DIY Cat Popsicles for a Refreshing Summertime Cat Treat [Recipe]

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• Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.

The dog days of summer are here! And spoiler, dogs aren’t the only ones in need of a cool, summertime treat. These DIY cat popsicles can be as unique as your feline, made from endless combinations of their favorite foods. For this special frozen cat treat, I found inspiration from my cat’s favorite fish dish—sardines.

The best part about this frozen cat treat (in addition to being three ingredients or less!) is that the entire summer treat is cat-friendly—down to the popsicle stick.

Sardine water cat popsicles. Photo by Janelle Leeson

Cat-Friendly Popsicles: Set Up, Prep, and Tips

Sardine water is an excellent choice for cat popsicles because it’s high in omega-3s and low in the food chain—AKA sardines don’t bioaccumulate toxins (like mercury) that other larger fish and predators do. Tuna is a-okay to use in this recipe too, but it shouldn’t be a staple in your cat’s diet. Like all treats, popsicles aren’t a complete and balanced meal.

Cats can be allergic to fish. So, if your cat has never eaten fish before, start with a small sampling and monitor for any signs of an allergic reaction like vomiting, diarrhea, or red skin that is inflamed and itchy.

Before diving into this recipe, you’ll want to have popsicle molds and cat-friendly popsicle sticks on hand.

Lyra tries her sardine water cat popsicle. Photo by Janelle Leeson

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DIY Cat Popsicles

• Author: Janelle Leeson
• Yield: 2–4 popsicles, depending on mold size 1x

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp canned sardine water, no salt or olive oil added

4–6 freeze-dried minnows

2–4 silvervine sticks

Instructions

1. Distribute dried minnows into molds.
2. Combine tap water and sardine water, then pour into molds.
3. If you are using a mold with a top seal (like this style, for example), seal the molds, replacing the human popsicle stick with a silvervine stick. For other molds, just use the silvervine stick as you would a regular popsicle stick.
4. Place in the freezer for at least four hours or until frozen.
5. Enjoy!

Notes

• The molds you use will make a difference because the silvervine stick is round—not flat, like a regular popsicle stick. I used this style, which was perfect for a small batch of popsicles, but it was less than ideal as I wasn’t able to put the full amount of liquid in the mold because of the t-shaped mold and stick fitting. I did some searching and I think this style is a better bet.
• Whatever mold you use, you may find these popsicles are large for just one kitty. My two cats shared one. You can offer the treat to your cat on a plate or in a bowl and re-freeze the leftovers for another time.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 2–4, depending on mold size
• Calories: 5

Beware Kitty Brain Freeze!

Humans aren’t the only ones who can suffer from brain freeze when eating a cool summertime treat too quickly, the Washington Post reports. Cats can get brain freeze too, and like us, it can be quite an uncomfortable experience.

But there’s no evidence that brain freeze is harmful beyond the short-lived pain to the brain. If your cat is enjoying a cool treat, just keep an eye on them to monitor their licking, munching, and otherwise gobbling down to prevent kitty brain freeze.

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