Homemade Lickable Cat Food Recipe: Hydration On-the-Go!
You know those cat gogurt treats – the liquid cat treats that come in a tube? Not only are they tasty, they are great for keeping your cat hydrated when on-the-go (especially during the summer). Cats are notorious for not drinking enough water and usually won’t drink much from a water bottle or portable water bowl when they’re out on an adventure. One of the ways you can help keep your cat hydrated is by giving them treats that are high in water content – like a pureed, lickable cat treat.
The Inaba Churus and other similar brands are good examples of pureed cat food treats. While they are tasty and hydrating, they do have a couple of downsides though:
- There is no good way to close them up once opened! They are essentially like a cat gogurt, and once opened, there’s no going back. Unless your cat eats the entire tube at once, you are left to either throw out the rest and waste it or try to figure out a way to keep it from leaking and making a mess for the remainder of your adventure. Easier said than done.
- The packaging is made from single-use plastic. I do my best to be environmentally friendly whenever I can, and cutting down on single-use plastics is one of the easiest ways to do that.
In an effort to remedy these two issues with the cat paste treats, I decided to try my hand at making a homemade lickable cat food that 1) could be closed up and 2) comes in a reusable container.
I think I succeeded and am excited to share my recipe with you. While it’s not perfect, it has been a decent and easy solution for us!
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Homemade Puree Cat Treat Recipe: Churu Copycat
NOTE: This recipe is NOT meant to be used as a nutritionally complete and balanced meal. This is a treat only.
| Ingredients: | Supplies Needed: |
|---|---|
| • 4 oz. of Chicken (or any other protein source) • Water | • Food Scale • Cutting Board • Knife • Measuring Spoon • Ninja or Food Processor of some kind • 4 oz. Plastic Squeeze Bottle with top OR Popsicle Tube Molds |
Time Commitment: About 8-10 minutes
Note: The recipe can be decreased or increased depending on your needs. For every 1 ounce of chicken you start with, you will need 1 tablespoon of water.
Step 1: Measure out 4oz. of chicken (or whichever protein source you are using)
Step 2: Fill pot with enough water to cover the chicken. Bring water to a boil on the stove.
Step 3: Add chicken and let it cook for about 5-6 minutes, or until it is no longer pink in the center.
Step 4: Cut the chicken into small pieces to make things easier on your Ninja or food processor.
Step 5: Move chicken to your Ninja/food processor and add 4 tablespoons of water.
Step 6: Puree the chicken and water together until it reaches a pasty consistency. You don’t want there to be any chicken chunks.
Step 7: Pour the liquid cat treat into the plastic squeeze bottle. I didn’t have a funnel, but if you do, I recommend using it for this step!
(Since originally writing this post, I have discovered these popsicle tube molds that would work well for this treat recipe! You could even freeze the recipe in these tubes for a special treat during the summer months.)
Step 8: Cut the tip of the squeeze bottle just to make the hole a little bit bigger.
Step 9: Enjoy!
Tada! Now you have a tasty treat for your cat to enjoy on adventures that is hydrating, can be closed up and saved for later, and comes in a bottle that can be reused!
The treat can be a little messy, but so are store bought liquid cat treats… Once your cat gets the hang of eating out of the bottle, it won’t be quite so bad.
Too much trouble? Just buy a case of Inaba Churus!
Up Next:
Is your cat meant for a life of adventure?
Let’s assess your cat’s personality to find out!
About the Author
Emily Hall, ABCCT is a certified cat trainer and cat adventure enthusiast. As a “mom” to five cats and one dog, she has been writing in the pet industry for over 10 years, with a focus on traveling and adventuring with cats.
Emily has a passion for getting out there and doing more with her cats – for pushing the bounds of cat expectations! She and her husband enjoy hiking, road-tripping, camping, and canoeing with their three cat adventurers. Read more about Emily here.
How long does this keep in the fridge?
With the chicken in it, I’d only keep it for 3-4 days in the fridge.
As a cook, most protein is about 5 days
can you make a recipe out of different kinds of meat for kittens…called “mousse” much better than milk after a few weeks.
Thank you for this recipe!!!! I will try it!!!!
Thank you for the recipes… But I basically made a purity of chicken in water previously, and my cats weren’t that impressed. If you look at the churro ingredients they also use cheese and other items. I’d like to make something closer to what they offer. Suggestions?
Churro definitely has other ingredients in it. My intentions with this recipe were to make it healthier – more like a single-ingredient treat. You could add whatever else you want to add to yours though!
