Homemade cat food?

[Happy]

Has anybody tried a recipe they are willing to share?
My old guy is having a difficult time. He has always been fussy but the past few months he has had a very sensitive digestive system. His normal go-to foods are causing bad upset. I have tried wheat-free foods...different canned foods. Some he eats with gusto but then stinks the entire house out with the worst smelling you can imagine. He has lost a lot of weight. If I feed him shredded chicken or an unsalted can of tuna or salmon he has no issues. I just doubt that those things alone provide him with a full balanced diet. If he was any other cat I would take him to the vet's but this guy is a former feral and it is not only an unpleasant task but the cure is usually worse than the ailment. Any suggestions welcome.

[Jaye]

@Happy , I've had a number of cats over the years, although none recently, and I don't have any suggestions for an alternate cat food to try, but I do think it's time for a vet visit. Sorry. I say this only because, based on my previous experience with cats, what you have described sounds like something that a change in diet isn't going to fix. :-(

[Killerbunny]

@Happy sorry you're having trouble with your guy. When my chap was 17/18 the only thing I could get him to eat without throwing up was venison or moose. The vet said "make" him eat the balanced she prescribed but I figured at that age he could eat whatever he liked. When he quit eating that I knew it was time.

[Happy]

Thanks ladies. LB is also an old guy. I kind of feel that if he makes the trip to the vets it may be the last one. If I thought he was suffering I wouldn't hesitate. But he doesnt miss a meal and joins me on the couch each evening for a long petting session. When he eats whole foods he has completely normal bowel movements.
I'm sort of leaning towards letting him live on chicken and fish for whatever life he has left. I do have moose and venison in the freezer so may try that too. I've read q couple of recipes recommending some vitamin additives. Will see what he will tolerate.

[Jaye]

Ah, well based on that all additional info, I totally agree: let him eat what he wants and as long as he isn't indicating that he's suffering, let him carpe diem/seize the day!.

[Jenny d]

I do think that it is funny that the medical establishment tells people, especially when having health problems to stay away from processed foods, but with pets processed food is all the vets recommend.

[Happy]

I do think that it is funny that the medical establishment tells people, especially when having health problems to stay away from processed foods, but with pets processed food is all the vets recommend.

Yes curious isn't it!
I pureed some water packed tuna for him last night with some added fish oil.
This morning he ate some leftover roasted chicken with a cooked egg yolk mashed in. He did seem to avoid the yolk when he could. I'm just trying to test what he will actually eat because I don't want to make a batch and it has one thing in it he won't eat because then he will just turn his nose up on the entire thing and the dogs will end up getting a treat. He does seem to prefer things pureed now. I don't think his teeth hurt because he steals dog kibbles every chance he can and munches them down faster than I can steal them back.
LB will be the last cat here for a while anyways. So I don't mind spoiling him a bit.

[Ontario Chick]

I have no experience with house cats, but that whole balance diet thing changes as you age, and since at this point we are at an age of "long term effects" don't worry us too much, I suspect if he could tell you he would say what his opinion on well balanced diet is.
Perhaps when making a batch of something, some portion of it can be frozen and offered again when he gets bored with the latest favorite?

[Shnookie]

If he eats well, but throws up or has diarrhea a lot and is losing weight he could have kidney disease. I had a Persian cat that got to the point that he had all those issues no matter what he ate. The vet diagnosed kidney disease and or failure. I had him put down.

[Kbr42]

A little late to the conversation our approach has always been, if he eats it let them they will eat what they feel they need to. When our big guy Timber was sick, we gave them anything he was interested in. They know more about what they need than we do.
Years ago, i picked up this very skinny cat, Leo, who after I purchased him found out he only had 4 teeth. For the first few months we had him, he ate wet cat food and slept. And that was it. I remember we had just gone out to buy 20 something packages for him. He walked up to the hard cat food and started eating it. He completely stopped eating the wet food, which we had to take back :)
We did the samething with our dog. She would only eat meatballs (homemade) meatloaf and ginger snaps. So that's what she got!

Good luck!