DIY Homemade Canned Cat Food - Cat Food Shortage 2022

Holistic Pet food & Care:
pawtree.com/pr...
We are facing a major shortage of cat food, especially canned cat food. This has been the most severely hit area of shortages that I have seen. It has been caused by many factors such as shortages of raw materials, including aluminum for the cans. The best way to make ourselves immune to these issues is to reduce our dependence on the supply chain and the grocery store. After hearing from so many desperate viewers unable to find food for their feline friends, I decided to do this video on DIY homemade canned cat food.
I did a lot of research in preparation for this video. I wanted to find a recipe that is not “trendy” but appropriate and healthy for cats. This is the article and recipe that I settled on and used. Once you get through the VERY detailed explanations, the actual recipe and process are quite simple. This is the article I used: catinfo.org/ma...
I chose to pressure can my cat food. I want it to be stable for long term storage and the possibility of a grid down situation. If you aren’t concerned with long term, non grid dependent storage, you can skip the pressure canning and store this food in your freezer, thawing portions as needed.
Ingredients for a single batch:
3 lbs chicken leg quarters
3 oz chicken livers
1 cup water
2 eggs
1 can mackerel (optional)
1 ½ Tbsp fish oil (OR 5-10, 1000mg capsules, pierced and squeezed in )
1 400IU vitamin E softgel, pierced and squeezed in
½-1 B-complex 50 capsule
2000mg Taurine powder
1 tsp Morton Lite iodized salt
Method 1: Bake chicken legs until fully or mostly cooked. Remove meat from bones, saving thigh bones. In bowl of food processor, blend chicken meat along with accumulated pan juices, 3 oz liver and 1 cup water. Process until you have a pate consistency. Meanwhile, process thigh bones in an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker with 1 ½ cups water through 2 4-hour cycles. Drain bones, reserving broth and process bones along with the can of mackerel in the food processor until smooth. Add reserved bone broth as needed for consistency. Add bone meal mixture to meat mixture along with eggs and all nutrients, mixing well. Pack into jars of your preferred size, leaving 1” of head space. Debubble, clean jar rims with white vinegar and apply lids. Process according to your canner’s directions for meat times (75 minutes for pints or smaller, 90 minutes if you chose to use quarts.)
Method 2: Grind meat and bones raw, removing drumstick bone before processing. If using mackerel run this through the grinder as well. Dissolve powdered nutrients in water and mix into ground meat and bone mixture along with remaining ingredients. Continue on with recipe as directed. Raw ingredients will cook during the canning process.
Options:
-Some cats may initially reject a new food. You can sprinkle something like Fortiflora (or a cheaper option like Proflora) on the food. These are probiotics but contain an ingredient to make food more irresistible to pets. It’s not a bad idea to have some on hand anyhow in case illness or stress makes your pet unwilling to eat.
-If you really don’t want to process your own bones, (although this really wasn’t as scary as it sounds) You can add bone meal powder instead. The recommended amount is 2 Tbsp.+ 1 tsp. (7tsp.) per batch.
-If you prefer an easier but more costly option, check out TCFeline supplements. They are available with liver or without liver. These contain bone meal and all the nutrients needed by cats.
-If you have or want to purchase a meat grinder that can handle the bones such as this one amzn.to/36Nho7i, you can process the meat and bones raw and bypass the cooking steps entirely.
I have included links below to the supplements and supplies I used for easy reference.
BEST Canning lids: www.azurestand...
B Complex Vitamins: amzn.to/3HtYZZI
Vitamin E capsules: amzn.to/3slRBvg
Taurine powder: amzn.to/3pkT9DK
Morton Lite salt: amzn.to/3BZ2OFq
Fish oil for pets: amzn.to/3phHHIX
Bone meal: amzn.to/3C4sKPN
TC Feline with liver: amzn.to/3pkDSTm
TC Feline without liver: amzn.to/3BWwUJk
Fortiflora: amzn.to/3ItjmHU
Proflora: amzn.to/3sqgbv5
Usa pan xtra lg sheet pan: amzn.to/3HE7gut
Usa pan xtra lg sheet pan: amzn.to/3HE7gut
Cuisinart food processor: amzn.to/3hjhmGi
My Instant pot: amzn.to/3BVk6my
Pyrex bowls: amzn.to/3tcjHIw
My canner: amzn.to/3BUQ02C
Canning accessory set: amzn.to/3hneKXT
💊Emergency Antibiotics for Preppers, Travelers!💊
www.jasemedica...
Thrive Life Freeze Dried Foods:
wickedprepared...
💙 Follow us on Facebook!💙
Our page: / wickedprepared
Join our preparedness group: / wickedprepared

[@stephaniewhitley7672]

My cats have always turned their noses up at pate, but this is 3rd day I've fed this recipe to them. (I used the bone meal and substituted the mackerel with sardines packed in water.) The past two mornings both of them exitedly woke me up an hour before their feeding time. I don't own a pressure canner, so what I couldn't feed them in a week from the fridge I froze. Also, I added a few chunks of boiled chicken hearts to each container. Thanks so much for this recipe!

[@wickedprepared]

That is awesome!! I am so happy to hear that! The canning is totally optional that's just to make it shelf stable in case of power failures 😊 I'm so glad you found something your kitties like! I guess they appreciate home cooked with love! 🥰

[@CynthiaBiel]

Did you puree the sardines?

[@saimadailyvlogs]

Can you please show your bone meal,? Where did you buy it and what name?

