Homemade cat food
Gentle Chicken & Rice Congee
A soft, soupy chicken-and-rice porridge — the feline comfort food for a cat recovering from an upset stomach or a poor appetite.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 35 min
- Makes
- 3–4 small meals
🧺 Ingredients
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 3 tablespoons plain white rice
- 3 cups water (no salt, no stock cubes)
- 1 teaspoon of the cooking water reserved to moisten
👩🍳 Method
- Place the chicken breast and rice in a saucepan with the water. Do not add salt, onion, garlic or any seasoning — several of these are toxic to cats.
- Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a low simmer and cook for about 25–30 minutes, until the rice is very soft and the chicken is cooked through.
- Lift out the chicken, check it is cooked all the way through, and shred it finely once cool enough to handle.
- Mash or blend the soft rice with a little of the cooking water to make a smooth, soupy porridge, then stir the shredded chicken back through.
- Cool to lukewarm and serve a small portion — it should be soft, moist and easy to lap.
Nutrition: Plain chicken and well-cooked rice are gentle, low-fat and easy on a delicate digestive system, while the soupy texture adds valuable moisture — helpful for a cat that has been vomiting or is reluctant to drink. It is a soothing transitional food, best used briefly under veterinary guidance.
📝 Notes
Serve as a bland, easily digested meal for a day or two, not as a permanent diet — it is not complete nutrition. Always check with your vet before feeding a recovering or unwell cat, and see them promptly if an upset stomach lasts more than 24–48 hours. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 2 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.