Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (2024)

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Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (1)

By: Becky Hardin

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Homemade cat treats are such a fun thing to make, and your cat(s) will absolutely love you if you give them these tasty salmon cat treats! You only need 3 ingredients to make these, and they’re super healthy and nutritious for your beloved pet.

Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (2)

Table of Contents

What’s in these 3-Ingredient Cat Treats?

You only need 3 ingredients to make these healthy homemade cat treats. And you might already have them all in your pantry!

  • Salmon: Use canned salmon for this recipe, or another canned fish.
  • Egg: Beat the yolk and whites together before combining with the flour.
  • Flour: I recommend using whole wheat flour for these nutritious cat treats.

I love that these are real food ingredients, so I know my cat, Dill, is getting the best of the best!

It was such an honor to have this cat treats recipe printed in the August 2015 edition of Family Circle Magazine.

Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (3)

Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (4)

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Can I use another fish for these treats besides salmon?

Any canned, oily fish will work in this recipe, and your kitty will thank you for being so creative. Try tuna, mackerel, or even canned shrimp! You can also substitute canned chicken.

Where can I find the goldfish cookie cutter?

If you want the goldfish shaped cutter I used, Here’s my affiliate link to get one. If you prefer, use any cookie cutter that is about 3/4-inch.

How can I fix dough that is too dry or too wet?

Add up to 1/3 cup of water to the dough if it’s too dry. If it’s too wet or sticky, add in a small amount of flour until you get the right consistency. It should be tacky but not sticky.

How can I tell when the cat treats are done baking?

They should be slightly brown and crunchy on the outside.

How to Store Homemade Cat Treats

Let the treats cool completely before storing. Scoop them into an airtight container, like a mason jar, or resealable bags. Store them at room temperature or in the pantry, for up to 2 weeks.

They’ll be ready to hand out to your furry friend any time they need a treat. And these are healthy enough for them to eat (many) every day, so you can feel good about spoiling them!

Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (5)

If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Bonus points if you share a picture of your cats! Enjoy! You can also jump to recipe.

Recipe

Three-Ingredient Salmon Cat Treats

4.46 from 429 votes

Author: Becky Hardin

Prep: 20 minutes minutes

Cook: 20 minutes minutes

Total: 40 minutes minutes

Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (6)

Serves120 treats

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Your cat will love these homemade cat treats because they're filled with real salmon!

Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (7)

Email This Recipe

Enter your email and we’ll send the recipe directly to you!

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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°.

  • Pulse 10 ounces of undrained, canned salmon in a food processor to chop as finely as possible.

    10 ounces canned salmon

  • In a stand mixer, combine salmon, 1 egg (beaten), and 2 cups whole wheat flour until dough forms. If the dough is too dry, add up to 1/3 cup water. If it's is too wet or sticky, add a bit more flour. The dough should be tacky but not sticky.

    1 egg, 2 cups whole wheat flour

  • Roll dough on a floured surface until about 1/4-inch thick. Use a 3/4-inch cookie cutter in the shape of your choice to create your treats.

  • Place treats on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350° for about 20 minutes. When they’re slightly browned and crunchy, they’re done.

  • Allow to cool before serving.

  • Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!

Becky’s tips

  • Any 3/4-inch cookie cutter will work fine for these treats. If you’d like to use the goldfish-shaped cutter in this post, here’s the link.
  • I am not a medical professional. Please check with your vet for any allergies before feeding new foods to your cat.

Storage: Store cat treats in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 11kcal (1%) Carbohydrates: 1g Protein: 1g (2%) Fat: 1g (2%) Saturated Fat: 1g (6%) Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 3mg (1%) Sodium: 10mg Potassium: 16mg Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 1g (1%) Vitamin A: 4IU Calcium: 8mg (1%) Iron: 1mg (6%)

Did You Make This?I want to see! Be sure to upload an image below & tag @thecookierookie on social media!

Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (8)

Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (9)

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More Pet Treat Recipes We Love

  • Peanut Butter Dog Treats
  • Cheese Dog Treats
  • Doggy Ice Cream
  • Sweet Potato Dog Treats
  • Oat and Apple Pretzel Dog Treats
Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (10)

Meet Becky Hardin

Becky Hardin is a wife and mother living in Saint Louis Missouri. She founded The Cookie Rookie in 2012 as a creative way to share recipes. Now, she is a trusted resource for easy cooking around the world, being featured in Taste of Home, The Kitchn, ABC’s Home and Family, and more. Here at The Cookie Rookie she is the editor in chief of all recipes and continues to enjoy sharing her passion for cooking for busy families. She has since founded two additional food blogs, Easy Chicken Recipes and Easy Dessert Recipes.

