Home made cat food?

[karmasmom]

So I would really like to make cat food

. It would be cheaper in the long run. I can't afford to do the raw diet thing. I was thinking a kibble like food. Does any one have recipies? I found this........

* 3 cups whole wheat flour
* 2 cups soy flour
* 1 cup wheat germ
* 1 cup cornmeal
* 1 cup nonfat dry milk
* 1/2 cup brewer's yeast
* 1 (15 ounce) can mackerel
* 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 tablespoon cod liver oil
* 2 cups of water or as needed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl, mash the mackerel into small pieces. Mix in the oil and water. Add the mackerel mixture to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. The dough is tough, so use your hands. Roll dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 1/4-inch bits, using a knife or pizza cutter. Mound the bits onto greased cookie sheets and bake for 25 minutes. During baking, occasionally toss the bits with two wooden spoons, so they brown evenly. Turn the heat off and allow the treats to cool thoroughly before removing. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This recipe freezes very well for longer storage.

Would this work or is it too high in grains? If I went to Henry's the bulk section, I could make pounds for almost nothing.

 

[sharky]

3 cups whole wheat flour
* 2 cups soy flour
* 1 cup wheat germ
* 1 cup cornmeal*
1 cup nonfat dry milk
* 1/2 cup brewer's yeast
* 1 (15 ounce) can mackerel
* 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 tablespoon cod liver oil
* 2 cups of water or as needed
I wouldnt use a food with the ingrediants in red... okay yes to corn or wheat if not in the top six and kitty had no allergies... Mackeral shouldnt be the only meat ... why not research some basic homeade diets instead of trying to make kibble??

 

[karmasmom]

That was my concern. Its just that bulk food is cheap. As I search I found sites that said a vegitarian diet was okay. I strongly disagree, I love meat myself and could never imagine depriving a cat of meat. I know you, Sharky, are trying raw. Whats the cost like? Would I be able to feed her using the foods I eat? Also how much would a 7 pound cat eat?

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH........ I only wants whats best for her. Homemade seems the best way to go. That way I know whats in it. Off to Google I go.

 

[sharky]

try these www.barfdirect.com
www.omaspride.com

www.columbiarivernaturalpetfoods.com/
the later two I use ... omas is cheaper but I have to get a five lb chub.... I have two that eat 75% raw and I go thru about 3lbs a week... 5lb chub cost 8.85 plus tax so it is roughly 1.85 a lb ... so divide that by two since I use roughly 8 ounces per day so it is roughly 62 cents a day or 31 cents per "kid"... the more expensive runs about 40 cents per kid

I bought three different meats with organs bone s and two with veggies

6lbs was 22 dollar with tax this is high since one package was rabbit which is one of the more expensive meats ... so for this about three weeks I am running about 90 cent s a day or 45cents per kid

 

[sharky]

By contrast my two were on wet food and that ran me about 1.25 a day per so 2.50 a day or 75 bucks a month just for wet food ... add in two premium drys and the cost to feed those two was about 100 bucks ... now with a mainly raw diet it is about 50 for the two with some canned


my Zoey eats natural choice dry , she eats a 1/2 teaspoon a day of wet or raw .... her 8lbs a month cost s 15-20 bucks a month

 

[pat]

Please go to www.catinfo.org, and though it talks about raw, I believe it also talks about homecooked. You can also google for Dr. Strombeck's recipes (or see if you can get his book from your local library), there are a number, all calculated for various needs, and they are all cooked recipes.

 

[karmasmom]

Thank you guys for the links. I admit I have not done any more research yet. I do have a question......

can I use caned meat, tuna, sardines, chicken, etc? If so should it be packed in oil or water? I don't have credit card access so ordering online is not an option plus I really can not see myself feeding her a better diet then what I get to eat. I love her to death but i am lucky if I can spend $5 on myself to eat all day. Right now she is getting the low ash bulk food from Henry's(owned by whole foods) so I know its at least organic and natural. Its .69 cents a pound but I don't know the ingreadiants and can't find them on line. Thats for dry, her wet is friskies, I give her 1/4 of a can a day. I really want to make her food. Cost wise and health wise I know its better. HELP

 

[yosemite]

Originally Posted by KarmasMom

Thank you guys for the links. I admit I have not done any more research yet. I do have a question......

can I use caned meat, tuna, sardines, chicken, etc? If so should it be packed in oil or water? I don't have credit card access so ordering online is not an option plus I really can not see myself feeding her a better diet then what I get to eat. I love her to death but i am lucky if I can spend $5 on myself to eat all day. Right now she is getting the low ash bulk food from Henry's(owned by whole foods) so I know its at least organic and natural. Its .69 cents a pound but I don't know the ingreadiants and can't find them on line. Thats for dry, her wet is friskies, I give her 1/4 of a can a day. I really want to make her food. Cost wise and health wise I know its better. HELP

Firstly, cats should NEVER be on vegetarian diets - I don't know where on the internet you found that information, but it is very dangerous information.

