Plant-based mix-ins to boost nourishment of your cat’s meals
Got 40 seconds? Watch this mini video (with your cat-child!) for inspiration.
The Recipe
Peterra Kitchen Botanical Bark for Cats
Instructions
- PREHEAT oven to 350°F//175°C. Stir vegan cat treat baking mix with 2/3 cup water (156 ml). Spread into8-inch (that’s20.3-centimeter) square silicone baking pan or silicone baking mat-lined pan.*
- BAKE 16 minutes. The bark will be firm on the outside with a soft chewy texture. You don’t need to wait for it to rise or turn brown. Cool slightly in pan on cooling rack, then transfer directly to rack to cool completely. Slice into 9 large square slabs.
- CUT one slab into 8 bark pieces. You’ll get a whopping 72 total pieces of vegan cat bark from one package. Serve each by crumbling as a meal mix-in—or try as a topper or whole as a treat. (Do not feed while hot!)
- STORE pieces and slabs in air-tight container up to 1 day at room temp, 1 week in fridge or 6 months in freezer.
Notes
Serve
Most kitties have persnickety palates. They like animal protein. So a plant-based goodie may seem unusual to them as they take their adorable little sniffs. Many cats will absolutely take to the botanical bark right away as a treat. All of our feline friends will likely eat this when it’s broken or crumbled up into their favorite food — ideally moist/canned food.
Hint: Jackie (our co-founder) loves using these vegan cat mix-ins every day to complement Baby Duke’s diet–and help him curb unhealthy inflammation and maintain a healthy weight.
FUN TOPPINGS
Try feeding by hand a whole piece of bark as is to your cat. You can also consider topping it—or “frosting” it–-with up to 1/2 teaspoon of a scrumptious, kitty-friendly ingredient. Here are some ideas (which don’t necessarily need to be plant-based, by the way!):
- No-salt, no-sugar pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin)
- No-salt, sustainably caught, wild salmon (canned or unseasoned freshly prepared salmon)
- Their favorite pâté-style canned cat food (hint: chicken & turkey are more sustainable than beef & lamb)
MEATY ADD-INS
Do you have a meat-craving kitty? Our botanical bark is still a great idea for them–to help boost their intake of health-protective plants. If you think (or know!) your cat won’t eat a plant-based treat or meal mix-in, simply try one of these options to go plant-forward rather than 100% plant-based:
- Instead of 2/3 cup water, stir 2/3 cup of a pet-friendly broth, like Caru Free Range Chicken Bone Broth or Made by Nacho Cage-Free Turkey Bone Broth, into the botanical bark mixing, then bake.
- Kind of like you might stir chocolate chips into brownies, here you can simply stir 1/2 cup of finely diced, unseasoned, organic or natural roasted chicken or turkey into the botanical bark before spreading it into the pan. (Note: Remember that cats cant’s each chocolate, of course!)
Feed
Follow these suggested serving guidelines for feeding the bark to your kitty based on their size:
- 10 pounds or less: 1 piece bark per day
- >10 pounds: 2-3 pieces bark per day
Important: For adult cats only.
You can split the bark serving between meals. And, of course, you can individualize the amount of bark you feed to your cat-child by providing them less than these guidelines suggest. However, it’s not advisable to feed more than these serving guidelines since intended for supplemental feeding only.
*Hint: Jackie (our co-founder) likes to cut each large square of bark into 4 squares, then cuts those 4 squares diagonally in half, to get 8 pieces of bark per large square for her Baby Duke – who likes his bark broken up and mixed into his canned poultry meals.
Stash
Store the unopened packaged baking mix can in a cool, dry spot, like in a kitchen pantry away from direct sunlight or heat. Check the “best buy” date on the package and be sure to bake by that date for optimal freshness.
Store the prepared 9 large baked squares in a sealable container for up to:
- 1 day at room temperature.
- 1 week in fridge
- 6 months in freezer
Ideally, we love storing the bark in earth-friendly containers (which means no plastic and no single-use containers!), such as:
- Mason jars or other sealable glass containers
- Silcone sealable reusable containers, like Stasher® bags
- Airtight stainless steel containers with lids featuring a silicone seal
Nutrition Statement: Intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only. Always seek the advice of your veterinarian with questions regarding your pet’s diet.
