So I have this cat. ย His name is Jules, but I call him Tron.
Sometimes you just name the creature in your house the wrong name. ย It’s hard to know until you know them. ย Never let me name a child. I won’t get it right. ย That’s the lesson we’re supposed to learn here.
So I have this cat. ย Sometimes I make him cat toys and cat treats. ย It’s a thing I do with only a residual amount of shame and embarrassment.
I first made these cat treats for my kitten about a year ago, and Design Sponge was pretty keen on them. ย I made them again this weekend and my kitten-cat was pretty excited. ย To be fair, he also gets excited when I buy a rotisserie chicken or slice into an avocado. ย He’ll also steal a warm blueberry muffin, eat through the center of a pie, or lick the frosting off a cake. ย He’s not particular about food, he’ll eat it all, and he’s a terrible person (and I love him).
Animal Jar Tops were invented by the Internet, not me. ย Find out how to make them here.
Cat treats! ย Let’s talk about these little bites.
These cat treats are made of very simple ingredients that aren’t cat food, but that our cats are going to eat and enjoy. ย If now is the time that you’d like to freak out about oats and tuna and making your own cat food and cat health… ok. ย But these are just cat treats, so maybe we could just all calm down by like, at least 12%. ย Just sayin’.
One of the binder of these cat treats is oats.
More specifically, oats that are pulverized into oat flour. ย Like so. ย Easy.
In the food processor we combine oat flour, canned (unsalted) tuna, and catnip.
Olive oil for moisture, good fat, and good fur.
An egg yolk for good fat, good binding, and good fur.
Good fur is important.
Pulverized and combined. ย The mixture is doughy and people-edible but mostly kitty-edible.
I roll the tuna dough into teaspoon sized balls. ย Kitty-sized.
A little criss-cross action. ย Just for even baking. ย Even with cat treats we want to get things right!
I usually shush him away, but these crunchy treats are fresh from the oven for him, so….
So why not make some Catnip Yarn Balls along with the cat treats and just go all the way.
I’m the only one that knows I’m a crazy cat lady… until I share it with all of you.
Sorry/NOT SORRY!
Ps. ย Since these baked kitty treats have tuna and egg in them, I store them in a jar in the refrigerator.
Tuna Catnip Kitty Treats
makes
1 (5 ounce) can tuna, no salt added and packed in water, drained
1 cup oat flour*
1 large egg
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 heaping tablespoon dried catnip
*Itโs easy to make your own oat flour. Simply grind old-fashioned oats in a spice grinder (or a super clean coffee grinder) until it is transformed into a light powder. There you have it โ oat flour!
Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment, combine drained tuna, oat flour, egg, olive oil and catnip. Blend until mixture is smooth. It will be thick but pliable and not terribly sticky.
Roll dough into 1/2 teaspoon balls and place on prepared cookie sheet. Use a skewer to press an X-shape into each cookie ball.
Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes until they are dried on top and slightly browned. Allow to cool completely before offering to your kitty.
Place treats in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to seven days.
84 Responses
What fun! We to changed our kitties names after we got to know them. Names are tricky.
your a great cat mom.
tron is one lucky cat
Tron/Jules (how about Tron J.?) is adorable and SO lucky to have someone who bakes for him! Thanks for sharing this healthy treat recipe with your ‘feline-inclined’ followers! (The 5 rescued kitties who live here send their ‘thanks’; these are their new favorites!)
oh my world, what a great idea… have to made them for my little sweety… thanks for sharing.
My cat has a grain allergy so I have to be careful about what I give her, does anyone know if oats would trigger that allergy? I admit I’m woefully uninformed about the specifics.
Thank you for sharing these. It’s not easy to find good treats for kitty. I love that you’ve made them GF. (Kitty here says thank you as well.)
I made these yesterday and they are terrific. I subbed spirulina for catnip bcs my cat loves it – so this made them green. He ate them and I tried them on two other cats who also loved them! Thank you!
my kitties love them. thanks!!
I was wondering about the catnip. Did you use regular old catnip one would put in a toy? Is it safe for them to eat it? It probably has chemicals in it, everything does. Is there such a thing as food grade catnip? I don’t want feed them anything harmful. I really am a crazy cat lady!!
You can look for organic catnip(dried)
Making these for Tron’s long lost brother’s birthday today!
Hi, this site is using your pictures without crediting you >> https://www.lalocadelosgatos.com/diy-botes-con-gatos-hazlo-tu-mismo/
Can you freeze these treats
Yes!
Joy, with a cat called Torn and a recipe for kitty treats on your blog, I think you are officially the most awesome food blogger in the history of the internet! And my furbabies love you too ;)
Where can I get those jars with the cats on top. They are amazing
You inspired me! I’ve literally just put in an order for the ingredients I need to be picked up later and I’m going to make a batch of these for my two kitties.
The presentation is stunning too. From the jar lids, to the nibbles. Awesome post, really glad I stumbled across here today!
I have SIX cats Two golden one Abbott ,Golden eye. Then Peapod , Strips and Dumbledore and Tiger. I am going to make some today! They are going to love them! Thank You so very much!
I made a similar ingredient recipe except you added water which was huge mistake & it called for too much flourโฆ.disaster!! Dough was entirely too moist. I realized that I should have added an oil instead of the water.
Perfect for my scout troop. We’ll probably also do the container! Awesome
My cat was already trying to eat it before I could get it panned. First time ever attempting treats so I’m excited to see how it goes.
I have tried everything to get some oil in my cat for her fur. Itโs scratchy and scaly this is perfect for getting her to eat thanks
Thanks for the inspiration! For the sake of my two cats, I’ve just placed an order for the supplies needed to prepare a batch of these treats.
In addition, the aesthetics of the presentation are first-rate. From the jar lids to the nibbles, everything is done to perfection. What a great post, I’m pleased I found it today!
Is it possible to use salted Tuna in oil!? The one people consume because it’s hard to find unsalted for me. Thank you <3
Never feed cats salted tuna as the level of salt in a can is toxic to them. You have to use unsalted only. Try ordering online if you cannot find locally.
I think you are officially the most awesome food blogger in the history of the internet!
Iโve literally just put in an order for the ingredients I need to be picked up later and Iโm going to make a batch of these for my 3 kitties.Hope it goes well
First time ever as well attempting treats so Iโm excited to see how it goes.
At Munchkin Cat House, we specialize in raising munchkin kittens for sale and munchkin cat for sale. Our kittens are raised in cage-free and social environments, which makes them well-rounded and socialized. We believe that this is the best way to prepare our kittens for their new homes. Plus, we offer a variety of colors and patterns to choose from depending on the munchkin cat price