This recipe is for your furry kids. It is jam-packed with super foods for pets, and it can be made for both cats or dogs. I feed this to my cat, Remy and my sister's dog, Sage. They both absolutely love it! You can easily change out ingredients if your pets are fussy! All you need is a Crock Pot and a few pet safe canned and frozen ingredients.
Most important thing about this recipe is to find ingredients that are garlic and onion free and no salt added. I found garlic and onion free, low sodium chicken bone broth at Target. Just be sure to check the labels. The sardines may be hard to find salt free, but this should be the only ingredient that adds salt, so it should be a safe amount mixed into everything.
There are several protein sources in this mix. Of course chicken, then chicken bone broth, eggs and sardines. Each protein source adds additional nutrients for your pets. Chicken is a great source of all the essential amino acids, bone broth adds collagen for joint and digestion support, eggs add several vitamins such as A, B, D, and E, and sardines add calcium and omega-3s.
Brown rice is a whole grain added for fiber and better digestion. Pumpkin is great also for digestion for pets, and it adds vitamins like A and C as well. Blueberries add antioxidants. Green beans and spinach are great for more fiber and several vitamins and minerals like vitamin K and iron. Not all pets like spinach so this is an optional addition. Note if you do add canned spinach, you will not need to add all the extra water.
Be sure to chop the green beans for cats, the pieces are too big for them.
Add all your ingredients to your Crock Pot EXCEPT the sardines and chicken. The sardines are precooked, and will just make your kitchen smell like fish if you add them in while everything cooks. Stir all the ingredients together well. Then add your chicken breast.
Cook on low for about 5-6 hours or until the chicken breast is cooked fully and can shred. Shred the chicken and add it and the sardines to the mixture, stir it all in evenly.
After it has cooled for roughly 20 minutes, you will need to grab about 12 freezer quart size bags. Add a cup of the mixture to each bag. Then close the bag and flatten the mixture so that they will fit in the freezer nicely. I take a new bag out of the freezer every week and let it thaw in the fridge for about a day. I give my cat Remy about 2-3 Tbsp servings each day to have with his regular kibble dinner. I give it to him for a nutrient boost, and simply because he loves it! However, please note that my other cat Graycee won't even try it... so it is not for all pets.
The bags in the freezer should keep for several months and it keeps for about 1 week in the fridge.
It may not look pretty, but it's Crock Pot licking good!
Ingredients
[Makes roughly 12 cups]
4 cups no sodium and no onion or garlic chicken bone broth
1 cup water*
1 can pumpkin puree
2 cans no salt added green beans (chopped fine for cats)
1 cup brown rice
3 cans of sardines in olive oil (or no salt or oil added if you can find it)
1-2 large chicken breasts (I used frozen)
1 cup frozen blueberries
2 eggs
Optional
1/2 can spinach or 2 cups fresh chopped spinach
*If you add the canned spinach, you will only need 1/2 cup extra water.
Directions
Start by draining your green beans, then chop them very small if you are feeding this to cats.
Add all your ingredients to your Crock Pot EXCEPT sardines and chicken. The sardines are precooked, they will just make your kitchen smell like fish if you add them in while everything else cooks.
Stir all the ingredients together well.
Then add your chicken breast and make sure it is covered in liquid.
Cook everything on low heat for about 5-6 hours.
Once the chicken is cooked, turn off the Crock Pot. Take out your chicken and shred it into fine pieces. You may even want to chop it for cats.
Add your chicken back in and stir it in so that it is evenly distributed.
Now add your sardines. You can drain off the extra liquid or add it. They should break apart pretty easily, so no need to chop it before you add it in. Just break up the pieces and stir well.
I then like to let it cool for 20 minutes. Stir it occasionally to help it cool faster.
Grab about 12 quart sized freezer bags and add a cup of the mixture to each bag. Then close the bag and flatten the mixture so that they will fit in the freezer nicely.
I take a new bag out of the freezer every week and let it thaw in the fridge for about a day. I give my cat Remy about 2-3 Tbsp servings each day to have with his regular kibble dinner. I give it to him for a nutrient boost, and simply because he loves it! However, please note that my other cat Graycee won't even try it... so it is not for all pets.
The bags in the freezer should keep for several months and it keeps for about 1 week in the fridge.
I would use fresh green beans instead of canned to prove better flavors for furkids to eat.
I add white rice instead of brown rice because brown rice can be hard to digest while white rice is more easier to.
I also add egg shell powder (just bake the empty shells at low heat to kill the bacteria for 5 mins) at end in their foods cuz it boost up their nutrition.
You didn't put down what size the canned pumpkin is for the recipe. There are different sizes. What size do I use in this recipe?
Can you use ground Turkey instead of chicken? I make one for my malamute with ground Turkey but we just adopted three kitties...2 months, 3 months and 2 years old and we have an 8 year old and I would like to feed them real food along with some kibble. I don't want to feed them only kibble. My dog is 13 and still moves around like a younger dog because of the healthy foods I add to his dry food.
Anyhow, ground Turkey for cats?
"Great post! I really appreciate how you broke down the topic into easy-to-understand sections. Looking forward to reading more from you!"
Procan dog food
My cats and dogs love this homemade food!