Have an itchy, scratchy cat?
If so, allergies may be the culprit!
And, if allergies are an issue, a limited ingredient cat food might help!
Cat Allergy Symptoms
Common allergy symptoms include:
- Constant licking
- Coughing
- Ear infections
- Itching
- Red, inflamed skin
- Vomiting and diarrhea
Other surefire signs of allergies are itching, chronic skin infections, chronic ear infections, or constantly licking the feet.
Energetically Cooling Food Choices for Allergic Cats
Use Eastern Food Therapy to help your cat feel better.
Create your own recipe combining the foods below.
Keep the number of ingredients to a minimum.
Choose no more than one (1) source of meat and dairy, two (2) sources of vegetables and fruit, and two (2) sources of grains and beans.
Make sure to use more cooling foods than neutral foods.
For example, if you use a neutral protein, make sure all of the carbohydrates and fats you use are cool.
A nutritionally balanced feline diet contains:
- 75% – 90% Protein – from meat
- 10% – 25% Carbohydrates – from grains, vegetables, and fruit
- A minimum of 2% fat
Use the list of foods below to create endless delicious recipe combinations for your furry friend! Mix up the ingredients as needed to create a food that your cat loves. You can easily track the protein, carbohydrate, and fat ratios in an online food log like the ones found on Fitbit and Livestrong websites.
You also need to add a taurine supplement to each batch of cat food you make. For cats, taurine is an essential amino acid. Taurine is critical for normal digestion, heart muscle function, normal vision, and to maintain a healthy immune system.
The sample recipe also calls for honey and flax seeds. We recommend adding both to each batch you make.
Honey is cooling and helps with allergies. Use local honey if possible for a better end result.
Flax seeds are a source of Omega-3 content. Omega-3s are anti-inflammatory. (Fish oil is a better source of Omega-3s, but you can’t cook fish oil because it will degrade.
It’s best to stick to all cooling food items, but you may add one neutral item per bach for convenience.
Meats/Protein Source
- Carp (neutral)
- Clam
- Cod
- Crab
- Duck
- Eggs (neutral)
- Goose (neutral)
- Herring (neutral)
- Kidney, pork (neutral)
- Liver, beef (neutral)
- Liver, sheep
- Mackerel (neutral)
- Oyster (neutral)
- Pigeon (neutral)
- Pork (neutral)
- Quail (neutral)
- Rabbit
- Sardine (neutral)
- Tofu
- Turkey
- Tuna (neutral)
- Whitefish (neutral)
- Yogurt
Vegetables/Fruits
- Alfalfa
- Artichoke (neutral)
- Asparagus (neutral)
- Banana
- Broccoli
- Cabbage (neutral)
- Carrot (neutral)
- Cauliflower (neutral)
- Celery
- Corn (neutral)
- Cucumber
- Dandelion leaf
- Eggplant
- Green beans (neutral)
- Green peas (neutral)
- Lettuce
- Mushroom, button
- Pear
- Potato (neutral)
- Spinach
- Summer squash
- Strawberry
- String beans (neutral)
- Swiss chard
- Tomato
- Watermelon
- Yam (neutral)
Grains/Beans/Starch
- Amaranth: 1/3 cup of dry amaranth + 3/4 cups of water = 1/3 lb cooked amaranth
- Barley: 1/3 cup dry barley + 1 cup water = 1/3 lb cooked barley
- Barley sprouts
- Black beans (neutral): 1/3 cup dry black beans + 1 cup water = 1/3 lb cooked black beans
- Black sesame seeds (neutral)
- Broad beans (neutral): 1/3 cup dry broad beans + 1 cup water = 1/3 lb cooked broad beans
- Brown Rice: 1/3 cup dry brown rice + 2/3 cups water = 1/3 lb cooked brown rice
- Buckwheat: 1/3 cup dry buckwheat + 3/4 cups water = 1/3 lbs cooked buckwheat
- Kidney bean (neutral) 1/3 cup dry kidney beans + 1 cup water = 1/3 lb cooked kidney beans
- Millet: 1/4 cup dry millet + 1/2 cup water = 1/3 lbs cooked millet
- Mung bean: 1/3 cup dry mung beans + 1 cup water = 1/3 lb cooked mung beans
- Peanuts (neutral)
- Red beans (neutral): 1/3 cup dry red beans + 1 cup water = 1/3 lb cooked red beans
- Sesame seeds
- Soybeans (neutral): 1/3 cup dry soybeans + 1 cup water = 1/3 lb cooked soybeans
- Tofu
- White rice (neutral): 1/3 cup white rice + 2/3 cups water = 1/3 lb cooked white rice
Fats
- Black sesame oil
- Flaxseed oil
- Peanut oil (neutral)
- Sesame oil
- Soybean oil
A Limited Ingredient Cat Food Recipe
We recommend a cooling, limited ingredient diet for cats with any type of allergy.
A limited ingredient feline diet contains 80% meat/protein, source, 10% vegetables/fruits, and 10% grains and starches.
Mix and match the ingredients above to create a meal your cat loves!
The basic formula for the homemade cat food recipe is:
- 3 pounds from the “Meat/Proteins” list
- 1/3 pound from the “Fruit/Vegetables” list
- 1/3 pound from the “Grains/Beans/Starch” list
- 3/4 tablespoon from the “Fats” list
Sample Recipe
3 pounds turkey
1/3 pound veggies/fruit (from 2 sources, see list above)
1/3 pound kidney beans (cooked weight, blended)
2 tablespoons pound ground flax seed
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
Cat Food Recipe Directions:
Debone and chop meat and vegetables.
Place all ingredients in crockpot layering:
- Slow cooking root vegetables on the bottom
- Meat in the middle
- Fast cooking items on top
Top with 1 cup of water.
Cook on low for 4 hours.
In addition, add the following to your pet’s diet:
- One cat multivitamin daily
- Calcium supplement 50mg/kg of body weight (22mg/lb of body weight) per day.
- Taurine between 250mg and 500mg per cat per day
Feeding Schedule
Feed roughly 1/2 cup per 10 pounds of body weight twice daily.
Monitor your cat’s weight. If an undesirable weight loss occurs, please contact your veterinarian immediately so you can make an adjustment to your cat’s feeding/diet plan.
If your cat is picky, you may want to run the vegetables through a blender with ½ cup of water and create pulp for the base.
When cooked this way, the vegetable pulp mixes with cooked meat juices to create a nutritious broth.
Often, cats will lap up the broth more readily than eat small vegetable chunks.
As you can see, cooking for your cat isn’t really difficult and can be a rewarding experience for both you and your cat!
Get TCVM Cat Products at TCVM Pet Supply
Please consult with your veterinarian and use personal judgment when cooking at home for your cat.
Even though pet food recalls and the poor quality of some pet foods are a concern, many veterinarians voice concerns over homemade diets.
Some vets feel that when fed exclusively, homemade diets may result in vitamin/mineral deficiencies that can adversely affect a pet’s health.
If you choose to feed your cat a homemade diet, you must understand and meet your cat’s needs to stay healthy.
Please share our recipe with your veterinarian. Your veterinarian can advise you on supplements for your pet’s individual situation.
Monitor your cat’s health by observing his/her temperament, skin, coat, and waste. If you notice anything strange, contact your veterinarian immediately.
