Where to Start

Before changing your cat's diet, have a conversation with your veterinarian. This is especially important if your cat has existing health conditions, is a senior, a kitten, or pregnant. Let them know you are planning to transition to homemade food. Most vets are supportive as long as the recipes are nutritionally complete.

Cats are obligate carnivores. They cannot thrive on plant-based diets and have specific nutritional requirements that differ significantly from dogs or humans. They need high protein, adequate taurine, arachidonic acid, vitamin A, and very little carbohydrates. A recipe that looks healthy to you may be dangerously incomplete for a cat. This is why balanced, research-backed recipes matter.

The most common mistake cat owners make is improvising. Mixing chicken and rice and calling it a meal is not a balanced cat diet. It is missing critical nutrients that will cause health problems over time. Every recipe on The Lils is developed with reference to FEDIAF nutritional guidelines and NRC recommendations, so you know the nutritional math has already been done.

Even with whole food ingredients, homemade cat food requires supplements to be nutritionally complete. The exact list depends on the recipe, and some need more than others. Our recipes tell you exactly what to add, how much, and where to get it. You do not need to figure this out on your own.

Before you start, there are two things you must have:

You do not need to overhaul your cat's entire diet overnight. Begin by offering just a small amount of homemade food alongside their regular meal, a few times a week. Let them sniff it, ignore it, and come back to it. That is just cats being cats. Once they are eating it happily, you can start increasing how often and how much you serve. There is no rush.

Switching food too quickly can cause digestive upset, and cats in particular are more sensitive to dietary changes than most pets. There is no single timeline that works for every cat, so use their stools as your guide. Firm, consistent stools mean they are handling the transition well. Loose stools mean slow down.

A good starting point for most cats is to replace about 25% of their current food with homemade, then increase homemade by 25% every couple of days until you reach 100%. For more sensitive cats, start even smaller, just a teaspoon or two mixed into their regular food, and increase only every few days.

Cats are creatures of habit, and they evaluate new food largely through texture and smell. Homemade food looks, feels, and smells very different from what they are used to. Give them time to get familiar with it. Some cats come around quickly. Others need weeks of gentle exposure before they accept something new. Be patient with the process.

If your cat is refusing the homemade food altogether, try adding a small amount of their favorite topper or treat, wet or dry, mixed in with the homemade portion. This helps them associate the new food with something they already love, and can make a real difference.

Some cats, usually younger ones, can switch over with little fuss. Others need several weeks. Both are completely normal. Do not rush it.

One thing you may notice once your cat is fully transitioned: they might drink less water. This is expected. Homemade food has a much higher moisture content than dry kibble, so they are getting more hydration through their food.

Once your cat is eating homemade food regularly, pay attention. Are they finishing their meals? Is their coat shinier? Are they more energetic? Are stools firm and consistent? These are all signs the food is working. If anything seems off, talk to your vet. Homemade feeding is not set and forget. It is an ongoing relationship with what your cat eats.