Is cat food in jelly or gravy better
11 Vet Approved Homemade Cat Food Gravy Recipes
The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.
Learn moreMaking homemade food for your pet provides a sense of satisfaction and peace of mind in knowing that you are doing all that you can to keep them healthy and happy throughout their lives. However, its not always easy to make all our cats food from scratch, especially when we are living busy lives of our own.
Luckily, you can indulge your cat and provide them with home cooking without supplying all their meals throughout the day. Homemade cat food gravy can be offered as a tasty snack and/or added to commercial food to enhance flavor and nutrition intake. Here are a few cat food gravy recipes that your furry family member is sure to love.
The 11 Best Homemade Cat Food Gravy Recipes:
1. Basic Cat Food Gravy Recipe
Basic Cat Food Gravy Recipe
Main Ingredient: GelatinApproximate Time to Prepare: 30 MinutesThis basic cat food gravy recipe requires minimal ingredients, many of which you probably already have in your kitchen. Here is what youll need to make a batch:Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
- 1 cup of drinking water
- 4 tbsp Plain flavorless and sugar-free beef or fish gelatin
- 2 cups Cat-friendly chicken stock or bone broth (no salt or any seasonings used)
- Meat scraps optional
- Carrot cuttings optional
Place gelatin in a glass bowl and add room temperature water. Let it hydrate for about 5-10 minutes until you see how it becomes an even clear color and gains volume.
In a pot, add the 2 cups of cat-friendly chicken stock, meats scraps, and carrot cuts. Let it boil until carrots are properly cooked.
Incorporate the boiling stock into the gelatin, stirring well. You can do this by hand, using a blender, or a food processor for a different consistency. If you choose to leave the carrot and meat scraps as pieces, please make sure the pieces are small enough for the cat to eat safely.
Let it sit until the gelatin starts thickening.
Cat-friendly chicken stock or bone broth is made without adding salt, or any other condiments. With special attention to avoiding onions and garlic that are toxic to cats.
- Easy to make
- Requires basic ingredients
- Takes no more than 30 minutes to make and produce leftovers
- It can be messy to make and serve
2. Fish-Flavored Cat Food Gravy Recipe
This is a simple gravy that goes great on top of cooked fish, so humans and cats can share the experience of eating gravy together. The following ingredients are what you will need to make this tasty and satisfying gravy:
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup of water
- 3/4 cup of almond milk
- 1 tbsp. coconut oil
- 2 tbsp. pre-hydrated flavorless sugar-free gelatin
- 1 nori sheet
Steps
- Start by putting everything but the nori into a small saucepan.
- Once the mix starts to boil, turn the stove down to a simmer, and whisk the mixture until it turns into a smooth gravy consistency.
- Grind the nori sheet in a small food processor, or cut it up into tiny pieces, then add it to the gravy.
- Let the gravy simmer for about 10 minutes, then enjoy it warm yourself or let it cool before serving to your cat.
3. Oily Cat Food Gravy Recipe
If you are trying to help your cat gain weight, this simple oil gravy recipe is a great option. It requires nothing more than the following ingredients:
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp. flax seed oil
- 1 cup of water
- 1 tbsp. rice flour
Steps
- Place everything in a pot, and turn the stove on low until the mixture starts to simmer.
- Once simmering, whisk the mixture until smooth, then turn the stove off.
- After cooling to room temperature, the gravy is ready to serve.
4. Super Chicken Cat Food Broth
This homemade cat food gravy recipe is filled with chicken flavor that your cat is sure not to resist. You may even enjoy some of this gravy on your mashed potatoes occasionally. The following ingredients will be needed to create this recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 cup dark chicken meat
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
Steps
- Place the dark chicken meat, broth, and water in a large stockpot, and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, turn the stove down until the liquid is simmering, and let the stock simmer for about an hour.
- Add everything to the processor and mix until desired consistency is obtained. You can thicken it more using pre-hydrated gelatin or a few cubes of boiled potatoes.
- Turn the stove off, let the gravy cool, and serve!
5. Chicken and Carrot Gravy for Cats
Cats dont require plant foods to thrive, but some plants like carrots will help improve the nutritional content of supplemental foods like gravy. Heres an easy-to-make recipe for chicken and carrot gravy that your kitty is sure to purr over:
Ingredients
- 1 cup dark chicken meat
- 1 tbsp. oil
- 1 cup chicken parts
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 2 large carrots, grated
- 2 tbsp. pre-hydrated flavorless and sugar free gelatin
Steps
- Put the chicken meat and oil in a pot, and saut the meat until golden brown.
