Making Your Own Cat Food Gravy

[CS Santo]

Hi all,

Does anyone have recommendations for making your own cat food gravy that has a strong odor similar to the canned foods?

I'm re-transitioning my 16-year old senior cat, Buster, back onto a raw food diet. My roadblock is that Buster recently went blind, so he can't see his food. He tends to eat the foods that have a strong odor to them. He's not a picky eater and if I mix wet canned food in with his raw ood, he'll eat it. I'd like to NOT use commercial cat food, however.

Does anyone have any suggestions for how to make your own cat gravy that has strong aroma for a blind cat?

 

[LTS3]

Maybe bone broth? Here's some threads on how to make it:

i Need instructions on how to make broth for cats...very simple instructions
Bone Broth For Cats & Dogs | Cats & Dogs Naturally

If you use a gamey meat like venison, the broth should be strong smelling.

 

[daftcat75]

He will be able to find green tripe from two houses down if you can find a source for that. Fresh liver should also give off an aroma.

 

[lavishsqualor]

He will be able to find green tripe from two houses down if you can find a source for that.

This^^^^

 

[CS Santo]

Maybe bone broth?

It's worth a shot for sure.

green tripe from two houses

I literally looked for this! LOL And then I did a search for "green tripe" and found their website. They're in northern California and I'm in southern California, so I'll give them a call in the morning to find out more information. Thanks for the suggestion. I'd never heard of green tripe before, so I'm looking forward to getting more info on it.

Fresh liver should also give off an aroma.

He does love chicken liver. However, it's hard for me to find locally (I have to drive about an hour to a butcher) and I haven't given him liver in about 4 years. But I'm glad you reminded me of this! It's also another alternative I can give to him again.

 

[dhammagirl]

Primal brand makes freeze dried turkey liver treats. You could try using that to either crush and sprinkle as a topper or use to make a broth.

 

[darg]

You could use a very high quality canned and use an immersion blender to make a gravy. If it's still too thick, add a little water. I do this with the Rawz and Stella and Chewys canned pates that I feed. My cat is a licker and blending the food into a "gravy" is the only way I can assure that he'll eat the whole plate. Plus, it really makes him a lot less picky about finishing the refrigerated left overs. It only takes a few second with the immersion blender. Yes, it's an extra step but if it keeps my 12 year old eating, I'm ok with it. He get's the "gravy" with some homemade mixed in a couple of times a day and the rest of his meals lately have been all homemade.

 

[CS Santo]

freeze dried

dhammagirl I wish my guy liked freeze dried treats. He feins interest enough to lick it. But then leaves it alone when I'm not looking.

use an immersion blender to make a gravy

darg Another great idea that I'll have to try! It's not that big of a deal. I've seen the difference in my cat enough to know that feeding raw is the best way to go. I'm willing to go the extra step for my favorite furry dude!

daftcat75 I found a site called https://www.happeedawg.com that is based in California, where I live. They deliver green tripe, so I'll be ordering from them should Buster like it. Before I do that, though, I found a canned food called Solid Gold Green Beef Tripe. My local Petco carries it and I thought I'd try a can first before putting in a 3lb order for green tripe.

I also got him some liver and he gobbled it up right away, too. Turns out Amazon Prime delivers it through Whole Foods - it was much more convenient than having to drive over an hour in LA traffic for the butcher. It's going to be mixed in now with his ground turkey. Thanks for that reminder!

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

They deliver green tripe, so I'll be ordering from them should Buster like it. Before I do that, though, I found a canned food called Solid Gold Green Beef Tripe. My local Petco carries it and I thought I'd try a can first before putting in a 3lb order for green tripe.

Just a note: green tripe is an acquired taste, even for a cat. My cat refuses to acquire the taste. (Not that I mind! I thought it smelled disgusting! lol)

Also, Feline Natural makes a canned green tripe as a hydration booster-
https://www.chewy.com/feline-natural-lamb-green-tripe-grain/dp/172163

Also, a freeze-dried tripe as a booster or a food topper-
https://www.chewy.com/feline-natural-booster-lamb-green/dp/178459

The latter might be a safer bet, if you just want a touch of The Smell on a food.

I give the Chewy-dot-com links only so you know what to look for in possible pet stores near you (I doubt you will want to buy more than a few at a time, just in case your kitty doesn't like it!)

 

[LTS3]

Too much liver can cause vitamin A toxicity so limit the liver to a few pieces a week.

Supermarkets usually have a tub of chicken liver and gizzard in the meat case. Ask the store butcher if you don't see any. Ethnic markets are another good place to find liver and such. Not sure about green tripe, though. Tripe sold for Human consumption is cleaned first and is an off-white creamy color.

 

[daftcat75]

Too much liver can cause vitamin A toxicity so limit the liver to a few pieces a week.

Supermarkets usually have a tub of chicken liver and gizzard in the meat case. Ask the store butcher if you don't see any. Ethnic markets are another good place to find liver and such. Not sure about green tripe, though. Tripe sold for Human consumption is cleaned first and is an off-white creamy color.

What is Green Tripe?
Green Tripe is the nutrient-rich lining of the stomach of a ruminant animal such as a cow, deer (venison), or bison. Green does not necessarily refer to its color — it refers to the fact that it has not been touched, cleaned, bleached or scalded for human consumption. Green tripe’s actual color is brown. However, sometimes there will be a greenish hue due to the grass or hay the animal ate prior to slaughtering.

Green Tripe: The Superfood for Pets

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

 

[Shants7]

You could use a very high quality canned and use an immersion blender to make a gravy. If it's still too thick, add a little water. I do this with the Rawz and Stella and Chewys canned pates that I feed. My cat is a licker and blending the food into a "gravy" is the only way I can assure that he'll eat the whole plate. Plus, it really makes him a lot less picky about finishing the refrigerated left overs. It only takes a few second with the immersion blender. Yes, it's an extra step but if it keeps my 12 year old eating, I'm ok with it. He get's the "gravy" with some homemade mixed in a couple of times a day and the rest of his meals lately have been all homemade.

I’ve tried this and my old man looks at me like he “knows” it’s not the gravy from the caned cat foods.. he too is a licker. I recently tried making tuna mouse for him because he’s obsessed with tiki mouse sticks but for meals and not a snack and I was hoping to try and make his food too.. but nooo there’s something about the canned goop around the chunks and stuff from the package. He’s 18 and so I give him whatever he will eat but seriously cat it’s the same thing! I even blended up mackerel and Sardines.. no go. Bone broth no go! Sooo frustrating I just want him to be happy in his golden years but also healthy.

 

[nwc]

The organs and livers are the only part of the homemade diet that I puree. So I guess those act as a sort of gravy for the meat chunks.

 

[Box of Rain]

It's worth a shot for sure.



I literally looked for this! LOL And then I did a search for "green tripe" and found their website. They're in northern California and I'm in southern California, so I'll give them a call in the morning to find out more information. Thanks for the suggestion. I'd never heard of green tripe before, so I'm looking forward to getting more info on it.



He does love chicken liver. However, it's hard for me to find locally (I have to drive about an hour to a butcher) and I haven't given him liver in about 4 years. But I'm glad you reminded me of this! It's also another alternative I can give to him again.

Another potential source for green tripe (for those of us in Northern/Southern California) is Creston Valley Meat.

The "deliver" every two weeks to designated drops spots, where customers meet the driver. One need to purchase a case, which comes ground in chubs--so be sure your cat likes green tripe.

It does smell like cow poop, so....

Bill