Homemade cat food
Baked Chicken & Catnip Training Bites
Tiny, firm, single-ingredient-plus-catnip morsels that hold together in your hand — the ideal high-value reward for clicker training, nail trims, or teaching a cat to come when called.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 30 min
- Makes
- About 40 pea-sized treats
🧺 Ingredients
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and finely shredded (no salt, oil, onion or garlic)
- 1 tbsp dried, cat-safe catnip
- 1 egg, beaten (acts as the binder)
- 1 tbsp plain oat flour or ground rolled oats, to firm the mixture
👩🍳 Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking tray with parchment.
- Blitz or finely chop the cooked chicken until it is almost a paste.
- Mix in the beaten egg, catnip, and oat flour until you have a stiff, mouldable mixture — add a little more oat flour if it is sticky.
- Roll into tiny pea-sized balls (small enough to be a single training reward) and flatten slightly on the tray.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes until firm and lightly golden, then cool completely before handling.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze in portions.
Nutrition: Lean chicken is a highly palatable, low-fat source of complete animal protein, making these a strong 'high-value' reward that most cats will work eagerly for. The catnip adds an extra motivational lure without any calories.
📝 Notes
Keep the pieces genuinely tiny — training works best when the cat gets many small rewards, and treats should stay under 10% of daily calories. Refrigerate promptly; discard any left at room temperature for more than a couple of hours. Leave the catnip out for the minority of cats it over-excites.
⚕️ Before you cook for your cat
- Homemade food must be balanced. Cats need taurine, and deficiency causes heart and eye disease.
- Treat recipes are supplements to a complete diet, not a replacement for it.
- Check any new ingredient against the toxic-foods list, and ask your vet before switching diets.