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267 Comments

Newest

Oldest Most Voted

Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (13)

Emily

Posted on 12/10/2023

How many little treats does this recipe make?

Reply

Samantha Marceau

Posted on 12/11/2023

Reply to Emily

Hi Emily, this recipe makes 120 treats!

Reply

Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (15)

Debbie

Posted on 12/7/2023

Can you freeze these cat treats?

Reply

Samantha Marceau

Posted on 12/11/2023

Reply to Debbie

Yes, you can!

1

Reply

Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (17)

Mawada_The_Queen

Posted on 12/4/2023

Can I use canned sardiens instead of canned samon

Reply

Samantha Marceau

Posted on 12/5/2023

Reply to Mawada_The_Queen

Yes, but look for low-sodium versions that are packed in water rather than oil.

Reply

Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (19)

Mawada_The_Queen

Posted on 12/12/2023

Reply to Samantha Marceau

thank you for letting me know when you answered me I went right way to make them my 3 cats are OBSESSD with them. ( Even my 3 rabbits🐇🐇🐇🤣)Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (20)

Reply

Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (21)

Syl R

Posted on 11/9/2023

Am excited to try these for my furbabies! Can you please advise whether they are suitable to freeze and if so for how long. Thank you in Advance. :-)

Reply

Samantha Marceau

Posted on 11/10/2023

Reply to Syl R

You should be able to freeze these for up to 3 months!

1

Reply

Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (23)

Mary Sparkman

Posted on 10/6/2023

Do you need to get GA on cat treats?

Reply

Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (24)

Laurel

Posted on 9/14/2023

Many cats are allergic to wheat. In fact, the allergy is so common that some vets recommend avoiding cat foods that contain wheat. When I bought my farm, it came with several cats. All of them got sick from wheat in Purina dry cat food.Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (25)

1

Reply

Samantha Marceau

Posted on 9/15/2023

Reply to Laurel

Hi Laurel, we always recommend checking with your vet before feeding new foods to your cat. As with any human or animal, cats can develop allergies, so these treats may not be suitable for everyone.

Reply

Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (27)

Donna

Posted on 11/18/2023

Reply to Laurel

Do you know that Temptations have Wheat Flour in them?

Reply

Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (28)

Alyce pandolfi

Posted on 8/4/2023

Cats cannot have salt. So do I need to use sodium free salmon? I haven’t seen that before and I’m wording if I should use fresh and cook it?

1

Reply

Samantha Marceau

Posted on 8/4/2023

Reply to Alyce pandolfi

We used no salt added canned salmon!

Reply

Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (30)

chris

Posted on 7/1/2023

can you use gluten free flours instead? for pet treats? I know this is a cat recipe, but my one fur kid can not have gluten.

1

Reply

Samantha Marceau

Posted on 7/3/2023

Reply to chris

You could try sweet rice flour, potato flour, or coconut flour!

Reply

Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (32)

Cheryl

Posted on 6/20/2023

Hi Becky!
Wondering if I can substitute almond flour. Thoughts?

1

Reply

Samantha Marceau

Posted on 6/20/2023

Reply to Cheryl

We don’t recommend using almond flour in these cat treats, as high amounts of almonds can cause stomach upset in cats!

3

Reply

Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (34)

Cheryl

Posted on 6/20/2023

Reply to Samantha Marceau

Thank you for your response. It’s much appreciated. I’ll give them a try this weekend.

Reply

Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (35)

Laurel

Posted on 9/14/2023

Reply to Cheryl

You are dangerous! Shame on you! I love my cats. This recipe makes it really hard to rescue cats!Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (36)

Reply

Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (37)

Lady

Posted on 11/2/2023

Reply to Laurel

What is wrong with you?Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (38)

5

Reply

Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (39)

Elle

Posted on 5/14/2023

We made the recipe exactly as written. It is a perfect recipe that many many pets enjoyed at the volunteer opportunity we shared in our City. The finely pureed salmon was what made them stellar and easy to work with. We will make this a staple for the houseless folks and their pets, both cats and dogs. Since we have used turkey breast, chicken breasts, tuna and even mackerel, this makes your recipe versatile. We have had this recipe requested to be in the regular rotation of treats. The overages we vacuum seal and it freezes beautifully. We appreciate you Becky.Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (40)

Last edited 9 months ago by Elle

3

Reply

Samantha Marceau

Posted on 5/15/2023

Reply to Elle

I’m so happy to hear this recipe was a hit, Elle!