[@Just_Lurking8]

Love how you kitties, sharing and eating from one plate… 🩵🩷 Can we boil the chicken ? Also, don’t we have to feed them different proteins? Not just chicken all the time ? Doesn’t the fish oil become rancid , if we don’t use it for some time ? I checked the different can fish and even when they said “ no salt added “ There was some salt in there… Do I omit the salt ? Enjoy your furry family and thanks for doing this hard work for us and sharing …

[@saundralunsford4870]

Been rescuing for over 30 years...our cat herd is down to 12 total, and we now live on one income...so we definitely need healthy and nutritional meals for our furbabies! Catood has doubled in price and is very scarce in East TN as of March 2022. Thanks for sharing this!! 🐈❤️

[@neeliahetu9137]

Me too, have 18 so need help! Shelves are bare and what is available is expensive

[@helencampanella9725]

I"VE BEEN SAVBING CATS HALF OF MY LIFE.BUT CERTAIN PEOPLE IN MY AREA HAVE SAID "THAT TEN CATS OR MORE I CAN NOT TAKE CARE OF" SO THE COUNTY DECIDED TO "TAKE AWAY" TEN MORE CATS AND THEY WERE ALL "SPECIAL NEEDS CATS" AND I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO KNEW HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THEM. BUT THE PEOPLE DIDNT CARE THEY JUST WANTED TO "MAKE TROUBLE FOR ME. AND PEOPLE SAY,"THAT IM NOT IN MY RIGHT MIND" BECAUSE I RATHER RESCUE ANIMALS THAN PEOPLE NOW,. AT LEAST,ANIMALS ARE KIND AND LOVING,ALOT OF PEOPLE ARENT. THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS. MISS HELEN

[@saundralunsford4870]

@HelenCampanella I'm so very sorry this happened to you. Years ago I had a nosy, liberal neighbor who called animal control on us because one of our cats was getting on her new car that she refused to pull into her garage! Animal Control came out along with the director of our local shelter to TRY to remove all of our animals over the count of 7. We were told that our City ordinances only allowed for a total of 7 animals on the property inside the city limits. The animal shelter director asked to come inside my home, and asked how many of animals I had inside and outside my home. I asked her if she had a warrant to enter my house and she said no. So, I told them to leave and not to come back without a warrant. I never told her the total number of cats either. I reminded her that we were helping her do her job at the shelter by rescuing, spaying and neutering at our expense, and feeding all of the cats that otherwise would have ended up at her shelter. She and the animal control officers left. The next day, while I was at work, animal control came to my home and set up live traps to catch some of my outdoor cats, which we're ALL fixed, and when I realized the traps were there, I released my cats from the traps. When the officers came to retrieve the cages, I told them that I let out my cats, and that I will continue to release them. They left and never bothered us again! We lived in that house 11 years, then we moved across town and made sure to buy in the county, outside city limits, so we could have our cats in peace. My heart breaks for you, and I applaud all of your efforts to help animals, especially special needs furbabies. Many prayers for you.

[@noneofyourbusiness167]

​@@saundralunsford4870Bless your heart for not letting them take your cat colony. Makes me so angry that some neighbors react the way yours did. Similar situation happening by me, older couple near by been feeding large colony for 20 years. Neighbors with a stick up their butt thinks it's best to trap them & bring to animal control, even though they have been TNRd. Animal control almost took my neighbors cat right off her property. Thank goodness she was home & saw this to stop it. I took 2 ferals in earlier than they or I were ready for because I couldn't let them end up being trapped & never to be seen again. It's been a handful, they both have Giardia & tested positive for FELV. Breaks my heart that I can't let them be friends with my other cats now. 😢 But I love them dearly. I'm here looking for ways to be prepared to feed my babies when bad times come, because it is coming!

[@deborahharkins5275]

Hey there! I was so excited when I found this video. I have been making my own dog food for months but have a little cat and I wanted to make food for her. Thank you for all the videos you post.

[@terryrourke5009]

This was a great video! I keep noticing empty areas in the cat food sections in the stores here in WA. I love the ability to be able to make my own cat food. Your home can cat food instructions were clear & I understood why the supplemental ingredients are necessary & would be easy for me to purchase locally. So appreciate your excellent video 🐟❤

[@leanageraghty7489]

I lost my youngest son Nov. 27, 2021 and my almost 21 year old kitty in Jan, 2022. Losing my son is a pain beyond comprehension that will never heal. I just adopted 2 infant kitty sisters from the local pound and searched everywhere online for homemade kitten wet food. I was ready to give up when I came across your very helpful video. Your directions were thorough and concise and I thank you. I am going to try this but am wondering if I can just cook this in the slow cooker until the bones dissolve and can I add carrots? It is obvious you invested a lot of time into this and it was kind of you to share with us. I feel really sorry for the person making the rude comments to you as putting people down obviously makes her feel better about herself. Thank you again!

[@aurorab7291]

yes you can add carrots and brocolli

[@Just_Lurking8]

Dr.Lisa Pierson doesn’t add any vegetables for her cat recipe… Enjoy your furry family 🐕🐕

[@fayliatremblay1456]

I would recommend against using carrots cats can’t process/digest vegetables they are obligate carnivores (contrary to the dog) but when having a diarrhea problem I did try giving my cats a little bit of mashed pumpkin (one table spoon max for 2 cats) it is sold in pet shops here and it does wonderfull and my cats like it but otherwise there is no use putting carrots in cat food though if you want to provide them with greens and stimulation I highly recommend growing/buying some cat grass it grows very easily and even without soil (there are tutorials online)

[@Sabbathissaturday]

@@aurorab7291 no, you should never feed cats vegetables. They are carnivores.

