Cat Ice Cream... or similar?

[sierramist]

Hey all!

My cat who has advanced heart disease and less of an appetite these days has a major thing for ice cream sandwiches. Like, if me or my husband opens one kitty is immediately ON IT (how does he know??), right in our faces, and will run off with the empty wrapper if we accidentally leave it out.

He's lost a little bit of weight and stays on the dehydrated side, so I'm trying to find a way to match this unrequited love of his to something he can actually eat and benefit from. My thought today was — uh, do they have ice cream for cats, like they do dogs?

My searches haven't come up with much, so I thought I'd post here. Anyone know of an ice creamy but lactose-free product that might tempt him?

I've tried straight "cat milk" (the Cat Sip brand) before but he wouldn't touch it at the time. I may try that again, though. What's strange is that he's not usually a fan of creamy treats and is usually a crunchy boy who loves kibble, but there's just *something* about those ice cream sandwiches that makes him incredibly excited. It's nice to see when normally mealtimes are a chore!

 

[cmshap]

My thought today was — uh, do they have ice cream for cats, like they do dogs?

All I can comment on is what "doggie ice cream" actually is, as I have some experience with this. Not directly, but I have multiple family members with dogs who all over-spoil them with food and treats.

Some of these dog ice cream treats are just regular vanilla ice cream, which isn't the healthiest thing for them. In fact, my parents give their dog small amounts of regular vanilla ice cream all the time, and I'm constantly saying that's not good for her, but they don't really listen. They think it's fine because it's "just a few bites," but they are giving those "few bites" way too frequently.

The healthier ones are usually made with plain yogurt, bananas, and often peanut butter. Those three ingredients are what you will find listed in many homemade, dog-safe ice cream recipes online (also, it is often specified that you should make sure the peanut butter is free of xylitol, as it is toxic to both dogs and cats). But even so, these recipes always come with a caveat that it still should be a limited treat you don't overfeed them. From what I understand, the lactose in yogurt is easier to break down than in milk, but it's still not entirely natural.

Anyway, cats can definitely eat plain, unsweetened yogurt (in small amounts and sparingly), as a treat, if they enjoy it. I'm sure a cat-friendly frozen yogurt treat is a possible concoction. See this article about cats and yogurt...

Can Cats Eat Yogurt? Read Before You Feed | Purina

However, I just found this article that has some frozen treat recipes for cats, that don't involve yogurt or lactose...

6 Homemade Cat Ice Cream Recipes (Vet Approved) - Excited Cats

One of the "recipes" in that list is just ice cubes made with frozen tuna-water. I was reminded that I once had a neighbor who gave her cat such treats after he had a dental extraction. Her cat liked cold things, and especially enjoyed them when recovering from the pain.

 

[cmshap]

Update since my last post...

It's been really hot here, so I tried the this frozen-tuna-cube recipe today, and Willy loved them!

How to make frozen tuna cubes for your cat's summer treats | Sintra the Cat

I gave him a cube on his normal food plate, and he didn't know what to do with it at first. Of course, he initially just played with it. I could tell it was never going to stay on his plate, so I removed the plate and just put the cube on the large rubber tray that I use for catching spilled food (it has a lip all around its edges, so the cube stayed on it as he batted it around).

Eventually he started sniffing and licking it... and he kept going and going. And every time he licked it he'd push it around, so I think he was getting a little stimulation out of it as well.

I didn't think to record, but I will next time I give him one. It was funny to watch.

 

[Margot Lane]

Great idea! I wonder if you can do this with other ‘flavors” as my boy shouldn’t eat too much tuna.

 

[cmshap]

Great idea! I wonder if you can do this with other ‘flavors” as my boy shouldn’t eat too much tuna.

There are similar recipes for doing this with regular wet cat food of your choice. Just mix it with some water, and fill an ice cube tray with the mixture.

 

[iPappy]

Hey all!

My cat who has advanced heart disease and less of an appetite these days has a major thing for ice cream sandwiches. Like, if me or my husband opens one kitty is immediately ON IT (how does he know??), right in our faces, and will run off with the empty wrapper if we accidentally leave it out.

He's lost a little bit of weight and stays on the dehydrated side, so I'm trying to find a way to match this unrequited love of his to something he can actually eat and benefit from. My thought today was — uh, do they have ice cream for cats, like they do dogs?

My searches haven't come up with much, so I thought I'd post here. Anyone know of an ice creamy but lactose-free product that might tempt him?

I've tried straight "cat milk" (the Cat Sip brand) before but he wouldn't touch it at the time. I may try that again, though. What's strange is that he's not usually a fan of creamy treats and is usually a crunchy boy who loves kibble, but there's just *something* about those ice cream sandwiches that makes him incredibly excited. It's nice to see when normally mealtimes are a chore!

Is he unable to handle lactose completely? Goats milk contains lactose but is generally tolerated by cats much better than cows milk, and is quite good for them. Depending on his food preferences, I've added an egg yolk to this and used an electric mixer to really blend it, and it can get a little frothy, something he might like if he's all about ice cream

 

[cmshap]

I ran into a possible problem with this...

I gave Willy a second frozen tuna cube today, and after licking it for a while, he started chewing/crunching it. I got a little worried for his teeth.

I'm still going to try them again, and supervise him. But if he keeps trying to chew on ice I may have to stop. I know ice can crack teeth.

His teeth have always been healthy, but he's entering his senior years, and I know teeth in any animal get more susceptible to damage as they age.

 

[amethyst]

I know you said he isn't a fan of creamy treats but have you tried different brands? There are a few companies that make them now. I know the Catit brand ones for sure freeze well, I got this Heart-Shaped Silicone Ice Tray - Catit CA it makes small portions of the treat that melt/soften fairly quickly so it's more ice cream texture then hard ice.

 

[cmshap]

I know you said he isn't a fan of creamy treats but have you tried different brands?

I'm not actually the original poster who said that. In responding to this thread, I found recipes and decided to try one with my cat.

I've never tried giving him a creamier frozen treat but that's a good idea. The frozen tuna cubes were the first cold treat I ever tried.