Raw, Grain Free Chicken Cat Food that is easy to make, store, and serve your cats!
I have talked before about how Our Pets Aren’t Vegan, and I have also posted the recipe for the raw, Anti-Inflammmatory Dog Food that I feed Fluffie, our little, five-pound, four year old Yorkshire Terrier, Fluffie, so it seemed high time that I posted the recipe for the Raw, Grain Free Chicken Cat Food that I make for our outdoor tomcat, JG, and our Bengal cat, Mazel.
Surprisingly, this Raw, Grain Free Chicken Cat Food recipe is actually one of the most Instagram-requested recipes that I have created! Many people are interested in feeding their cats a raw food diet, especially when they learn that cats cannot digest carbohydrates because they do not have the enzyme to process carbs, which is amylase. This means that most store-bought cat foods are actually really unhealthy for cats to eat because the foods are mainly made with grains like corn or wheat.
Another plus to this Raw, Grain Free Chicken Cat Food is that the food is very wet, similar to canned cat food. This is great for cats because they need a lot of moisture in their foods to help with digestion and the processing of the high-protein content of their meals.
Even though there are so great brands available that offer wet, grain free cat food that is already made, like Blue Buffalo Wilderness, because we have two cats, I find it more cost-effective to make my own raw, grain free cat food. I can make between two and a half to three weeks of raw, grain free cat food for JG and Mazel for less than twenty dollars! Additionally, as Mazel finishes growing, the food should last even a little longer because Mazel will not need quite as much to eat each day.
I would love to see your thoughts on this post, so please comment or ask any questions! In addition, if you were inspired to put a picture on Instagram because of this post, tag me at #shalomhomestead!
Best wishes and shalom, friends!
- 1 large Cornish Hen, with giblets, about 6 pounds, finely ground (only use thighs, legs, and breasts because the wings and spine would increase the bone:meat ratio too much.)
- 3 egg yolks
- ½ cup wild caught salmon oil
- 12 B-50 Complex vitamin capsules (NOW Foods brand)
- 6 vitamin E capsules (NOW Foods)
- ½ stick unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp taurine amino acid powder
- ½ cup water
- If the Cornish hen and giblets are not already ground, grind the chicken into a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, mix together remaining ingredients, combining well.
- Using a large metal spoon, stir the vitamin mixture into the chicken and continue stirring until the chicken and vitamin mixture are fully combined.
- Then, using a spoon, fill ice cube trays and place in the freezer until hard. I like to use ice cube trays that are divided into one-ounce slots so that I know how much foods my cats are eating.
- When the food is frozen, remove from the ice cube trays and place in a freezer proof bag or container and store in the freezer.
- Thaw the food cubes in the refrigerator in the food bowl overnight to feed your cats in the morning, and thaw food cubes in the refrigerator during the day to feed your cats in the evening. DO NOT store raw food in the refrigerator longer than 48 hours.
Hi Gwyn – Your recipe is very similar to the one I feed our 9 cats. We also use a poultry base but instead of butter for the fat, we use duck fat. I’d be interested to know how your cats like the butter or if you’ve experimented with different fats. Thanks!
Hello, Katie! Wow, my goodness, nine cats! That is amazing! How long have you had them? It is neat that our recipes are similar! I really like the idea of using duck fat, and if I had access to that fat, I would be using it too. My two cats definitely like butter, and they would both lick up the plain butter if I let them. I also use wild-caught salmon oil, hemp oil, or coconut oil! Also, both of my cats really love unsweetened coconut flakes, and I use those as treats!
Hi … My aunt’s cat has skin allergies… From what idk.. but in the last 3 weeks he’s had scabs on his face .. bumps on his ears … I’ve noticed him scratching… She brings him to the vet but all they do is give him these shots .. she’s worried that the shots are not good for him and his mother… His mother has a skin condition also… I’m wondering if this would help.. I care about these cats so much…
I’m so sorry to hear about your aunt’s cats! Yes, changing their food can definitely have a beneficial effect for the allergic reaction in the skin. I am not a vet, but I definitely think changing food to see if it will help is a good idea.
