Low-Fat Homemade Cat Food

One of the great advantages of owning a cat compared to other types of pets is their low-maintenance lifestyle. Cats do not require much in terms of supplies or needs and are very self-sufficient. While litter is something that does need to be purchased for indoor cats, food is something you can make yourself if you choose to. Making low-fat cat food at home can be more expensive and time-consuming but it is easy to do and often more healthy for your cat.

  1. Preparation

    • Before spending time preparing a special food that your cat may decide not to eat, it is best to gradually introduce the ingredients into their current food over time. If he doesn̵7;t like something, you'll know not to use it as a staple of your homemade food. A food processor will be very handy in preparing meals. Avoid anything with excessive preservatives or chemicals added to it. Cats can be a lot more sensitive to them then humans are and it could make them sick.

      Cats normally require more fat in their diets than humans or dogs, so buy the less lean meat if adding ground beef or turkey to your food. For low-fat diets, add leaner meats. They need a higher calcium intake as well so grinding up bones can be an effective way of providing a calcium source. Make sure the bones are ground thoroughly so the cat does not choke on a fragment.

      Decide for yourself whether you prefer serving meat raw or if you cook it first. Cooking it is another way of lowering the fat content as well.

    Ingredients

    • Ground beef, ground turkey, and ground chicken are all good main ingredients for your cat. Leaner varieties will lower fat content. Many cat owners like using fish but wild-caught fish contains a high level of pollutants that can lead to hypothyroidism in cats. Whole cooked eggs also provide an excellent source of protein. Only use the egg whites to lower the overall fat. Dairy is good for your cat but milk could cause diarrhea. Cottage cheese is a good protein source but is better as an add-on than the primary ingredient, and check the fat content for lower-fat diets. Cats need taurine and a deficiency of it can cause illness. Turkey legs, livers, and giblets are excellent taurine sources. Rice and potato are good foods for adding carbohydrates and oatmeal is good in small amounts. Canned pumpkin is excellent for keeping your cat's digestive tract healthy and most cats love it. It must be natural canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling with any sugar added.

    Food Combinations

    • To make a broth for your cat, mix a half cup of trimmed beef with enough beef broth to cover it. Shred the beef into the broth and add one cooked and minced potato. Add one tablespoon of dried barley grass powder, which you can find at a pet store, and stir it in. Mix in two tablespoons of cooked oatmeal and stir until you have a regular consistency.

      Another meal formula is dicing 1/4th of a pound of chicken, beef or turkey liver; do not use pork liver. Add two large hard-boiled eggs and two cups of cooked white rice. The rice should not have any salt added to it. Mix in one tablespoon of vegetable oil and one teaspoon of calcium carbonate. Finally, add in a cat nutrition supplement. Powdered forms are available at the pet store.