Cats are carnivorous animals, so they need to eat meat and avoid carbohydrate-rich foods they can't digest. Feeding a cat incorrectly could cause health problems and shorten its lifespan. Cooking for these animals is a great way to provide them with the protein they need and can be a very enjoyable pastime. All you need to know are the fundamental basics of the diet and the possible dishes to cook to best feed your cat.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Understanding a Cat's Food Needs
Step 1. Learn about cats' dietary needs
These animals have very different diets than ours, which require planning and attention. They need a lot of protein and fat. Consider that they need to eat twice as much protein as a dog needs.
A cat's diet requires about 85% of meat, fat, offal and bones, while vegetables, herbs and fiber should only make up the remaining 15%
Step 2. Learn the criteria for a healthy diet for a cat
Make sure their diet contains the following elements: clean water (always available and easily accessible), protein (almost all cats will not eat foods that contain less than 20% protein), fat (cats need fat to energy, to take essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins, they also like their taste) and vitamin A (it can be found in liver, eggs and milk, but these are foods to be used with caution), vitamin B (i cats will gladly eat brewer's yeast if they have a deficiency of this vitamin, which can manifest itself with loss of appetite for a few days or fever), vitamin E (vitamin necessary for the metabolism of unsaturated fats) and calcium (an important mineral for construction and development of the animal's bones).
Taurine is an essential amino acid in a cat's diet. There is usually enough of it in cat food (dry or wet), but if you feed your pet self-made dishes or a vegetarian diet, you may need to supplement it. Taurine deficiency in felines can cause central retinal degeneration, leading to irreversible blindness, as well as heart failure. That's why it should never be missing from your cat's diet
Step 3. Think about how and when you should feed your cat
For example, cats have different needs in terms of time and frequency of meals and types of food according to their age. While almost all of this breed are capable of self-regulating when it comes to food, there are some cases where you will have to provide.
- Kittens need to be fed 3 or 4 times a day from six weeks to three months of age. When they have reached six months, you can reduce the frequency of meals to twice a day.
- Adult cats should eat when they want, nibbling throughout the day; if it is impossible, you should feed him at least more than once a day.
- If you have a lot of cats on different diets, you may need to find a way to stop them from stealing their food.
Step 4. Don't decide your cat's diet by mimicking your diet
Cats cannot grow (or even survive) on a vegetarian diet. This is a heated and intense debate, but for the health of the animal it is essential to put its natural needs first.
Although there are specific supplements and guides for cats following vegetarian diets, such a diet can lead to blindness and heart failure. It is a diet that is not only very demanding for the owner, but that would expose the animal to the risk of disease and shorter life, especially if it were made up of too many harmful carbohydrates
Step 5. You should only decide to cook your cat's meals after doing thorough research and following the advice of your veterinarian
A diet prepared entirely at home, without quality commercial products, requires careful balancing to ensure the cat has everything it needs. It is not recommended unless you have thoroughly researched your cat's dietary needs and discussed this with your trusted veterinarian.
Step 6. Keep in mind that cats easily get used to eating a certain way
If you haven't noticed yet, it can be frustrating trying to change your kitty's eating habits. Don't be surprised if your efforts in the kitchen aren't appreciated! Don't lose heart and keep trying until you have piqued the cat's curiosity. Removing the old food when testing a new food is an important practice, as the animal will be encouraged to eat it.
- Try gradually adding the dishes you cook to regular cat food. You'll get him used to the flavors and smells of the homemade diet.
- Don't leave leftover food out. If your cat hasn't eaten it within an hour, throw it away. Simply try again at another time.
Step 7. Avoid feeding your cat foods that can be dangerous or toxic to him
Remember that just because a food is edible for humans doesn't mean it's edible for a cat. Do not feed him onions, garlic, grapes (fresh or dried), chocolate (not even white), sugar, raw yeast dough, spices, yeast and baking soda.
Other foods to avoid include alcohol (they have the same impact they have on humans, but much more pronounced - two tablespoons of whiskey can put a 2.5-pound cat into a coma), dog food (wet or dry - dog food). dogs have a completely different nutritional content than cats), candy and chewing gum (if they contain xylitol they can cause liver failure), coffee, tea and other products that contain caffeine, such as cold medicines, energy drinks and pain relievers (high amounts of caffeine can kill a cat and there is no antidote) and any drug for humans (acetaminophen and ibuprofen can be lethal to cats)
Step 8. Limit foods that aren't toxic to cats but aren't good for you in large quantities
Cats need a balanced diet, but that doesn't mean they can get all the nutrients in large quantities.
- Limit the bones and pieces of animal fat. You shouldn't feed a cat a cooked bone, as it can cause pancreatitis.
- Cats can digest raw egg yolks, but not raw egg white. Cook the egg if you need to use egg white. Given the possibility of bacterial problems with eggs, you may decide to always cook them. Although cats are more resistant to salmonella than humans (adult non-pregnant cats are thought to be nearly immune), they can act as carriers of the bacterium, infecting humans.
- Freeze raw meat before feeding it to your cats if you don't know where it came from.
- Don't give your cat beef liver more than twice a week.
- In excessive quantities, tuna can be addictive and cause a thiamine deficiency. All fish should not become the staple of a cat's diet for the same reason.
