The Ultimate Guide: How to Make Raw Cat Food – Step-by-Step with Tools, Recipes & Amazon Links

Feeding your cat a raw diet can support a shinier coat, cleaner teeth, higher energy levels, and improved digestion—but only when it’s done correctly. Raw cat food is not simply uncooked meat. A properly balanced raw diet includes the right mix of muscle meat, organ meat, essential supplements, and moisture to meet your cat’s unique nutritional needs. In this guide, you’ll learn how to safely prepare raw cat food at home, avoid common mistakes, and choose the right tools and ingredients for long-term feline health.

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. These commissions help support this site and allow me to continue sharing free, research-based pet nutrition content. I only recommend products I trust or would use for my own pets.

Raw Cat Food – Quick Amazon Checklist

🧼 Safety & Sanitation

Disposable Food-Grade Gloves 🛒 Click for Amazon Price
Kitchen Sanitizer Spray 🛒 Click for Amazon Price

PART 1: Essential Supplies You’ll Need

Before you begin, gather your ingredients and tools:

Ingredients:

Muscle meat (e.g., chicken thighs, turkey, rabbit)
Organ meat (e.g., chicken liver, heart, kidney)
Taurine supplement – non-negotiable for feline health
Salmon or fish oil – omega-3 fatty acids
Raw egg yolks – vitamins and fatty acids
Bone meal or raw bone (if your grinder can handle it)
Vitamin E and B-complex supplements
Water or low-sodium bone broth

Recommended: Shop on Amazon

Tools:

Meat grinder (that handles bones)
Digital kitchen scale
Mixing bowls
Food-safe gloves
Airtight containers
Freezer bags or silicone portion trays

Recommended: Shop on Amazon

PART 2: Step-by-Step Instructions

✅ Step 1: Source and Prepare Your Protein

What to Use:

Choose chicken thighs, turkey, rabbit, or Cornish hen. These meats are affordable and easy to digest.
Use heart and liver as your organ meats. Heart is high in taurine; liver is packed with vitamins A and D.

How to Prepare:

Trim off excess fat and remove skin if your cat is overweight.
Cut into chunks or strips that will fit into your grinder.
Freeze any wild or pork meats for 3+ weeks to kill potential parasites.
Sanitize your work area thoroughly to avoid cross-contamination.

📌 Note: You’ll want about 80% muscle meat, 10% organ (liver), and 10% heart or kidney.

🧮 Step 2: Measure and Add Supplements

Cats have strict dietary needs. Even if you’re using organ meat, you must supplement to prevent deficiencies.

For every 2 lbs of meat mix:

🧪 Taurine – 1000 mg
🧪 Fish oil – 1 tsp (or 1000 mg capsule)
🧪 Vitamin E – 100 IU
🧪 B-complex – 1 capsule or powder scoop
🧪 Egg yolks – 2 (skip whites unless cooked)
🧪 Bone meal – 1 tsp if not grinding bone
💧 Water or bone broth – ¼ to ½ cup

Recommended: Shop on Amazon

📏 Use a kitchen scale for precise measurement, not spoons. Over-supplementing can be harmful!

🌀 Step 3: Grind Meat & Organs

Instructions:

Set up your meat grinder.
Feed in chunks of muscle meat, followed by heart and liver.
If your grinder handles soft bones (like chicken necks), grind those too. Otherwise, add bone meal later.

🛠️ Tip: Use cold meat for better handling and safer processing.

🥣 Step 4: Combine and Mix Thoroughly

Add the following to your ground meat:

Measured supplements from Step 2
Raw egg yolks
Bone broth or filtered water (do not use tap if it contains fluoride/chlorine)

Use gloved hands or a sturdy spoon to mix until uniform. Make sure there are no concentrated pockets of supplements or liver.

🧂 Optional: Add a pinch of kelp powder for iodine.

🧊 Step 5: Portion and Freeze

Divide your finished raw food into:

Daily servings (2–4 oz per cat, depending on weight)
Store in airtight glass containers or freezer-safe silicone trays

Refrigerate up to 2 days; freeze the rest. Always thaw in the fridge, never at room temperature.

🧊 Products:

🔁 Step 6: Transition Your Cat

Never switch abruptly. Gradually introduce raw food over 7–10 days:

Day 1–3: 75% old food + 25% raw
Day 4–6: 50% old food + 50% raw
Day 7–9: 25% old food + 75% raw
Day 10: 100% raw food

Watch for signs of:

Digestive upset (diarrhea, vomiting)
Refusal to eat
Weight loss or excessive hunger

🚨 Stop and consult a vet if you notice persistent issues.

🧼 Step 7: Sanitation and Storage

Always:

Wash all surfaces with disinfectant
Clean your grinder with hot water and soap
Wear gloves when handling raw meat
Keep meat below 40°F (4°C) during prep

🧽 Recommended:

📋 Sample Raw Cat Food Recipe

Yields: ~8 portions

1.5 lbs chicken thighs (with some skin)
4 oz chicken liver
4 oz turkey heart
2 raw egg yolks
½ tsp taurine powder (1000 mg)
1 tsp fish oil
1 capsule B-complex
100 IU vitamin E oil
1 tsp bone meal
⅓ cup Brutus Bone Broth

Grind → Mix thoroughly → Portion → Store

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Feeding only muscle meat (leads to severe nutrient deficiency)
❌ Skipping taurine (can cause heart failure)
❌ Not using bone or bone meal (causes calcium deficiency)
❌ Freezing everything in one lump (hard to thaw evenly)
❌ Changing diets too fast (can upset digestive tract)