Switch Up Your Cat’s Menu With 11 Homemade Cat Food Recipes

As pawrents, our pets’ health is a top priority — after all, we want our beloved pets to live a long and healthy life with the family! And as the familiar adage goes, ‘nothing beats home-made food’. If you’re in doubt about the nutritional value of over-the-counter cat food, why not try whipping up some easy and healthy homemade cat food for your feline pets? This gives you the ability to tweak the ingredients to suit your furry pals, especially if they have allergies, skin problems, weight concerns or gastrointestinal issues. Read on for an assortment of the best homemade cat food and treat recipes that will satisfy even the pickiest eaters!

Homemade cat food recipes you must try (2024)

Type of cat food	Recipe	Prep time (mins)	Cook time (mins)
Raw	Raw Chicken Liver And Salmon	10	5
	Grain-Free Chicken Raw Cat Food	20	–
Cooked	Grain-Free Meatloaf	20	60
	Sardine Oat Porridge	3	5
	Vegetable Omelette	5	10
Soup	Chicken Feet Broth	2	45
	Homemade Chicken Soup	5	90
	Homemade Beef And Vegetable Soup	5	24h
	Homemade Catnip Soup	1	2
Cat treats	Tuna And Catnip Treats	15	10
	Chicken And Cranberry Cat Treats	20	15

Best homemade cat food recipes: Raw food

1. Raw Chicken Liver And Salmon

Raw chicken liver and heart homemade cat food recipe may not sound particularly appetising to you, but Mr Whiskers will definitely be drooling over this tasty homemade cat food recipe! Chicken liver and heart boast essential nutrients that your cat needs, including tons of vitamin A, vitamin B, minerals, iron and protein. With so many nutrients packed in a meal, this recipe is also suitable for kittens who’re on a growth spurt! However, moderation is key when it comes to raw chicken liver consumption as too much of it may cause your cat to have loose stools. 

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Servings: 21 bowls

Recipe Ingredients:

• 50g raw chicken liver
• 50g raw beef kidney
• 2 cups water
• 100g raw chicken heart
• 700g raw chicken wings with bones and skin
• 100g raw salmon with bones
• 1 tsp taurine supplement powder

Recipe Instructions:

1. Puree all the organ meat into the water using the Tefal Multifunction Easyforce Food Processor (available on Tefal Official Store)
2. Pour the mixture into a meat grinder (available on amzchef Cooker Store) and add in the remaining ingredients. Grind all the ingredients together and it’s ready to serve!
3. Freeze the excess in small portions for easy serving later on

2. Grain-Free Chicken Raw Cat Food

Can’t seem to get Mr Whiskers to eat his supplements on a daily? This homemade cat food recipe incorporates all the essential supplements alongside tasty raw chicken and giblets. Trust us, Mr Whiskers won’t even notice the supplements mixed in!

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: –
Servings: 50 – 54 cubes

Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 large chicken with giblets
• 3 egg yolks
• ½ cup wild-caught salmon oil
• 12 B-50 Complex vitamin capsules
• 6 vitamin E capsules
• ½ stick unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp taurine amino acid powder
• ½ cup water

Recipe Instructions:

1. Grind the chicken and giblets finely using only the thighs, legs and breasts. The wings and spine will not be used in this recipe to avoid increasing the bone to meat ratio.
2. In a small bowl, mix the Zesty Paws Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil (available on Nana Mall Official Store), Now Foods B-50 Complex Capsules (available on Now Foods Official Store), Holistic Way Vitamin E 400 (available on Metro Official Store) and remaining ingredients together
3. Stir the vitamin mixture into the chicken until fully combined
4. Scoop the raw food into an ice cube tray and place it in the freezer
5. Once frozen, remove the raw food cubes from the tray and store them in a container in the freezer
6. To serve, thaw the food cubes in the refrigerator overnight to feed your cat in the morning

Best homemade cat food recipes: Cooked food

3.  Grain-Free Meatloaf

Some pet owners believe that keeping your house cat’s meals similar to the diets of wild cats can help ensure your kitty gets all the nutrients it needs. This means that the food provided should contain fewer carbs and more protein. Moreover, going for a grain-free diet for your feline may help to prevent food allergies or sensitivities such as excessive itch and loose stools. However, what if you can’t seem to find grain-free pet food for your feline friend in stores? Fret not, you can DIY with this easy grain-free meatloaf homemade cat food recipe! This recipe uses mostly organic ingredients and does not include antibiotics or hormones.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Servings: 17 portions

Recipe Ingredients:

• 1kg organic ground beef, 90% lean
• 1kg organic ground turkey thighs (skinless and boneless)
• 115g organic squash meat
• 60g organic mixed berries
• 60g organic broccoli
• 2 cans sardines in water
• 60g organic kale
• 1kg organic mixed chicken organs, ground

Recipe Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 180-degree Celsius
2. Using the cheese grater (available on Mrphy Official Store), shred the squash.
3. Puree the organic broccoli (available on QQMart), organic kale, berries, sardine and shredded squash with a food processor
4. Place the ground meat into a large mixing bowl and add the pureed vegetable and fruit mixture. Mix everything together until it’s well incorporated.
5. Pour the mixture into a ceramic baking dish and bake in the oven for 60 minutes
6. Allow it to cool fully before dividing it into 17 portions. Freeze the excess in the baking dish covered with cling wrap (available on Shopee Supermarket).