[@aurorab7291]

@@Sabbathissaturday ohh ok thank you sorry i saw someone did it and i thought it was safe

[@visnuexe]

I have begun this journey of making my own catfood, like you. I am now starting to make catfood with other meats other than chicken thighs. My vet stressed not to feed the same meats all the time. This makes sense, because each meat has more nutrients of one kind or another that the other meats lack. Variety is a good thing. I tried the raw meat first, and my cat liked it on the first feeding, but became less enthused on the second feeding. She is a 17 year old, and has never known anything but commercially prepared foods all her life. I found that by goving her one feeding of her commercially prepared malnutritious food she would eat my home prepared food on the second feeding. Her original food only had 10% protein in it. I will increase the home made stuff over time so that she will eventually get a full nutritious diet. One vet, a KZbin video of another chicken recipe suggested using flax seed flour to add Omega fatty acids, and fiber. Cats used to commercial foods can't pass the high proteins as readily until their gut grows the right biome for it, he said. I just raw packed the chicken thighs, and processed them in quarts, approximately 2lbs per quart. The bones were mostly soft from canning. That could save time for those of us worried about what 8 hours of cooking time would do to our electric bills. I would just debone the canned chicken and run the bones through my pressure canning crock pot for another hour. Alternatetively one can take one egg shell, wash it, then bake it for 15 minutes, and use a coffee grinder to add the powder of 1 tsp ( 250mg) for each pound of cat food. This was suggested by the same vet in the other KZbin. I like the idea of using the bones better though. You can't do this with other larger animal meats so easily though. I use krill oil too as a replacement for maceral. It works with my cat. Thanks for the recipe!

[@leomoonify]

Thank you for this HEALTHY cat food recipe! I just watched a video on making cat food that made me cringe. She threw out all the bone and gristle, refused to add organ meat and added rice along with other fillers.

[@wickedprepared]

You're welcome! I really tried to do diligent research!

[@Secret....acc222]

i saw that video, she started to add rice to the chicken broth and i turned it off. i cook for my dog and do add a bit of rice to soak the juice and when the cats try to eat the dogs food they spit out the rice. cats don't need rice.

[@sandyryan6967]

Did she add dried beans and coconut oil too? I couldn't watch it

[@milliemrrobinson1074]

Great recipe! I've been cooking for my dogs for a while now. Lots of similar ingredients to what you used. I mix the ingredients up to vary what they get. My dear sweet cat passed two years ago, but I know he would have loved this meal! Thank you for the great video!( yep, I'm a few days behind watching!😘)

[@lisamagnan1974]

I been looking for a good recipe for dog food can you please share your recipe with me please

[@Just_Lurking8]

@@lisamagnan1974Yes, can you share your recipe please?

[@harrydavis6903]

Very well done. The best information and videos always come from those like yourself that are not afraid of hard work and going the extra mile to ensure a great outcome. I approach my woodworking hobby the same way. I took in a beat up and battered older stray boy cat that I named Tom Tom this past December. He was in obvious pain from his mouth and had to have thirteen bad teeth removed. I have been buying soft food along with his kibble and soft treats but the cost is unbelievable these days which is why I was searching for a way to make him soft food that will be good for him and more affordable. Thank you for such an in depth video, I very much enjoyed it. Tom Tom says hi and thanks too!!

[@kathychavez8117]

You can put your whole egg including shell in a blender and pour it in your cat food. Some cats are allergic to fish

[@nancysargent4774]

🐠 Loved your video! I’m planning on trying this for my 15 year old kitty, Kiki. ♥️

[@wickedprepared]

Thank you so much Nancy! I hope Kiki loves it! ❤️

[@KitchenWitch423]

I did some reading on heat stability of the added vitamins. It might be better to add them at the time you open the jars and mix in the appropriate amounts based on the weight of the meat. Taurine can’t handle heat, vitamin E will be lost and the B vitamins will break down some. I didn’t check fish oil, since it’s processed anyway. But I will be adding mine at feeding time. Your kitchen your rules, I just wanted to make sure you knew, if ya hadn’t already checked. @wickedprepared

[@cherimonette1982]

How do you know how much of each supplement you have to add at feeding time?

[@sandyryan6967]

I'd like to know the same thing

[@Just_Lurking8]

She would add the vitamins after the cooking process or canning process when everything is cooled down. Vitamins should be added for-the actual amount of the full recipe, that would be for 3 pounds of meat.

[@paularizzo5217]

Thank you for this recipe. Chicken quarters are on sale this week...guess my Goldie will be taste-testing this soon!

[@wickedprepared]

My cats are loving it! I was so happy about that! The leg quarters are so affordable- a sale is even better! I hope Goldie loves it! 🥰

[@KitchenWitch423]

I can chicken all the time. Never any issues. One of my kitties has allergies… planning to use this recipe and see if he feels better. I know commercial pet food can be the problem. I will add egg shells 1000mg per pound is what I read elsewhere.

[@KitchenWitch423]

I will be using eggshells in place of the bone because I don’t think I want to grind them down. 1tsp is 1000mg. :)

[@yuliyak4117]

Thank you so much for a great idea! I do not know why I have't thought about it (but that is what you Tube is for!) - I used to cut up my kittie's chicken. it woul dtake me over an hour to prep their food! Now - with the food processor - it takes 15 minutes. Thank you for the idea! And THEY LOVE IT. I do add vitamins at feeding time (not when cooking)

[@dianevitale1214]

TYVM Got info from Vet to make cat food for my 5. Confused by print out. ADDLIFE was listed as only supplement (?) which does have taurine as one of it's ingredients. Showed meats, carbohydrates, etc w/percentages for cats. Geez there is brown rice, veggies, etc allowable. Your recipe makes more sense to me. Who would have thought that making cat food to make it healthy for our cats would be so difficult to find out the proper way to do.

[@sherryreed5806]

5 dogs 3 cats (we rescue) dry animal food in the quality food is getting low. Been ordering on line but prices are getting high. Thank you for this video. Dogs can get by on scaps but cats need certain vitamins they can only get from. Raw meat. Thank you for thinking of our four legged family members ❤️

[@wickedprepared]

Thank you Sherry! I did a lot of research knowing that cats have specific nutritional needs ❤ Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment. I'm glad you found it helpful!

[@auntkissy5082]

Hi Sherry, be very careful because dogs have very specific and important dietary requirements (calcium, magnesium, Taurine, and others).

[@sherryreed5806]

@@auntkissy5082 Thank you. You are absolutely correct. Cats do as well.while a dog can survive on cat food, a cat can not survive off dog food. Their dietary needs differ and plans need to be made for our 4 legged family members ❤️

[@MsBizzyGurl]

Dr. Jones has s balanced cat food recipe.