Adding fortiflora would be a good way of getting extra vitamins in the kitties
I am not familiar with churro mix, but was thinking maybe roasting the chicken to make some type of gravy with it and omit some water. My cat is old and has teeth issues, but the store bought tubes are too expensive to be feeding her as meals(and probably not enough nutrition) so maybe I’ll try adding a few things
Hi . We have a similar issue with our younger kitty in that for medical reasons, has no teeth. We rescued her from the county, they removed her teeth due to infection. They told us to restrict her diet to salmon protein as chicken or beef could cause return of the bacterial infection. So we have a young cat with no teeth and a special diet.
Rather than high priced pate in packets we blend fresh steamed salmon with fish broth. Add a multivitamin drops to final blend for a very high protein with required nutrients. You can do the same with varied protein and vegetables. We steam sweet potatoes and carrots to add to her Bisque. Ask your Vet about ingredients for your senior some vegetables are better for cats (sweet potatoes!)
And work in small batches in case your blend is not well received. We have had one experimental batch that was not eaten. She laps up her salmon bisque!! Note: homemade Bisque lasts a few days in refrigerator. We use an inexpensive hand blender & purchase salmon tails, store mark downs on salmon & inexpensive Salmon pieces.
Basic Recipe:
protein
fish broth no seasoning. Amazon has Zoup brand.
add vegetables
add vitamins – liquid type
steam your solids. process in blender until smooth
We are experimenting with receipes that are relatively inexpensive yet nutrional.
Thank you for posting your recipe! Was looking for exactly this to give my kitties !
Me too love it gonna try and I’m going to squeeze it right on her so that she will eat it. She will eat nothing except dry crunchy food nothing wet.
Hope your kitty loves it!
Hi Emily !, thank you for a great kitty care ideas!, can I use this recipe for cats with stomatocis? not only for treat? thank you!
Lizzette
I wouldn’t recommend using this as a full meal, since it lacks a lot of the necessary ingredients and nutrients to provide a well-rounded diet. I’d recommend checking with your vet about food options for your kitty to make sure they’re getting everything they need.
I agree. I found complete and balanced purees. they could be considered a meal as opposed to just a treat. my cat is going on 22 and has teeth issues. purees work
I do the same thing to 1 of my cats because otherwise, she won’t eat it!
Thank you so much for sharing! I can’t wait to try this. What are your thoughts on freezing the bottle if I wanted to make a couple at a time?
I would just make sure whatever container you’re using is freezer safe, but otherwise yeah, I think that’s a great idea!
Thank you sharing! This is exactly what I needed. I’m tired of paying high price for something I can do at home. Ive tried many before and they didn’t like it.
Have you tried this with seafood? If so would it be the the same-minus chicken?
I haven’t because my cats don’t eat seafood, but you could definitely substitute the chicken with any other protein source!
Just warning you, seafood has mercury in it, too much can poison your cat, my cats don’t eat seafood ether, so they don’t consume any mercury, at least I don’t think so, one cat likes seafood, but we don’t buy it a lot, the other cat prefers poultry meat over fish.
What do you do if your cats don’t like poultry at all? They like Salmon and Tuna flavored stuff. I know it can have mercury, but I don’t know how else to solve the problem. They don’t like chicken, Turkey, duck. They like beef okay (The Cat Person food). I wish they liked Poultry because it is better for them. Any suggestions are welcomed!
This recipe can be made with any protein source – salmon, tuna, beef, whatever.
Hi. Older post, but I just found it. Have you, or anyone, tried this with something other than chicken? I have a boy who is allergic/sensitive to chicken. Thanks. Jen
I haven’t, but you can definitely substitute the chicken with any other protein source. The recipe would still work the same!
Thank you so much for this, one of my cats has become so fussy with his treats and will only eat a certain brand of lickable treat. It has become quite stressful and expensive as there’s only 4 in a packet plus my
two other boys although they’ll eat any treat they can get their paws on, they will want Yoda’s treat at treat time.
thanks for this!!!gonna try tomorrow!!!!
So, great that you posted this. My Lucy girl will only eat the bisque treats. If we try the stew treats, she laps up the wet stuff and leaves the chunks. Tell me, did your cat love it like the store bought treats? I was thinking about adding egg yolk or something to make it more bisque like. Or maybe a couple chunks of canned carrot. What do you think?
My cats love it, but they will eat anything. I think you can really add whatever you want to it! 🙂
Thank you for sharing and for your guidance. I still do animal rescue and am caring for 11 cats who love the store bought lockable treats but they are really expensive when you have numerous cats to care for.
