It might be tempting to sneak food to your cat while seated at the dinner table. However, many human foods can be harmful to cats, leading to issues such as obesity, arthritis, feline diabetes, and feline toxicity. Furthermore, human meals may not necessarily contain the essential nutrients your cat needs, which is why it’s important to stick to vet-approved diets and treats. Here are 3 tasty and healthy cat treats you can make at home:
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1. Pumpkin and salmon cat treats
This delicious and healthy cat treat requires various ingredients to make:
- 1/4 cup of oat flour
- 5 ounces skinless, boneless chicken salmon (can or pouch), drained
- 1 big egg
- 1/4 cup pureed pumpkin.
Instructions: Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then, shred the salmon using a fork, food processor, or blender. In a separate mixing dish, mix the oat flour, egg, and pumpkin puree with the shredded salmon into a dough using a spoon or an electric mixer. Then, place your dough on the baking sheet, sprinkle it with more oat flour, and roll it out to 1/4 inch thick. With a fork, dock (prick) the dough all over and cut the dough into bite-sized (for your cat) pieces with a pizza or pastry cutter. Finally, spread out your treats on the baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until firm. Allow the treats to cool fully and store them in the freezer.
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2. Tuna and banana cat treats
Tuna cat treats are among the most popular cat treats on the market. If you want to make a delicious, tuna-based cat treat at home, you will need the following components:
- 1 5 oz can tuna (packed in water), strained
- 1 egg
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1-2 bananas, mashed
Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350°F and cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Then, combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. The dough will form into a round and get sticky. Place the dough on a piece of parchment paper and place another sheet of parchment paper on top. Then, flatten the dough with your hand and stretch it out with a rolling pin until it is about 14″ in diameter. Move the dough onto your baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the dough is firm and golden. Once it is out of the oven, allow the dough to cool fully. Finally, cut the dough into tiny squares or triangles using a pizza cutter and place your treats in the refrigerator.
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3. Chicken and potato cat treats
Preparing chicken and potato cat treats is simple, and this recipe can even be watered down and doubled to be used as full-time homemade cat food. To make, you will need the following ingredients:
- 1 medium unseasoned chicken breast (roasted and shredded)
- 2 large, washed sweet potatoes (peeled, boiled, and mashed)
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup sunflower oil
- 1/4 cups powdered gelatin
Instructions: First, preheat the oven to 350 °F degrees and line a baking pan with parchment paper. Then, mix all of the ingredients in a big mixing bowl, mashing them together until the meat and potato components break down and the mixture begins to form a shape. The dough should feel similar to playdough at this stage, but, if it doesn’t, add a touch more sunflower oil until it achieves a simple consistency to shape. With your fingers, tear off chunks of the dough and roll it into cat treat-sized balls or shapes. Arrange the cat treat dough portions on your baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until they turn golden brown.
