anyone have healthy cat treat recipes?

[Brandi]

I want to make my own treats for my cats. Anyone have any idea's or recipes?

[mimitabby]

how about sauteed chicken livers cut into tiny pieces?

[bcipam]

but that would mean I would have to buy, clean and cook chicken livers.... eeeewwwwwwwww... livers, bad, icky, bad.

I know I would love to make something like the "cookies" my cat loves - the hard little crunchies made by Whispers. Anyone have a recipe like that?

I would bet my cat, you does not eat any people food (with the exception of yogurt) would turn his nose up to liver.

[Haudlady]

Sorry, no ideas...

But GREAT avatar, Brandi!!!

[spokewench]

Other than his cat food,
My cat only eats chicken and only if it is cooked to his specifications, not to crunchy and it has to be warm - if it is cold he will walk right away.

What a snob!

[ccnyc]

How about this?

Salmon Snacks
Yield: 120 treats

1 eight-ounce (225g) can of salmon or mackerel with juice and bones
4 tablespoons (55g) finely chopped fresh catnip, basil, oregano, parsley or wheatgrass
1 finely ground eggshell
3 whole eggs, beaten well
4 tablespoons (55g) unsalted ground pumpkin or sesame seeds
2 1/2 cups (562g) rice* flour

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C)
2. Rinse eggshells and save the yolks and whites.
Let the shells dry on a cookie sheet in the oven overnight, or bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for ten minutes. Grind in a coffee grinder until finely ground.
3. Mix all ingredients together using your hands or a food processor until the dough is the right consistency for rolling.
4. Roll out the dough to about 1/4" to 1/2" (6 to 12mm) thick.
5. Use 1/2" by 1-inch cookie cutters to cut in fun shapes.
6. Bake cookies at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for twenty minutes; baking for five extra minutes will make the cookies crunchier.

* In place of rice flour, you can use amaranth ot quinoa flours. To make rice flour at home, pulverize short-grain rice using a coffee grinder. Grind the rice as finely as possible.

From Whole Health for Happy Cats by Sandy Arora

[bcipam]

THis sounds like a wonderful recipe... but I can just see after going to all the work to make these healthy snacks, my little guy would be just as happy with his stupid Whiskers treats. I would bet he wouldn't even touch these snacks. If someone makes them, please let me know how your cat reacts. I have been trying to get him off of Whiskers hard food and into something like IAMS but he thinks I'm crazy.

[Bikingmomof3]

My cat loves Iams (orange bag) and the only treat she will eat are called Pit'r Pats.

[suzieqtwa]

I do volunteer work in a no kill cat shelter ,and have taken many old abused kitty's home to live out there lives with me ,and to let them know what its like to be loved. When they are sick ,and can only eat certain foods ,I would give them DRIED BONITO FLAKES...its dried tuna. Some like it ,and some do not. Its healthy as a treat can be (but it stinks)!!!!
Suzie

[maillotpois]

anyone have healthy cat treat recipes?

I have heard that cats are a pretty unhealthy treat. They tend to be high in saturated fat and unless prepared properly, they can be gamey.

[SadieKate]

I've heard they fit well in turkey fryers. Canola oil is probably the healthiest.

[maillotpois]

I'll bet there's something you can do in a crock pot. I'm big on the crock pot lately. Chat bourgignon.

[SadieKate]

A few onions and a lot of wine would make them nice and tender.

[maillotpois]

pearl onions.

[Eden]

I do volunteer work in a no kill cat shelter ,and have taken many old abused kitty's home to live out there lives with me ,and to let them know what its like to be loved. When they are sick ,and can only eat certain foods ,I would give them DRIED BONITO FLAKES...its dried tuna. Some like it ,and some do not. Its healthy as a treat can be (but it stinks)!!!!
Suzie

And if you have an Asian market nearby you can get it cheaper there than at the pet store - I reccomend the single serve packets though, since it goes stale pretty quick. (my cats looooove it) Sometimes putting it over his food was the only way I could get my very elderly guy to eat.

[margo49]

Cats like vegemite.

[Brandi]

THis sounds like a wonderful recipe... but I can just see after going to all the work to make these healthy snacks, my little guy would be just as happy with his stupid Whiskers treats. I would bet he wouldn't even touch these snacks. If someone makes them, please let me know how your cat reacts. I have been trying to get him off of Whiskers hard food and into something like IAMS but he thinks I'm crazy.
I understand your cat would be happy with just the store bought stuff but think about it. You are making them something that you know what is in it. I have an over weight cat that needs to slim up a bit he always wants those store bought treats. And I know they are just like candy to him. That is why I am looking for something a little better for him and maybe more satisfying.

[Brandi]

I have heard that cats are a pretty unhealthy treat. They tend to be high in saturated fat and unless prepared properly, they can be gamey.
Awwwwwww:p walked into that one!

[Brandi]

pearl onions.
ok I get it you don't like cats! probably a dog person!

