Top 5 Easy Steps How to Make Your Own Dry Cat Food

How to Make Your Own Dry Cat Food? Dry cat food is a convenient way to feed your pet. While it does not provide the same nutrition as wet cat food, dry can be stored for long periods of time and is easy to transport.

However, if you are concerned about the quality of ingredients in pre-packaged pet foods or want more control over what goes into your pet’s diet, then making your own dry cat food could be the right choice for you!

This blog post will give you an overview of how to make your own dry cat food. 

Let’s get started!

What is the main ingredient in dry cat food?

The main ingredient in most dry cat food is grain. However, different types of grains provide different nutritional values.

Choosing a suitable grain for your cat’s diet will be one of the first things you need to do when making your own feed. Generally speaking, cats are considered “obligate carnivores.” This means that they require a high percentage of animal protein in their diet.

However, dry food provides a lower level of protein than wet food, which can lead to deficiencies that may cause your cat harm over time.

To combat these potential issues, you will need to include an alternative source of protein in your recipe. It is recommended that cats eat around 33% animal-based protein in their diet.

When choosing a grain for your pet food, it is best to avoid high in omega-6 fatty acids. Ideally, the main source of calories should come from carbohydrates with a low glycemic index, such as barley or oats. Wheat can also be used if you do not have a gluten intolerance.

The main carbohydrate source in most commercial dry cat food is corn. Unfortunately, corn contains a high amount of omega-6 fatty acids, contributing to inflammation and other health issues. Instead, consider using brown rice or ground oats.

Ground brown rice (not white rice) provides an excellent carbohydrate and protein source and a low glycemic index.

Ground oats can be combined with ground brown rice to provide even more dietary fiber and give the mixture a thicker consistency.

Grains such as barley or millet are good sources of essential amino acids, which help your cat maintain muscle mass, and they also add flavor to the pet food recipe.

5 Steps How to Make Your Own Dry Cat Food

You may want to consider making your own homemade dry cat food because it’s healthier and cheaper than store-bought varieties.

Making your own dry cat food isn’t as hard as you might think either! Here are 5 simple steps that will help get you started on the right paw. 

1) Gather ingredients: 

• whole wheat flour, 
• water, eggs (optional), 
• meat or fish (optional). 
• If using meat or fish, make sure it’s cooked before adding it to the mixture. 

Instructions:

• Mix whole wheat flour with water until the dough forms.
• Add eggs or meat/fish to the mixture.
• You should have no more than 1 tablespoon of egg per cup of flour used.
• If using meat, you should have equal portions of meat as flour (i.e., 2 tablespoons of cooked ground beef for every cup of whole wheat flour).
• Roll out the dough on a floured surface. You want to get it as thin as possible without making holes in the dough.
• Cut the dough into strips and place them on a greased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until dry and hard. 

2) Put your cat’s dry food in a plastic container with an airtight lid (i.e., Tupperware).

3) Gradually add water to the container until it is half full.

4) Add your pet’s favorite type of wet food to the mixture and give it a good stir to make sure all ingredients are well-combined.

5) Add more water to the container, seal it, and let it sit for one hour before giving it to your pet.

Is it OK to just give dry food to cats?

Dry food without any additional water added is like giving your pet a bowl of crunchy crackers. Cats require more than 70 percent moisture in their diets, and dry food provides that percentage or less.

Even though cats have been known to drink from a water source after eating dry food, they’re still not getting the amount of hydration that they need.

Dry food can be extremely hard on your cat’s teeth and digestive system as well. Without the added moisture, it becomes difficult for your pet to digest their food and absorb all of the nutrients they need.

Is homemade dry cat food really better than store-bought varieties?

It certainly is! Canned cat food is healthier and a lot cheaper than dry food, but it’s also a hassle to make if you’re busy. Dry cat food is sometimes the only option available to pet owners that are short on time.

Making your own homemade dry cat food lets you control what goes into your pet’s diet. Pet foods can contain harmful chemicals that cause cancer or kidney disease in cats.

Store-bought dry cat food is also more likely to contain grains of wheat, which are the most common allergens for felines.

Felines are obligate carnivores, which means that they require protein in their diet. Commercial pet food often contains high amounts of carbohydrates to bulk up the kibble, but it is at the expense of your cat’s health.

Carbs are turned into glucose in cats’ bodies, which means that most cats would be better off with a bowl of sugar instead!

Making your own dry cat food ensures that you know exactly what is going into their diet since you hand-pick each ingredient. The overall cost of making homemade dry cat food is significantly less than buying commercial pet food.

Other benefits of making your own dry cat food:

Making your own homemade dry cat food gives you control over the quality and freshness of ingredients used in the recipe.  You can buy organic meats to avoid harmful chemicals, additives, and hormones that may be present in some packaged foods.

Your cat will get a well-balanced and personalized diet that meets all of its nutritional needs.

You can decide how much to feed your pet. Dry cat food often comes in packages with preset feeding guidelines to cut costs, but it may be too much or too little for an individual feline’s dietary needs.

Making your own dry cat food ensures that your pet gets everything they need without exposing them to hazards and ingredients that may be harmful.

The Bottom Line

We hope you learned a lot from this blog post about how to make your own dry cat food. If you’re interested in learning more or have any questions, please leave us a comment below!