Homemade cat food
Salmon Oil Lick-Mat Topper
A smooth, spreadable blend of plain wet food and a few drops of salmon oil, designed for a lick mat — slow, soothing and good for the coat.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 5 min
- Makes
- 4–6 servings
🧺 Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons plain pâté-style wet cat food (no gravy, no added seasoning)
- ½ teaspoon salmon oil formulated for pets
- 1–2 teaspoons warm water
- A clean silicone lick mat
👩🍳 Method
- Spoon the wet food into a bowl and mash it until completely smooth with no lumps.
- Add the salmon oil and stir until it is fully incorporated.
- Loosen with warm water, a teaspoon at a time, until the mixture spreads easily but is not runny.
- Spread a thin, even layer across the lick mat, working it into the grooves with the back of a spoon.
- Serve immediately, or freeze the loaded mat for 30 minutes for a longer-lasting version in warm weather.
- Offer for 10–15 minutes, then wash the mat thoroughly in hot water.
Nutrition: Salmon oil supplies the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, which support skin and coat condition and have a recognised anti-inflammatory role that can benefit cats with joint disease. Licking itself is a self-soothing behaviour, so a lick mat also does useful work slowing a fast eater and settling an anxious cat.
📝 Notes
Count this towards your cat's daily food allowance rather than adding it on top — the base is ordinary wet food and the calories are real. Use a pet-formulated salmon oil and follow its dosing guidance; too much oil causes loose stools. Introduce oil gradually, and check with your vet first if your cat has pancreatitis or is on a fat-restricted diet.
⚕️ 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.