Cat food today has gone a long way from the tasteless and bad smelling crackers in the past. Today, there are cat foods that are packaged in cans to preserve the taste and moisture that gives variety to cat food. If you want to give your cat something special, however, homemade baked treats are one of the healthy and inexpensive options for your cat. Here are some of the ways to do this.
Fish biscuits
- Mix ingredients. For fish biscuits, you will need tuna in oil, unbleached flour, water, corn meal, and butter. Place all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix. Tuna oil can be drained out of the can if you want a dry biscuit. The tuna oil, however, can also add to the flavor. To keep the biscuits dry even with tuna oil, reduce the water that you add into the mixture. After mixing the ingredients together, the dough should have a gummy texture.
- Slice. Use a baking pin to roll the dough into a half inch thick square. Once this is done, take a knife and slice the dough into small squares. You can also decorate the treats by using a fish shaped cookie cutter.
- Bake. Take a nonstick spray and use it to cover the inner lining of a baking pan. Carefully place the dough inside a preheated oven that has been preheated to around 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Let the dough mixture bake for around 20 minutes. Let the treats cool down, before letting your pet nibble in homemade cat treats. You can also make larger batches of these cat foods and store them in an air-tight canister.
Cheese treats
- What you need. Another easy and nutritious cat treat that you can make at home are cheese treats. You will need at least five spoonfuls of parmesan cheese, a quarter of a cup of yogurt, a cup of white flour, a cup of cornmeal, and a cup of cheddar cheese.
- Mix the ingredients. Mix the parmesan and cheddar cheese into the yogurt. This will create the base where you will add the cornmeal and flour combination. Add some water until you arrive at soft dough. You can also add little square chunks of cheese at this point, if you want your cat to have a treat with bits of savory cheese.
- Knead and cut. Next, knead the dough until it gains an elastic texture. You can test the dough by taking an inch thick piece of dough. It should stretch at least twice its size before tearing. Once the dough is chewy enough, you should cut it into small bite size pieces.
- Bake. Place these in a baking pan. Spray some grease to keep the treats from sticking into the pan, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes in an oven that has been preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Once finished, let the treats cool down.
Cats can appreciate a change in diet. Apart from ensuring that your cat’s food is healthy and nutritious, adding in some treats every now and then is one of the best ways for you to bond with your favorite feline friend.