There are some fairly good quality dry foods out there that are not that expensive. Also, if you feed a better quality food the cat won't eat as much because it is getting the nutrition it needs and wants from less food.

Unless you have done tons of research and really know what you are doing I would advise against trying to make your own cat food.

 

[pat]

Originally Posted by KarmasMom

Thank you guys for the links. I admit I have not done any more research yet. I do have a question......

can I use caned meat, tuna, sardines, chicken, etc? If so should it be packed in oil or water? I don't have credit card access so ordering online is not an option plus I really can not see myself feeding her a better diet then what I get to eat. I love her to death but i am lucky if I can spend $5 on myself to eat all day. Right now she is getting the low ash bulk food from Henry's(owned by whole foods) so I know its at least organic and natural. Its .69 cents a pound but I don't know the ingreadiants and can't find them on line. Thats for dry, her wet is friskies, I give her 1/4 of a can a day. I really want to make her food. Cost wise and health wise I know its better. HELP

But you need to do that research. Please check out the links given to you...Dr. Strombeck's recipes use potatoes or rice plus appropriate supplements and chicken is one of the proteins suggested...you can use chicken thighs, or buy whole chickens on sale and use some for you, some for cooking for your kitty. I strongly agree with the poster above, this has to be done correctly, the recipe used must be properly formulated...one reason I recommended Dr. Strombeck.

For a quality canned food that is not expensive, try Trader Joe's house brand - it is better quality than Friskies, imo.

 

[cflynt]

Originally Posted by Yosemite

Firstly, cats should NEVER be on vegetarian diets - I don't know where on the internet you found that information, but it is very dangerous information.

There are some fairly good quality dry foods out there that are not that expensive. Also, if you feed a better quality food the cat won't eat as much because it is getting the nutrition it needs and wants from less food.

Unless you have done tons of research and really know what you are doing I would advise against trying to make your own cat food.

Yes!

Cats are *obligatory* carnivores. They simply cannot NOT eat meat.
They do not have the digestive track to get nutrients from vegetable
sources. Period. The only way they get the very necessary
nutrients that come from vegetable sources is by eating herbivores,
who have already digested the nutrients!

Cats also have unique metabolisms -- very different from other
animals. VERY different from humans.

PLEASE, do not just do random Web searches. The Web is a
wonderful font of information completely devoid of editing -- which
means YOU have to be the editor! Double check everything; think
like a journalist -- do not trust any statement until is has been
confirmed by a minimum of two additional independent, non-vested
parties. Check credentials.

Proper eating is so very vital to cats!

Carol

 

[sharky]

I dont know where you are but I get one raw as well as a kibble at the vet ( yes I know this is very unusual) I get the other in the nearest city to me... I live in a county of 100000 people but just within 25 miles I can get three different raw diets about 20 brands of true premium cat food....

do the research .... I know much of it is confusing... but you need to do it ask questions as they come up

if you give an organic and natural can from a whole foods company call whole foods if the label doesnt give the info you need ...

DONT use canned meats , they often have high sodium levals and can deplete certain vitamins and minerals .... if not high in salt they would contain various pres ...

 

[karmasmom]

Ok so I have done some reaserch and its ultimatly easier and cheaper to buy premade kibble. I looked into the Henry's bulk, I don't remember the ingrediants but I know they were really good. It's 69 cents a pound because its in bulk, no packageing so I am also helping the planet. She has been on it for a week now and loves it, licks the bowl clean.

Pat & Alix
Thank you so much for the tip about Trader Joe's. It really is so much better and cost less than Friskies

. I also found that they have Tuna made just for cats. Its the dark meat plus some other pars of the fish, the stuff they don't use in our canned tuna. It also has some vitamines and minerals added. I gave it to Karma and she almost lost her mind it was so good

.

Some day when we get back on our feet we want to try the raw food diet but for now I am going to give her the best quality I can afford.