[@carlahabeck4051]

This is great! Thank you for this recipe! I hope to try this soon. After that I may try to do with a turkey as 7 pints of food wouldn't last very long here.

[@wickedprepared]

Absolutely a turkey would work great! I sometimes see great deals on the chicken leg quarters in big bags as well! ❤️

[@debbienielsen368]

I have three. One is almost 19 and she’s not eating much of anything anymore. Not food she used to eat. I’m excited about this video to see if she will eat it! Cross your fingers🤞

[@sunbeltliving]

Meat based Gerber baby food kept my geriatric cat going quite awhile, as recommended by a vet

[@Just_Lurking8]

You could follow this recipe and add more bone broth ( with no salt ) Or add water,for the kitty to eat it better.

[@annecavanaugh3585]

My senior cat loves kitten food!

[@lizhaydon2250]

I tap on a kitchen towel on the counter and it works fine. Thank you for the video. Also thank you for the kitty approval at the end.

[@bubblywaters3116]

Sorry for you, but I'm thankful I got to see what might happen during pressure. Thank you for leaving that in. I'm so going to try this. I've been deathly afraid of the pressure Cooker although my grandmother used to hunt and make her own canned meat and her delicious mince meat pie. If I knew what it was when I was little I may not have eaten it. Lol

[@wickedprepared]

Don't be afraid, once you get the hang of it, it will be a piece of cake! I have gotten a new tool since this video that helps with tightening the lids and haven't had any more mishaps! Love hearing the memories of your grandmother ❤️ My grandmother also made mince meat pies, I may not have eaten them when I was young but now I love it, even knowing what's in it lol. She used deer neck in her mince meat and had hunters who would save and bring her the necks. Her recipe is measured in bowls...i.e. 3 bowls of meat, 1 bowl of raisins, etc. She is still with us and will be 90 this year but she hasn't made mince meat in a while!

[@bubblywaters3116]

@@wickedprepared awesome story about your grandma. Yes that had a different way of measuring back then and I still swear by it today. Treasure her. You're lucky to still have her. Have her do her autobiography talking into a tape recorder. She'll love it and the stories are always amazing!

[@jessicaadams54]

Ive actually been looking into this just because for months its been a struggle to find canned cat food!

[@wickedprepared]

That's exactly why I decided to research and put this together! ❤️ It's a scary time having to worry about feeding the ones we love! The furry ones included!

[@Patty-bs3bz]

I hesitate to say this to you because I don’t want to offend anyone. I like this recipe. But home canning this in pate form may not be a good idea. One channel (RoseRed) shared that if the viscosity of what you’re canning is too thick the heat doesn’t get high enough in the center of the jar to destroy what causes botulism. That’s probably why you don’t see home canned mashed potatoes on the shelves. RoseRed has a food science background and taught at a University. There’s a possible way around this issue. Either freeze the cat food in containers as a pate or home can the chicken parts in a jar with the bone broth & soft bone parts, like a stew. Then to put it all in a blender prior to serving. I’m hoping that the freezing option will work.

[@Sabbathissaturday]

She also got a bunch of jabs so she’s not that smart. 🙄

[@shirataka8331]

You're right, and it's also inadvisable to can grains like oatmeal, rice, etc. Cats can get botulism, and it's deadly for them. Great recipe, but canning this is not best practice.

[@ophiuchusoversoul1785]

I started homecooking our dogs food because hes old and when he would walk up to his dish he literally gagged sometimes. So chicken and rice with a bag of frozen vegetables did him fine. Dogs evolved beside us to literally eat whatever we do, so sometimes he gets special meals like on spagetti night I rinse most of the sauce off the meat and noodles, and he gets that. I expected bad gas (hes a pug) but he did great with it and loved it. Pork ribs night, I rinse the meat off of sauce, usually we have a little broccoli on the side so he gets that, and generally a starch is baked potato. He loves it of course. Our cat I thought we couldnt do it with but the last few foods, canned and dry have caused him a LOT of vomiting. I REALLY think the pet food companies are further reducing the quality of their ingredients to keep the prices from jumping like so much else has. I searched it and taurine is in almost all meats in significant quanties, but especially fish, poultries, and rabbit. Now I make sure he gets one can of sardines per week, then its usually either rabbit or chicken the rest of the week. Finally two weeks in and NO more vomiting.

[@amandaevensonthehappyhippi5110]

I have 3 indoor cats and I care for a colony of 25 feral strays that I am trying to tame and get them all spayed and neutered one by one since I am disabled, andv I catch any babies as soon as they are old enough to wean so they become adoptable before becoming too feral. I save lots of meat scraps from my food like the skins and fats to use for this very purpose . I am very concerned about bring able to feed all of these guys during the coming weeks months and years. I started putting rolls of ground turkey in my freezer for them Or. me. tha k you for this great video it is exactly what I was looking for

[@wickedprepared]

Bless your heart and what you are doing for all these kitties! Thank you! ❤️

[@Just_Lurking8]

Thank you so much for helping all those kitties out there. You have a special place in Paradise and they’re all going to be with you ❤❤❤

[@pattihabby]

I have always been afraid to make my own pet foods...Because I wasn't sure what really was needed regarding the supplements ! You sure made this look quite easy and doable !!! Thank You for such a great detailed video !

[@onetweetygirl71]

Ok, Love this video with 2 exceptions. 1 is the density issue regarding canning. those seem to be way too thick to be safe for canning. as a canner myself, I wonder if the heating process is actually getting to the middle of the product to kill the bacteria. 2, the proper headspace for chicken and rabbit is an inch and a quarter or it is an inch and a half. Before canning, you should always double-check proper canning safety. That might be one of the reasons why you lost a lid. At least it wasn't a jar. thanks for the video.

