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Keeping your cat hydrated while out on adventures (especially during the summer) is super important. 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 and about. 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 Churu treats are extremely popular in the adventuring community for this reason. Plus, cats love them!
While the Churu treats are tasty and hydrating, they do have a couple of downsides. One being that there is no good way to close them up once opened. They are essentially like a Gogurt for cats, 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.
Secondly, 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 Church cat treats, I decided to try my hand at making a homemade lickable cat treat 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!
Homemade Puree Cat Treat Recipe: Churu Copycat
| 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 |
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
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 into the plastic squeeze bottle. (I didn’t have a funnel, but if you do, I recommend using it for this step!)
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 Churu treats… Plus, once your cat gets the hang of eating out of the bottle, it won’t be quite so bad.
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Based on 6 Review(s)
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.
Thank you for this recipe!!!! I will try it!!!!
Thank you for posting your recipe! Was looking for exactly this to give my kitties !
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!
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! 🙂
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. ❤️