Happy 2018 Tripawds Nation! We’re kicking off this year’s Nutrition blog with ways to help your Tripawd cat recover with home cooked meals. Whether your kitty is healing from an amputation surgery, chemotherapy or an illness, these great short-term home cooking recipes from Emily Parker, founder of Catological, can get your Tripawd cat eating again.
How to Help Your Tripawd Cat Recover With Home Cooked Meals
Please note that we are not vets. The information presented here is not meant to be construed as medical advice or guidance, nor should it be substituted for veterinary assistance. Always discuss any diet changes you wish to pursue with your veterinarian.
By Emily Parker, Catological.com
If there is one thing we all know about our cats, it’s that if they’re not eating, chances are they’re sick or unwell. Whether your cat has just come down with an illness or is recovering from surgery or a serious ailment such as cancer, it’s vital they keep up their strength by eating.
However, since cats are creatures of habit and like humans sometimes don’t want to eat when they feel bad, you may have to get quite creative when figuring out what to feed them on their road to recovery. While many people continue to give their feline friends the usual canned and dry foods, other owners have turned to home-cooked meals for their kitties as a way to entice their sometimes finicky taste buds.
The Best Foods for Your Sick Kitty
But before going into your kitchen and raiding the refrigerator, give some careful thought to what foods will work best for your sick kitty. To help you out on your quest for kitty health, here are some important tips for some tasty home-cooked meals for your favorite feline.
Cooked Ground Beef
Like so many of us humans who love a good burger now and then, cooked ground beef is an excellent food for sick kitties. Very high in protein, it’s a good bet your kitty will enjoy the meal.
- Simple to prepare, all you need for a good serving is one-quarter pound of beef and some water.
- Once you’ve cooked the meat in a pan, put it in a blender and grind it up until it resembles canned food.
Boiled Chicken
Very easy to prepare, boiled chicken offers numerous benefits to a sick cat. For starters, the chicken is very easy on a cat’s digestive system, which can be good if the kitty has had an upset stomach or been nauseous. It’s also high in protein and has a smell that naturally attracts cats.
And if you want to spruce up your kitty’s meal just a bit, you can add some vegetables to the chicken that will provide additional health benefits.
- Two of the best vegetables to add are carrots and broccoli, both of which have high levels of fiber and antioxidants, which can help a sick cat that may be constipated.
Turkey Meat Loaf
A tasty treat for any sick kitty, the turkey meat contains selenium, which is an important part of a cat’s overall health. If they have a selenium deficiency, thyroid, heart, and skeletal problems can ensue.
If you feel like your sick kitty would like something a bit more fancy for dinner, try preparing a meat loaf made with turkey meat.
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1/4 cup of boiled carrots
- 1/4 cup boiled peas
- 1/4 cup oats
- Two hard-boiled eggs and one raw egg
You simply make it like you would a meat loaf for yourself. Heat your oven to 350 degrees, mix up everything in a bowl, transfer it to a loaf pan, and bake it 45 minutes.
Starch Diet
For many cats who are ill from cancer or other ailments, one of the most common and frustrating problems to solve is diarrhea. If not corrected and gotten under control, it can leave the kitty dehydrated and weak, which makes it that much harder for them to recover.
- In these cases where you’re having a tough time getting your kitty’s diarrhea under control, a diet high in starch often works quite well.
For best results, you can boil some macaroni or rice, both of which are very bland and easy on the stomach, and will also help your kitty’s tummy feel full.
Along with these two options, you can also offer your feline friend some cottage cheese, which can also soothe an upset stomach.
Tuna Cake
For many cats, there’s nothing better than getting a good whiff of some tasty tuna. For cats that are feeling ill, this can be one temptation that’s almost too good to pass up.
- Easy to prepare, all it takes is one can of tuna, one egg, and three tablespoons each of coconut flour and cottage cheese.
- After mixing everything together, pour the mixture into two cups in a muffin pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
- When it’s finished, you can even place a small amount of catnip on top, enticing kitty even more to take a bite.
Kitty Tossed Salad
Yes, even a kitty that is recovering from illness may like a good tossed salad now and then. Since cats love to eat grass, this healthy meal can more than satisfy your cat’s urges to nibble some green stuff, since they may not be able to go outside due to their illness. The alfalfa will provide fiber, protein, and Vitamin K, while the zucchini will give your kitty folate, potassium, and magnesium, all of which can be key components in helping your cat have a complete recovery and healthy life.
Another very easy home-cooked meal to prepare:
- All you need is two tablespoons of chicken stock
- 1/2 cup chopped alfalfa sprouts
- 1/4 cup grated zucchini
- and a pinch of catnip if you want to add some extra zest to the salad.
Once you’ve got everything together, simply toss it around in a bowl until it’s well-mixed, then serve it to your favorite feline. Chances are, they will dig right in. And if they do, they will not only fill their tummy, but also get numerous health benefits that will help in their recovery.
While it’s tough for any pet parent to see their favorite companion feeling bad, the good news is that between the recent medical advances as well as nutritional research, today’s cats are healthier than ever and have more treatment options available to them each and every year. So while it may take some extra time to prepare home-cooked meals for your sick kitty, doing so can pay huge health dividends if done correctly and on a regular schedule, giving you peace of mind and your feline friend good health once again.
About the Author and Catological
Emily Parker is a cat parent to Gus and Louis. While she’s grateful not to have personally dealt with an illness that required amputation, her cat Gus only has one eye – which is why she adopted him in the first place. She loves helping people love their cats better, especially cats who are injured, ill, or otherwise might not get the love they deserve. She writes about all things cats at www.catological.com.
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