Homemade cat food

Turkey & Pumpkin Meatballs

Lean baked turkey meatballs bound with pumpkin — a hearty, fibre-supported treat that's especially handy for cats prone to hairballs or a sluggish gut.

Difficulty
Easy
Time
30 min
Makes
About 15 small meatballs

🧺 Ingredients

  • 150g lean ground turkey
  • 2 tbsp plain cooked pumpkin purée
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tbsp oat flour

👩‍🍳 Method

  1. Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F) and line a baking tray with parchment.
  2. Combine the ground turkey, pumpkin purée, egg yolk and oat flour in a bowl.
  3. Mix until it holds together, then roll into small meatballs roughly 2cm across.
  4. Place on the tray, spaced apart, and bake for 15–18 minutes until cooked through with no pink centre.
  5. Cut one open to check it is fully cooked, then cool completely.
  6. Serve one small meatball as a treat; break into pieces for smaller cats.
Nutrition: Lean turkey is a low-fat, highly digestible protein, and the added pumpkin provides soluble fibre that supports healthy digestion and can help move ingested fur through the gut — useful for cats that struggle with hairballs.

📝 Notes

Store in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to a month. Always cook turkey thoroughly to kill bacteria. These are a treat, not a complete diet — keep portions small and offer alongside your cat's regular balanced food.

⚕️ 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.