How to Make Cat Food: Easy Recipes for Feline Delights

Making cat food can be quite a hassle, much like cooking for humans, but for our feline friends, it's all worth it. After all, their happiness is what matters most.

Introduction to Cat Nutrition: Not All Cats Can Eat the Same Diet

It's important to understand that not every cat requires the same type of food. Cats go through two distinct growth phases: the rapid growth period in the first four months of life and the slower growth phase that follows. During these phases, the digestive abilities of kittens vary significantly. For instance, kittens under four months have a lower capacity to digest starch than fat. Therefore, it's crucial to feed them a diet low in starch and high in fat to ensure they receive adequate energy. This includes foods like butter, lard, fish oil, soybean oil, and wheat germ oil.

Moreover, kittens need Lcarnitine to facilitate the conversion of fat into energy, which is primarily found in lean meats, fish, and dairy products—ingredients not typically found in vegetables.

As kittens grow beyond four months, their growth rate slows, and the energy they require per unit of weight decreases. At this stage, they should consume more lowenergy, lowfat foods and adequate protein to promote muscle development.

Today, we're focusing on sharing recipes for cat food that can be used throughout the growth phases.

Preparation: Ingredients

Easytodigest proteins: Tofu, chicken, and fish are great choices as they are rich in Lcarnitine, which aids in fat metabolism for energy.

Probiotics:乳酸菌 and Bifidobacteria to promote healthy gut development.

Fructooligosaccharides: Provide energy for mucosal cells.

Ganooligosaccharides: Help reduce harmful bacteria like E. coli.

Antioxidants: Boost immunity.

Preparation Tips

To ensure your cat gets enough energy, focus on ingredients like tofu (an easily digestible protein), chicken, and fish, which are rich in Lcarnitine. Pair these with:

Fats: A small amount of unsaturated fatty acids to enhance skin resistance, promote hair growth, and brighten coat color. Note: These should not be mixed into the meal but served separately with the meal.

Antioxidants:

Carrots and corn kernels (orange vegetables rich in betacarotene and lutein, which protect vision and maintain skin and mucous membranes).

Tofu (an easily digestible protein).

Chicken hearts and livers (which are rich in taurine).

Chicken breast and fish (which contain Lcarnitine to aid in fat metabolism).

Vitamins: Cats can produce their own vitamin C, so it's not necessary to add it. Vitamin E is also abundant in animal livers and chicken, so additional supplementation isn't needed.

Mixing the Ingredients

Blend all the ingredients in a blender (using a blending function, not a juicing function).

Add a small amount of starch to mix (which breaks down into glucose in the small intestine, providing energy for metabolism). It's advisable not to add starch for kittens under six months old, as they have weaker starch digestion during the early growth phase.

Steam the mixture for ten minutes in a pressure cooker.

Let it cool and then refrigerate for storage.

Cost and Time

The cost of this meal, excluding unsaturated fatty acids, is approximately 40 yuan, and it takes about two hours to prepare. We recommend using this as a supplement to commercial cat food, as fresh ingredients offer a better taste and help prevent pickiness.

Final Thoughts

If you're considering using this cat food as a staple, the amount should be adjusted based on your cat's level of activity. For nutritional purposes, here's a suggested usage:

For caged cats, two meals per week are ideal.

For outdoor cats, one meal every two days is preferable.

This recipe is suitable for healthy cats within an average weight range. If your cat is overweight or underweight, you may need to adjust the recipe and tailor it to their specific needs. Otherwise, continue to feed your cat a balanced commercial diet, as highquality cat food still provides all the necessary nutrients.