Do you have a cat? A lot of people will tell you that cats are clean animals and this is true when you are talking about their physical hygiene. They take great care to groom and keep themselves clean. But when it comes to eating and using the litter box, I find their habits can be a little more messy. My cat can make huge messes but that doesn't stop us from spoiling her. She has a cozy bed on each level of house and numerous cat toys. But being a cat, her favorite thing to do is eat. She recently got treated to some homemade cat treats and boy was she pleased! I made them using a few ingredients that you probably already have at home. Be sure to check out these Catnip Cat Treats recipe as well. Thanks to Bounty for sponsoring this post.
Please check with your vet before giving your pet these or any treats. We are not responsible for any issues that may incur from making these.
You can make this homemade cat treat dough in a bowl, but it whips up quickly in a food processor. If the dough appears to be too sticky, simply add more flour a tablespoon at a time.
This dough gets very sticky when you are rolling it out, so be sure to have extra flour on hand for dusting.
I'm going to let you in on a little secret to making these homemade cat treats. Use a bottle cap as a cookie cutter! The size is just right for making small treats for kitty.
My cat can eat these this size but they are also easy to break up if your cat prefers a smaller treat.
They will puff up a little while baking.
I have a confession to make. I tried one. Yes, I ate a cat treat. When I looked at the ingredients there was nothing that I don't normally eat anyway, so I figured it was safe. They were pretty good. Nothing I would eat for a snack on a regular basis, but I can see what my cat digs them.
This is my cat Charlotte. My husband and I adopted her before we had kids, so her life has changed quite a bit in the last 7 years. Today she spends her days getting petted roughly by little hands, being carried where she doesn't want to go, and woken up from naps. So if any cat deserves some treats, it's Charlotte.
These homemade cat treats hit the spot! I try not to give her more than a few a day because she is getting older and obesity is a concern.
They keep in a sealed container, like a mason jar for a up to 5 days refrigerated. The next time I make these, I am going to try adding a little dried catnip.
Homemade Cat Treats
Ingredients:
- 1 can tuna in oil, drained
- 1 egg
- 1 ¼ cups of flour, plus extra for dusting
- ½ cup water
- dash of parsley
- bottle cap for cutting out treats
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a food processor mix tuna, egg, flour, water and parsley until a dough forms. If the dough looks too sticky, add a bit more flour.
3. Dust a surface with flour and roll out dough to ½ inch thick.
4. Use a bottle cap to cut out treats from the dough.
5. Bake for 20 minutes on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
6. Let cool and serve to your cat.
FAQs For Homemade Cat Treats
They're made with simple, cat-friendly ingredients, but every kitty is different. If your cat has allergies or special dietary needs, it's always best to check with your vet before trying new treats.
Pop them in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you want to store them longer, you can freeze them for up to a month.
Yes! Most cats love them. Of course, some cats are famously picky, so it might take a couple of tries to win them over. But once they're hooked, you'll have a very devoted taste tester.
If you have a cat and liked this homemade cat treats recipe, check out:
Theresa says
Hi Vicky, Does the tuna have to be in oil or could this be made using the tuna in water?I have two picky kitties and want to make this for them.
Vicky says
My cat prefers the taste of tuna in oil but she may be spoiled. You should be able to use tuna packed in water as well.
Theresa says
Thank you so much! I made this today and our picky duo loved it !
Vicky says
Happy to hear it!
Bananaphobia says
When adding catnip, how much do you recommend?
Vicky says
I would do just a pinch about 1/16 to 1/8 of a teaspoon.
Ruth Bourne says
Your recipe for cat treats sounds interesting, and would likely be very popular in this house! I have a query, our supermarket has several different sizes of tuna in cans, what size do you use in this recipe?
Vicky says
Hi Ruth, I used a 5oz can of tuna. Thanks for stopping by!
barbara says
how long do these keep if we put them in the ref.
Vicky says
My last a 4-5 days in the refrigerator.
Mary says
What size can for the tuna please? Thanks.
Vicky says
5 oz can of tuna
Nicky says
I have a unpicky cat. But will the sticky flour do anything harsh to the cat? This was a awesome tutorial. Thank you. Can you make more cat treats for us to make? Thank you again.!!!!
Vicky says
I would always check with the vet first just to be safe but the treats I buy for my cat contain flour and have never been a problem. All cats are different though. Thanks for stopping by.
Nicky says
Thanks!!
samira says
can i use whole wheat??
Vicky says
I have only ever used white flour so I can't comment on whole wheat flour. If you try it with whole wheat flour please let me know your results.
Carol says
Your cat is the exact image of my cat, Lady Bella. They have the same coloring--the chocolate ears and face and back and tail. They have the cream color bib and tan back of neck. Bella is a Ragdoll cat and I assume that is what your cat is. I have two other cats also. They all play together nicely.
Grace says
I was worried that I had added too much flour because of the extreme stickiness of the dough, so I tasted one treat and it was really hard to bite into and had barely any tuna flavor. Had I added too much flour? I was trying so hard to make it dry enough to come out nicely from my cookie cutters, and I think I had added too much. Do you think my cat would still like them? I don't think so.
Anna says
What a nightmare. I followed the directions exactly and the dough was unmanageable. I added more flour. After an hour of working the dough and adding extra flour and it being a sticky mess I gave up. I should have just let my cats eat the tuna. Left a horrible smell in my bowl that washing and scrubbing won't get rid of. Very disappointed.
Vicky says
Oh my gosh, I am so sorry to hear that! I mentioned in the post that it was sticky, but adding the extra flour always helps when I make them. I am sorry that didn't help or work out for you. I have made this lots of times with different kinds of bowls and haven't had the smell issue.