Great method for storing cat food

This is a quick video to explain one method for storing DIY cat food. This uses a vacuum sealer and food-safe storage film.

[@justagirlsd3000]

I use silicone baby food containers with lids, they have 7 1 cup portions, reusable, no plastic trash.

[@JoannaTrautman]

Nice solution! Thanks for watching and chiming in, Joanna

[@jude7321]

@justagirlsd Hi Where do you get the silicone cups, on Amazon?

[@robertvernon2186]

I wish I had seen this before when my mom and I were feeding a huge number of cats. We were using store bought wet and dry cat food and this would have saved us a lot of money and gave the cats better nutrition. Thanks for sharing.

[@JoannaTrautman]

The cost definitely adds up quickly. Thank you for watching! Joanna

[@Jentalks380]

Joanna THANK YOU!! I would like to offer some caring advice. Please do not be offended. Please change over from cooking with the aluminium to steel cookware. I only say this out of love not to criticise in any way. As a naturopathic doctor we all know and are taught the serious ramifications of cooking foods out of aluminium utensils long term. Aluminum effects bone marrow and leads to the formation of abnormal red blood cells besides its effect on the parathyroid gland, the musculoskeletal system and is represented by abnormalities like osteoporosis and osteomalacia, liver stenosis and nephrotic syndrome are other important manifestations of aluminum toxicity - not to mention its pathogenesis of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Facts are facts. These findings are not mentioned to the general public so many are unaware. Please thank your cute little daughter for her contribution to your video. I found your info extremely helpful and inspirational and I'll be going ahead and making my own cat food in the future xx

[@JoannaTrautman]

Well! Thank you for your thoughtful comments. You are not the first to comment on aluminum, and it, among other household hazards are certainly on my radar. This video was filmed a few years ago, and I have been in the process of upgrading my cookware. That being said, I am of the philosophy of you use what you have and what you can afford, and make changes as you can. Unfortunately exposure to aluminum from a stock pot may be a much smaller risk when compared to heavy metal exposure from eating high on the food change, or the wide variety of toxic chemicals and compounds that are part of the standard western diet. I'm glad you found some inspiration from my video! In this particular one, I use food-grade plastic for storage. Currently I personally pressure can my cat food for shelf-stable longterm storage, which also minimizes plastic exposure. Sigh. Hazards are everywhere! Thanks for watching, Joanna

[@puppetmaster1712]

Thicker yesss, you answered my question I posted on another video lol.

[@aliciakrzyzewski3854]

Joanna, so happy to find your recipes for cat food. Making the chicken tomorrow for my 'herd' of 19 Adults and 9 kittens. The cost of can and dry is breaking my bank! Hoping this will make a big difference in bringing the cost down. All these came from one irresponsible neighbor and only have 2 mommies to have spayed yet, then later the kittens. In addition to feeding 6 horses! Yikes! But I love them all!

[@JoannaTrautman]

Wow... you have your hands full! I hope this helps a bit! Thanks for watching, and best of luck with your crew. Cheers, Joanna

[@sherrypurdy9105]

I hear you we have 20 cats including 5 in house cats, two pom's and 3 horses. It was a stray female cat that came to our place when we first moved in that populated the farm now. Our county provides with a program of trap, neuter and release for feral cats. Because ours are considered feral which many we can not touch we have all now fixed...Yippie...I already feed my dogs homemade food and now I found a looks to be a good recipe for my cats. I can stop buying the can cat food...yippie...I just wasn't sure what cats should have in their food compared to the dogs that I already make up?

[@Kayenne54]

Thank you. Much appreciated. One thing I did see on another video (related more to the zip lock baggies and expelling excess air) was to part way immerse the filled baggie into a bowl of warm water; this would expel the air upwards, then you can seal it with a greater amount of air removed. Obviously avoid getting water into the open top. Thought that was a good idea for people like me without the vacuum sealer.