[@andreapetersen9505]

I agree! I think I will be freezing mine. Use Ziploc bags and lay them flat on a sheet pan in case they leak and then all you have to do is thaw and feed! This time of year my jars are full of product for the coming winter for me and the price of canning jars is ridiculous!

[@IowaKim]

I was thinking the same thing! I would think add enough broth to make it soupy and allow for convection heating to occur evenly, or leave the meat in chunks and use broth as the liquid. Oh, like your moniker too-my nickname is Tweety.

[@sandyryan6967]

I thought that too, but then I remembered reading how big cats in the wild will often eat off a carcass for a couple of days in hot weather. I think all felines gut chemistry is built to handle a decaying animal. I reckon this would still be safe. 🤞

[@pattihabby]

I am an avid canner and this mixture is not to thick ! It is thin enough to pass the spoon test. If you put a spoon in the mixture that's in the jar, if it stays standing up, then to thick...If it falls over, it's good to go ! I did my research ! Headspace according to my Ball Blue Book on meats is 1" I just went and pulled out my book and Yes, it says 1" headspace for chicken. I'm not trying to be confrontational but I did my research and it contradicts to what you are saying to many people that are new to pressure canning.

[@shirataka8331]

@@sandyryan6967 that is a different set of bacteria. Cats can get botulism.

[@katherinestojanovski6734]

Low supplies of wet cat food in my region of Michigan. My order from Chewy is often canceled because they cannot fulfill it. I tried several homemade cat food recipes and my old kitty didn’t like them; he only likes plain, poached chicken breast. My strategy now is to pressure can chicken breast in pints (I used to freeze it before I saw your video on using the Nesco canner!) and alternate feedings (he gets wet food several times a day) between his store bought food one meal, homemade food next meal, and so on. I have been having to feed him homemade food more often. BUT he always has his dry food available (still have a good supply of that), so I feel he is still getting all of his necessary vitamins and minerals. He likes it and actually seems a bit friskier, too! Glad to see this video🥰🐟

[@stephaniewhitley7672]

I've always fed my cats kibble but I'm starting to learn from other videos from vets that if you feed them too much kibble (which is basically carbohydrates) that they eventually get lots of diseases like diabetes and kidney disease (one of my cats died early of diabetes and they all had kidney disease).

[@witchysam4273]

Watching from the UK. Five cats, two teenagers, a toddler and big daddy. Pet food and baby supplies are low low low!

[@wickedprepared]

Sam you must be busy busy! ❤ Stock up on those things while you can! Thanks for watching!

[@witchysam4273]

@@wickedprepared I am busy haha exhausted mama. I'm stocking up on lots of things. Looking into the ingredients for this cat food too. Love the recipe! Thank you.

[@jerry-im4bu]

🐟 wow!..thank you so much..my cat just went through surgery to have most have her teeth removed because of a disease ..I also rescue cats that most are at death's door..It is getting crazy expensive not only to buy quality cat food..but to find it as well like you mentioned..I always research to find the best of the best when I buy stuff..and you just took care of all of that in one 34 minute session...and I would think that if you take care of your significant other half of what you do for cats..then that is one fortunate person..thanks again! 🐟 🐠 🐈

[@jerrywatson1958]

Thank you for this. I am a male that likes cooking, sometimes for the cats (4) now I have a reason to buy canning stuff. 🐟🐠

[@carlahabeck4051]

Looking forward to tryingvthiscrecioe for my 5 cats! I do can and you can tap the jars on the counter providedcto put down a folded towel down first to soften the taps. I would still debubble.

[@9Rumrunner]

Instead of using the bones, you can use the eggshells. Cook them on the lowest setting on your oven for about 15 minutes ànd grind them up. 1/2 tsp per 1 lb of meat. And any canned fish should be salt free. Kelp càn give the mix iodine.

[@Just_Lurking8]

This is good also ,but the bones are giving them more vitamins minerals, nutrients.

[@TheLoreline88]

🐟 Thanks! We have so many of the same kitchen implements it was like you were in my kitchen. Appreciate the content.

[@susans9491]

🐠Definitely will try this! I’ve been able to get canned food through Chewy all along, but this is very empowering to be more self reliant and independent. We ‘only’ have 5 cats… country life! People see a barn and drop off kitties.

[@AnnieOakley379]

Thanks for sharing! Gonna' try this recipe. Can't find canned food anywhere, & it's probably better to make it homemade anyhow. 🐠🐈‍⬛

[@FlaKNMB]

Wow, Jara, your cats are sure lucky to be living in your house. If I understood you correctly, you think your cats will eat a pint of food per day? That means you did all that work for a week's worth of food. Do you plan to stock up now? I don't think I have the energy to do all that. The food is definitely a hit with your fur babies. I once had an orange cat, and he also gave amazing hugs. *fish emoji* (I'm using a desktop computer.)

[@wickedprepared]

Aww thank you! 😊 The recipe I used said that one batch makes enough food for one cat, for 10-14 days. I made a double batch which should be enough for about a month for one cat so yes, for 6 cats I guess that would be less than a week! It really wasn't too much work once I got started, now that I've done it once I think I could do an even bigger batch and I'm thinking about ways to streamline it a bit. The leg quarters, liver, mackerel and eggs are all very inexpensive and now that I've got the supplements I have enough to make many more batches! However, it remains to be seen how much I will actually do this! But I'm hoping to slowly build up a supply just like with anything else, and at the very least help out the folks out there having a hard time finding food for their kitties 🥰

[@sharonjohnston9502]

You can tap them on counter. But put towel on counter .

[@DanielleT77]

Thank you for your video! Did your cats eat this recipe the first time you ever offered it to them? Or did you need to gradually introduce it to them as they were leery of it? May I ask too were they on canned or kibble before you switched them to this? I'm just curious how willingly they were to switch from your prior food to this. Thank you, Danielle

[@wickedprepared]

My cats ate this straight away! They loved it. They were getting dry kibble primarily with occasional canned food. I guess our cats aren't too picky, I don't know maybe it's because we have a lot of them lol. I remember living in a house with a lot of kids, we weren't too picky because we were thankful for everything we got- there was more competition for it 😂

[@DanielleT77]

@@wickedprepared Thank you! I have 5 cats currently on canned and will try this recipe!

