Cat Treats

Did someone say cat treats? Healthy cat treats? Listen up, kitties. It is both possible and super easy to make your own healthy cat treats.

Cat parents everywhere know the power of the cat treat. We know that giving Fluffy a treat is one of the fastest ways to establish a bond and develop trust. Other times, treats are a tasty reward for good behavior or reinforcing learned behavior during training. Though much appreciated by both cats and their parents, many commercially available treats are not healthy cat treats.

Make Your Own Healthy Cat Treats

Healthy Cat Treats

So what is cat parent to do? Make your own healthy cat treats! But you say, “I can barely cook for myself and now you want me to cook for kitty?!” Who said anything about cooking? If you can  open a can or boil water, you have healthy cat treats within easy reach. Not just a reward or tasty delight, but nutritious enrichment to your cat’s diet.

Kitties may be surprised to learn that commercial cat food is a pretty new phenomenon, only becoming widely available after World War II. While treats represent a small share of overall cat food spending, there is double digit growth in the volume of treats sold and nearly 50% of cat owners buy treats. Demand sees no sign of slowing!

 

But not all commercial cat treats are healthy. Research shows a number of pet treats, including popular brands, are contaminated with heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and mercury. So if you’ve been buying a commercial cat treat without an idea of the heavy metals they contain, you may have been unintentionally feeding your cat  poisons.

3 Healthy Cat Treats in Under 5 Minutes

Here are three of our top picks for mega-healthy cat treats you can make yourself in under five minutes.

Sardines

Healthy Cat Treats

Can you pop a top? Then you have one of the healthiest treats available for both man and feline beast. Sardines are at the top of our list of healthy cats treats.

Why?

Sardines are a superb source of both protein and Omega-3 fatty acids, are a foundation of good nutrition for both felines and people. Benefits iof Omega-3 fatty acids include reduced inflammation and an immunity boost. 

How?

Be sure to choose only sardines packed in water. Sardines are available packaged in a variety of liquids, including oils and sauces. Avoid sardines packed in anything but water as these can have high salt content and may contain ingredients like onion or garlic that are not good for your cat. Alternatively, you can go for fresh, frozen sardines. Don’t forget to eat a couple or three for your own health! 

When?

Whenever you feel like popping open a can is probably the best time! One sardine a day is a super supplement for Fluffy, or you can serve on a silver platter as a special treat! That’s ok -the kitty bowl will work too.

Lightly Scalded Chicken Wing

Once you treat your kitty to a chicken wing, you will always treat your kitty to chicken wings!   

Why? 

Keep your kitty’s teeth clean with a chewy treat!

How?

Chicken wing cat treat

Use a full chicken wing (easier) or just the tip -the pointy end- of the chicken wing. You can either cut this from a full chicken you are cooking or buy directly from a butcher.

Simply boil water and drop the the raw chicken wing in for about 15 seconds. Scalding the chicken wing kills the bacteria. Cool, serve. You can also make a batch, freeze, and defrost later.

When?

Your kitty (and their dental health) will love you dearly if you give them a wing tip every 3-4 days or even once a week. Anytime you’re making homemade chicken stock or cooking a chicken for yourself, save the wings for kitty! 

Healthy cat treat

Budwig’s Recipe

Why?

The Budwig recipe is rich in unsaturated fats, carbohydrates (both simple and complex) as well as proteins and amino acids. It is thought that the mixing of the 2 ingredients causes a chemical reaction that allows the nutrients to be metabolized and absorbed more efficiently. 

How?

This easy treat uses just 2 ingredients: cottage cheese and flax seed oil. Using a 1:2 ratio, mix 1  tablespoon liquid flax seed oil (preferably organic cold pressed), to 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese. For smaller appetites, use 1 teaspoon to 2 teaspoons is ideal for small appetites. Make fresh every time. Note: store flax seed oil in the refrigerator. 

Budwig's recipe for cats

When?

Feed your kitty Budwig’s recipe as a snack once a day, and eat the rest yourself. That’s right, it’s good for cat parents too. If there is a dog sibling in the home, they also can reap the health benefits of this treat.

Get started serving healthy cat treats by getting the ingredients you need on hand. If you have what you need, the preparation for each of these mega-healthy treats will take less than five minutes. Get started today -your fur babies will thank you! Still too much for you? Check your local shelter or cat cafe, where locally produced cat products are often in the meowchandise line up!

Healthy Cat Treats Shopping List

2 Comments

  1. It?¦s really a great and useful piece of information. I am satisfied that you simply shared this helpful info with us. Please stay us informed like this. Thank you for sharing.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Post comment