Homemade Cat Foods for Weight Gain

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Underweight cats are not as prevalent as obese and overweight ones. However, they are very much present in our streets and our homes.

If you’ve ever had to pick a stray, there’s a high chance that he was likely skinny.

For those that have multiple pets at home, one cat may be eating most of the food meant for the two. As a result, one or two kitties may have a hard time putting on weight.

Besides these reasons, cats can become underweight due to certain diseases such as kidney disease, cancer, dental issues, intestinal parasites, feline diabetes, and viruses like FeLV, FIP, and FIV.

 Stress, depression, and anxiety can also cause a kitty to despise food and thus lose weight.

No matter the reason for wanting your adorable kitty to gain weight, there are specific foods she can eat to do just that.

Here, we have 5 homemade cat foods for weight gain.

1. Kitten Food (Raw Chicken And Salmon Recipe)

When looking for homemade cat food to gain weight, you want to focus on giving foods rich in protein and fats.

One of the most overlooked feline foods for weight gain is kitten food.

Compared to adult cat foods, kitten meals have more protein and fat.

Ingredients

  • 100gms raw chicken liver
  • 100gms raw beef kidney
  • 100gms raw chicken heart
  • 100gms raw chicken wings (bone-in-wings)
  • 100gms raw salmon bones
  • 2 cups water (or more for the puree)
  • One whole raw egg plus the shell
  • One teaspoon powdered taurine supplement

Method

This is a raw diet, so there’s no cooking involved.

Simply grind all the ingredients in a meat grinder or a high-powered blender.

Next, divide the meal in the right proportions for your cat (this depends on his size).

Refrigerate and consume within three days.

If you have excess, freeze it for longer preservation.

2. Chicken and Nutritional Supplement

Ingredients

  • Full chicken including organs and bones
  • Nutritional supplement

Method

  • Using a food processor or a meat grinder, grind the entire chicken (bones included) until you get canned food consistency. You might have to repeat a number of times to achieve this.
  • Add the supplement into a bowl and mix it gently using a spatula.
  • Pour the supplement mixture into the ground chicken and blend it up using the spatula.
  • The meal is ready!
  • Divide the food into serving containers and cover them tightly. Place them in a freezer or refrigerator.

3. Scrambled Eggs

Eggs are loaded with both fat and protein making them a great homemade cat food for weight gain.

If the cat is maintaining weight, only feed egg whites. Conversely, if she needs to gain some pounds, both egg whites and yolk are necessary.

You want to make the eggs savory which in the cat world means adding no salt or seasonings. These things may kick up the flavor of food for you but your cat doesn’t need them.

If you have a piece of bacon, that will help a little with the taste and add some nutrition as well.

This recipe is best for breakfast but feel free to feed it any other time of day.

Ingredients

  • Two eggs
  • A slice of bacon
  • A teaspoon of oil

Method

  • Heat the oil in a pan
  • Add the bacon slice in there and let it cook a little.
  • Beat the eggs in a bowl
  • Once the oil is heated, pour the cat mixture and stir until well cooked. Use low heat during the entire cooking process.

Scrambled eggs should be supplemented with other high-calorie foods. The diet may not offer all-around nutrition by itself.

4. Chicken and Rice

Chicken and rice is the go-to recipe for cats of all ages.

Those that are underweight can also benefit from it as long as the protein and fat sources are increased. For instance, rather than having boneless chicken, you can opt to include skin and fatty bits in there as well.

Also, you can add a few whole eggs to pump the protein and fat contents.

Ingredients

  • 0.5-pound whole chicken (organs and bones included)
  • Three teaspoons of olive oil
  • 1/3 cup white rice
  • Three whole eggs
  • One multiple vitamin-mineral tablet (crushed)

Method

  • Add the rice to a pan with boiling water and let it cook
  • As the rice is cooking, boil the eggs in a separate pan.
  • Similarly, chop the chicken in pieces and boil them in yet another pan.
  • Once everything is ready, mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Blend things until the consistency is right for your cat. You might want to shred the chicken pieces a little to make them convenient for your kitty.
  • Divide them into the right portion sizes then serve/refrigerate as per the need.

5. Fish and Eggs

Both fish and egg pack a punch in terms of protein and fat. Plus, kitties cannot avoid the taste of fish.

Ingredients

  • Fish (whichever size depending on the size of your kitty). Choose one with fewer bones.
  • Two whole eggs
  • Two crushed bone meal tablets
  • One multiple vitamin tablet

Method

  • Boil the fish for about 15 minutes or until the flesh is tender.
  • Remove the bones
  • Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and mix them properly.
  • Serve and refrigerate the rest

Closing Thoughts

When a cat is not gaining weight as he should, most people resort to commercial cat foods to fix the problem.

Nothing wrong with that except some commercial diets are filled with toxic stuff.

Homemade foods, on the other hand, are safe and easy on the pocket. 

Image sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5