the liver and heart, add an additional 400 grams of meat with bones.
2 glasses of water
4 raw egg yolks (preferably homemade, not from antibiotic-poked chickens)
4 bovine gland capsules
4000 mg salmon oil
200 mg Vitamin B Complex
800 IU of vitamin E. The powder is very easy to use, however you can also use oil capsules.
1/4 teaspoon kelp powder and ¼ teaspoon red seaweed powder (1/2 teaspoon total), optional.
4 teaspoons psyllium seeds or 8 teaspoons whole psyllium leaves, optional

Steps

Part 1

Preparing to prepare cat food

Examine your cat. Before switching to this type of food, the animal must be completely healthy. Take your cat to the vet for a thorough examination. You should also consult with an animal nutritionist and tell them about your cat's diet.

Prepare food. Grinding and freezing raw cat food reduces the amount of taurine in it. You must add this amino acid to prevent possible eye and heart problems. You will not immediately notice the lack of taurine. It may take several years, and then the process will become irreversible.

Seek help from an expert who will tell you the right dose of taurine for your particular animal.

Take care of food safety. Every time you buy raw meat, it must be thoroughly washed and properly stored in the future. This is very important to prevent salmonella poisoning. Always use only fresh meat and avoid using stale-looking meat as this will increase the risk of disease.
Buy meat. Depending on your preferences when choosing meat to cook, you will need to spend time looking for a quality product. While you can easily purchase a whole chicken from your local store, it will take time to find a farmer or butcher to buy the heart and liver from. If you have a whole chicken in stock, then only small bones should be ground along with the meat. If you add bones that are too big, then your cat will simply avoid them. Make sure that you do not use bones that can damage the digestive system of your animal in the preparation of food.

Part 2
Preparing raw cat food
1. Prepare the meat. Cut the carcass and cut into pieces. Pass the pieces of meat through the largest grate of the meat grinder. Pieces of meat not ground into minced meat will allow your pet to chew food, thereby adding the required load on the teeth and gums. Select bones. Place the prepared meat in the refrigerator.
  - When using chicken, remove as much of the skin as possible from it. Chicken necks are an excellent food for cats, as they are mostly made up of cartilaginous bones, which are easily digested in the stomach of animals. You can also use rabbit, duck or turkey meat.
2. Treat the heart and liver. After rewinding the meat, the required amount of heart and liver should be added to it. Grind them in a meat grinder or food processor and refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
  - At this stage, you can also take the bones out of the refrigerator and grind them in a meat grinder. For these purposes, you should not use a food processor, as it is not intended for grinding bones.
3. Mix all additives. In a separate bowl, whisk together salmon oil, bovine gland capsules, kelp, red algae, vitamins E and B, egg yolks, and water. If you are using plantain, then add it at the very end and mix the ingredients well again.
  - Egg whites can be thrown away or saved for other uses.
4. Take the food out of the freezer and reheat. If you have some food left in the refrigerator, you still need to warm it up. Some cats vomit when cold, raw food enters the stomach.
  - To warm up a bag of food, simply dip it in hot water and let it warm up to room temperature or a little higher. Never use the microwave to heat raw food, especially if you have used bones in the preparation. Bones cooked in this way break into sharp pieces and can be very dangerous to the health of cats, while soft raw bones are easily digested by animals.
- A small variety in food is very beneficial for indoor cats. Rabbit, chicken, partridge, turkey and guinea fowl are best suited for these purposes. Some cats love beef and lamb, but not all of them will be able to immediately digest beef or lamb if they have been eating exclusively dry food up to this point.
- If you are not going to use the food immediately and plan to freeze it for more than one to two weeks, then 4000 mg should be added to it. taurine, so that useful substances do not disappear during storage. You can also add taurine directly to the food two or three times a week; this way you will be sure that your cat is getting enough of this amino acid.
- You can feed this food to both kittens and adult cats. You can start gradually introducing raw food into your animal's diet.