Homemade cat food
Single-Ingredient Chicken Jerky
Wafer-thin strips of pure chicken breast, slow-dried into a chewy, high-protein treat with a single ingredient and absolutely no salt, seasoning or preservatives.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 3–4 hours (mostly hands-off)
- Makes
- 1 small jar
🧺 Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, very fresh
- Nothing else — no oil, salt or seasoning of any kind
👩🍳 Method
- Trim off all fat and slice the chicken breast as thinly as you can, cutting with the grain for a chewier strip.
- Lay the slices in a single layer, not touching, on a lined baking tray or dehydrator rack.
- Dry in a dehydrator, or an oven on its lowest setting with the door propped slightly open, until the strips are completely dry and leathery — usually three to four hours.
- Cool fully, then snap or cut into bite-sized pieces suitable for your cat.
- Store in an airtight jar in the fridge and use within a week, or freeze for longer keeping.
Nutrition: Pure lean chicken is an obligate carnivore's ideal treat: high in animal protein, naturally low in fat, and completely free of the salt, sugar and fillers found in many commercial snacks.
📝 Notes
A treat, not a meal — even the healthiest single-ingredient treat should stay under a tenth of your cat's daily calories. Make sure strips are bone-dry with no moist centres, as any residual moisture can let bacteria grow. Break hard strips into small pieces for senior cats or fast eaters to avoid choking.
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⚕️ 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.