Homemade Cat Food-Fresh, Tasty and Healthy

With the recent scares about tainted pet foods, many cat owners are looking for a way to feed their favorite feline homemade food. This is practical, much healthier for your cat, and can provide you with a better understanding of your cat's dietary needs. You may still wish to purchase dry cat food to feed sparingly. Dry cat food helps prevent a build up of tarter on the teeth and prevents gum disease by keeping the cat's teeth and gums polished. Be sure that plenty of fresh water is always available to your cat, especially when they are consuming dry cat food.

A cat needs protein, carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins and minerals just like humans do. Cats require meat-based protein for growth, tissue growth and renewal, and the production of blood, antibodies, and enzymes. Cats require large amounts of protein in their diets, and this is reflected in what they leave in the litter box. This explains why dogs sometimes will find litter box contents so enticing. Cats need fats in their diet, they cannot produce fats on their own. Carbohydrates are needed sparingly, and vitamins and minerals are essential to a cat's health, especially so for kittens

For your cat to receive the proper amount of vitamins and minerals for it's age and activity level, buy supplements at your local pet store or veterinarian's office. Supplements come in many forms that may be mixed with homemade cat food, but the liquid "sauces" are very convenient. You can add fats to your homemade cat food by adding very small amounts of butter, oil of corn germ, oil of wheat germ or oil of sunflower germ. These are easily digestible by felines.

You can insure that your cat receives a small bit of carbohydrates with each meal by adding a small amount of cooked rice or cooked potatoes to their food. The main ingredient of homemade cat food should always be meat or fish. You may wish to offer steamed and de-boned fish only 1-2 times per week to avoid your cat smelling fishy. Meat is an easy to prepare option. Organ meats such as hearts and liver should be cooked, avoid liver more than 3 times a week, it contains too much vitamin A for your cat. Any other meats are fine, cook as you normally do, avoiding bones and seasonings.

Homemade can food can be frozen in meal sized portions. Most cats prefer room temperate foods, so take out well in advance. Always keep clean fresh water available at all times and serve your feline friend food in a clean bowl each time. Do not be disheartened if you cat turns it's nose up at your homemade dishes at first. It is always advisable to keep some prepared cat food handy to ease you cat into it's new healthy diet.