Cooking for Your Cat: Kitty Cuisine

Want to truly win over your cat? Treat her to a Sunday feast of homemade kitty cuisine. It’s easier than you might imagine and truly shows your love and affection.

As mega meat eaters, cats are true carnivores. However, diets enriched with veggies can offer added nutrition. Here are some recipes that have won over the hearts—and tummies—of some of my cat pals.

Always let food cool before serving, and refrigerate or freeze leftovers in airtight containers for up to one week.

Heavenly Kitty Hash
To vary this recipe, substitute barley for rice, flounder for ground turkey, or wheat-germ oil for corn oil. Three servings.

1 cup water
1/3 cup uncooked brown rice
2 teaspoons corn oil
Pinch salt
2/3 cup lean ground turkey
2 tablespoons chopped liver
1 tablespoon bone meal

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Stir in the rice, corn oil, and salt and reduce the heat to low. Allow the mixture to simmer for 20 minutes, covered.

2. Add the ground turkey, chopped liver, and bone meal. Stir frequently and simmer for 20 more minutes.

Colossal Cat Chowder
Your cats will meow for more of this mouthwatering dish. Five servings.

1/2 pound white fish, deboned and diced into small cubes
1 cup creamed corn
1 cup skim or low-fat milk
1/4 cup red potato, finely chopped
1 tablespoon liver, finely chopped
Pinch salt
1/4 cup low-fat grated cheese
1. In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients except for the cheese. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with cheese.

Purr-fect Tuna Patties
For a simple variation on this feline-favorite recipe, substitute salmon, mackerel or whitefish for the tuna. Five servings.

2 eggs
1 6 1/2 ounce can of water-packed tuna, drained and flaked
1 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon brewer’s yeast
1 teaspoon bone meal
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons margarine
1. In a medium-sized bowl, whip the eggs.

2. Add the tuna, bread crumbs, brewer’s yeast, bone meal, and salt. Thoroughly blend with a wooden spoon until moistened.

3. In a skillet, melt the margarine over medium heat. Take small handfuls of the mixture and form 5 patties. Place the patties in the skillet. Cook each side for 3 to 5 minutes, or until golden brown.

4. Place the patties on a plate. Once they are cooled, crumble them into small pieces.

Read more: Pets, Cats, Everyday Pet Care

Excerpted from 50 Simple Ways to Pamper Your Cat, By Arden Moore. Copyright (c) 2000 by Storey Books. Reprinted by permission of Storey Books.
Excerpted from 50 Simple Ways to Pamper Your Cat, By Arden Moore.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Selma F.

7:27PM PDT on Jun 26, 2010

thank you for the recipes =)

send a green star

Cindy C.

1:31PM PDT on May 10, 2010

Aw how nice and why not indeed xxx

Kristine D.

3:36AM PST on Nov 6, 2008

I have given my cat some of the fresh fish pieces after cleaning a fish I have caught. No. I did not cook it as cats don't cook and he really loved it. Some of the fish oils that were left over went to his cat kibbles. So fish chowder for us and a feast of fish for him. Nothing went to waste except the inside guts that are n't good for anyone.

Michelle C.

7:32AM PDT on Aug 19, 2008

Grain, milk, cheese and margarine?? These recipes would be EXTREMELY unhealthy for a cat. Cat's are carnivores, they're not able to digest grains or cow dairy. A high protein diet is best for kitties! This is all people food.

Lina K.

11:19AM PDT on Jul 17, 2008

That's true, raw is the best. For people too, by the way.
But I STRONGLY DISAGREE that cats do not need veggies - as far as i had little kitties, they were ALL crazy about some veggies, fruit or berries. Adult cats usually find most delicious cucumbers and tomatoes. Now we have a kitty who loves berries and fruit, and my big cat used to eat raw carrots. Talk about melons!
So I think - if a cat wants it, give him vitamins!
(Funny story when this little kitty that we own now stole a big cucumber from our table and ate half of it:)))

Dianne N.

10:25AM PDT on Jul 17, 2008

I have been feeding my animals, cats and dogs a raw diet for 3 years and they are in the best of health. DO NOT COOK the meat, it takes away all it's nutrition. Cats DO NOT need grains or veggies especially corn it is a hugh allergin. Cats are true carnivors, dogs aren't they like and need the veggies. I also give my dogs raw bone, as in turkey necks and chicken backs, as long as bone is NOT cooked it is especially good to give to your animals. After all cats and dogs do not barbecue so what they eat should be given raw.

Nikki C.

1:59PM PDT on Jul 9, 2008

This is such a tough subject. I have fed my cat raw chuicken once a day for a week and he was fine he no longer wanted to eat his dry bagged food though! Then I strarted giving him canned wet food once a day and he loves that too. He has definetlt gained wait in the last few months with the mix of dry food and once daily wet food. I think he would be better off with raw meats.

Kimberly M.

9:39AM PDT on Jun 21, 2008

FINALLY, someone said it. Yay, Christopher.... I agree whole-heartedly. My little ones (cats and dogs both) all eat a wholesome, natural raw diet and they are healthier than anyone's pets I know.

Christopher T.

3:31PM PDT on Jun 18, 2008

Cats should eat RAW food,
Cats can't cook!
They are designed to eat RAW meat and bones etc.