This page provides information about making wholesome homemade cat food — but for *kittens* only. You will learn an easy, quick and simple method to feeding your kittens that will help provide them with a more wholesome meal.

If you have a mature cat, then please read the page that talks about how to make homemade cat food.

For those who have both dogs and cats in the house, then you may want to read the page that talks about how to make homemade pet food. This page provides an easy method of feeding both mature dogs and cats at the same time.

Information about homemade dog food and homemade puppy food is also available.

Feeding a kitten a wholesome raw meat diet is mind boggling simple. Not only that, but doing so will help your kitten grow up to be healthier than those that have not eaten a wholesome raw meat diet. In fact, I live most of the year in the Philippines where I used to operate a cat sanctuary. All of the cats that I fed a raw meat diet too were stray cats — they were scruffy and dirty looking. But after I began feeding them a wholesome raw meat diet, they started to get so healthy that everyone thought I gave them a bath — which of course is hard to do with a domesticated cat, let alone a wild outdoor cat. When I had to close my cat sanctuary due to the fact I had to move, I took along two kittens that I adopted. I have the healthiest cats in the Philippines. If you were to see them in person, you would be amazed at how vibrant their hair is, how well their skeletal system has formed, how much their eyes sparkle and so on. Truly, feeding a wholesome raw meat diet is the best thing one can do for their kitten (and puppy too).

Anyway, if you are feeling overwhelmed with information — it's not uncommon. I have found that some people are tense or overwhelmed, not because this is difficult or anything like that, but because people are afraid to make errors. Thus they put extra pressure on themselves to get things perfect. The reality is, you will never create a perfect diet. All we can do is create a diet that is as close to perfect as the joy of chasing a cat is to extreme bliss!

Some of the information on the preceeding and following pages will overlap and repeat itself, but I am assuming that those with dogs will only read the page for dogs, those with cats will only read the page for cats and so on. But if you are curious and read all of the pages, then yes, there will be some overlapping. However, the repition will also reinforce the information.

This page talks about feeding ground meat as well as meat chunks. Personally, my preference is to feed meat chunks. You, however, can decide what's best for you and your kitten.

The pros and cons of feeding ground meat instead of meat chunks and vice versa was discussed at the beginning of Part 2 and also on the page that talks about how to prepare meat.

How to prepare ground meat and vegetables has already been explained on the second and third pages of Part 3. Read them again if you have to.

Assuming you have prepared the ground meat and finely chopped some vegetables already, do the following when it is time to feed your pets:

• Remove the containers of ground meat and finely chopped vegetables from the fridge.
• The following is a guide for you to use and is presented in a ratio format. Therefore, increase or decrease the amount needed based on the ratio.
• Please remember, this is only a general guideline. If you think your pet will need more specific guides, consult a holistic veterinarian that is familiar with a fresh food program.
• Mix 3 parts ground meat to 1 part finely chopped vegetables.
• Once you have the necessary amount of food in the bowl, add hot water until the food becomes the consistency of a thick stew.
• If you make the food too soupy, your pets probably won't eat it — thick is the consistency you want.
• The hot water takes the chill off the food, replaces the water naturally found in the prey, and volatizes the odour.
• Once you have added the hot water, then add other nutritional supplements.
• Add the supplements after you have added the hot water. This way the hot water is not poured directly onto the supplements.
• Although there are numerous beneficial pet supplements you can add to the food, the single most important supplement is a calcium supplement for pets.
• A guide to pet supplements can be found in Part 1.
• Mix and serve.
• It's really that simple!
• Your kitten should decide when they have eaten enough and they should walk away with some food still left in the bowl. Read the page on how much to feed your dogs and cats for more information (found in Part 1).
• If you are feeding eggs, then the eggs replace the meat. Read how to prepare eggs for dogs and cats for more information on eggs.

The combination of food does not have to be accurate, just close. You can use a spoon, cup, or whatever you want to use for measuring based upon your requirements.

These are just guidelines.

Some kittens may like, need or want more meat or vegetables — give the body what it needs and the body will do the rest. Watch your carnivore friend as they will provide clues to what they need. Also, if on one day you are short of vegetables then don't worry about it as meat is the most important part of the meal.

The method of above is a basic and simple concept that can be modified based on your preference for doing things, your likes and dislikes, etc.

The pros and cons of feeding ground meat instead of meat chunks and vice versa was discussed at the beginning of Part 2 and also on the previous page (how to prepare meat. But to quickly summarize, I've noticed that some kittens eat ground meat too slowly. I've also noticed some kittens don't eat as much as they should because each bite of ground meat is smaller than what they can swallow if they were eating meat chunks. This in turn can prevent your kitten from eating a full meal. So, if you find your cat is not eating enough, eating too slow or having a difficult time eating ground meat, then definitely feed meat chunks as described below.

Ultimately, meat chunks are my preferred method of feeding.

I do not suggest feeding meat chunks to kittens that are younger than 6 to 8 weeks of age. Each kitten will develop slightly differently, but a kitten should be at least 6 weeks of age before eating meat chunks. When the kitten is younger than this, ground meat should be fed. Ground meat more closely resembles the regurgitated food the mother would provide its kittens. It is at about 6 weeks of age that kittens really begin to be able to eat larger pieces of meat.

Feeding a kitten a wholesome raw meat is extremely simple. The kittens will just sink their teeth into the meat chunks and begin happily chewing away. Don't worry either that a kitten might not be able to chew, eat or swallow a meat chunk. I've witnessed kittens, approximately 5 weeks old, eating chicken necks with no problems at all. I've seen kittens eat a whole fish (not a tuna fish, but a small fish) also at about 4 to 5 weeks of age. It's interesting too because the kittens would just eat the meat of the fish on the first day. On the second day, they still eat just the meat. By the third day, the kittens are eating the fish, bones and all. My point is that kittens have the natural ability, even at a young age, to eat meat even if it is a meat chunk.