[@DanielleT77]

P.S. Are your cats still eating this recipe? I know cats can be picky and change their minds about things after awhile. I still plan on trying it either way-- just curious if it continues to interest them? Thank you again.

[@Just_Lurking8]

Mine go crazy for it 😂

[@sandyryan6967]

That's amazing! We have 2 girls, not quite 5 months old. They're very active, currently get kibble and wet. We'll, go through a pint in a couple days.This will be so much healthier and cheaper than the store bought crap. I am forever grateful for your video & recipe. So excited to make this for our girls. I think I'll add carrot or sweet potato if I have it. Btw, if i wanted to use ground flax seed vs fish oil, do you know how much? And, I'm so sorry you have all these cranky people telling you how to can in your own kitchen. I'm sure they mean, well and just haven't researched their own info. Hugs

[@wickedprepared]

Thank you so much Sandy! I'm not sure about the amount of flax, I tried to Google a conversion rate and I Couldn't find a concise answer I'm sorry!

[@bbrhody831]

Ive been making this recipe for about 15 yrs using only thighs so the meat to bone ratio is correct. Have had huge success. My cat is 14 and still does a nightly "rip" down the hall!😂

[@jessicaholting2362]

This recipe can also be frozen, thawed out and served fresh….doesn’t have to be canned. I have a premix similar to TC Feline from a company called Know Better Pet foods and I do make homemade cat food. I freeze ice cube portions and make cat food nuggets. But this supplement requires boneless meat because the calcium supplement is in the premix.

[@mevsm1]

🐟 Thank you very much for this, I recently bought a pressure canner but have not used it yet, and shared your DIY with my daughter who has a Royal Cat Cattery.

[@Jstras77]

Thanks I’m going to try this. Their also seems to be a shortage on kitty litter too!❤

[@wickedprepared]

If there comes a time you can't find kitty litter, try wood pellets! The type for pellet stoves! My oldest daughter worked at an animal shelter in high school and she taught me that, that's what they use at the shelter! 😊

[@melindahester7715]

Thank you. I,m going to start doig this. The catfood i,m finding looks disgusting. Hard to find. I buy alot when i can find it,but,i,m going to start making it. So glad you put this video out

[@missmia7869]

🐟 I made it to the end! Thank you for making this video, this will be my 2nd attempt at homemade cat food. The first recipe I tried was, to be honest, super gross for me to make and the cats wouldn't touch it. I got them to choke it down by mixing Sheba pate with it but the 2nd time I did it, they looked at me like "Hooman.. have you stepped out yo mind??" and walked away. That recipe called for chicken hearts as well as livers. I was fine with the livers, but the hearts.. omg. Just NO. The smell when I opened the bag turned me a lovely shade of green and it didn't get better with cooking and processing them. 🤢 They weren't spoiled, it wasn't the unmistakable smell of rotten meat, it was just gross. I can't describe the smell, there's nothing else like it. 🤢🤢🤢 More power to those with stronger stomachs, but I can't do this if it's going to make me literally sick making it so yours looks WAYYY better and very doable with the equipment I already have. I can't afford to shell out a ton 'o cash for a grinder. Wish me luck, here goes! :P

[@wickedprepared]

Wishing you luck- let me know how it goes!

[@williammartinez2592]

Hi, I was wondering if you thought it would add nutrients to use leftover bone broth to mix with supplements instead of water . Thank you for this wonderful recipe.

[@jdmitaine]

suggestion : I do my food fully cooked, then I freeze then once vacuumed-bag-sealed - really works great

[@jennpyle6095]

🐟🐟🐟 looked like your kitties loved it!

[@wickedprepared]

They did! I was relieved because I had read so much about cats initially rejecting the new food when switching to a homemade diet. No problems here! I think the mackerel helped! ❤

[@PurrViewTVShow]

Awesome just stay away from lemon flavored fish oil and alnutrin has measured supplement packets and can get with bone meal. Love the insta pot idea for bones

[@sherri42]

I never knew so much went into cat food. I have 2 cats and keep tuna pouches for extreme emergency. I started doing that because I've noticed cat food shelves going bare, as well. Thanks for this!

[@wickedprepared]

You're welcome Sherri! When I actually got right down to doing it, it was not as complicated as I thought, and actually kind of fun and very rewarding! And all our cats liked the food so that's a great bonus!

[@sherri42]

@@wickedprepared I'm having trouble finding taurine powder. Is there not enough in the livers?

[@wickedprepared]

@@sherri42 the author of the recipe mentioned hearts as a source of taurine but said chicken hearts are not as high in taurine as mouse hearts and are difficult to source so she includes the powdered taurine. She did not discuss the taurine content of the chicken livers. Since she is a veterinarian, I deferred to her recommendation to include the taurine. I got mine from Amazon, she recommended a site called iherb. If you are looking locally, perhaps a natural food store or a GNC store (if those are even around any more?) might have it?

[@sherri42]

@@wickedprepared I will check into that. Thanks for letting me know more about it.

[@coloradopackratprepper]

I cut 3 sides on plastic on jar box. This way keeps plastic attached to pull back over top keeping dust off.🐬

[@wickedprepared]

I've started doing that now too! Our We store ours in the cellar where it is very dusty and it definitely helps!

[@meandmysellefrancaishorsel2585]

Cliff Longlands Wicked ,as you say ,thanks for a really good vid ,keep safe and love the animals for sure ,thanks Cliff Longlands

[@Iheartcatz]

Try half cup water. I make my own cat food and it is the right consistency with 1/2 cup.

[@wickedprepared]

Thank you Tomara!