4. Sardine Oat Porridge

Running out of cat food is probably every owner’s nightmare. What do you do when you have a hungry and unhappy cat in the house? Thankfully, you can quickly whip up a satisfying meal for the furry king with your breakfast oats. This homemade cat recipe buys you some time before you make a dash to the pet shop to stock up on your cat’s food supply. However, do note that this recipe is not suitable for cats who are allergic to grains. 

Prep time: 3 minutes
Cook time:  15 minutes
Servings: 3 bowls

Recipe Ingredients:

• ½ cup oats
• 1¼ cups water
• 1 tin sardine in water

Recipe Instructions:

1. Pour the Rolled Oats (available on Nature’s Nutrition Official Store) into a small pot with water and bring it to a simmer slowly for about 8 minutes
2. Check that the oat porridge is cooked and thickened before removing it from heat. Allow it to cool.
3. Drain the oil from the sardine and mash it with a fork. Mix it into the porridge
4. Store it in the fridge and serve as required

5. Vegetable Omelette

Indoor cats rarely have a chance to chow down on grass. This is why it’s important to incorporate some veggies into your cat’s meals.  Greens help to provide essential nutrients and vitamins for your cat’s health. They are also loaded with fiber and moisture to help with digestion. Get your feline to eat its greens with this irresistible vegetable omelette homemade cat food recipe!

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time:  10 minutes
Servings: 6 bowls

Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp non-fat dry milk
• 2 tbsp water
• 3 eggs
• 3 tbsp cottage cheese
• 2 tbsp vegetables, grated

Recipe Instructions:

1. Mix the Now Foods Real Food Certified Organic Non-Fat Dry Milk Powder (available on Now Foods Official Store) with water. Add the eggs and beat well.
2. Cook the mixture in a non-stick pan on medium-low heat for about 6 minutes
3. Flip the omelette over and spread the cottage cheese and grated vegetables (we suggest carrots, zucchini, lettuce and pumpkin) over half of the cooked omelette
4. Fold the omelette and remove it from heat
5. Allow the omelette to cool before cutting it up into bite-sized pieces to serve

Best homemade cat food recipes: Soup

6. Chicken Feet Broth

Are your cats getting on in years? Older cats may require more vitamins and minerals to keep them in the pink of health. This chicken feet broth homemade cat food recipe is a great addition to your feline’s diet as it provides high-quality glucosamine and chondroitin. Both glucosamine and chondroitin are beneficial to maintaining healthy joints for Mr Whiskers.

Prep time: 2 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Servings: 3 bowls

Recipe Ingredients:

• 1.8kg chicken feet
• 3L water

Recipe Instructions:

1. Place the chicken feet and pour the water into the pressure cooker (available on Philips Certified Store) and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes
2. When the timer rings, do not open the cooker’s lid. Allow a full natural release of heat instead.
3. Pour only the broth into a container and serve as needed. This broth can be added into your cat’s regular raw diet for a nutritional boost. The remaining soup for the cat can be frozen.
4. As a bonus treat for your cats, cut off the nails on the leftover chicken feet. Then, give a few toes to your feline.

7. Homemade Chicken Soup For Cat

Cat owners, we all know how hard it is to encourage your furry pal to drink up. Hydration is especially important for cats and even more so for those who depend on dry cat kibbles as their main source of nutrients. Dehydrated cats run a higher risk of getting urinary tract, kidney disease or other health issues. If regular water doesn’t seem to appeal to your fussy feline, soups for cats can be a great solution. However, we recommend feeding soups to adults or senior cats only and ensure the soup contains little to no sodium. This chicken soup for cats is a tasty and easy-to-make alternative. It’ll be sure to help your kitty hit their daily fluid intake!

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 90 minutes
Servings: 4 bowls

Recipe Ingredients:

• 800ml water
• 2 chicken legs with skin and bone
• 1 carrot
• 1 stalk of celery

Recipe Instructions:

1. Chop up the celery (available on IWantVeggies Flagship Store) and carrot finely
2. Fill a pot with water and add the vegetables, followed by the chicken legs (available on Kee Song)
3. Bring the pot to a boil and let it simmer for 90 minutes
4. Once done, pack the soup into separate containers or freeze it in ice cube trays for easy storage. This soup for cats can last up to seven days in the fridge and up to six months in the freezer.
5. When you’re ready to serve, heat the soup up to about 35 degree celsius before giving it to your cat. Heating the food up will help improve its flavour and make it more appetising to your feline.

8. Homemade Beef And Vegetable Soup For Cat

If your cat doesn’t like the taste of chicken, a beef and vegetable soup will make for a good alternative. While this beef and vegetable soup for cats can be time consuming to cook, the long cooking duration ensures the nutrients from the beef bones are released into the broth to give your cat a health boost. If your cat still finds it hard to consume soup, we suggest pouring some soup over their favourite dry food. This ensures your cat licks up the soup while eating and will get used to the taste of the broth. 

