Homemade cat food
Prawn & Pumpkin Hydration Bites
Lean, plainly-cooked prawn folded through pumpkin and a little broth — a moist, aromatic treat that tempts fussy drinkers to take on extra fluid.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 20 min
- Makes
- A small handful of bites
🧺 Ingredients
- 4–5 raw, shell-off prawns, deveined
- 1 tablespoon plain cooked, mashed pumpkin (not pie filling)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted chicken or fish broth
👩🍳 Method
- Peel and devein the prawns, checking none of the dark tract remains, and rinse them under cool water.
- Poach or steam the prawns in plain water for two to three minutes until just opaque and firm — never longer, as overcooked prawn turns rubbery.
- Let them cool fully, then chop into small, cat-sized pieces.
- Mash the pumpkin smooth and fold the chopped prawn through it.
- Loosen with a couple of tablespoons of unsalted broth so the mixture is soft and spoonable — the extra liquid is the point, helping a reluctant drinker take on fluid.
- Serve a small amount at room temperature and refrigerate any leftovers for up to a day.
Nutrition: Prawn is a low-fat source of protein, and the pumpkin and broth together carry extra moisture into a cat that doesn't drink enough — useful support for urinary and kidney health in a species that evolved to get most of its water from food.
📝 Notes
Prawn is a lean treat, not a staple — it is low in some nutrients cats need daily, so keep it occasional. Always serve it plainly cooked and unseasoned: raw prawn, and anything cooked with garlic, onion or salt, is not safe. Skip prawn for any cat with a known shellfish sensitivity.
⚕️ 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.