How To Prepare Raw Food For Cats: 3 Easy Homemade Recipes For Raw Cats

How to prepare raw food for cats? Cats are known for being picky eaters, and the idea of feeding them a raw food diet may seem daunting.

However, there is no need to worry because preparing raw food for cats can be done in various ways that will make your cat happy and healthy!

In this blog post, we’ll go over what you’ll need to feed your cat, how much to feed it, and how often.

How To Prepare Raw Food For Cats?

Your cat’s diet can be broken down into three basic categories:

1. Raw meat or fish (bones included)

2. Supplements, Nutritional Yeast

3. Vegetables & Fruits

What you’ll need to prepare raw food for cats

You will only need a few very simple things to start feeding your cat a healthy diet:

• a food scale (preferably digital)
• a blender or a meat grinder
• storage containers for the food you will be preparing during the week.

How Much To Feed Raw Food Diets?

The amount of food that your cat needs to eat will depend on its breed, age, and activity level.

• Kittens need 1-2% of their body weight daily.
• Adult cats need 1-1,5 % of their body weight daily.
• Lactating females will need 2-3 times the amount that is normally given to an adult cat.

How Often Should You Prepare Raw Food For Cats?

Some sources recommend feeding your cat 3 times a day, while others only advise giving the food twice daily.

It is best to discuss with your vet what would be best for your cat, especially if it’s not used to eating more than 2 times a day. This may change once you start offering them this new diet.

Raw Food Preparation For Cats At Home

There are many ways to prepare raw food diets for your cat.

The simplest deviation from the commercial diet may be to replace the layer of dry kibble at their bowl with a serving of raw meat or fish.

1. You can also choose to mix both types of food.

2. Another option is to add supplements, such as vitamins or probiotics, that will help your cat digest its food.

3. You can also prepare a small number of vegetables and fruit using a blender or a meat grinder. Always use organic vegetables since they are healthier. The same goes for fruits!

3 Recipe For How to prepare raw food for cats

1. Turkey and Blueberries Recipe

Preparation Time: 15 minutes or less

Ready: 15 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs ground turkey meat (raw)
• 1 cup of blueberries (fresh or frozen) 
• 2 tsp of Nutritional Yeast Flakes
• 1/2 cup of cashews (raw)
• 3 tbsp of sunflower seeds (raw)
• 1/2 a clove (peeled, dried, and crushed)
• 2 tablespoon of olive oil

Please note that the measurements given for this recipe are per meal, not per day. You can choose to feed your cat more than once a day but always talk to your vet before changing your cat’s diet.

Directions

1. Mix the ground turkey meat with the blueberries, cashews, sunflower seeds and clove.  Form the mixture into GAPS-friendly balls.  (GAPS stands for Gut’s and Psychology Syndrome).

2. Heat the oil in a skillet.  Place the turkey balls into the oil, and turn them around a couple of times.  The turkey balls should be coated with oil, and lightly browned on all sides.

3. Serve with your cat’s favorite form of raw food that you prepared for her.

Nutrition Fact

• Calories: 434 kcal
• Potassium: 230.91 mg
• Protein: 40.54 g
• Carbohydrates: 3.35 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.06 g
• Sodium: 482.51 mg

2. Fish & Green Beans Recipe

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs raw fish (cod, salmon, haddock.) cut into small cubes  
• 2 cups of green beans (fresh or frozen)
• 2 tsp of Nutritional Yeast Flakes

Please note that the measurements given for this recipe are per meal, not per day. You can choose to feed your cat more than once a day but always talk to your vet before changing your cat’s diet.

Directions

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl
2. Feed immediately or store it in an airtight container for up to 24 hours.

3. Salmon & Spinach Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 lb raw salmon (cubed)
• 2 cups of spinach (fresh or frozen)
• 2 tsp of Nutritional Yeast Flakes

Please note that the measurements given for this recipe are per meal, not per day. You can choose to feed your cat more than once a day but always talk to your vet before changing your cat’s diet.

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth
2. Feed immediately or store it in an airtight container for up to 24 hours.

If your cat is used to eating dry food, you can offer it a small amount of kibble next to its bowl of raw food. You can gradually decrease the amount of kibble being given over time.

Do not leave the food out for more than 2 hours after feeding your cat

If you are using supplements, include them in the raw food recipe before freezing them.

Also Read: How To Make Raw Cat Food Recipes Without A Grinder

How To Store The Raw Food For Cats?

Once you’ve prepared the raw food diets for your cat, it’s time to store them and use them throughout the week.

You can freeze your food made from fish or meat by dividing it into small storage containers. If this is not possible, be sure that the “use by” date of the meat you will be feeding your cat is at least 3 days away.

Make sure you always treat raw meat as fresh food with a very short expiration date, just like you normally do at home!

Can I Cook My Cats Raw Food?

No, cooking destroys the nutrients present in raw food.

Can I Use Supplements?

Yes, you can add supplements to your cat’s diet after preparing it. Make sure they are designed for cats! Add moderate amounts of the supplements to prevent any side effects or negative reactions from occurring.

Cats have very sensitive digestive systems, so adding too much of a supplement at once can make them sick.  

What Are Benefits Of Feeding My Cat A Raw Diet?

There is a huge range of benefits to feeding your cat its natural food. It has been proved that it helps make their body stronger and healthier by giving them more energy, better digestion, and a beautiful coat.

It also provides many vitamins and nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus etc. That’s why we recommend you talk to your vet before changing your cat’s diet. He can also advise you in the case of health issues.

What Should I Raw Feed My Cat?

You can feed your cat a range of raw food, including:

Fish

You can feed canned fish or fresh white meat.

Chicken/Turkey

It would help if you only fed the breast with skin removed as dark meat has too much fat and bones. Remove all visible fat from the skin before giving it to your cat.

It is important to know how to clean a chicken properly.

First, rinse the meat under cold water and dry it with a paper towel or kitchen cloth. Next, wash your hands with hot soapy water after handling raw chicken breasts to prevent cross-contamination.

Offal

The refuse of any kind should be part of your cat’s diet as they are rich in vitamins and minerals. The most readily available offal for cats is cow liver, which you can give to your cat daily.

Organ meat should never be given to your cat more than 2-3 times a week as too much of it can lead to vitamin A toxicity.

The heart is also good for your cat’s health, but make sure you give it to your cat raw as cooking can destroy its nutritional value.

Natural prey

Prey is also good for your cat if they are given raw. The best parts are the liver, heart, and lungs of any animal. Bone is an important part that should be included in your cat’s diet too!

How Do You Feed A Cat Raw Food?

It is best to start with something soft like cooked fish or chicken breast. 80% of the raw food you will give your cat should be based on meat or fish.

Other 20% can be made up of different types of offal, bone, and small amounts of gut load (like powder). Start by giving small pieces every day but increase their size as your cats adjust to the diet change.

Feeding your cat with raw food does not have to be complicated, but you must serve different types of meat over time so they can get all the nutrients they need.

Ideally, feed them:

• 2-3 times a week fish or white meat (chicken/turkey)      
• 2 times a week offal
• 2 times a week, organs

The Bottom Line

Raw pet food is a great way to keep your pets happy and healthy. It also provides many nutritional benefits since it closely resembles what they would eat in nature.

However, feeding raw foods can be time-consuming for owners because of the preparation involved.

It must be properly handled to prevent spreading diseases to other pets or people.

Children and people with compromised immune systems should avoid contact with raw pet food.

Most people find that the benefits of feeding their pets a healthy, balanced diet are worth any extra effort.

With careful planning and foresight, you can have a happy, healthy family of pets!

I hope this article is helpful for you and if you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask!