Skip to main content

We made these grain-free cat treats, and our cats loved them

If your cat is on a grain-free diet, then you can’t feed him many of the commercially available treats that you’d find at pet stores. Most of those treats contain grain, so it’s important to choose only grain-free cat treats to stick with your cat’s diet. While there are many grain-free treat options available to buy, you can make these treats, too. These grain-free, homemade cat treats  are plenty tasty, and since you make them yourself, you’ll know for sure that they’re free of any ingredients that might harm your cat’s health. All you need is a good recipe and a little time — and we’ve included everything you need below.

Woman feeding a longhaired cat a treat
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Great homemade grain-free cat treats

If you want to give your cat a tasty, healthy treat that’s free of grain, then this grain-free cat treats recipe is a great place to start. The recipe takes just 15 minutes to prepare and then 12 minutes to cook, so your cat will be feasting on tasty treats in no time.

Recommended Videos

You’ll need some basic equipment, including a food processor and an oven. The preparation is pretty basic and requires only equipment that you’ll find in just about any kitchen.

The basis of this recipe is tuna and cooked pumpkin. Tuna is full of protein, and it’s a healthy choice for most cats. Cooked pumpkin is rich in fiber, which can help relieve both constipation and diarrhea. Pumpkin also has plenty of other nutrients that are valuable for cats.

In addition to those main ingredients, the recipe includes egg yolks and coconut flour.

You’ll notice that this recipe includes sea meal mineral powder. That powder is rich in nutrients, but it isn’t a requirement for this recipe. In fact, you can substitute more common ingredients like parsley for the mineral powder, and the treats will be just as tasty.

Preparing these treats is as simple as mixing everything together, rolling out the dough, and cutting out little treats. Be sure you choose a treat size that is small enough for your cat to easily chew it. Smaller treats will also bake faster, saving you time.

Why grain-free treats matter

If your cat is on a grain-free diet for health reasons, then it’s important not to accidentally introduce grains through his cat treats. If your cat has a sensitivity to grains, then your vet might recommend a grain-free diet. In some cases, grains like corn, rice, and wheat could cause allergies, skin issues, and even digestive upset.

If your cat’s health issues are because of a grain allergy, then you may see his health significantly improve when you transition him onto a grain-free diet. Coat and skin issues may gradually resolve themselves, and your cat may experience less digestive upset.

Cat reaching up for a treat
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Choosing the diet that’s right for your cat

Grain-free diets aren’t right for all cats. They can be high in calories, and some may be difficult to digest. Before you decide that your cat needs to go grain-free, talk with your vet. The issues that you might be interpreting as food allergies could have other causes, like fleabites and gastrointestinal conditions.

If you suspect your cat needs a diet change, start with a vet appointment so you can have your cat’s health evaluated. Your vet will consider factors like the problems your cat is experiencing, his weight, and his overall health. Then, your vet can recommend a diet that’s appropriate for your cat. That might be a grain-free diet, or your vet might suggest a restricted-ingredient diet.

What you feed your cat plays an important role in his health. Feeding your cat the best-quality food that you can afford may help reduce or even avoid some health issues. Some cats tolerate different brands or even different flavors of food better than others. Once you find a food that works well for your cat, try to keep him on it long term, unless your vet recommends a change. If you’re feeding a grain-free diet, you’ll need to make sure that you don’t inadvertently introduce grains to your cat through his treats or other snacks. This can be a bit of a challenge in the beginning, but as you get familiar with the products available and even start to make your own cat treats, it gets easier.

Paige Cerulli
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Paige's work has appeared in American Veterinarian, Business Insider, Healthline, and more. When she's not writing, Paige…
Why do cats hate closed doors? What science says
Your cat has a few reasons for following you into the bathroom
Cat sits in the bathroom looking out

Every cat owner knows that living with a feline means never having privacy. They follow you into the bathroom, the bedroom, and of course, the kitchen. Any door you're behind, in particular, becomes a cat nemesis. But why do cats hate closed doors? It turns out that the answer, like so much of pet behavior, comes from a complex place of modern living and ancestral instincts. Here's what you need to know about why your kitty detests you shutting them out and what you can do to keep your paint intact.
Why do cats hate closed doors?

When you go to the bathroom and shut the door, you might instantly hear the sounds of a cat positively shredding the outside (see also velcro dogs). It's not just that they want desperately to be near you, though. Cats have a unique perspective on their own space and a need to control it. After all, your house is theirs, too.

Read more
How to help your new cat settle in
Here are the steps you should take to help your cat feel at home with you
Tiger cat lying on a rug

Bringing home a new cat can be stressful for both you and your new furry family member. Fortunately, there are many ways you can help reduce your cat's stress and make the transition period easier. As your new cat settles in, he'll need some support from you, but he'll also need you to be patient with him. He's undergoing a big life change, and as excited as you are for him to be around, the best thing you can do is to give your kitty some time and space while he adjusts. He'll be roaming the house and hanging out with you soon enough if you follow these tips.
What is the 3-3-3 rule for cats?

If you have ever adopted a cat before, you may have heard this often-cited rule for settling in. The rule says that cats take three days to adjust to being in a new place at all and may seem especially hesitant and skittish.

Read more
8 halloween cat names you’ll love for spooky season and all year
Deck your black, white, or orange kitty up in fall style with a name to match
Cute cat in Halloween costume

If you're anything like us, you love Halloween — and so does your cat. A black, white, or orange critter will stand out this spooky season, complete with costume and a name that's on theme. This could look like a Jack dressed up as a jack-o'-lantern or a Maleficent wearing a cute witch hat. Anyone who loves this fall holiday will enjoy calling their kitty by an All Hallows' Eve style moniker year round. Here are the best Halloween cat names that we recommend for any creature.
Best Halloween cat names

Our list of names runs the gamut from pop culture to ancient. We're giving you the top choices so you can select the purrrfect one for your furry friend.
Cobweb
We absolutely adore this label for a kitty, especially because it's the name of the feline in Hocus Pocus 2. You might pick out this one for a black cat with particularly cool markings that will lend itself well to the theme.
Octo
The eighth month is eerie, and so this name fits perfectly for a sneaky cat who loves to pounce when you least expect it. This name could also work for a darling mouser that has eight distinct spots or a similar pattern.
Samhain
Give your fur ball a throwback with this pagan name that used to begin the night of October 31 and lead into the next day. Traditionally pronounced "Sowen," you can say it any way it rolls off the tongue.
Carrie
This one works well for someone who doesn't want their cat's identity permanently tied into October festivities. But every year around the fall, you'll get to go full Stephen King and break out your bloody decorations.
Salem
Made famous in the show Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Salem is a talking cat, and of course, the site of one of the deadliest witch trials in American history.
Black Phillip
A good fit for a feline that's all black with a gung-ho personality to boot -- name your cat after the goat from the movie The Witch and dress them up in horns for the occasion.
Elphaba
Give Wicked a try by adorning your cat with the main character's name, which is handy because you can also refer to them as the Wicked Witch of the West whenever that title applies.
Candy Corn
Last but not least, we have a lot of good names for black cats here, so we wanted to throw one in for the ginger fellows. Any orange and white striped cat would love to go by this famous candy.

Read more