Reply

Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (42)

Laurel

Posted on 9/14/2023

Reply to Elle

Better check with a vet next time. Wheat is really bad for cats!Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (43)

Reply

Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (44)

Lady

Posted on 11/2/2023

Reply to Laurel

Yes, and clearly you’d know because you are one…

Reply

Homemade Cat Treats Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (2024)

FAQs

What is the best flour to use for cat treats? ›

Use white or whole wheat flour. Add just enough to make a mix that holds together. For added nutrients, try a blend of rolled oats, wheat germ, and cooked rice. Cooked squash, peas, or carrots are cat-pleasers.

How do you make homemade cat treats? ›

Fresh-baked flour treats

Start by mashing tuna really well with a fork, then mix in whole wheat flour, milk, vegetable oil and egg. Roll the dough into balls or flatten and cut into shapes and bake for 10 minutes. If tuna isn't kitty's thing, substitute salmon or strained meat baby food in ham, beef or chicken flavors.

What are the healthiest cat treats? ›

Treats that are made from nutritious ingredients are generally better for your cat. Our experts recommended looking for treats made with high-quality protein, such as chicken, turkey, beef or fish, as cats are carnivores.

What makes cat treats so good? ›

Commercial cat treats are often packed with flavor enhancers. They also often have a strong smell, which increases their appeal to many cats. Treats are also nutritionally different from cat food.

What is the tastiest treat for cats? ›

#1 Overall Best: Cat-Man-Doo Bonito Flakes Review

These straightforward treats are absurdly appetizing.

Can I use all purpose flour for cat treats? ›

Instructions. One note, be sure to use whole wheat flour. Cats cannot digest regular flour like we do.

What foods are irresistible to cats? ›

Cats are most attracted to smelly foods rich in proteins and fats, like oily fish and poultry.

Is canned tuna good for cats? ›

Cats can eat canned tuna, as long as it is packed in spring water only and has no seasonings or additives. Never feed your cat tuna in brine or sunflower oil, which is for human consumption only. Brine is salt water, and its high sodium content can lead to an electrolyte imbalance in your cat.

Is peanut butter good for cats? ›

Although many cats love the taste of this salty and sweet spread, cat parents should avoid giving their feline friends peanut butter. It provides no nutritional value and, more importantly, certain ingredients, like fat and added artificial sweeteners, can be harmful or even toxic to cats.

Can cats have cheese? ›

Short answer: Yes, cats can eat cheese. However, if you do feed your cat cheese, it should be done in moderation and small portions. If you want to give your cat a piece of cheese every once in a while, you can. Or if you have to hide your cat's medicine in cheese that is OK too.

Are temptations ok for cats? ›

Yes! Though it's important to pay attention to the feeding guidelines, which vary depending on the treat. For example, Temptations Classic Soft & Crunchy Treats are 100% nutritionally complete and balanced for adult maintenance and can be used as a treat, a meal, or a cat food topper.

What do they put in temptations cat treats? ›

You can expect ingredients such as chicken by-product meal, ground corn, animal fat, wheat flour, and dried meat by-products. You might not approve of these ingredients but cats really love Temptations.

Do cats like you more when you give them treats? ›

However, DeVoss says cats generally gravitate toward people who feed them, play with them, give them tasty treats, and keep their litter box clean. Additionally, she says cats prefer when you have a calming presence, consistent patterns, and predictable movements and exhibit cat-friendly, welcoming body language.

Is it good to give your cat treats every day? ›

How many cat treats a day? Cat treats contain calories and are usually not complete and balanced. They're meant to be given just as an occasional treat. It's therefore important that whenever you give cat snacks to your pet, you reduce their main meal by an equivalent calorific amount.

What flour is best for pet treats? ›

Whole wheat flour: is packed with fiber, and protein, and is a good source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, including vitamin B9 (folate), vitamin E, copper, iron, manganese, and selenium. You could alternatively substitute this with oat flour or another dog-safe flour.

Is almond flour ok for cats? ›

While almonds are not considered toxic to cats, they are not ideally suited to a cat's dietary needs. Cats are obligate carnivores, which means their nutrition should predominantly come from protein sources, primarily meat.

What are the best ingredients for cat dry food? ›

Top 5 Healthy Cat Food Ingredients [Checklist]
  • Protein as the First Ingredient. Cats are obligate carnivores, and as such, a quality dry cat food needs to list a protein as its first ingredient – no exceptions! ...
  • Omega 3s and 6s. ...
  • Vitamins and Minerals. ...
  • Healthy Fats. ...
  • Probiotics.

Is coconut flour OK for cats? ›

Coconut meal could be a novel starch source in pet food diets for dogs and cats. Greg Aldrich, Ph. D. Coconut meal, also known as copra meal or coconut flour, is a new ingredient turning up in pet diets very recently.

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