Homemade Chicken & Cranberry Cat Treats

It's that time again! Time to delve into the food stuffs of our furry family member, otherwise known as Luna's Larder. Last month we introduced Rachael Ray's Nutrish Zero Grain Cat Food, which is still Luna's preferred food. We also tried the Real Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe food, which isn't grain-free, but she liked it, as well. This month I decided to share something that I've been meaning to share for years (I know, I know) now—homemade cat treats.

I used a combination of light and dark meat chicken, that I poached gently (bone-in, skin-on) until it was just done, and then let cool. Really, you could use any type of meat your cat likes; beef, turkey, white fish, tuna, salmon, duck—they're all good options. I like to use meat that I've cooked myself, so that there is no added salt or seasoning. Too much salt can be poisonous to cats, as can onion and garlic. Better to play it safe than sorry.

Originally I was going to add a little spinach to the mix, but in typical form, I forgot to set some aside when I made spinach for dinner a couple nights before I made the treats (even though I originally bought it with the treats in mind). So, I'll have to put it in a future batch.

One thing I really wanted to make sure to add was cranberries, since I'm always paranoid about UTI's in cats. If you've ever had a cat with one, you totally get it. If not, pray you never do. It's no fun. So, I ordered some UNsweetened dried cranberries to add to these treats, as well as future batches, homemade cat food, and some people food. They have no sugar (again, kitties don't it, so if you can't find unsweetened, just leave them out) and no moisture. They aren't good for eating out of hand, but they're perfect for adding to cat food (once ground up) and baked goods.

So, what's the verdict?

Well, after a whole lot of staring them down, a proper sniffing...

...and little bit of lifting, batting, and general mischief...

...Luna declared them good enough to eat.

She actually loves getting a little handful once a day. The ones you see pictures are slightly too big for her liking, though. She'd play air hockey with 'em all day long, but wouldn't eat them until I broke them in half. I adjusted the recipe below to reflect that preference, so don't despair if you make these and they appear slightly smaller than in these photos.

Homemade Chicken and Cranberry Cat Treats

Your kitty will love this 6-ingredient recipe for homemade chicken and cranberry cat treats!

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Keywords: bake dairy-free nut-free soy-free sugar-free chicken cranberries oats

Ingredients (200 cat treats)

• 1 heaping cup rolled oats
• 3 tablespoons UNsweetened, low-moisture, dried cranberries
• 4 ounces cooked, plain chicken (no salt or seasoning added), chopped small
• 2 tablespoons + 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 heaping tablespoon dried catnip
• 1 large egg

Instructions

Place the oats in a food processor and whiz until you have a flour. Add the dried cranberries and whiz again until they are ground fine. Add remaining ingredients to the food processor and pulse until well combined. Turn out into a bowl.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Measure out 1/4 teaspoon-sized portions. Roll each portion into a ball and press flat using your finger. Line up evenly on the prepared baking sheets.

Slide into preheated oven and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until golden and dried out on the top. Allow to cool completely.

Once cool, treat your kitty! Store completely cooled treats in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

-inspired by Joy the Baker

Update 1/19/17: I am sharing this recipe again this month for the Fandom Foodies #Nyanuary theme!

This month, the Fandom Foodies is #Nyanuary, a celebration of recipes inspired by the wonderful world kitty cats in real life, fiction, and fandoms.

Be sure to visit our host Katharina at Pretty Cake Machine to check out all of the awesome recipes inspired by cats!

Find more fun things for your cat by following my board on Pinterest!
Follow Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez's board I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat! on Pinterest.