We switched our cats food to instinct limited ingredient formula and it has worked wonders. Our cat also had an allergy to something and we tried several formulas. Hope this helps.
I hope it helps too! Let me know how your cat does with the recipe. I wish you and your fur baby all the best!
I can’t find the B-12. What is the dosage? I was thinking of using the B12 drops but didn’t want to put too much in the recipe.
Thank you for the question! I just double-checked the NOW foods vitamin label, and they have updated their packaging since I wrote this recipe. The bottle is no longer just “B Complex.” I will make sure to edit the post, but the vitamin label now reads “B-50 Complex.” Here is the link to the bottle I purchased! Also, in each of the capsules is 50mcg of vitmain B12, so there will be a total of 600mcg B12 in the recipe. Unless your cat has been diagnosed with a vitamin B12 deficiency, this amount should be enough for their daily needs, but please check with your vet if you have any concerns!
Hello Gwyn I am unsure on which Vitamine E capsules to purchase. Have been feeding my 2 pixie bob cats raw since when I purchased them at age 12 weeks. Was getting it from Darwin’s delivered to my home every 10 weeks. my recent move from Seattle to Mi has unfortunately drawn me to make my own, because of my pay here is less then half what I made in WA and can’t no longer afford to buy it from them. Would really appreciate your help on pointing out the wright V E Capsule. Maybe a good link to more raw food recipes. I believe Raw is the best for my two babies which are 5 years now. Hope to here from you soon. Best regards Rene
Hi, Rene! I think raw food is the best for my fur babies too! It is nice to know that they are not being fed fillers, dyes, grains, and all sort of yucky stuff that is often found in commercial feed. Here is the link to the NOW brand vitamin E capsules I use: https://www.amazon.com/NOW-Vitamin-400-Dry-Capsules/dp/B003O1OCH4/ref=sr_1_8_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1549051888&sr=8-8&keywords=now%2Bvitamin%2Be&th=1 but as long as you trust the quality of the brand, you could certainly use a different company! Also, here are two links to other raw cat food recipes! https://feline-nutrition.org/nutrition/making-raw-cat-food-for-do-it-yourselfers and https://www.newlifeonahomestead.com/homemade-raw-cat-food-recipes/ I hope this helps! If you have any more questions, I would be glad to answer as best I can!
I am glad you reached out, Rene! I think raw food is the best for my fur babies too! It is nice to know that they are not being fed fillers, dyes, grains, and all sort of yucky stuff that is often found in commercial feed. Here is the link to the NOW brand vitamin E capsules I use: https://www.amazon.com/NOW-Vitamin-400-Dry-Capsules/dp/B003O1OCH4/ref=sr_1_8_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1549051888&sr=8-8&keywords=now%2Bvitamin%2Be&th=1 but as long as you trust the quality of the brand, you could certainly use a different company! Also, here are two links to other raw cat food recipes! https://feline-nutrition.org/nutrition/making-raw-cat-food-for-do-it-yourselfers and https://www.newlifeonahomestead.com/homemade-raw-cat-food-recipes/ I hope this helps! If you have any more questions, I would be glad to answer as best I can!
Hi Katie!
Love the recepie! So I just started my 14 y/o on Raw
But my 4 y/o refuses he’s a bit of a baby he was bottle fed! Lol Anyway Is be interested in knowing if this is something you just put together yourself and if it is Vet approved?
Thank you in advanced!
Rose
Awesome, I am so glad that you like the recipe, Rose! Switching up foods can be tricky, especially for the pickier eaters. When I transitioned my fur babies to this food recipe, I slowly added the new food to the old. For example, 7/8 old food and 1/8 new for several days. Then 3/4 old 1/4 new for even up to a week, etc. Think about if you all of a sudden transitioned to a completely new method of eating and how that would affect your stomach; your pets experience the same. So, slowly building up their stomach digestion and microbiome to the new food will help!
