Homemade Cat Food

We often get asked for ideas on what people can cook at home to feed their cats or the numerous strays that hang out around their homes here, rather than rely on commercially made wet and dry food. Although available locally, these can be too expensive for those on a tight budget to buy all the time.

Here are some ideas to whet your feline friends’ appetites.

As obligate carnivores, cats need animal protein from meat or fish, alongside amino and fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and water. As a starting point, cats enjoy leftovers - it’s easy to mix leftover meat or fish with some rice, pasta, bread, oats, an egg yolk and/or some vegetable oil. Cooking rice, pasta and oats in low-salt stock rather than water can add an extra meaty treat to the final dish. You might also want to add some leftover veggies.

What not to feed your cat

There are some foods that you should never feed to cats. These include:

• onions & garlic

• grapes & raisins

• chocolate, coffee, caffeine

• milk and dairy products

IMPORTANT NOTE - NEVER give cats cooked bones as these can splinter and hurt, or even kill, the cat. A small amount of raw bones is okay, but probably no more than once a week.