Friday, May 21, 2010

The Best Dry Cat Food Recipes


While feeding your cat a moist homemade cat food is the best way to go health-wise, there are times you might want to feed best dry cat food. The best dry cat food is still homemade cat food , but because it is baked in small batches with good ingredients, the quality is better.

Dry kibble is most useful for two reasons:

  1. Dental health: Hard snack-sized morsels are good for kitty’s dental health, especially if you don’t feed homemade raw cat food. Just wet cat food alone doesn’t scrape food off your cat’s teeth. Supplementing the homemade wet cat food with homemade best dry cat foods is one way to assist this issue.

  2. Convenience: Dry cat foods can be the easiest way to go when your pet must be boarded or when you need to travel. Combine this with a pre-prepared wet cat food is the ideal.


Homemade best dry cat food cannot be made in large batches. This food is made in small amounts and stored in airtight containers to preserve freshness. But, the best part about it is that you can continually rotate the kibble you choose to make, thus providing your cat with a variety of ingredients and protein sources.

Here is a recipe option for best dry cat food. This could also be used as treats:

Kibbles for Cats

Recipe Credit ((stretcher.com/stories/03/03jan27a.cfm)

3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups soy flour
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup non fat milk
½ cup brewer’s yeast
1 (15 ounce) can mackerel
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon cod liver oil
2 cups of water or as needed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl, mash the mackerel into small pieces. Mix in the oil and water. Add the mackerel mixture to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. The dough is tough, so use your hands. Roll dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 1/4-inch bits, using a knife or pizza cutter. Mound the bits onto greased cookie sheets and bake for 25 minutes. During baking, occasionally toss the bits with two wooden spoons, so they brown evenly. Turn the heat off and allow the treats to cool thoroughly before removing. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This cat food recipe freezes very well for longer storage.

To make other varieties of best dry cat food, you simply vary the grains used, the proteins, and even add in small amount of vegetables. Keep in mind the moisture content of your ingredients to adjust the levels of dry to wet ingredients.

Some ideas for different kibble mixtures:

  • Replace cornmeal or some of the other flours with higher value grains like ground oat flour, barley, or brown rice flour.

  • Add in small amounts of puréed vegetables (even baby food ones) in place of small amounts of water.

  • Add an egg or two. This helps bind the ingredients together and adds beneficial protein.

  • Change the proteins! You shouldn’t use fish all the time. Add in other meats like ground turkey or chicken.

  • Replace some of the oil with applesauce for a fruit choice.


The key is to cook the best dry cat food at a lower oven temperature to FULLY dry out the food. Keep the pieces very small and don’t crowd the pan.

The best dry cat food is one that still looks at the nutritional needs of a cat. Ideally, dry cat food won’t be the major component of your cat’s diet, as it is still too high in carbohydrates, but when used in moderation, can be a good addition.

To learn more about the best dry cat food and other homemade cat food recipes visit http://www.catfoodrecipesonline.com.


Tuesday, May 18, 2010

The Best cat food for Senior Cats

The Best cat food for Senior Cats

While it can sometimes be harder to tell that a cat is becoming a senior citizen, and at other times it appears to happen overnight, these seniors do have requirements that are different to an adult cat. In order to keep a senior cat healthy, it is important to know what the best cat food to feed it.


Keeping it Moist!

The problem is that many older cats drink less and less water as they age, making it much easier for them to become dehydrated.


It’s always important to provide a moist diet for all cat’s health, but it is particularly important for the senior cat. Creating an age appropriate homemade diet is sometimes the best cat food for these cats, as you can gauge the moisture level of the cat food, as well as the type of ingredients. Diets lower in carbohydrates always have a higher moisture content.


Softer Cat Foods

For many older cats, problems arise with their teeth and progressing dental disease. This makes the senior cat more likely to skip meals, especially if they are hard in texture or too tough to chew.


Dry cat food and even raw meals may prove too challenging for a senior cat. The best cat food is one that recognizes this likely issue. A homemade meal that can be minced or puréed can provide the cat with a pleasing texture that is easy to eat.


To keep its teeth in order, you can provide the occasional dental chewing treat. Homemade jerkies, cat chews, or even raw meat (like a small poultry neck) allows the cat to chew at his own pace for dental health..


Tastier and Smellier Cat Foods

As a cat ages, it often slowly loses its appetite. The main reason, assuming no illness, is that the senior cat is losing its ability to smell its food. This loss of smell decreases the chances of it wanting to eat it in the first place.


The best cat food for a senior cat is one that is both tasty and smells aromatic. This often means a warmed meal, as warm food gives off more odors. A homemade meal that relies heavily on fresh ingredients is also likely to have a more pleasing aroma and including strong meat scents is one way to entice the older cat to eat its meals.


Maintain a Good Weight

Obesity is one of the biggest problems facing typical housecats all over the world, but the odds of obesity goes up as the cat ages. Senior cats are less physically active and tend to sleep more. If the diet doesn’t change or is not appropriate to its needs, the cat will slowly pack on weight.


Unfortunately, obesity robs a cat of valuable life. It puts a strain on the heart and lungs, makes mobility more difficult, stresses the joints, and tires the cat out. Additionally, there are increased health risks like diabetes that is more prevalent in older, fatter cats.


The best cat food manages a cat’s weight by providing the necessary nutrients and energy needs without overdoing it. Dry cat foods tend to add weight to a cat with excess carbohydrates that are largely grain-based.


A homemade cat food that focuses primarily on protein keeps a cat in better physical shape by allowing the cat to eat more naturally. Protein, instead of excess carbohydrates, is used for energy. This means that there aren’t any carbohydrates to turn into sugar and be stored as fat.


Any senior cat can live a long, healthy life if it is maintained at a good weight, receives regular vetinary care, and is fed a proper diet into old age. Homemade cat food are often the most appropriate choice for the best cat food for a senior cat.


To learn more about the best cat food for all ages of cats visit http://www.catfoodrecipesonline.com.