How to prepare meat chunks and vegetables has already been explained on the second and third pages of Part 3. Read them again if you have to.

Assuming you have the meat chunks already thawed in your fridge and some finely chopped vegetables (optional) ready to go, do the following when it is time to feed your kittens:

• When I feed meat chunks to my kittens, I don't add vegetables.
• If you want to feed your kittens vegetables, then using ground meat is easier to mix in the vegetables. But some kittens will eat the vegetables from their plate too.
• Remove the meat chunks from your fridge at least 1 hour before feeding.
• The amount of meat you remove from your fridge will depend on how many mouths you are feeding and ultimately, how much they will (or can) eat.
• Add the supplements to the meat chunks.
• Although there are numerous beneficial pet supplements you can add to the food, the single most important supplement is a calcium supplement for pets.
• A guide to pet supplements can be found in Part 1.
• Read the tips on the first page of Part 2 for some tips on mixing supplements in with the meat chunks.
• Let the food sit on the counter for at least 1 hour to remove the chill.
• If you don't have time to remove the meat from the fridge at least 1 hour before feeding, that's okay. The only reason why this is done is to help remove the chill. But if you are in a rush and must feed the food cold, it's okay. It's not the end of the world.
• Remember, when letting the food sit on the counter that cats (and some dogs) have been known to eat the food before it's time to eat. So you might need to cover or somehow protect the food.
• One additional benefit of letting the food sit on the counter for about 1 hour before feeding is that your kittens can smell the food. This gets many kittens excited and so when it comes time to eat, they're ready to go. However, it's not difficult to get kittens excited about food. They are a growing body and they will be hungry and ready to eat.
• When feeding meat chunks to your kittens, just put some meat chunks onto a plate — no vegetables.
• If your kitten will tolerate vegetables and you put a small amount onto their plate, don't bother measuring. Just put a small amount onto the plate and your kitten will eat what it wants. If your kitten eats all of its vegetables and wants more, then put some more onto the plate. But the reality is that the chance of this happening is slim. Those kittens that will eat vegetables separately, and there are some like this, then they will only eat what they want regardless of how much you put onto the plate.
• Kittens have the ability to cut chunks of meat into a size that they can swallow. Kittens will chew the meat chunks with their molars and literally cut the meat into the size they need to swallow. As a result, the size of the meat chunk you feed to a kitten really doesn't matter. As long as the kitten can get its mouth over the meat, the kitten will begin to cut off a piece of meat. Although kittens can cut their meat themselves quite well, feeding them reasonable size chunks of meat does help them eat more faster.
• Don't feed your kitten as if it is an human infant. A kitten doesn't need you to cut the meat up into super small sizes. Doing so will just waste your time. Kittens can swallow, relatively speaking, large pieces of meat.

Here are some variations on how to do the above things:

• Instead of using hot water to warm the food, you can quickly pan fry the ground meat and vegetables. However, the word is quick. You don't want to cook the meat although some may darken due to the heat. Instead of using oil to heat the meat, use water. But whatever you do, don't use the microwave.
• You can prepare enough finely chopped vegetables in advance and freeze in plastic bags or a reusable container of some kind. This way, instead of chopping vegetables every few days, you can chop a large amount, freeze and then thaw as needed.
• Although some people mix the ground meat and vegetables together and freeze combined, I personally still prefer to keep the meat and vegetables separate. This way, if your pet no longer likes, wants or craves certain meats and/or vegetables, then at least not all is wasted. Believe me, it's not uncommon for our pets to change their likes and dislikes based on the needs of their body.

Kittens, similar to puppies, need frequent meals during the day.

A kitten becomes a mature dog when it turns 1 year of age.

Age                Feedings Per Day

1 - 3 months       4 to 6 times per day
3 - 6 months       3 to 4 times per day
6 - 12 months      2 times per day
1 year and older   once per day

I realize, that for some, feeding puppies multiple meals per day is not possible. But if you can, really try to feed them their multiple meals. It really makes a difference. At the very least, feed your kitten 2 meals per day. Saying that, in some situations, what I have suggested to people is feed a meal in the morning, one meal immediately when you arrive home from work and then another meal just before sleeping. Although not ideal, it can help.

Ultimately kittens will reduce the number of meals they need naturally. You will notice that initially they may like or need 6 meals per day, then after a while, they will only want 5 meals, then 4 meals and so on. Your kitten will essentially loose interest in a meal as they get older. But initially, they will want frequent meals.

Feeding your pet the appropriate number of times when a kitten is crucial to allowing your kitten's body to develop fully and completely. When you feed a wholesome, natural, raw meat diet combined with the proper number of feedings per day, then you will notice that your kitten will develop much better than other cats who have been fed a commercial diet. This is because your kitten will have received the proper nutrition to develop properly. Many pets today have cramped teeth, hip problems, joints problems and more — all of which can be prevented either partially or fully when good food is fed properly.

My guide is based on my own experiences. I watched how my pets responded to my feedings. Your kittens may be slightly different. Watch and respond — that's the beauty of wholesome homemade food for dogs and cats — you become an active participant in your pet's health and well–being and when you do, there is such joy — the joy of doing with love.

If you forget how much to feed your puppy, please remember to read the page about how much to feed which can be found in Part 1.

The problem with kittens is that they turn into cats — when they become an adult, they play less, do fewer silly things and generally begin to sleep more — which is what cats do for about 18 hours every day. So enjoy your kitten now — take a moment to soak in the joy of kittenhood.

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