I did create the recipe myself, but my vet fully approves of the recipe because my pets are doing so well! Hope this helps!
Why cant I use a roasting hen instead of the tiny cornish game hen? It makes a lot more chicken for larger volume recipes.
of course, please use a larger hen if you are making a bigger batch! Compare the size between the chickens, and adjust the other ingredients proportionally.
Where do you get wild caught salmon oil?
I purchase mine from Amazon and make sure that I get a glass bottle! The brand I use is Holistic Pet Organics.
Hello! You make sure it is a glass bottle because of BPA? Do you have a meat grinder for this task of the grinding? Thanks!
Hi, Kim! Yes, for the fish oil, I do purchase in a glass bottle, and yes, I do have a meat grinder specifically for grinding the chicken!
Try and use small oily fish instead. Less toxic load in mackerel or sardines than salmon or tuna
Hi! Do the b12 and E supplements get ground at all, or just stirred in?
Also, what are your thoughts on adding other proteins like seafood? This sounds like a very cool recipe, I would love to try it on my picky 15 year old grump 🙂
Thanks!
The b12 and E vitamins that I used in the recipe were in powder form so that the vitamins were distributed throughout the entire recipe. If you have a solid pill, I would recommend grinding it into a powder. I have done this before by crushing the pill using the back of a butter knife. For picky eaters, seafood could be a great addition! Personally, I stay away from seafood for my fur babies because animals tend to prefer seafood. I am saving using seafood for if they ever become picky eaters! As you are dealing with a picky eater, I recommend giving seafood a try! Best of luck!
Can you use regular chicken
Yes, absolutely! Regular chicken will work great.
How much should I feed my cat? he is 11 pounds or what is the quantity of food to pound ratio? Also my Cat is very fussy and must be the only cat in the world that doesn’t like seafood is there a substitute I should use for salmon oil
I don’t understand why one would need all these supplemental ingredients with a natural meat diet. Could one simply alternate between fish and a variety of meat sources to avoid these supplements?
Hello, Janice! I am sincerely sorry for my delayed reply. I was sifting through comments and found I had not replied to yours yet. Due to our current food quality, we as human being receive less nutrition from our food than people did even 50 years ago, and the same is true of our pets. While supplementation is not ideal, it is often the only way our pets get adequate nutrition. Conventional pet food does not go through any screening or monitoring for quality, so even pet food bought at the store is unlikely to have the nutrition that the label claims. In fact, most pet food companies use the lowest quality ingredients because they are cheaper, and lower quality means less nutrition. So, with making our own pet food, it is best to supplement more vitamins and minerals than hope than hope that the meat we purchase in stores from animal farming has enough nutrition. If you are going to be purchasing the highest quality meat possible and trust the way it was raised, then yes, the nutrition will be higher, but if you are buying from Walmart and Kroger, it is absolutely recommended to supplement for your pets. I am not claiming to be an expert of pet food designing,so please, if you have concerns talk with a veterinarian who has designed their own personal pet food recipe. Hope this helps and best wishes to you!
How much do you feed each day? I have 3 cats about 10 pounds each and a 17 pound cat.
Do you have a recipe like this for dogs?
Yes, I do! Search “dog” and the post will come right up!
Thanks for the recipe 🙂 There animal specific vitamins right, you can use the regular human vitamins, yes?
Yes, you can use regular human vitamins!
Really looking at switching my baby’s food over to the homemade stuff. Was just wondering about how many cubes I should feed my 7lb baby a day?
My 10lb outdoor tomcat eats 2 cubes, but I know that he supplements with mice, birds, and more. My indoor 8lb Bengal and 5lb growing bengal kitten both eat any where between 3-5 cubes a day. It varies depending on how much they played, the time of year, and how much they ate the meal before. I hope that helps! Feeding with homemade food is a fairly intuitive process, but it is simple! Watch your fur babies as they eat the first few times they try the food and see if they need more or less.
