Homemade cat food
Pumpkin & Chicken Settle-Tummy Mash
A gentle, soft mash of plain poached chicken and pure pumpkin — the kind of bland, fibre-friendly food many vets suggest for a cat with a mildly upset or sluggish tummy.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 15 min
- Makes
- 2–3 small servings
🧺 Ingredients
- 1 small skinless, boneless chicken breast
- 2 tablespoons plain canned pumpkin purée (100% pumpkin, not pie filling)
- A little of the plain poaching water
👩🍳 Method
- Poach the chicken breast in plain unsalted water until cooked right through with no pink remaining, about 12 minutes.
- Lift it out, let it cool, then shred or finely chop it and check carefully for any small bones.
- Mash in the pumpkin purée, loosening with a spoon or two of the poaching water to a soft, easy-to-eat texture.
- Serve at room temperature in small amounts.
- Refrigerate leftovers and use within two days, warming slightly before serving.
Nutrition: Plain pumpkin is a well-known source of gentle soluble fibre that can help firm up loose stools and, conversely, ease mild constipation, while lean poached chicken provides easily digested protein — which is why bland chicken-and-pumpkin combinations are a classic vet suggestion for a temporarily sensitive stomach.
📝 Notes
This is a bland comfort food, not a complete diet — use it for a day or two, not as a long-term meal. Use only pure canned pumpkin with nothing added; pie filling contains sugar and spices that are not suitable. Always speak to your vet if your cat has ongoing diarrhoea, vomiting, or stops eating, as these can signal something that needs treatment.
⚕️ 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.