[@Pammy-wi1li]

oh my I've noticed here in NJ also

[@carolejoyce2288]

Rince the egg shells let them dry then grind into powder brilliant as food topper for cats

[@jessicaholting2362]

I wonder if you might have an easier time grinding up eggshells for calcium.

[@rogers6168]

That's what I do. Put egg shells in oven to dry them up. Grind in a coffee bean grinder. All is good.

[@dianabowers622]

I have read that we should add 1 teaspoon of powdered egg shell per pound of meat if we're not using real bone or bone meal. I think egg shell powder is shelf safe for a long time! True?

[@Just_Lurking8]

@@dianabowers622 i’ve heard some people say one month some say three months… I really don’t know that’s what I’m trying to find out 🤔

[@rolfsvensson5777]

Cats live longer! Just like people with home made cooking! Now you know!

[@kimskluckers5665]

I shared this on my Facebook page 🥰

[@wickedprepared]

Thank you so much!! 💓

[@AJK278]

Love to see some recipes for dogs!!

[@bettyreynolds5106]

At Winco they've had plenty.

[@Just_Lurking8]

@WickedPrepared do you have a dog recipe from the same veterinarian?

[@chepasquoifaire]

This is amazing! My one concern is the vitimins/powders derived from plants. As obligate carnivores, i worry about the bioavailability of these pills/powders for felines. Do you have suggestions for supplements derived from animal products? They seem to be not so easy to find. Thanks you! Again, love your video

[@wickedprepared]

I think your best bet for this would be to include a variety of organ meats for some natural sources of these nutrients the way cats would get them in the wild.

[@Just_Lurking8]

Go with standard process vitamins. If you follow DR.Karen Becker, she works with Mercola and they use vitamins from animal products.

[@aprilinalabama9074]

I love my cats ♥️ Great video!! Thanks 👍

[@wickedprepared]

Cats are the best! 🥰

[@aprilinalabama9074]

@@wickedprepared Yes they are 😁♥️

[@TWGalleries]

🐟 Thank you!

[@Peggy731]

🐟🐠🐡This was an absolutely fascinating video. My problem is I don’t have a canner. Well, I have my mother’s but it hasn’t been used in 40 years, so the gasket is brittle & the gauge is missing. I’m not sure I’m brave enough to attempt canning to make it worth buying a canner. So far, I’ve been able to get some kind of cat food. Although they’ve had to eat what I can get. I won’t buy anything with gravy because it just doesn’t fill them up. Mine also get kibble at night, so I buy extra of that as a just-in-case.

[@sandyryan6967]

You could hot water bath for 3 hours.

[@colleenalcantar9061]

You are a blessing. Thank you!

[@wickedprepared]

Aww thank you!!! 😊

[@coldwin3849]

Just about any grinder can handle bone IF you break the bones up first. What i do is take a straight bladed carpenters hatchet I dub the "kitchen axe" and shatter all the bones in the chicken quarters. You don't have to use much force at all. The axe doesn't even have to be very sharp. The goal isn't to slice through the chicken but just crust the bones up which are quite brittle. I chop along the bone parallel with the axe blade which does most of the work then perpendicular just to crush the bones up a little finer. Once the bones are thoroughly crunched you can slice the chicken up, half freeze it, then run it through the grinder without issue. I have a bottom tier meat grinder that has never had any trouble taking chicken bones this way. It takes less overall time to do this than to de-meat the chicken and adds necessary minerals like calcium as well as the bone marrow (a lot of nutrients in there) to the food. It's also a good work out for your chopping arm. lol

[@wickedprepared]

Awesome thanks so much for this tip!

[@firequeen2194]

My cat has developed food allergies. She’s been licking obsessively and started pulling her hair out. Her prescription cat food is hella expensive so looking for a homemade solution. I’m gonna try this!

[@wickedprepared]

Aww! I hope this works! 🙏

[@carolstewart1704]

Hi luv! I know this is old comment, but I had a cat doing this as well and she would twitch a bit too! We had to keep her off of seafood for a bit, but she is back to normal now! 🥰 I hope ur lil one got better by now too!! 🫂💕

[@tuxedocatpicasso8917]

🐟 thank you for the thorough info🐾

[@marissaalonzo7997]

If you slow cook it in crock pot for 24 hours, like bone broth, do you think you would achieve the same result and just grind bones together?

[@wickedprepared]

I do think so. I actually thought about cooking the chicken initially in the instant pot and then maybe running the bones through just one more cycle. But I started overthinking things like removing part of the bones and measuring liquid amounts so I decided to do it this way. Now that I've done it once I might try again using just the IP! But definitely a long simmer should break those bones down and the crock pot would be a great way to not have to babysit it like you would on the stovetop!

[@ILkaterlyn]

They say add cider vinegar to work on bone marrow so cooking is needed I think.

[@Just_Lurking8]

@@ILkaterlyn by using apple cider you extract, more collagen out of the bone.

[@namiesnaturals3557]

How much cat food r we suppose to feed the cats each & how many times a day? I feed my 3 - 2x day 2- cans total & fill dry food daily along with bottled water. 1 cat is always hungrier so I end up giving her extra but 2 love raw chick n hamber.. cat food is available one store or another locally but scarce at some like family n general $, price chopper usually has.

[@Just_Lurking8]

Usually to recommended 5 ounces for a cat daily. So that is one normal size cat can per day, unless they’re extreme active you could give a little bit more.

[@essendossev362]

it's not recommended by USDA guidlines to can anything that has been pureed, because the heat can't penetrate easily to the center.

[@sandyryan6967]

And us old timers still hot water bath meats for 3 hours and the government says no. Yet, Europe, Scandinavia and Asian countries have their own guidelines, much less restrictive AND those countries ban many foods the US says are safe. Just sayin'. Your kitchen, your rules.

