Ground Turkey | Ground Meat
The instructions below work best with ground meat. Ground Turkey is a favorite of our boys. 😻
The below information is to be used as a guideline. Please make adjustments as necessary for your cat(s) and their specific goals and Veterinarian care.
Ingredients & Supplies
Step 1:
Purchase Meat & Omega-3 Oil
1 or more pounds ground turkey or other ground meat.
Omega-3 Oil (optional)
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Check out our Chia Oil vs Fish Oil blog post.
Superior Feline Wild Anchovy Omega-3 Oil for Pets
Superior Feline Virgin Organic Chia Oil for Pets (great for cats with fish/seafood allergies or sensitivities text goes here
Recommended Kitchen Supplies
Whisk or blender (optional)
Glass (preferred) or metal baking pan
Tin foil
Mixing spoon
Measuring cups and measuring spoons
Food-safe, freezer-safe plastic or glass storage containers
Masking tape or food labels + permanent markers
Prepare the Meat
Step 2:
Oven Method (smoother, finer consistency)
Set oven temperature to 325°F
Grease a glass pan with coconut or olive oil (cat-safe options)
Put the ground meat in the pan and break it up/spread it out in the pan
Cover the pan with tin foil and place in oven
Check meat every 10-15 minutes for doneness - further breaking it up and mixing each time
When the ground meat is cooked through, break it up as you mix it and leave it in the pan to cool or remove to a separate dish
You can leave the liquid in the pan as well or strain it out - whatever you prefer
Let cool, stirring every few minutes so the meat cools consistently
Stovetop Method (chunkier consistency)
Set burner on Medium-Low
Put ground meat in the pan and stir/break it up while cooking
When cooked through, let the meat cool in the pan or remove to another dish and let cool
Stir every few minutes so the meat cools consistently
Mix it up!
Per Pound of Meat, measure out the following and add all to the ground turkey/meat:
Use the liquid from the cooked meat - feel free to add ¼-½ cup water per pound of meat (adjust water/liquid according to preference - cats coming from kibble will usually like less liquid at first, it will be more “kibble-like” consistency)
1 tsp of Omega-3 Oil per pound (1 TB for 3 lbs)
1 Level Scoop of Supplement Mix per pound
Mix well with a mixing spoon - aim for at least 100+ strokes. If you’re doing a large batch, feel free to use a stand mixer to mix it for you!
If the mixture seems a little dry or hard to mix, add in a small amount of water at a time until it reaches the desired consistency
Mix & Portion
Step 3:
For cats that love kibble, we found that draining the drippings/liquid from the meat and then adding ¼ cup of water + the Supplement Mix and Omega-3 Oil made the finished ground meat food consistency more “kibble-like.”
Portion into containers
Label the containers with the date and type of meat
Leave one container of the prepared food in the fridge to serve to your cat(s) for the next feeding, if needed
Freeze the rest of the food in freezer-safe containers and pull a container to thaw in the refrigerator as needed
Our cats prefer their food frozen and then thawed vs freshly made food, so try both options with your cat(s)
Tips + Notes
Feel free to experiment with other ground meat options!
It’s good to vary the proteins you feed your cat(s) so that they don’t get tired of one protein and then refuse to eat it or develop an allergy to it.
Example: You could rotate protein options weekly. Some Veterinarians recommend a slow transition by mixing increasing amounts of the transition food into the current food at the beginning of each cycle.
Our cats prefer different homemade food proteins throughout the day - Example: Ground Turkey in the morning, Pork for mid-day and Chicken Thigh in the evening.
As always, make sure to experiment to discover what your cat prefers!
If your cat will only eat one protein, try adding toppers to it for some variety - see our recommendations in the Tips & Troubleshooting section.
For help with transitioning your cat to a homemade diet and/or palatability tips, click on Tips + Troubleshooting below!