- Add the broth, the chicken parts, the water, and the carrots to the pot, then bring to a boil.
- After the concoction comes to a boil, turn the stove down, and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.
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6. Chicken and Rice Gravy for Cats
If your cat likes chicken and rice, they will enjoy every bite of this cat food gravy. It can be served as-is or added to wet or dry commercial food for extra nutrition and added flavor and texture. Here are the ingredients that you will need:
Ingredients
- 1 cup white or dark chicken meat
- cup of rice
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. rice flour
Steps
- Saut the chicken in the oil until well done.
- Add the rice flour, and stir until a thick paste develops.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, and let the concoction simmer for 510 minutes.
- As always, let the gravy cool before serving it to your cat.
7. Homemade Egg Gravy for Cats
If your cat likes to eat eggs, they will thoroughly enjoy this homemade egg gravy. It requires just a few ingredients to create and holds up well in the fridge between uses, so make a double batch to save time in the future! Here are the ingredients that you need:
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 3 ounces of frozen broccoli
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tsp pre-hydrated, flavorless and sugar free gelatin
Steps
- Boil the eggs, then let them cool.
- Once cool, dice the eggs into tiny pieces, and add them to a pot.
- Then add the broccoli, the oil, the chicken broth, and the gelatin to the pot.
- Stir until well combined, then let cool and serve to your cat.
8. Easy Homemade Cat Gravy
Your cat is sure to love the taste and flavor of this simple yet flavorful gravy. It is easy to make, as the name suggests, and it is full of flavor so your cat should not be shy of it. You can add veggies or meat as you see fit. Here are the basic ingredients that you will need:
Ingredients
- 3 cups of any leftover animal meats or parts
- 5 cups of water or broth
Steps
- Simply put everything in a pot, and then let it simmer for at least 2 hours.
- After simmering, let the brew rest until it is lukewarm.
- Then serve the broth up, put it in the fridge, or store it in the freezer for later use.
If you added any bone, remove it before serving to your cats. Never give your cat a cooked bone, and never use leftovers from marinated meats or meats pre-cooked with condiments only plain, natural leftovers.
9. DIY Pork Gravy for Cats
This is the prime rib of the cat kingdom, although the prime is made out of pork rather than beef. With a couple of spare hours on your hands, you can make a luscious gravy that is sure to make your cat lick their chops come at dinnertime. Here is what you will need:
Ingredients
- 1 pound of pork ribs
- 4 cups of beef broth
- 3 carrots, shredded
- 1/2 tomato diced
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. pre-hydrated flavorless and sugar free gelatin
Steps
- Cut up your pork, then put it in a big pan along with the olive oil.
- Stir the beef, and allow it to brown without burning.
- Add the broth, the carrots, the tomato, and the gelatin to the mix.
- Then, stir everything until well combined, and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.
10. Liver Gizzard, and Heart Stew Gravy for Cats
Gizzards, and livers, and hearts these things are not appealing to humans, but they sure are appetizing to cats. They also happen to be nutritious. You can make this savory cat gravy with the following ingredients:
Ingredients
- cup chicken liver
- cup chicken gizzard
- cup chicken heart
- 2 cups water
- 1 tbsp rice flour
Steps
- Boil all the chicken parts until well done.
- Add the rice flour and stir vigorously with a whisk.
- At this point, you can blend it or run by the food processor if you wish
- Once cool, this gravy is ready to serve.
11. Homemade Tuna-Flavored Gravy for Cats
Cats love tuna fish and most other fish, but unfortunately, there is a large amount of mercury and other toxins in fish that could harm your feline family member. Here, we have a tasty tuna-flavored gravy that you can make for your cat that reduces the risk of poisoning from mercury and other materials.
Ingredients
- cup liquid from canned tuna
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp. coconut oil
- 1 tbsp. pre-hydrated flavorless and sugar free gelatin
Steps
- Add the tuna liquid, coconut oil and broth to the pan or pot.
- Once boiling, quickly add the gelatin, stir well, turn down the heat, and allow the mixture to simmer until it forms a loose paste or thick gravy.
Conclusion
These cat food gravy recipes are sure to satisfy your pets cravings while giving you peace of mind knowing that their nutritional needs are being met. You can use the easy recipes when you dont feel like spending too much time or expelling too much energy to treat your cat, or you can go all out and spend hours to make your cat a luxurious broth that they are sure to appreciate. Either way, you decide to go, cheers to you and your beloved kitty!