[@SandraHenson-p6b]

Very good

[@alphaomega4019]

Hvnt been clear of how long it can be stored..or should be refrigerated

[@Just_Lurking8]

Usually you keep it in the refrigerator MAX five days the rest you could freeze up to two months.

[@LOGAFFY]

Awesome video, thank you. 🐠 🐟 😁

[@rosaspanjol673]

My cat loves homemade chicken and rice!… I boil boneless chicken breast ,no salt. I cut it into pieces and mixed it with white rice , no salt… She loves it!…she goes bananas over it🤣!

[@Alex-ld6id]

What is the cost compared to store bought patee?,,

[@sandreawhite7534]

I found macro but it was in brine and I don’t like that extra salt should I rinse it first?

[@wickedprepared]

You could do that! And take solace in knowing that it only makes up a small percentage of the volume of the entire recipe. 😊

[@michele-33]

Thank you. Cat food shortage just started in my area of SW Pa. I'm going to substitute iodized table salt for Redman's Real Salt, Celtic Sea Salt or Pink Himalayan Salt. Table salt is super unhealthy, is overly processed, bleached, contains flowing agents to prevent clumping. Hope all your kitties are well & over the firework trauma 💥😺💥

[@jeancollier2930]

Just a FYI, I don't think Celtic Sea Salt contains iodine....

[@IowaKim]

Is there any concern that this is not viscous which goes against the heating schedule for pressure canning? USDA does not recommend thick food to be canned, for example pureed squash, thick soups, so I am wondering if the cat food should have more broth in it to thin it for heat transfer through convection (fluid heating)?

[@IowaKim]

I read the page you are referencing and in the canning section it refers to another web page for canning and they use meat chunks or ground meat-not pureed. Please read up on why not to use a thick/non-viscous mixture to pressure can.

[@sandie157]

🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐠🐠🐠🐠🐠🐠 . Thanks i watched it all. Very clear A good pace. Going to try it out. Thanks for the links

[@Maplecook]

Never even thought of doing this!

[@wickedprepared]

Honestly I never did either until I was lamenting the empty shelves and Rob said, why don't you make your own? So I did some research because I know they have some different nutritional requirements. It actually was a lot easier and more fun than I anticipated! And the cats are enjoying it! I have made dog food once before but I think I'll do some serious research and do a dog food video soon as well!

[@Maplecook]

@@wickedprepared I've unintentionally made dog food before...lol

[@wickedprepared]

@@Maplecook 😂

[@mammadoz5028]

I tap my jars on my palm to remove air. You might crack the jar on the counter. If I'm hot packing I use oven mitts!

[@lewis9888]

What are we going to replace the chicken with if chicken is not available?

[@wickedprepared]

Turkey or duck could be used and I imagine in dire circumstances any wild game bird could be used!

[@bettyreynolds5106]

Thank you!!!

[@stephaniesmith91ss]

That's crazy!! My stores don't look like this. But it is becoming less

[@joankelley3772]

Thanks

[@Godschild52909]

Cats do need some fat, but can't tolerate carbohydrates. Also not sure if I'd put the salt in as they wouldn't have that in the wild. Great video. Thanks for sharing. Btw do you need to sterilize the jars prior to canning?

[@wickedprepared]

As long as the jars are clean it's not necessary to sterilize them for pressure canning because the canning process itself will take care of that 😊 but you certainly can, it won't hurt! My dishwasher has a sanitize cycle I use.

[@dorothydonahue4604]

the lite salt is critical for the iodine

[@GypsysMom5150]

It's really not so much that there's a shortage, it's that the cat food isn't right. My cats refuse to eat it, and I have gotten green food from Walmart several times. Home made is by far the best.

[@jeffreyclarke736]

You're awesome... Thank you.

[@wickedprepared]

You're welcome Jeffrey! 😊

[@brendanb1541]

Could you provide a Amazon link showing a food grinder that would work?

[@lynetteedwards7008]

I just lost my beautiful cat to feline diabetes and I'm blaming it on the store bought cat food if I ever get a pet again I will only be fed human and homemade cat food ,

[@wickedprepared]

I'm so sorry you lost your precious fur baby 😢 Homemade food would definitely be much healthier if you put some time in to understand what their nutritional needs are.❤️

[@lynetteedwards7008]

Thankyou ,I am devastated losing my beautiful gentle giant, Unfortunately with feline diabetes the systems are very hard to detect until it is too late to save them 😢 💔

[@donnaannworrilow2736]

I have a cat that I feed urinary tract cat food I need a receipt for this food

[@denisprieur7944]

Isn't any danger with chicken meat? I've heard so often that many cats are allergic to chicken! My vet advised me to always stay away from chicken! What do you think since you've got this recipie from a vet also?

[@wickedprepared]

If your cat has issues with chicken, or you just want to stay away from it just in case, other options are turkey or rabbit. My cats don't have issues with chicken and it was the most easily accessible for me. In the video description I linked the original article I followed. She gives some online resources to order rabbit if you can't find any local to you. She also gives great insights into everything she uses so you may find it an interesting read!

[@susiewolfgong3496]

Thank you I have four of the fur babies. 🐠

[@sharonsopczynski1192]

I don’t have taurine but I have read that I could use ground flax and or nutrient yeast and everything else in your recipe I have. My question is one pack of nutrient yeast has B vitamins, niacin , folic acid b12 and Thiamin and the other is just nutrient yeast flakes B vitamins and fiber does it matter what I use

[@wickedprepared]

I'm not sure about that but I don't think it would matter!

[@donalsteinbach7034]

I use vacuum bags & a vacuum sealer. Worth the investment & can pick one up $50-75. If your not a canner& need simplier check on joanna Troutman's cat food instructions

[@thil6863]

Each bag I get I seal it in vacuum seal bags about 6 packs for later

[@peaceandfuntimes]

Love this video

[@kathychavez8117]

I had my supplements at feeding time, they are not cooked or degraded

[@Just_Lurking8]

I am wondering what the doctor is saying about this …The one that formulated this recipe 🤔