- Milk and dairy products can irritate the intestines of many cats, causing itching and digestive problems. Talk to your vet if you want to use them; not everyone is convinced that milk is inappropriate for cats who can tolerate it.
Step 9. Be especially careful if you plan to cook for your cat permanently
If you are not absolutely sure that you have found the right balance, cooking all the meals of the animal at home could harm him and cause him deficiencies. Many vets do not recommend homemade diets for pets, because they know that many busy owners would not be able to adhere to perfect nutrition recipes to the letter due to time constraints. In addition, doctors often express concerns about the lack of experience of the bosses and the carelessness caused by the events of daily life.
- If you really want to cook for your cats, you can decide to do it, but you will have to do a lot of research and evaluate the options available to you.
- Consider your lifestyle. If you travel a lot and other people will have to feed your cats, are you sure their choices will be appropriate? If you work long hours, are you ready to prepare food supplies every weekend to feed the cat the following days?
- Consider incorporating raw foods into your cat's diet - if you cooked everything, the pet would not be able to get the nutrients normally found in raw foods or commercial cat food.
Part 2 of 2: Prepare Cat Food
Step 1. Invent or find a recipe and start cooking
Once you learn the basics of feline dietary requirements, you are ready to cook for your cats. Keep in mind that the following are suggested recipes for an occasional variation, they do not constitute a proper diet. If you want to cook for your cat regularly, it is important that you do the proper research to create a balanced diet that meets the pet's needs and that gets written approval from your veterinarian.
- These recipes may not appeal to your cat: in this case, he will let you know right away!
- If you are unsure, talk to your vet about cooking for your cat, especially if she is growing up, sick, pregnant, or has health problems.
Step 2. Remember that you have to invent or find a recipe that will respect the cat's nutritional needs
If you get the recipe wrong or wrong, you could cause serious health problems for your pet. As with all animals, including humans, the key is to find the right balance. If used in excessive quantities, even essential nutrients can negatively impact your cat's health.
Since nutrient balance is very important, you should ask your vet or a cat feeding expert for advice on recipes, even if you have specific recipes
Step 3. Start with proteins
For example, buy free-range, antibiotic- or hormone-free chicken legs from a trusted seller. You can also use chicken liver, turkey meat, and egg whites.
You can use raw protein or cook it. For example, try boiling the thighs to cook the outside, leaving most of the meat raw. Put them directly into cold water. Remove some of the meat from the bone and cut it into about 1 cm pieces, using sharp kitchen scissors or a knife
Step 4. Grind the animal proteins to make them easier to eat
Put the bones and meat in a meat grinder with 4mm holes. Grind 100g of chicken livers for each and a half pounds of chicken meat. Also add two cooked eggs for each and a half pounds of meat. Mix everything in a bowl that you will put in the fridge.
If you don't own a meat grinder, you can use an electric mixer. It won't be as efficient or easy to clean, but it will cut the meat into small, easy-to-digest pieces
Step 5. Add the other ingredients
In a separate bowl, for each and a half kilograms of raw chicken meat, pour one cup of water, 280 mg of vitamin E, 60 mg of vitamin B complex, 2 g of taurine, 2 g of salmon oil and 3 or 4 teaspoons of iodized salt. Mix all the ingredients together.
Pour the contents of the second bowl into the first and mix well
Step 6. Consider varying your cat's diet to include other important nutrients
These ingredients shouldn't be the main part of your cat's meals and shouldn't eat them every day, but they can contain important nutrients.
- Combine steamed rice with chopped salmon and water. The consistency will be similar to a soup; just pour it into the animal's bowl.
- Cut some vegetables into small pieces and add them to the meal (choose the ones you prefer).
- Add oats to your cat's meals. Boil 2 liters of water. Follow the directions on the package for the amount of oats to add, then cover the pot. Turn off the heat and let the oats sit for 10 minutes, until soft.
- Search wikiHow for more tips, such as: a raw oatmeal cat meal, tuna cat treats, and holistic cat health recipes.
Step 7. Freeze meals in cat-friendly portions
The average cat consumes 120-180 g of food per day. Keep meals in the freezer overnight before use, then move them to the fridge to let them thaw.
Advice
- Clean cat bowls regularly. Dirty bowls can cause germs and bacteria to proliferate, as well as being unpleasant for the animal.
- Clarify your ideas about raw food in your diet. Proof to the contrary and favorable on the subject abounds and even veterinarians do not seem to agree on this issue. While it is commonly believed that homemade cat meat should always be cooked, it is important to note that raw meat is a natural aspect of these animals' diets. Unfortunately, the potential for parasite transmission has led to a refusal to feed cats raw meat, mainly because pet owners don't have the time or willingness to make the effort to make sure the raw meat available is healthy and controlled. A lack of raw meat in the cat's diet means that many healthy elements for the cat, such as amino acids, can be destroyed during cooking, potentially undermining its health. Do some research to clarify your ideas and talk to your vet about adding raw meat to your cat's diet, such as chicken necks.
Warnings
- Milk contains lactose and cats do not produce the enzyme lactase, which is capable of metabolizing it. Therefore, milk can cause diarrhea in these animals. It does not happen to all specimens, however, and some of them tolerate milk well. It can be useful as a source of calcium, but it can lead to itching and digestive problems. Ask your vet for advice.
- Ideas about animal nutrition continue to change as new veterinary research is published. Keep yourself constantly updated and feel free to update this same guide as well!