[@JoannaTrautman]

Nice tip! Thanks for watching and chiming in to share the news, Joanna

[@pbenn8397]

Hello! I do cat rescue, I had three recently diagnosed with FELUK Thanks so much for your help and research! Very helpful with great explanation of nutrition . I have 13 cats I am jumping in . Nutrition Is key! I soooo appreciate your help!

[@oliverolover]

I have 3 cats, I made a big batch like this and can it it in pint mason jars. Works and is a good option for those of us who have limited freezer space.

[@JoannaTrautman]

Agreed completely! If you have pressure canning tools and are familiar with the process it is a fantastic option for long-term storage! Thanks for watching, Joanna

[@jackiekeesaman1571]

Very impressive. Thank you

[@tjs8628]

God bless you 🙏

[@janhollon4972]

Thank you for the info for making Cat Food and this on on how to store. I really enjoyed both. I have cooked chicken for my cats but now am going to try your way for sure. And yes it can be expensive to buy the can cat food.

[@JoannaTrautman]

Jan, you are most welcome. If you have any organ meats you can also throw those in to the mix. I hope your cats enjoy! Joanna

[@doraanderson5222]

Oh thank you thank you and bless you for the info on how to make cat food and store it in the freezer you don't know what you mean to me cuz I was buying organic food for my cat and it was costing me so much money I have to give it up I went back to buying it from the store but I'm so excited that I found your video and I'm so glad to learn how to make my cat food now thank you thank you thank you and many blessings

[@JoannaTrautman]

Dora, I'm so glad my video could help! Cat food, let alone organic cat food really adds up. I hope your cat enjoys this stuff as much as ours do. I will be releasing a video within the next week on using turkey (and the carcass, etc) to make cat food. Stay tuned! Cheers, Joanna

[@janicesims9935]

Hi did you use the squish you didnt show it thank for the tip

[@vanessavandette3518]

Thanks for sharing this. Can you tell me what vacuum sealer machine you’re using. It may be time for me to upgrade 😊

[@kg811]

I have silicon molds that have squares. I think adding the food into those squares would be great for at least a few days as I feed my cat 2x a day.

[@JoannaTrautman]

Nice. Sounds like it’s at least worth a try. I’m always a fan of using ingredients and tools you have available! Thanks for watching, Joanna

[@NanceeDroo]

Great information, Joanna. I wonder if this thick cat food could be pressure canned in jars safely? And, I think this recipe could also be used for dogs, too.

[@JoannaTrautman]

What a timely question… I am almost done filming a video where I pressure can a very similar recipe! I use this recipe as a gravy for my dog. It is pretty fat and calorie-dense on its own for a dog. Thanks for watching, Joanna

[@pamcatello9136]

Thank you ill follow your example

[@lisabalouch6768]

Have adopted a 17 lb cat. How much food should he get? On line it says 1 can wet food per 3 to 3 1/2 lb weight. That's like 5 cans worth in wet food. Seems like a lot.

[@smtdrgeetachavan6125]

Storage of prepared food is difficult coz we exactly don't know how long it remains good, after some days it starts smelling different. But still ur shown method are really May work well.i will try. Thanks lot for this awesome video ❤

[@lanialania8387]

So do you leave the big pot after it’s freshly cooked out all night to cool until the morning before packaging?

[@LuisHernandez-yf2no]

Totally 💯 Awesome

[@JoannaTrautman]

Glad to help! Thanks for watching, Joanna

[@ingridbond3432]

THANK YOU :)

[@JoannaTrautman]

You're more than welcome! Joanna

[@jude7321]

Hi, I'm not an expert or anything but I thought rice and pumpkin were carbohydrates and cats weren't supposed to eat carbohydrates because they can't digest vegetation. Am I wrong about that? Just checking because I need to be sure. Theo is the first cat I've ever had inside; I've had other cats but they were barn cats that lived outside only. I thought they were obligate carnivores, just meat eaters. Thank you for all your care and hard work. Jude, from Kentucky ✝️🐴🌱🇺🇸

[@JoannaTrautman]

