Homemade cat food
Chicken & Butternut Squash Mash
Tender poached chicken folded through silky roasted butternut squash — a warming, gently sweet mash that is easy on sensitive stomachs and a change from the usual pumpkin.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 30 minutes
- Makes
- Makes about 6 portions
🧺 Ingredients
- 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 120 g)
- 3 tbsp cooked butternut squash (steamed or baked until soft, no seasoning)
- A splash of unsalted chicken broth or water
👩🍳 Method
- Poach the chicken in plain water for 12–15 minutes until cooked right through, then let it cool.
- Steam or bake the butternut squash until it is completely soft, and mash it smooth.
- Shred or finely chop the cooled chicken into small, easy-to-eat pieces.
- Fold the chicken through the squash mash and loosen with a little broth until soft and scoopable.
- Serve warm, not hot, and refrigerate anything left over.
Nutrition: Lean chicken supplies the animal protein cats depend on, while butternut squash contributes soluble fibre and beta-carotene that support digestion and gut regularity.
📝 Notes
Butternut squash is a gentle, low-calorie source of fibre and beta-carotene and works much like pumpkin for firming up loose stools — introduce it slowly if your cat is new to it. Keep the squash to a supporting role: cats are obligate carnivores, so chicken should always be the bulk of the bowl. Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
⚕️ 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.