(Part 1 of 2)
Cats are as excited about food as dogs are.
It is best to give cats frequent small meals daily to help in the easy digestion of food.
We give our cats both dry and wet (canned) food. We put the multivitamins in wet food if the cat does not like being given meds through a syringe.
During the summer months, however, vets have advised us to give more wet food and to put water in dry cat food for hydration. This will prevent heat stroke, we were told.
However, it is also advised to give food with broth to cats not only to hydrate the cat but to ensure he/she is taking in more water to prevent kidney problems. There are cats who do not drink enough water, we have discovered.
We have been researching on home-cooked meals for cats which will either provide more hydration or make mealtime for cats a special time they will enjoy.
We would like to share recipes from Feline Living in “9 Homemade Cat Food Recipes That Are Way Healthier Than Kibble” which we are sure will make eating time more exciting for your cat.
I hope these recipes will make your cats happier and more healthy too. Enjoy cooking!
Recipes For Big Batches
1. Chicken And Greens
Credit goes to The Natural Pet Food Cookbook by Wendy Nan Rees and Kevin Schlange, DVM.
Ingredients
· 3-pound quartered roasting chicken (writer’s note: or boiled chicken)
· 4 cups water
· 2 celery stalks with leaves
· 1 cup carrots, finely chopped
· 2 tablespoons parsley flakes or 1⁄2 cup chopped fresh parsley
· 1⁄2 cup barley, uncooked
· 1 tablespoon lemon juice
· 3 teaspoon brewer’s yeast (writer’s note: can be removed if not available)
· 5 ounces thawed and drained chopped frozen spinach
· 1 cup fresh green beans, chopped
**I removed the salt from the recipe.
Directions
· Place chicken, water and the celery leaves in a large pot or slow cooker. (Save the celery stalks.) Cover, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for one to one and 1.5 hours or until the chicken is soft.
· Remove the chicken and strain the broth into a bowl. Chill broth in the refrigerator until the top is covered in fat. Remove the fat.
· Remove fat, skin, and bones from the chicken. Throw these. Cut meat into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
· Return broth to the pot and add the chopped celery with carrots, barley, brewer’s yeast, and lemon juice. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
· Add the chicken, spinach and green beans. Cook for 15 more minutes until the beans are tender. Cool and serve. It will keep refrigerated for one week or frozen for a month in an airtight container.
Small Batches Recipes (1-2 Meals)
2. Mackerel Recipe
Ingredients
· 1 cup canned mackerel
· 1 tablespoon sunflower seed oil
· 1 tablespoon organic cooked brown rice (writer’s note: brown rice is best but you can also use white rice but do not give white rice every day)
· 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or broth (chicken or beef)
Directions
· Put all the ingredients in a food processor.
· Puree until they are blended.
· It is best if served immediately but you can keep the leftovers in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Source for the recipe: https://cats.lovetoknow.com/
3. Trout Dinner
Ingredients
· 1 cup cooked trout
· 1 cooked egg yolk
· 1 tablespoon finely chopped broccoli, steamed
· 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
Directions
· Mix all ingredients in food processor.
· Puree until blended and serve.
· Leftovers can be stored for up to three days in the refrigerator.
Source for recipe: https://cats.lovetoknow.com/
To be continued