Good question. They are obligate carnivores, so the vast majority of their calories are from the meat sources. The rice provides some energy calories and the other plant ingredients provide micronutrients. Hope this helps, Joanna

[@jude7321]

@@JoannaTrautman Thank you so much, I understand now. I just found your channel yesterday and I love it so much, you're such a pleasant person. I love how messy you are in the kitchen, because I am too, I can't help it. I never thought of buying a whole turkey, I've just been buying the bags of chicken quarters but it's a whole lot of work feeding him raw because it's so hard to get the meat off the bones. Cooking it makes it just fall off, which I love. I hope that he likes it cooked because he sure loves it raw. I'm going to try it though. I love that you're a farmer and you care about animals and... your kitchen is beautiful! God bless you and your precious family Jude, from Kentucky ✝️ 🐴 🌱🇺🇸

[@ayeshamohammed2248]

Please let me know how long i can store it in the refridgerator? How long it is good to store? Pls let me know so that i can preapre and store accordingly.

[@baire702]

Do you make your dry food? If not, what brand do you use?

[@fakhruddinsm786]

what is the shelf life of the food being made and stored in a freezer as you have suggested

[@CarolinaOmaSteph]

I go through this everyday with my two. Then when my daughter brought hers over to stay while she moves. Her cats do the same. Now I am feeding 6 cats.

[@flowerchild777]

Ohhh, snack sized👍👍👍

[@kewpified]

For a batch of that size, how long would it last for 3 cats who are fed wet food twice a day?

[@monangel2388]

Thank you my cat was diagnosed with diabetes a week ago, she was on dry food and now I know that was not good for her. Buy a “good quality” can food is more expensive so I was lookin for an alternative home made free additives stuff for her and this look like a good I dea. I going to try. Thank you

[@claygirl6133]

Thank you for the recipe! Do you warm up the food prior to feeding? Presently cooking the chicken, found out the flaxseed I do have is mixed with chia and hemp seed so I am going to still use it in smaller amount. Making two batches, one with pumpkin and one with zucchini. Was thinking of adding the oil of one capsule of omega oil, would you advice that?

[@JoannaTrautman]

Hi Clay Girl. Thanks for the thanks! :) As for warming up the food, no, I don't, but you certainly can. My cats *might* like it better, but it's a hassle, and currently they're all still rushing for it first thing every morning. I've found the more we spoil animals the harder it is on a daily basis to keep it up, so we just don't. They're all happy though. As for what you did with the flaxseed, yes, reduce it (the hemp would make me reduce it - the chia is fine). All 3 of those seeds contain alphalypolic acid (an omega 3 oil) and are good for skin & coat. Those seeds are also good sources of lignans, which are good for cardiovascular health. You could add additional omega oil capsules, but you don't have to. If you're using dark meat chicken, there are already some in there. Also, make a note to mix it with their regular food to help them transition over the next few days to a week or two. Just keep reducing the amount of what you were using to ween them off. Good luck! Joanna

[@brandoncorpus7802]

I love love love this! Do you know how long you’re able to store them for in the freezer? And when taking them out for the week do they last the week in the fridge or do you recommend doing daily servings instead of servings for the week?

[@JoannaTrautman]

It stores for 6 months in the freezer, and I had no problem keeping several days worth in the fridge. Thanks for watching, Joanna

[@beverly4551]

Hi, I just loved this video because I am a cat lover. Have you every though of weighing 9 scoops and then transferring that amount to a cookie sheet or some of those freezer molds? Because I have tried other items like you and getting into the bags for sealing; I find frozen easier. That works great for leftovers over pizza, too; freeze, then put into bags. ❤

[@JoannaTrautman]

Great idea! That would work well. Thanks for watching and sharing tips, Joanna

[@dukedesign6202]

hi and thank you for your cat food videos. I have one cat. if I cooked about 1 or 2 pounds of chicken thighs, about how much pumpkin/rice/flax seed would you recommend? thanks again this looks great!