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 24 hours
Servings: 4 bowls

Recipe Ingredients:

• 800ml water
• Beef bones
• 4 tsp apple cider vinegar
• Carrot (chopped finely)
• Green peas (chopped finely)

Recipe Instructions:

1. Fill a pot with water and place the beef bowl in
2. Add Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar (available on Green Earth Organic Official Store) into the water
3. Stir in the vegetables
4. Simmer the soup on low heat until all the meat residue has fallen off the beef bones
5. Scoop out the meat and vegetables
6. Allow the beef bones to simmer in the pot for another 20 hours
7. Once done, skim off the fat and discard the beef bones. Let the soup cool before freezing them to serve later.

9. Homemade Catnip Soup

Cat fountain? Check. Clean water? Check. You may be providing your cat with all the water supplies needed but stubborn or fussy cats may still not be drinking as much as they should. If you’re at your wits end, the catnip soup for cats will be a godsend. Most cats simply can’t resist catnip, so turning it into a soup is the easiest way to get them drinking. However, similar to catnip treats and toys, do moderate your cat’s intake of catnip products to avoid unwanted effects such as nauseousness. Cats will usually refuse to drink the soup if they’ve had enough of the catnip, so there’s no need to make this homemade cat food recipe in huge quantities.

Prep time: 1 minutes
Cook time: 2 minutes
Servings: 4 bowls

Recipe Ingredients:

• 240ml warm water
• 3 tbsp dried catnip
• ¼ tsp instant chicken broth, powdered

Recipe Instructions:

1. Pour the warm water into a large bottle and add the catnip (available on Hoo-Ga Pets Official Store) and chicken broth
2. Tighten the cap on the bottle and shake it vigorously until the powdered broth has dissolved and the water has a green tint from the catnip
3. Store the soup for the cat in the fridge. When serving, warm the soup and serve only ¼ cup each time.

Best homemade cat food recipes: Cat treats

10. Tuna And Catnip Treats

Every good kitty deserves a treat or two — especially if it contains catnips! Cats absolutely love catnips, a herb from the mint family Labiatae. It contains an active ingredient known as nepetalactone, which may cause a ‘high’ in your cat to help your furry friend relax! However, be sure to moderate your cat’s intake of this homemade cat recipe as too much catnip may cause nauseousness.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Servings: 80 treats

Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 large egg
• A can of tuna in water, flaked
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp dried catnip

Recipe Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 180-degree Celsius
2. Drain the tuna and add it into the food processor along with the rest of the ingredients. Process until you get a smooth and thick dough.
3. Roll the dough into 80 balls, roughly about ¼ teaspoon size each. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and slightly flatten each ball before placing into the oven.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes until the treats are golden and crisp. Let them cool completely before storing in an air-tight container for freezing.

11. Chicken And Cranberry Cat Treats

Cranberries are thought to help reduce the risk of UTIs by lowering the urinary pH levels and preventing bacteria from sticking to the system. Hence, adding some cranberries to a cat treat recipe can not only brighten your cat’s day but may also help to keep UTI at bay!

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Servings: 50 – 60 treats

Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 heaping cup rolled oats
• 3 tbsp unsweetened, dried cranberries
• 120 grams cooked, unseasoned chicken, chopped small
• 32ml olive oil
• 1 heaping tablespoon dried catnip
• 1 large egg

Recipe Instructions:

1. Place the rolled oats in a food processor and whiz until they turn into flour
2. Add Dried Cranberries (available on Shopee Supermarket) into the oat flour mixture and whiz again until they are ground fine
3. Add the remaining ingredients into the food processor and pulse until everything is combined. Pour out into a bowl.
4. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. While waiting, line two baking trays with parchment paper.
5. Scoop out ¼ teaspoon-sized portions of the mixture and roll them into balls. Press them flat against the parchment paper with your finger.
6. Place the baking trays into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. The treats should look golden and dried out at the top.
7. Allow the treats to cool before treating your cat. These yummy treats can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.

What homemade food can cats eat?

If you’re getting creative with your homemade cat food recipes, it’s important to gain a good understanding of what your furry friend can or cannot eat. Check out the food that are safe for your cat according to WebMD below!

Food that cats can eat	Food that cats cannot eat
Beef Chicken Turkey Whole grains Cooked fish Cooked eggs Vegetables Cheese	Chocolate Grapes Raisins Onions Garlic Macadamia nuts Bread dough Alcohol Xylitol (sweetener)

Do more for your furry friends with these best homemade cat food recipes

Other than whipping up homemade cat food recipes to satisfy your fussy furry eaters, you can also show your fluffy pals some tender loving care by bringing them to the groomers! Check out these best places for pet grooming in Singapore to give your pets a good trim and pamper them with a spa treatment! Meanwhile, improve your pet’s indoor living conditions with these pet-friendly home decor ideas.  Don’t forget to join the Shopee Pawrents Club for exclusive deals on pet food, toys and more!

This article was updated on 15 May 2024. Additional research done by Caryn Tan.