Homemade cat food

Tuna & Catnip Crunchies

Crisp little baked biscuits scented with tuna and catnip — a crunchy training reward that helps scrape a little plaque from your cat's teeth as they nibble.

Difficulty
Easy
Time
25 min
Makes
About 30 small crunchies

🧺 Ingredients

  • 1 can tuna in spring water (drained)
  • 1 egg
  • 4 tbsp oat flour (plus a little extra)
  • 1 tsp dried catnip

👩‍🍳 Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking tray with parchment.
  2. Blend or mash the drained tuna to a smooth paste.
  3. Mix in the egg, oat flour and catnip to form a stiff dough — add a little more flour if sticky.
  4. Roll the dough out thin (about 5mm) on a floured surface and cut into small pea-sized pieces.
  5. Space them on the tray and bake for 12–15 minutes until firm and dry.
  6. Cool fully so they crisp up before offering as treats.
Nutrition: The crunchy texture gives a mild abrasive action that can help reduce plaque as cats chew, while tuna delivers protein and omega-3s. Catnip makes them irresistible to most cats, boosting their value as a training or bonding reward.

📝 Notes

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or freeze for longer. Because these are crunchy and small, they work well as training rewards. Use tuna in water, never in brine or oil, and only occasionally as tuna is a treat rather than a balanced food.

⚕️ 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.