The sun is shining, the cicadas are buzzing, and the outdoors are calling your name. It must be summer!
Now that the weather is warmer, there’s nothing better than to have a cool treat to snack on while you relax in the summer air. But this isn’t just something you should enjoy, but your furry feline friend as well.
Homemade cat treats are usually often better than store-bought treats and can be very easy and simple to make in your kitchen. With the temperatures rising there is also a variety of cat treats you can make to keep your cat cool and content.
A lot of these treats require a freezer, as frozen treats in the summer are usually the best bet for your cat, especially in the hotter months. But there are some fun and festive dry treats here as well, all for your cat’s enjoyment.
- Frozen tuna treats
- Banana bites
- Fish and coconut croutons
- Tuna shaved ice
- Cat-safe ice cream
Frozen tuna treats
The classic of summertime cat treats, frozen tuna treats are just that. Canned tuna taken and mixed with water and put in the freezer for a refreshing fish-popsicle of sorts for your cat to enjoy.
It’s a simple recipe and doesn’t require much legwork on your part other than breaking down the tuna to fit into a Ziploc bag and pipe into the shape of frozen treats.
Here’s a breakdown of the ingredients and tools you’ll need before you get started.
- An ice cube tray
- Can of water-packed tuna, or canned salmon if you prefer.
- Approximately ½ cup of water
- A mixing bowl or Magic Bullet
- A Ziploc bag
After you have all these materials this is what you should do to make these tasty treats.
- Mashup the fish in a bowl or in a food processor/mixer, and add half a cup of water when finished
- Then mix it again in a blender, or a similar device for only ten seconds
- Fill the Ziploc bag with the mixture and cut a hole at one corner to start piping. Squeeze the mixture into molds until finished.
- Place in the freezer overnight, and the next day serve!
Banana bites
This isn’t a frozen option for your cat, but fresh fruit comes in the spirit of summer and you can’t go wrong with a good banana even for your cat.
Bananas can be a sweet treat for cats, but be sure to indulge your cat in these sparingly, as their high sugar content can contribute to a gain in weight. But they’re a great option as a special reward, especially when baked into these special treats.
And better yet you only need two ingredients for this!
- 4 mashed bananas
- ¼ a cup of small cat treats or morsels
Here what you need to do for this recipe.
- Peel your bananas and place them in a bowl. Mash with a fork or other tool until mushy.
- Layer the mashed bananas over the small cat treats in a candy mold. Then place in the freezer overnight.
- Remove treats from mold and serve!
Fish and Coconut Croutons
Now fish and coconut croutons might not sound like a feast of champions that you might indulge in, but your cat is definitely thinking differently.
These decadent little treats are a little more complicated to make than sticking a mold full of wet tuna into the freezer but there’s never any harm in variety, and your cat is going to thank you for it.
Here is the recipe for how to make them.
- 1 5 ounce bag or can of tuna
- 1 cup of coconut flour – you can also use regular wheat or oat flour for a thicker consistency, but you do lose the coconut appeal.
- 1 tablespoon of extra light olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of dried Catnip
- 1 Egg
- 1-2 tablespoons of water
- 1 baking sheet (optional)
Combine all these ingredients in a food processor or blender and when made smooth and completely combined, place the mixture in small “croutons” on a baking tray.
Bake for 12 -15 minutes at 350 degrees until they’re brown, they can be slightly burned, and after cooling place in the freezer.
These should last for about a week!
Tuna Shaved Ice
Many of us surely look back on childhood memories holding a nice rainbow-colored shaved ice and the pool or the amusement park in the middle of summer, and while a tuna-flavored shaved ice would probably be far from your taste it is not from your cat’s.
It’s relatively easy to make, with a big payoff in enjoyment. If you have a can of tuna in your house or if you're using it for a recipe of your own, be sure to save the tuna juice often left in the can to use in this recipe.
What you do is pour the tuna liquid into a blender along with four ice cubes, if you have more than one can of tuna just add another four ice cubes per can, and blend until it’s become slush.
This is an easy and refreshing recipe option for your cat, and it’s very food-friendly saving the part of the tuna that you usually discard in your kitchen!
Cat-safe ice cream
Some cats don’t do well with regular dairy, and you should ask your veterinarian if it’s okay to feed your cat any diary-based treat beforehand, but there are some specially made cat-safe milk products out there. So why not make ice cream out of it?
Some of the cat-safe milk brands you could find at your local pet store include Cat-Sip or Cat-Sure. When you have the milk pour about half of it into a Ziploc bag and then add half a can of cat food.
Double bag this just to make sure that there are no messy leaks. Now place this into a large gallon bag and pour in salt, the salt is what will make the ice cream happen. And after that put ice inside.
Squeeze the bag for around fifteen minutes, by then the ice cream should have congealed and should be ready to serve!
For a more detailed breakdown check out Hattie’s Blog.
Whether your cat is favoring the fruity or fishy treats there’s a summertime cat treat recipe for them to enjoy, festive enough for you both.
The frozen treats on this list have the added bonus of keeping them cool when the day proves to be on the hotter side. Take your cat to your porch or backyard and with an icy treat in hand enjoy the summer sun.