Appreciate all the help I can get.
I remember vaguely, learning that cold food/water can upset kitty’s digestion. If refrigerating leftovers, it might be a good idea to warm the container it in a warm water bath to remove the chill. Also, remove the cap and give it a wash or replace it with a spare clean one, before putting it into the fridge to reduce possible bacterial growth
I wanted to just say that the ingredients on the churu packaging for the chicken snacks also lists tapioca starch, scallops, and a bunch of kitty vitamins. ❤️
Hi, could I do this with scallops and prawns? Thanks
You can use any protein source, so yes!
Love the bottle idea. Those packs and the leaking is a hassle.
Love the bottle idea!!!!!!!
Thank you, my baby only has 1 tooth so this is so great for him.
My cat refused to eat this and only wants the real deal. any ideas what they add to the churus to make the cat interested?
I don’t, I”m sorry! You could try making this with a different protein maybe? You could also try adding catnip. I can’t guarantee your cat will like it either way, but it might be worth a shot 🙂
Another seller puts tuna and tuna liquid along with chicken. I am going to try this and replace the water you add to blend it in the blender. I have a vita mix that will make it totally smooth.
I’ll let you know if my cat eats it.
Thank you for sharing your ideas. My cats LOVE churro. Right now they have to take capsules. The only way they will do this without a fight is if I give them churru and follow up with more.
Unfortunately, one of my cats, Mozart, is severely allergic to chicken. Have you tried this with any other proteins? Right now I’m starting him on Rabbit.
Thanks in advance.
I haven’t, but I know others who have. It should work with any protein source.
How does Churu keep for so long without refrigeration? I need to do it that way because I can only make it once a month, at most, because of my work schedule.
Churu keeps for a long time as long as the package isn’t opened because of the preservatives in it. Once you open a Churu though, it will only stay good for 2-3 days.
Try the tubs reccomend in the artical. https://www.amazon.com/Disposable-Popsicle-Freezer-Healthy-Smoothies/dp/B01MDUDWHH?crid=HEKFRUC2VW9H&keywords=reusable+popsicle+bags&qid=1660677294&sprefix=reusable+popsicle+bag,aps,306&sr=8-5&linkCode=sl1&tag=kittycatchron-20&linkId=5e80cec87a447adadefe564d4001d962&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl
You could freeze them and take a couple out when going to bed so it would be ready to serve. You could make a months worth at a time. Good luck.
How can I makeit and be creamylike in the packs
When I follow this recipe, mine are creamy. If it’s not creamy enough for you, you could try adding more water.
Could I boil the chicken with a chicken boullion cube for flavor? Also when you mention beef do you mean cube it and boil it also and then puree it? Could I add a can of tuna in water to the chicken puree also to add flavor? Sorry about ll the questions.
I don’t think I would add a boullion cube, since those are typically high in sodium. For the beef, I think preparing it the same way you would the chicken (boiling and pureeing) would work fine. And yes, I think a can of tuna in water would be okay too, but check the sodium content on canned tuna. Sometimes it’s pretty high.
Making lickable cat snacks at home is a fantastic idea. Dried Sardines For Dogs It’s a wonderful way to strengthen your relationship with your cat and make sure they’re eating real food. I’m eager to see how my cat responds to this recipe because it looks simple to follow!
I made some lickable chicken cat treats tonight and my cat can’t tell the difference between it and Churro!
Here’s how I did it.
Puree 100 grams canned, drained chicken breast with 125 grams water. In a separate cup, mix 2tsp corn starch with 1 TBSP COLD water to make slurry. In a small saucepan thoroughly mix the chicken puree with the starch slurry and heat on medium while stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Cool and keep refrigerated.
I can buy a fresh 5-7 lb chicken for $1.50/lb (or less on sale). I roast the whole chicken for 1.5- 2 hrs in a 425 degree oven in a 6qt enamel cast iron dutch oven with a little bit of water, but no seasoning. Afterwards, I simmer the bones & skin for broth (no seasoning). Some of the chicken I chop into chunks, and the rest I puree with the broth. But I have found that my puree is grainy. The cats don’t seem to mind, but I do. Any suggestions?
Thanks for posting this….my only freak out is how much water you used to cook chicken, that you THREW AWAY! All that flavor and goodness gone. I will make these but use dark meat on-the+bone chicken for more fat and flavor. How long does your squeeze bottle last? Looking forward to making my own version of your DIY lickable!
The treat will last as long as cooked chicken lasts in the fridge – I’d say a few days. Have fun, and I hope your kitty enjoys!