When using commercial petfoods, I also try to add fresh and natural foods into their diets on a daily basis-
such as: *a teaspoon or two of yogurt or cottage cheese
*a teaspoon of flaxseed meal *teaspoon finely grated carrot * poached or soft-boiled egg *1/8 teaspoon of cod liver or whole fish oil couple times weekly

Gormet Chicken Supreme dinner

Ingredients:

3 lbs. chicken parts - can include giblets( I buy hindquarters in 10# bags for 45 cents a pound!)- water to cover
2 cups raw brown rice
6 stalks celery chopped well
8 carrots, scrubbed but not peeled, chopped( I dehydrate carrot tops for use in my foods in place of carrots, then skip broccoli)
1 small broccoli crown chopped ( I dehydrate broccoli in summer to be used in winter)

Wash chicken, then cover with water in a large stew pot. Cut vegetables into pieces and add to pot. Add rice. Cook until chicken almost falls off the bone and vegetables are tender. Completely debone the chicken using extra coution in removing tiny sharp bones like that which is included on leg bone, as this easily falls off with meat from leg. This is extremely important, as cooked chicken bones can splinter and cause serious intestinal damage. Pour the stew into a blender and blend or chop until mixture is coarse (about bite-sized). Freeze in meal-sized plastic bags. (If you have very old or very youn, or convalescant felines, process till fairly smooth)

Tip*-Bone Broth-I usualy barely cover the bones and cartiliages with water, adding a teaspoon of fruit fresh or a small amount of catsup or tomato juice (for acid) and bring to a boil, let it continue to simmer covered for two hours, then cook uncovered 10 minutes till it cooks down -strain off and add a pinch or parsley or a couple tablespoon of finely grated carrot, cover tightly. When cool, bag up in small bags or put in icecube tray, bag up cubes for small amounts to be used as needed-for a broth treat or convelescing/old feline when needed.

Kitty Breakfast

(feeds 3-4 kitties)

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. nonfat dry milk (or powdered goatsmilk, as I prefer)
3 medium eggs
3 Tbsp. cottage cheese (or yogurt)
2 Tbsp. finely grated carrot

Mix together the milk powder with a small amount of water; add the eggs and beat well.

Pour into a small non-stick frying pan with a teaspoon of olive oil, and cook on medium low until done. Flip over and spread the cottage cheese and veggies over half the top. Fold like an omelet. Cool and cut to bite-sized pieces to serve.

Kitty Stew

Refrigerate or freeze in meal-size packets, then warm to serve.

1 1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp iodized sea salt
2 teaspoons whole fish oil
1/2 cup brown rice, uncooked
1/2 pound raw turkey or chicken giblets, chopped into kitty-bite-size pieces Or- use 50% less fat ground turkey or chicken
1/4 cup carrot, chopped fine (can also substitute chopped raw pumpkin or squash)
1/2 cup chopped spinach (can use frozen chopped spinach, but fresh better)

Combine salt, oil, and water and bring to a boil. Pour rice in boiling water, lower heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in turkey giblets, carrot, and spinach. Cover and cook on low heat for another 15 minutes. Cover tightly till cool off heat. I then either mash with a potato masher, or as some kitties prefer, use a food processor or blender till food is of the consistency your cat prefers

* for cats with looser stools, I add egg yolks to the mixture just before covering tightly.

These are from a good friend of mine who runs a cattery for rescue of all types of cats. She also had a small breeding of one or two specific types. In addition to being fairly knowledgeable in general...she is a wizard of Cat Information!

Granted it is a bit of work, but with more people preferring to have more control over their companion animal's diets...I thought I would pass these along.

Yes, I would love to know how to make my own cat food.

Cats are carnivores - buy a chicken, roast it. Get some minced beef, cook in gravy & serve. Get some fish (if they like it) and cook.