See also:
Featured Image Credit: Mike J. Wolfe, Shutterstock
3 Homemade Cat Gravy Recipes: Vet Approved Healthy Options
The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.
Learn moreCats are obligate carnivores, so they need nutrients only found in animal products for a complete dietincluding animal protein and fat. Cats are also notoriously picky, so reliable kibble may not be enough to entice their appetite sometimes.
While its difficult to feed cats a homemade diet and achieve the perfect balance of protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals, you can give your cat some gravy topping on occasion to encourage them to eat their healthy kibble.
Here are three vet-approved cat gravy recipes you can prepare at home and make mealtime more fun for your cat.
Top 3 Homemade Cat Gravy Recipes
1. Catster Recipe: Easy Homemade Cat Gravy
Catster Recipe: Easy Homemade Cat Gravy
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 2 hours hrs
Total Time 2 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
- Plain meat (chicken, duck, pork, beef, lamb, turkey)
Throw whole carcass or animal parts into the stock pot or slow cooker. You can include the skin, fat, and bones, which make a rich gravy. The meat or carcass you use should not be seasoned and should be safe for human consumption once cooked.
Fill the pot with water to cover the meat you have in the pot.
Bring to a boil, then turn down to a medium or soft boil. Place the lid of the pot on and let simmer for 23 hours, stirring occasionally.
Let cool. Strain so theres nothing left but the liquid. Portion out the gravy and freeze for a great yet simple topper for your cats food.
Image Credit: Pixel Shot, Shutterstock
Notes: An additional optional ingredient for this recipe is a low-sodium chicken broth at a ratio of 1:4 with water (for example, only add 1 part broth for every 4 parts of water in your pot). It must be garlic and onion free, however.
If this gravy is frozen, it can last for up to 2 months. However, once you thaw it to serve, you shouldnt re-freeze it. If you opt to refrigerate it rather than freeze it, it will only last for a week at most.
Its best to freeze several batches to ensure you dont thaw too much at once. The night before you want to add the gravy, take one portion out and leave it in the fridge. You can bring the gravy to room temperature on the stove or microwave (make sure its not too hot!), then add it to your cats meals.
2. Chicken Gravy Recipe for Cats
Prep Time: | 5 mins. |
Cook Time: | 1 hr 30 mins. |
Total Time: | 1 hr 35 mins |
Equipment
- Stock pot with lid or slow cooker
- Strainer
- Storage container
Ingredients
- 1 cup chicken meat
- 2 cups chicken broth (no onion or garlic)
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Chop chicken into small pieces.
- Boil chicken in a pot with 2 cups of water.
- Add 2 cups of chicken broth.
- Stir the gravy for about one hour.
- Cool the gravy.
- Strain or include the chicken in the gravy.
- Divide gravy into two portions.
- Add of one portion to your cats food.
- Freeze or refrigerate the second portion. Gravy will only keep in the fridge for a few days.
Notes: You can make this quick gravy with chicken meat, but you can do the same with whole chicken parts like thighs or wings. Just be sure to strain all the meat, bones, skin, and fat out of the gravy before serving.
3. Easy Chicken Carrot Gravy
Prep Time: | 10 mins. |
Cook Time: | 30 mins. |
Total Time: | 40 mins |
Equipment
- Pot
- Blender
- Storage container
Ingredients
- 5-6 oz chicken breast
- 1 medium carrot
Instructions
- Chop and boil chicken breast for 20 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool once fully cooked.
- Chop and boil the carrot for 5 minutes. Allow to cool.
- Combine the carrot with chicken.
- Separate broth.
- Combine chicken breast and carrots into a blender.
- Blend into a fine paste.
- Gradually add broth while blending until you reach the desired consistency.
- Store excess gravy in portions and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze.
Is It Safe to Give Gravy as a Cat Food Topper?
Yes, as long as the gravy doesnt contain toxic ingredients, its generally safe to give your cat gravy as a topper. However, cats may have individual preferences and tolerances for different ingredients, so start slowly to see how your cat tolerates new foods.
Avoid overfeeding gravy or any other supplements. These foods are not nutritionally complete and adding them to your cats diet can upset their balance of nutrients. The general rule is not to exceed 10% of your cats daily caloric intake with supplements or treats.
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Conclusion
If you have a picky eater, these cat food gravy recipes should entice your cat to eat their kibble or wet food. Be sure not to overfeed cat gravy, as it can disrupt the balance of nutrients in your cats diet. These gravies should be frozen and reserved as occasional treats for your cat to add some taste and variety, not as a complete meal.
Featured Image Credit: Elizabett, Shutterstock