[bcipam]

Brandi - boy I understand I have been trying to get the little bugger on IAMS since I bought him home from the shelter. THEY fed him Whiskers and that's all he'll eat. RIght niow if I mix the IAMS in about 10 - 15 % he'll eat it but basically I come home and the Whiskers are gone and the IAM nuggets left. He picks them out.

My cat is so anal retention... he doesn't much like change. I even changed out his cookie flavor once and boy I paid for that!

I might give it a try and see what he does - but boy alot of work to get a cat snub! I do have friends with cats that'll eat just about anything so they won't go to waste.

And everyone contrary to popular belief, cats do not taste like chicken!:p

[suzieqtwa]

Brandi...really try those "Dried Bonito Flakes"...they are all natural. Dried shavings from the tuna...thats it. They sell for about 3.99 at the pet store.

[jobob]

And everyone contrary to popular belief, cats do not taste like chicken!:p
And you know this how ? ;)

[jobob]

And you Iron Chef fans should recognize dried bonito shavings as one of the main ingredients of Iron Chef Michiba's "broth of vigor".

today's secret ingredient is ...

[bcipam]

...then imust go buy Bonita Shavings today!

Actually I have used Bonita Shavings before to make miso soup and and udon noodles and flavor sushi rice. I've never though of buying it in the pet shop though!

[bcipam]

And you know this how ? ;)

Sadly I had a friend try cat and dog as well while traveling in the far east. He is quite the adventurous eater. He actually liked dog (which grosses me out to no end) but was not happy with cat. I reminded him he had no idea if he was really eating cat - he said he did as he watched them kill, skinned and boil a live one... All I can do was stare at him at that point. Pretty much after that, he was no longer a friend. No one has the right to eat cats (and OK dogs) for I don't care for whatever reason!

[jobob]

When my husband was stationed in Vietnam he learned not to ask what he was eating. :eek: Ironically, some of the best food he's ever tasted was in Vietnam - it was real Asian/French fusion cuisine, way before that term came into vogue.

[SadieKate]

Yep, Bubba said he experienced the same thing when he was stationed in Thailand. People living in subsistence and protein poor economies don't always get to choose their menu.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I can understand why it's fun to give treats to cats. But when I think about it...why do we need to give them "treats" if they like the regular food we give them? At mealtime, they'll eat if they are hungry and they'll be happy.
In the wild, cats catch a meal and then have to wait a long time sometimes til they catch their next meal. No luck finding little french fried mouse ears with a sprig of parsely on a bone china plate in the middle of the jungle trail. ;)

I know so many finicky cats who don't eat at mealtime- perhaps their meal portions are too large or they are getting too many between-meal treats? It's amazing how little cats really need to eat in terms of quantity.
Just another viewpoint...

[maillotpois]

Yep, Bubba said he experienced the same thing when he was stationed in Thailand. People living in subsistence and protein poor economies don't always get to choose their menu.

Neither did the Donner party.

[bcipam]

Actually since my cat eats only dry food, I don't have the overeating problem. I give him a cup of food a day. He usually eats it all. I do give him cat cookies - 3 or 4 at a time twice a day. They hardly affect his appetite they are really small. I don't know its something he looks forward too and gets excited about. I understand that. I look forward to having a piece of See's Candy or some Baskin Robbins ice cream. Thankfully my cat (who I admit is still young and very active) is not overweight but he is approaching his 5th birthday and I may have to cut back on his dry food to 3/4 or so.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

It's true that cats, like humans, need less food as they get older.
I adopted a lovely stray cat from the shelter- she was sleek and about a year old. She ate only dry food, and was very active. Over the next couple of years she slowly gained weight until she was obviously overweight. I had to cut down on her dry food drastically to make her lose weight- which eventually she did and now is an ideal weight again. This was all on dry food with no snacks! :o

[suzieqtwa]

I cant believe people cook with the" Bonito Flakes'...the thought is making my stomach turn.....uck. I don't even like to touch the stuff. I give my cat treats ,because I teach him tricks...he can sit ,and turn around. Not bad for a cat. I tell him to sit pretty ,and he sits with his tail wrapped real nice around his front paws.

[bcipam]

Actually the Flakes are the basis of many Japanese dishes but alittle goes a very long way as you can imagine. If you have ever had Miso soup or a nice Japanese Udon (noodle) soup you had soup made from those flakes.

[Brandi]

I have used these flakes before I forgot about them. I just might pop into the pet store today and get an extra christmas presant for them. the flakes would be good since you don't have to give them very many.

[hellosunshine]

duno about cats but my dog loves raw carrots

[jobob]

My dear long-departed Bozo Kitty went absolutely ga-ga over avocado.

Not sure how healthy that is, though.

[LBTC]

Giving our pets treats is our way of showing we love them, whether they really love the treats or not. However, there are some cases where I think treats are truly appropriate. I agree with the treats for doing tricks - good incentive.

Now my Teddy cat, all of 15 1/2 years old and with hyperthyroid and three types of heart condition, has to take no less than 1 pill (and up to 3), plus 1 ml of liquid medicine with each meal. He gets a treat each time to thank him for being such a good cat and not tearing me to threads before spitting the pills out. (he actually almost looks like he likes the pills!!)

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~