[@liloglowe8477]

Same question 🙋🏾‍♀️ 3:16

[@carolynmoody9460]

thank you thank you!!! new sub here

[@JoannaTrautman]

You are very welcome. Thank you for watching and subscribing, Joanna

[@sylvialmartel]

I would love to know where you get the flax power please and thank you

[@JoannaTrautman]

Most grocery store carry flax seed now, but I order bulk size on Amazon. If you choose to order bulk flax seed, make sure you get whole seed and grind it as you need, b/c flax can go bad relatively quickly at room temperature. Whole seed stays fresh far longer. Hope this helps! Thanks for watching, Joanna.

[@melissazayas627]

Joanna-thank-you for these videos-I have 16 cats! Most feral-am making a double batch of the cat food-My question is when I feed twice a day I give 1/3 cup the homemade wet food and 1/3 dry food each feeding correct? For outside cats(they do have heated cat houses but due to cold weather I would think that I add some additional food as their metabolisms are working more to produce heat, correct? Thank-you

[@JoannaTrautman]

Melissa, Wow! You have a full crew for sure! The only thing I would tweak from this recipe (I have successfully done this with my crew the last few months) is use a blender (mine is more powerful than my food processor) and grind up the bones and gristle into the mix. The elastin (gristle) is good for their connective tissue, it's just gross mouth-feel and a choking hazard in regular form. Much if the calcium and phosphorus leaches into the bone broth base during the cooking process, but this way there is almost zero waste from the recipe, no choking hazards, and a bit extra mineral magic in the mix. If you are feeding 2x a day, I would do 1/4 cup dry, 1/4 cup wet as that would be about 150 kCal per feeding, giving around 300 kCal per day, which is around the recommended calorie intake for an adult fixed 8 lb cat. If your cats are all huge, adjust accordingly! I would also bump up the serving size a bit for the outdoor crew. Especially if they aren't "fixed" they definitely have a higher caloric intake requirement - maybe try 1/3 cup 1/3 cup 2 times per day? That would put their intake closer to 400 kCal per day. Hope this helps! Thanks so much for watching, and stay tuned for more... I'm working on a couple more cat food videos right now. Joanna

[@melissazayas627]

Thank-you so much! I am thrilled I came across your you tube Chanel! Look forward to your other videos!

[@JoannaTrautman]

Excellent, thank you Melissa! Glad to have you here! And, please subscribe if you haven't already - I have quite a few "people food" videos as well and more options on the cats real soon! :) Joanna

[@annmariek8754]

I love this thank you!! How long would you say this can stay frozen in the freezer? Up to 6 months?

[@JoannaTrautman]

I would follow meat storage guidelines for the bags/containers you choose. With a good vacuum seal (no air in the bag) 6 months should be fine. My cats chow through this long before 6 months are up! 😜

[@lalala4476]

@@JoannaTrautman what about zipper bag?

[@denisprieur7944]

I would like to know what dry food do you give to your cats? Experts in cat nutrition are saying that grains are no good fort cats, no corn, no soya, no by product meat, or meat meal...ect..like to have your opinion on that matter!

[@JoannaTrautman]

Denis, thanks for taking the time to watch the video! The brand of dry food varies based on what I have available (I'm in a very rural area), but it's never one of the expensive ones - I wasn't super enthused about the ingredient lists relative to the price points - also, our food budget is covering 8 people, 3 dogs, and 8 cats. Interestingly, one of the dry kibbles that was really pricey but my cats all loved had an ingredient list with several vegetables as well as rice and a very neutral meat protein profile. The rice that I use isn't a huge contributor calorically, and my cats love it, haven't had any negative repercussions, so it works for us - if you aren't comfortable with it for your cat, feel free to exclude it. My cats all were either re-homed to us or showed up on our porch... Compared to mice and birds, they seem ecstatic. Hope this helps! Joanna

[@aliciakrzyzewski3854]

I feed Purina Naturals Grain Free. It is very important that the dry cat foods 1st ingredient is MEAT - CHICKEN. Had to regress to the "Original" it's 1st ingredient is still CHICKEN. $20 for 18 lbs. Purina has stopped production on the grain free temporarily, they said. Chewy sells American Journey and TSC sells Taste if the Wild, both are more expensive. Read labels and be sure MEAT is always 1st on the label. I am feeding 19 Adult cats and 9 kittens! Thanks to irresponsible neighbors! All have been fixed except the 2 new mommies and babies of course.