I find it especially easy and cost effective to use a pre-made , ground feline supplement. I use Wild Trax. I bought a bag long ago that I keep in the freezer, and I add it to raw poultry for all their needed nutritional requirements. I think this bag will last me a very, very long time and even has additional vitamins and minerals specifically formulated for the needs of cats. It’s especially helpful if I don’t have time to grind the meat with bones myself, as the calcium and everything else is included already. Thank you for the awesome recipe. Hope this helps!!
Awesome! Thanks for the recommendation!
I’m really excited to try this but I’m really confused about the bones. Are you supposed to grind the bones in the poultry up also and if so, what in the world do you use that will do that? I have a kitchen aid mixer with the food grinder attachment but it does y seem like a good idea to throw a chicken leg in there. Help!
Diedra, hello! Great question! I use a high power meat grinder (for grinding beef, deer, chicken etc into sausage or grounds for burgers) to grind the meat and bones. It is specifically made to have that strong of a motor. If you have a standing mixer, I would simply grind the meat and substitute the bones with a quality bone meal powder! You want to make sure that the bones are either really small pieces or powdered so that your fur babies can eat them safely. Hope that helps!
Hi, I am just starting to look into the raw diet for my aging cats. One was just diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and it was suggested as a way to help. This may be a silly question, but do you grind bone and meat? If so how?
Thank you.
My apologies for a late response! This is not a silly question at all. To grind both bone and meat, a heavy-duty grinder is needed, like the kind used to make sausages. It is separate machine, not a standing mixer attachment. I bought my on amazon!
I recently found out my 5 yr old, indoor only, cat has food allergies. The vet said to change her protein source. She has always eaten a variety of store bought canned and dry foods so, I changed to all chicken until she stopped scratching, the sores and bumps on her ears went away. Which told me chicken is good for her. I changed back to tuna, she got itchy again, I went back to chicken till itching stopped. I tried mixed grill, itching again, went back to chicken. Just started a turkey chicken mix. I am thinking I am going to just stick with poultry.
They do like boiled chicken liver, but I was told to much could harm their kidneys because of their age. Plus I have tried giving them real cooked chicken and other meats as I was making dinner, they sniff it and walk away. Don’t know what to do about that.
I am wondering why your recipe is only raw. I have always been told that raw food causes worms. Do you have a cooked recipe?
My cats love dry food too so, they get both. If I would make the wet food and buy the dry, would I still need to add as many vitamins to the wet? Also, since I am not sure they will eat homemade do you have a cut down recipe that I could use as a trial?
I’m sorry your cat has food allergies! I understand because my cats cannot have turkey but do great on chicken. Switching to a raw or cooked food diet just takes the cats some getting used to. Slowly switching over to a different food source is best. For example, one tiny piece chicken with the dry food for a few days, then add a little more chicken and decrease the dry, etc until fully switched over. I don’t have a cooked recipe, and my cats have not gotten worms from eating this food. You can always half this recipe to give it a trial run!
Thank you, looks like a great recipe! My cats (and dogs) are all fed raw diets and I’m pretty confident in balancing the raw for my dogs, but haven’t ventured beyond commercial raw cat food for my cats yet. I want to start making their raw food as well. Can the protein be substituted with other proteins for variety? My cats currently enjoy chicken, salmon, beef, kangaroo, turkey, lamb and venison. Also, would it work to use salted butter and instead omit the salt in the recipe?
So excited for you to start feeding your cats homemade raw food! Definitely. Feel free to substitute the protein as you would like; in fact, changing it up is amazing for your cats! Of course, substituting the salted for unsalted butter can be done. Just be careful to make sure your cats are getting salt somewhere in their diet because they do need salt to be healthy. A raw salt lick or the occasional sprinkle on their food is a good idea.
Hi there, please could you provide a link to the meat grinder you bought on Amazon?
My exact meat grinder is out of stock, but this meat grinder is comparable.
https://www.amazon.com/Electric-Powerful-AICOK-MG2950R-Vegetable/dp/B083NTGYSJ/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=3000W+meat+grinder&qid=1614033868&sr=8-8