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Homemade Tuna Cat Treats - 9 Delicious Recipes (Vet Approved)


It may seem like a good idea to give your cat a bite or two of your food every once in a while, especially as a treat for being such a good kitty. However, only some human foods are safe for cats, and even if they're cleared by your vet, feeding human foods can create bad habits if your cat is always begging for some of your meals.
Why not try giving your cat treats instead? Treats can be store-bought, but these don’t always contain the best or tastiest ingredients. That’s why you should try making cat treats at your home so that you know what’s in them (and you might save a little money in the process). We’ve provided nine homemade cat treat recipes that are made with an affordable and proven ingredient that cats love: tuna.
While cat safe, you should remember that these treats can only be served occasionally as they are not a complete and balanced diet. The caloric content in the treats should be taken into consideration to account for the number of calories your cat ingests during a week. While your cat might really enjoy these yummy rewards, remember not to give more than 10% of your cat’s daily calories in treats.

1. Easy Homemade Tuna Cat Treats
Easy Homemade Tuna Cat Treats
When it comes to making homemade cat treats, this recipe is about as easy as it gets. It calls for only four ingredients and these treats can be ready for your cat to enjoy in less than 30 minutes.
5 stars from 2 votes

Prep time
10 min
Baking Time
15 min
Total time
25 min
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Food processor
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1 can of no salt added tuna
- 2 tbsp coconut flour
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Without draining it, add the entire can of tuna to the food processor. Use the pulse function to finely chop the tuna.
- Combine the tuna, coconut flour, and egg in a mixing bowl until a dough forms. Once combined, add in the olive oil and mix it in evenly as well.
- Use a teaspoon or tablespoon to scoop out some of the dough (depending on how large you want the treats to be), then roll it into balls.
- Place the balls onto the baking sheet and use a fork to flatten them out.
- Bake the treats for 10-15 minutes, or about 5 minutes longer if you want them to be crispier.
- Remove them from the oven and let them cool before giving them to your cat.
2. Tuna Catnip Cat Treats

Your kitty is sure to love these cat treats, made with two of their favorite things: tuna and catnip, plus three other nutrient-packed ingredients. These treats will surely put a little pep in your cat’s step.
| Prep Time: | 10 minutes |
| Baking Time: | 10-12 minutes |
| Total Time: | 20-22 minutes |
Instructions:
3. Tuna Puff Cat Treats

These fun puff cat treats are made with only tuna, eggs, and oat flour. It really can’t get simpler than that. Plus, the taste is just as good as any of the others on our list. Give these a try!
| Prep Time: | 15 minutes |
| Baking Time: | 15 minutes |
| Total Time: | 30 minutes |
Instructions:
4. Tasty Tuna Cat Treats

These treats are similar to the tuna puff treats, but this recipe utilizes cornmeal to give the finished treats a crumbly texture that closely resembles that of your cat’s normal food.
| Prep Time: | 20 minutes |
| Baking Time: | 15-20 minutes |
| Total Time: | 40 minutes |
Instructions:
*Tuna typically comes in either 5 or 12-ounce cans. If you don’t want to divide a 12-ounce can of tuna in half to get 6 ounces, just double the rest of the ingredients to make twice the amount of treats.
5. Grain-Free Tuna Cat Treats

If your cat has an allergy or intolerance to grains or gluten, then why not give these cat treats a try? They’re made with only two ingredients: eggs and tuna. But still have a bit of crunch to them once they’ve cooled.
| Prep Time: | 10 minutes |
| Baking Time: | 25 minutes |
| Total Time: | 35 minutes |
Instructions:
6. Tuna and Cheddar Biscuits

Some cats love cheese almost as much as they love tuna. If that’s true for your cat, then you should definitely consider making these tuna and cheddar treats that are sure to have your feline begging for more.
| Prep Time: | 45 minutes |
| Baking Time: | 10-15 minutes |
| Total Time: | 1 hour |
Instructions:
7. Pumpkin Tuna Cat Treats

Pumpkin is another food that has tons of vitamins and minerals in it that are good for your cat, including vitamins A, B, and C in addition to calcium and potassium. Combined with tuna, which provides protein, these treats make for a healthy and delicious treat.
| Prep Time: | 30 minutes |
| Baking Time: | 10-15 minutes |
| Total Time: | 45 minutes |
Instructions:
8. Dehydrated Tuna Cat Treats

If you have a food dehydrator, you can make homemade cat treats using only tuna. These are great because they keep your cat from eating too much tuna at one time. And this way, a single can of tuna can go a long way.
| Prep Time: | 0 minutes |
| Baking Time: | 2 to 10 hours |
| Total Time: | 2 to 10 hours |
Instructions:
9. Frozen Tuna Cubes

This recipe from frozen tuna cubes uses only tuna and water. It is a cooling, hydrating, and tasty treat for hot summer months, especially if your cat spends a lot of time outdoors. Plus, there’s no baking required.
| Prep Time: | 5 minutes |
| Baking Time: | 3 to 4 hours |
| Total Time: | 3 to 4 hours |
Instructions:
Additional Notes
You’ve probably noticed that in most of these recipes, we’ve called for tuna with no salt added. Avoid using normal tuna for these recipes, as tuna naturally contains salt, to begin with. Be aware that too much salt can actually be unhealthy for anyone, but cats especially because they are a lot smaller than humans. That’s why we’ve suggested using low-sodium tuna with no extra salt added, in order to make the treats as healthy as possible for your cat.
Another thing to keep in mind is that any uneaten treats should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated. Except for the Frozen Tuna Cubes, each one of these treats will be kept for about 7 days in the refrigerator, after which they should be discarded. You can also freeze most of them in the event that you made too many, as they will keep for longer than if they were refrigerated.
While most cats love treats, consider showing your love and appreciation in a different way by treating your feline companion to our Hepper NomNom Cat Bowl! Keeping our cats healthy and happy is key and this bowl was designed to do just that.
- NO MESS - The 360° tray on this cat food and water bowl set has a raised design to catch and contain stray crumbs and drips. Protect your indoors and floors from wet and messy meals!
- WHISKER FRIENDLY - Shallow and wide metal containers with flat bottoms ensure your kitty can enjoy mealtime free from whisker fatigue!
- CHEW-SAFE MATERIALS - Kittens and cats love chewing on silicone and soft rubber - but it's a choking hazard. Our cat feeding station materials are anti-chew for a 100% safe feeding frenzy!

Conclusion
Making cat treats at home is a great way to ensure that your cat is ingesting safe and healthy ingredients, without any added preservatives or artificial flavors. Tuna provides protein, which is the most important nutrient in a cat’s diet, while other ingredients provide bonus nutrients that can help keep your cat healthy. We’ve tried to provide recipes that were relatively simple and affordable to make, so we hope that you found at least one tuna cat treat recipe that you can make for your feline friend.
Featured Image Credit: Vershinin89, Shutterstock
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Savanna is a former science teacher who is now a full-time freelance writer. She currently lives in the U.S with her daughter and husband. Other members of her family include a long-haired chihuahua named Penny, three cats (Bubba, Kittylina, and Thunder), and a turtle named Creek. Her passions include gardening, traveling, and protecting wildlife and natural resources.
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