Homemade cat food

Plain Sardine & Rice Balls

Tinned sardines mashed through soft white rice and rolled into small, soft spheres — a five-minute treat with a smell no cat in the house will fail to notice.

Difficulty
Easy
Time
10 min
Makes
10–12 balls

🧺 Ingredients

  • 1 tin (about 90 g) sardines in spring water, thoroughly drained
  • 3 tablespoons plain cooked white rice, cooked soft in unsalted water
  • 1 teaspoon plain water, if needed
  • Nothing else — no salt, no tomato sauce, no oil-packed or brined tins

👩‍🍳 Method

  1. Drain the sardines completely and press them gently against the side of a sieve to remove as much of the packing water as possible.
  2. Tip them into a bowl and mash thoroughly with a fork, working the soft, edible backbones right through the mixture.
  3. Add the cooked rice and mash again until the two are evenly combined and no whole grains remain visible.
  4. If the mixture crumbles, add a teaspoon of plain water; if it feels wet, add a little more rice.
  5. Roll into small balls about the size of a hazelnut, using slightly damp hands to stop the mixture sticking.
  6. Chill for 20 minutes to firm up, then serve one ball as a treat or crumble one over your cat's usual meal.
Nutrition: Sardines are one of the best everyday sources of the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, which support skin, coat and joint health, and because the fish are small and short-lived they carry far less accumulated mercury than larger species such as tuna. Their soft, fully edible bones supply naturally occurring calcium and phosphorus, while a little well-cooked white rice adds gentle, easily digested carbohydrate that binds the mixture without upsetting the stomach.

📝 Notes

Buy only sardines tinned in spring water, never in brine, oil or sauce — the salt and oil loads in those versions are unsuitable for cats. Oily fish is rich, so offer these two or three times a week at most and keep all treats to around 10% or less of daily calories; this is a supplementary snack, not a replacement for a complete balanced diet. Cats with a fish sensitivity, or those on a prescription or fat-restricted diet, should skip this one or check with your vet first. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or freeze the balls individually for up to a month.

⚕️ 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.

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