Cats have a reputation for being sun-seekers—but as much as they delight in their daily dose of vitamin D, even cats can overheat.
Cats aren’t able to cool themselves as easily humans can, so they require access to a shaded, well-ventilated area with access to clean water on hot days. One nifty tricks that can help boost their comfort and hydration? Frozen cat treats.
Frozen cat treats are easy to make at home and convenient to keep on hand for when the temperature starts to climb. To get you started, we’ve rounded up cat-safe ingredients and recipes for frozen treats with maximum cat appeal.
What Ingredients Can I Use in Frozen Cat Treats?
You may already know which foods you should avoid feeding your kitty, but as a quick reminder: make sure to avoid any chocolate, onions, and garlic. But what about yogurt or ice cream?
Cats lack the lactase enzyme that breaks down lactose, so consuming a lot of dairy is likely to give them some unpleasant digestive side effects. But while traditional ice cream may be a no-go, many cats are able to tolerate yogurt. Just make sure it isn’t overly sweetened (especially with xylitol, which is dangerous to cats).
If yogurt isn’t a good fit for your kitty, you can always use water, broth, or even organic goat’s milk as your base and throw in cat-friendly add-ins like flaked tuna, catnip treats, or wet cat food.
Anna Pismenskova via iStock
4 Tasty Recipes for Frozen Cat Treats
Making frozen cat treats at home is quick and easy—you probably already have the ingredients for at least one of these recipes. Short on time? Try putting a lickable treat like Tiki Cat Stix or Churu in the freezer for an hour before serving it.
1. Tasty Tuna Treats
Ingredients: 1 can of water-packed tuna or salmon
Open up a can of water-packed tuna and dump it into your food processor. Add a half cup of water then blend until it’s nice and smooth, adding more water as needed to get the desired consistency.
Pour the liquid into silicone ice cube trays and freeze for a couple of hours. When the treats are frozen, pop them out of the tray and store in a freezer bag. You can also try this recipe with canned salmon.
2. Frozen Paté Cubes
Ingredients: 1 can of pate-style wet food + treats
Take a can of your cat’s favorite pate-style wet food and scoop it out into a mixing bowl (we used Wellness Complete Health Paté). Stir in a few of your cat’s favorite soft treats or a sprinkle of dried catnip.
Spoon the mixture into small paper cups or into a silicone ice cube tray and freeze until solid. Pop the treats out the tray or peel away the paper to serve the frozen treat.
3. Frozen Goat’s Milk Treats
Ingredients: Goat’s milk, like Honest Kitchen’s
Goat’s milk is loaded with digestive enzymes and probiotics, making it a nourishing addition to your cat’s diet—and it freezes well as a summer treat. Mix up a few packets of The Honest Kitchen Daily Boosters Instant Goat’s Milk according to the directions then pour into small silicone molds.
Freeze the goat’s milk until solid then pop the treats out to serve and store the extras in a freezer bag.
4. Frozen Yogurt Drops
Ingredients: Greek yogurt (no xylitol) + canned cat food
For cats who tolerate dairy, these frozen yogurt drops are a quick and easy treat to prepare. Take a container of Greek yogurt and stir in some smooth canned cat food (you may need to puree it in the food processor for it to work). Spoon the mixture into a plastic bag and snip off the tip. From there, just squeeze little drops of the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid.
The next time you and your cat start to feel the heat, whip up one of these tasty recipes and settle down in the shade to cool off!
