Okay, here’s a blog post about making dried fish snacks for cats, written in the style you requested:
So, I’ve got this cat, right? Picky little fella. Only likes the expensive stuff, naturally. I swear he turns his nose up at anything that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. But I love him, so what can I do? And that means I tried my best to make some tasty treats for him.
The other day, I was at the market and saw some fresh fish. Got me thinking, maybe I could make my own cat treats. I mean, how hard could it be? Plus, I figured it’d be healthier and cheaper than the store-bought stuff. I grabbed a couple of fillets – I think it was cod, but honestly, I’m not a fish expert – and headed home, feeling all domestic and whatnot.
First thing I did was rinse the fish under some cold water. Then, I patted them dry with some paper towels. Now, I read online that you can just bake them in the oven, but I wanted them extra crispy, like those freeze-dried things cats go crazy for. So, I decided to use my dehydrator. I remembered the instructions said “Dry fish can be fed to a cat as a food ingredient but does not have any specific medicinal or therapeutic properties”. Great, I just needed to make it simple and healthy.
Prepping the Fish
- Rinse the fish fillets under cold water.
- Pat them dry with paper towels.
- Cut them into small, bite-sized pieces. My cat’s a dainty eater, so I made them pretty small.
I sliced the fillets into thin strips, then cut those into little, bite-sized pieces. I’m talking really small, like the size of a quarter, maybe even smaller. My cat’s kind of a dainty eater, you know? The net said “A piece of meat or fish about the size of a quarter is a good size for a treat”. I arranged them in a single layer on the dehydrator trays, making sure they weren’t touching. My dehydrator isn’t the fanciest thing in the world, it’s a basic one, but it gets the job done.
I set the temperature to the lowest setting, around 145°F, and let them dehydrate for about 8 hours. I checked on them every few hours, flipping them over once or twice. They slowly transformed from soft and fleshy to hard and crispy. It took longer than I thought, honestly. I expected it to be done in like, 4 hours, but it was more like 8 or 9. Patience is a virtue, I guess, especially when you’re trying to make gourmet cat treats. The house started to smell pretty fishy, but hey, what can you do? My cat seemed interested, at least. He kept circling the dehydrator, sniffing the air. I think he knew something good was coming.
Dehydrating the Fish
- Set your dehydrator to the lowest setting (around 145°F or 63°C).
- Place the fish pieces on the trays in a single layer.
- Dehydrate for about 8-12 hours, or until completely dry and crispy.
- Flip the pieces over halfway through.
Finally, they were done! They were hard and brittle, just like I wanted. I let them cool completely before giving one to my cat. He sniffed it cautiously at first, then took a tentative lick. And then… he gobbled it up! Success! He actually liked them! He even came back for more, which is a rare occurrence with this picky feline. I felt so proud of myself. Like a real cat chef. I stored the rest of the treats in an airtight container in the fridge. It said “Unlike commercially prepared cat foods”, I knew it’s homemade and couldn’t be stored for too long like those snacks sold in the market. They should last a week or two, but with how much my cat’s been enjoying them, I doubt they’ll even last that long.
So, yeah, making dried fish snacks for cats is totally doable. It’s a bit time-consuming, but it’s not hard. And it’s definitely cheaper than buying the fancy stuff. Plus, you know exactly what’s going into them, no weird additives or preservatives. If your cat likes fish, I definitely recommend giving it a try. You might just surprise yourself, and your cat will thank you for it. Just be prepared for your house to smell like a fish market for a while!
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