[@renefrentzen8670]

For cars with UTI sensitivity can you use rolled oats instead of rice?

[@JoannaTrautman]

I’m sure you could, but I would use the quick oats even opposed to rolled oats (they are smaller bits) and it is a proportionally small amount of the overall mix. Rice is simply the most economical choice for us.

[@dorothygarrity2718]

How many cups approximately does this recipe make? Thanks

[@JoannaTrautman]

Hi Dorothy, this batch in the video was prepared in a 16 qt pot, soooo I’m going to venture about 55-60 cups as it nearly fills the pot. Thanks, Joanna

[@mrwater2033]

how long does it stay edible if you store it in the refrigerator?

[@JoannaTrautman]

In the fridge I'd give it a week, but it will do better in smaller airtight storage rather than a large container that is opened and closed daily.

[@kellymycat]

Can you can this in a pressure canner?

[@JoannaTrautman]

I will be releasing a video on this storage process soon, but the short answer is yes, but I follow the meat stew guidelines from Ball (this is a long processing time). Please note that it is not safe for water bath canning as it isn’t nearly acidic enough to adequately kill bacteria in that temperature range.

[@sheilajohnson3785]

What is your cat food recipes..i habe 5 kittens , 5 months old...thank you for sharing...TO ALL PRAY...Blessings Shalom...

[@JoannaTrautman]

Hi Sheila! Thanks for asking. Here is the link for the video where I make the food. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nGOvmaGjnt5rars Best of success with your kittens!

[@cbryce9243]

I want to see all your cats! Do you have them because you love them, you are you a cat rescuer or something else?

[@JoannaTrautman]

C, here is a link to a short video of my crew eating: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmeZgZSgrJWUl7c I do love our cats, but we only started with 1. Then it was 3, then the rest of them showed up on our porch over the last few years and we don't have the heart to leave them out as coyote bait. We ended up with our pups the same way. So, not sure what category we fit in, but we have a large household with 8 humans, 8 cats, and 3 dogs. Thanks, Joanna

[@JoannaTrautman]

Here is a link for a video that shows my cats eating this food: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmeZgZSgrJWUl7c We do love our cats. I wouldn't call us a cat rescuer, but most of them have just shown up at our house and we took them in.

[@Greblav]

I think cats also, most the time, should chew their food. Just like humans. 🤗❤️

[@britishbluecatsonwheels]

Their teeth are not like humans, they don’t have molars for grinding. They have mainly incisor type teeth for tearing meat (for when they were in wild tearing their caught meals!) …they don’t have the intestinal capacity to digest carbs which often take chewing which might explain why their teeth developed this way

[@jude7321]

​​@@britishbluecatsonwheels Isn't all that rice and pumpkin a lot of carbs for cats? Theo eats raw chicken. To every pound of chicken I add one egg yolk, a teaspoon of ground egg shells, for calcium, 1/1000 mg krill oil capsule, 1/1000 mg of taurine and one teaspoon of ground flax seed. I save the bones to make bone broth and pour that over his raw chicken. I don't add any carbohydrates to his food, I don't think it's good for him. Jude, from Kentucky ✝️🐴🇺🇸

[@jude7321]

​@@britishbluecatsonwheels Continued from☝️up there. One teaspoon ground of flax seed. I use the bones, tendons and fat to make bone broth, that I pour over his chicken I don't think carbohydrates are good for cats; I'm not an expert or anything but I don't think they eat pumpkin and rice in the wild or any carbohydrates except for maybe chewing on grass once in awhile for an upset stomach or maybe they just like it. I added this at the bottom because it cut off about half of my comment and you sound very interesting and someone who sounded like they knew what they were talking about, so I wanted your opinion. Jude, from Kentucky ✝️🐴🌱🇺🇸

