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How to Make Cat Treats

Susan Gast, founder of Easy Food Dehydrating

by: Susan Gast / Author, Blogger at Beesville Books, Bored Boomers, and a Food Dehydrating Fanatic!

Hi! I'm glad you are here to check out how to make cat treats!

Happy Cat eating treats

I'm Gracie. And I'm writing in to "How to Make Cat Treats," and I wanted to let you know that I'm getting really bored with my current canned cat food.

Don't get me wrong, it's food—but—you know what I mean. My mom still hasn't had time to concoct some tasty tuna dish...

Listen to This...

See our Podcast Page here on this site, or here on Buzzsprout.

Gracie on the couch

(Well, she has for herself!) so I really need your help on my 'cats page'! The cats in the photos just a little farther down this page are my friends too.

Their names are Whitey and Min Cal. They're not as fussy as I am, but don't tell them I told you that!

OK, back to mom now so she can finish typing this page for me... :-)

If you can help these poor cats of mine by sending in your cat's favorite food recipe, that would be fantastic!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Yep: "Dehydrated treats for cats" takes pole position...

Check out some of our suggested cat treats below!

How to make dehydrated salmon cat treats?

See our "salmon" suggestion in the "fish" area below.

Can I send in my cat treat recipe?

Yes, that would be awesome! Share it with us via the form further down the page, below the headline "What's Your Cat's Favorite Homemade Food?"


A person with dehydrator, fresh food

🐱 How to Make Cat Treats: Ingredients to Use

Here are some good ingredients to make healthy homemade cat treats in a dehydrator. Use cooked meats, not raw.

  • Lean Meats: Chicken, turkey, beef, salmon. Remove skin/bones and cut into thin strips before dehydrating. Follow dehydrating meat instructions here.
  • Fish: (All pre-cooked) tuna, salmon, whitefish. Flake before dehydrating. See dehydrating seafood here.
  • Eggs: Hard-boil an egg, slice it thinly, and dehydrate it into crunchy bits.
  • Cheese: Low-fat cheeses like cheddar, swiss, and mozzarella cut into small cubes.
  • Fruits: Apples, bananas, blueberries, cranberries, pineapple. Cut small or puree before dehydrating. See dehydrating fruit pages here.
  • Vegetables: Green beans, sweet potato, pumpkin, carrots. Slice thinly or grate before dehydrating. See dehydrating veggies pages here.
  • Grains: Oats, barley, rice. Cook first then dehydrate into crunchy cereals.
  • Herbs: Catnip, cat grass*. Dehydrate fresh leaves. See our free "How to Grow & Dehydrate Herbs" eBook here.

*CAT GRASS... It's a healthy treat for felines that is made with of any of these grasses: wheatgrass, barley grass, oat grass, or rye grass. Wheatgrass is the most popular.

You can grow them at home in small pots and what's good about this is that while most houseplants are toxic to cats, these four specific cat grasses are NON-toxic. Keep the cat grass watered and in a sunny spot (just like cats love to lie in sunny spots!), and the plants last a couple of weeks.

Avoid giving cats ingredients like onions, garlic, raisins, grapes, chocolate, and macadamia nuts, which can be harmful to cats. Go light on sugars.

Make treats the ideal size and texture for cats to nibble on. Combine ingredients for variety. Allow treats to fully dehydrate until brittle.

Store in an airtight container like a Mason jar for up to 2 months. Monitor your cat's weight and adjust treats as needed.

Regarding Feeding Your Cat Fruit...

Here are some fruits that are safe for cats:

  • Apples - A great source of Vitamins A & C. Remove core and seeds first.
  • Bananas - Excellent source of Potassium and Magnesium. Just a few bites for a treat.
  • Blueberries - Loaded with antioxidants. Only feed 1-2 berries at a time.
  • Cantaloupe - Good source of Vitamins A & C. Feed just a spoonful as a treat.
  • Cranberries - Provides Vitamin C. Dried or fresh. Just a teaspoon or two.
  • Mango - High in Vitamin C and fiber. A few chunks are safe.
  • Pineapple - Contains bromelain, an enzyme that aids digestion. Only a few small bites of flesh.
  • Pumpkin - Nutritious and boosts fiber. Pureed pumpkin only, not whole or in pieces.
  • Watermelon- High in water & great for hydration. An occasional small wedge is fine.

ALL the above fruits are listed on our "How to Dehydrate Fruits" page here.

Avoid fruits high in citric acid like oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit, as it may cause gastrointestinal upset.

Only feed fruits sparingly, as too much natural sugar can cause diarrhea. Introduce new fruits slowly and monitor your cat’s reaction.

Always remove rinds, skins, pits, and seeds first, as those parts can be toxic to cats.

Just for Pet Lovers ~
A great quote for you from Cat Treats

"If we measured our affection toward others
by how many nicknames we bestow upon them,
our pets would be the most loved."

— Carrie Brownstein

"If we measured our affection
toward others by how many
nicknames we bestow upon
them, our pets would
be the most loved."

— Carrie Brownstein

Whitey and Cali Say "Hi"!

Whitey and Cali cats outside eating food

We all love our cats (and dogs). Let's make sure we feed them food that we wouldn't turn our noses up at if we were in their shoes.

If you have a dog, check out how to make your own dog food.

It's funny, looking back, all our cats and dogs came to us as strays - admittedly the cats were more abundant.

We only had the one stray doggie who is featured in our Homemade Chicken Chow dog food recipe!

Whether you love cats (or dogs), they are family to us. They mean the world to older people who live alone, and even though cats are known to be finicky, they are still great company, plus they can take care of themselves - and can use a cat litter box!

Want to Make Your Pet Famous? ;-)

Do you want to see your favorite kitty treat recipe along with your cat's photo—right here on this website—which you can share with your friends too? How?

Easy! Fill out the invitation at the bottom of the page, and we'll do the rest! Don't forget to attach a photo of your cat, if you want to, and tell us all about your kitty-cat dish creation!

Important: The recipe must contain at least ONE item that is, or could be, made from dehydrated vegetables, meat, or fruit!

What's Your Cat's Favorite Homemade Food?

Is your cat clawing to have its photo featured showing us how much he/she enjoys your homemade kitty meals? Do you have a great recipe? Share it!

Your recipe will be posted "auto-magically" and you'll have your very own recipe and webpage featuring your cat's favorite food!

What Other Cat Owners Have Sent In

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

Lettuce, Pea, and Green Bean Spongies 
My cat, Layle, loves this treat. I actually made it for my pet snail that's arriving soon but then found my cat Layle loved it. It's made with oat …

Click here to write your own.

Thanks for stopping by how to make cat treats! Remember to send in your cat treat recipe to share with us. If you have a dog, check out how to make dog treats!

Don't forget to get your free "Six Simple Steps" eBook where I share how to dehydrate food safely!

🥦 Dehydrating

Easy Food Dehydrating & Safe Food Storage book coverREAD MORE

🍲 Recipes

20 Taste-Tested Easy Recipes book coverREAD MORE

⁉️ FAQs

How to Dehydrate Food - Top 20 Topics, 225 Questions AnsweredREAD MORE

🦴 Doggie Dinners!

Make Your Own Dog Food book coverREAD MORE

Before You Go...

If you like the content, please give me some love by clicking on the 🩷 in the lower right hand corner (on just about all my pages). This signals to me that you find it enjoyable and useful. Thank you so much!


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Hi, I'm Susan Gast and I've been making food preservation simple since 2010.

Let me show you how to keep your food pantry full, whatever the reason or season!

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