Homemade Cat Treat Recipes!

When it comes to quality cat treats and food, things can get a little confusing. What sort of ingredients should they have? What sort shouldn't they have? If you're worried about your cat’s diet and want more control over it, try flexing your newly-acquired quarantine baking skills and make your own cat treats! There are no guessing games; you know exactly what's in them. Here is a collection of recipes found on some of my fave cat sites. Give them a whirl (just in time for Valentine’s Day) and if your feline pal LOVES them, leave some for your sitter the next time you leave San Francisco!

1. Kitty Treats by catladyfitness.com

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground turkey/beef/chicken

• 1 can 3.75 oz. Sardines in water, no salt added

• 2 egg yolks

• 1 third cup nutritional yeast

• 1 tbsp. catnip

• 1/4 cup water

Steps to make:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

2. Place sardines in a bowl and mash with a fork. Add all ingredients one by one until the mixture is uniform in appearance. This process can also be done in a food processor if you have one.

3. Make small, cat-bite sized balls and place onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. You can take bits of the mixture and roll them into balls yourself, or use a piping bag and pipe them onto the baking sheet.

4. Bake for 20 minutes. The treats should be solid and not bubbling anymore

5. Let cool completely before serving or storing in the refrigerator or freezer. The author of the recipe recommends an airtight, large jar.

Notes:

This makes a LOT of cookies, enough to fill at least a quart sized mason jar. The author of the recipe recommends only 1-5 treats per day for your cat.

2. Crunchy Tuna Cookies from PetsAtHome

Ingredients:

• 1 can tuna in spring water

• 1 cup oat flour

• 1 large egg

• 1 tbsp olive oil

Steps to make:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

2. Mix ingredients together, either using a fork to mash up the tuna followed by mixing the rest of the ingredients in, or blending them together in a food processor. Mixture should be a uniform paste

3. Roll into bite size chunks and place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Lightly indent the tops of the treats with a X shape using a knife. They should look like very tiny hot crossed buns

4. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the cookies are cooked through

5. Let cool completely before serving or storing in the refrigerator or freezer

Notes:

This recipe makes about 30-40 cookies. It’s recommended that cats have no more than 10 of these cookies in a day.

3. Kitty Delights by Serendipity and Spice

Ingredients:

• 5 oz. can tuna

• 1/2 cup cornmeal

• 1/2 cup flour

• 1/2 cup water

Steps to make:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit

2. Combine ingredients until they form a uniform ball

3. Break off small pieces and roll into kitty bite sized balls

4. Place balls onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet

5. Press finger into each ball, lightly flattening them out like a fingerprint cookie

6. Bake for 10 minutes, flipping cookies over halfway through

7. Let cool completely before serving or storing in the refrigerator or freezer

Notes:

This recipe yields about 30 little treats, and it is recommended that cats have no more than 5 a day.

Storage

All treats should be kept cold in the fridge or frozen in the freezer to keep longer. They usually last about a week in the fridge or 3-5 months in the freezer. This way, you can make them ahead for your furry valentine. Just remember, if kept in the freezer, make sure you thaw them thoroughly before treating your cats.