[@THEROOTMATTERS]

GIRL, GET SOME STAINLESS STEAL PANS, ALL THAT ALUMINUM AND TEFLON-TYPE PANS DEFEAT THE HEALTH OF THE CAT FOOD. PLUS, HOW WELL HAVE YOU RESEARCHED YOUR CAT FOOD INGREDIENTS FOR THE CAT'S HEALTH? I APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORT FOR FEEDING 9 CATS AND 3 KITTENS FROM SCRATCH. COMMERCIAL CAT FOOD IS BAD

[@THEROOTMATTERS]

WOULD YOU PLEASE OFFER TO YOUR AUDIENCE, HOW OFTEN YOU FEED, HOW MUCH ON AVERAGE?AND, YOU MENTIONED YOU WERE USING DRY FOOD, HOW MUCH DRY ON AVERAGE? I HAVE BEEN SEEKING A HOMEMADE RECIPE FOR ALL THE STRAYS AND PETS I FEED. I FEEL GUILTY FEEDING COMMERIAL WITH CHEAP FILLERS THAT ARE NOT APPROPRIATE FOR A FELINE'S DIGESTION SYSTEM

[@JoannaTrautman]

I love that you called me girl, but after that, I just sat here with a perplexed look for several minutes after reading your comment. i don't think you meant any disrespect, so I won't take it that way, but, and this is a big BUT, you're literally calling me out and saying that the type of pan defeats everything I do and I'm just going to have to respectfully disagree. I've owned stainless steel pots and pans and I've run them to the ground. I still have some, but I don't use them as much as I had different problems relating to heat distribution and, frankly, it made things a bit more complicated. Now, please hear me out. When I chose to start doing cooking videos, my husband and I had this conversation and here's where we ended. We chose to go with what most people would have access to so that we could talk on the same level as our audience. I try to make things as easy as possible for people and for them to use what they have. The minute I start getting the "best" of everything, I distance myself from those I want to help the most. It's a different strategy than most and I know I'll take a beating for it, but, even if I had a full set today I wouldn't swap it all out just because it's better, and I sure wouldn't mention that to all the people just trying to do more for themselves or for their cats. Is there some leakage of toxins? Probably, but really, that's the least of my concerns when it comes to all of what's in commercially available foods, prepackaged foods & at restaurants. Point is, I knew it was a trade-off, but your comment was humbling as I felt attacked without regard for my decisions. I appreciate what you're saying and I don't disagree, in theory. I do, disagree with the defeating the health part as I'd say it doesn't defeat it, per se, but rather, may knock it down a notch or two out of the hundreds of points I would have gained by doing it myself. I hope this helps in my reasoning and I hope you'll still watch my other videos as I'll be sure to mention that as well. Thanks for letting me know and for giving me a chance to address it. Joanna

[@juttasinclair1903]

Do you realize that by posting all in capitals it means that you are shouting . I’m sure that you didn’t mean to be rude .

[@THEROOTMATTERS]

@@juttasinclair1903 I AM SURE YOU DID INTEND TO BE RUDE.

[@Jentalks380]

The replies to this post are unnecessarily reactive. The person is just simply pointing out a fact in an ALERTIVE manner because they (must) be aware of the dangers of aluminium poisoning. As a naturopathic doctor we all know and are taught the serious ramifications of cooking foods out of aluminium utensils long term. Aluminum effects bone marrow and leads to the formation of abnormal red blood cells besides its effect on the parathyroid gland, the musculoskeletal system and is represented by abnormalities like osteoporosis and osteomalacia, liver stenosis and nephrotic syndrome are other important manifestations of aluminum toxicity - not to mention its pathogenesis of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Facts are facts.. I must add that the efforts and inspiration provided byJoannaise I wonderful in essence