Authored by Douglas Mefford in Cats 
Published on 08-31-2009

A study of commercial cat food processing and ingredients will soon show how poorly designed these products actually are for proper health of your feline. As well as inappropriate ingredients, the nutritional values are often added with chemical substitutes. Add these disturbing facts to the potential lethal contaminants occasionally occurring in commercial pet foods and you will find that the best health and safety of your pet friends lies in making their food yourself.

While one might think making your own homemade cat food is difficult, the actual fact is that with a bit of knowledge on cat nutrition, it is no more so than cooking for yourself. Meat is, of course, an important ingredient as cats are carnivorous creatures. To balance the protein and calcium needs of your cat you should grind up the meat with the bones. Avoid all meat as it does not contain calcium but do not offer your cat bones themselves as they can splinter and choke the cat or rupture the digestive tract.

Fish, liver, and poultry are good meats to feed your cat. It is safest to not give them raw meat as there are bacteria that can create disease in your cat. At the very least cook it well enough to destroy surface bacteria. Fish should be limited as too much in the diet can lead to mercury poisoning. Liver should make up no more than 10% of the diet to avoid Vitamin A toxicity.

Eggs are a good source of protein, vitamins, fat and carbohydrates but should not be served raw as there are harmful enzymes in the uncooked eggs. One should be very careful with dairy products. Milk, especially whole milk, can give your cat diarrhea. Cheese is a much better alternative for calcium as the lactose is gone. Cut into very small chunks stirred in with the other ingredients of your homemade cat food is best.

Although they are carnivorous, cats do need some vegetable in their diet. You can use a variety of vegetables in small amounts mixed in with the food to provide essential vitamins as well as variety in flavor. Grains can be used in whatever amount to help bulk up your cat’s food mix. As well as vitamins and minerals, grains can be eaten in large quantities by cats with no ill effects unless they suffer from specific food allergies or have kidney problems.

To prepare a supply of your easy homemade cat food, you will want to grind the ingredients well and then mix them together. A fair supply can be made atone time and the extra preserved in your refrigerator for daily feeding. When you begin your cat on this new and healthier food it is best to begin by mixing some of it in with the dry food they are used to. Slowly you can increase the mix until you have completely eliminated the commercial product from their diet.

The quickest way to find a multitude of well-balanced and delicious menus to fix you cat is to do a quick web search. There are many sites especially devoted to presenting easy homemade cat food recipes for the caring pet owner.