Alright, so my cat Whiskers had his big fifth birthday coming up, and I got this idea in my head – I wanted to do something a bit extra, you know? Not just dump his usual kibble in the bowl. I wanted actual party food, cat-style.
First off, I had to think about what’s actually safe. It’s kinda nerve-wracking, right? You don’t wanna accidentally poison the birthday boy. So, I immediately ruled out anything weird. No onions, garlic, chocolate, grapes – all that stuff vets warn you about. I decided to stick to the basics: plain meats, maybe some fish.
Getting Started: The Ingredients
I went through my fridge and pantry. Found some plain cooked chicken breast I’d made earlier, no seasoning, just boiled. Also had a can of tuna in water, not oil – that’s important, apparently. I figured these were safe bets.
My initial thought was, maybe I could make some kind of tiny meatball? I tried mashing up a bit of the chicken really fine, added a tiny splash of water to make it stick together. Rolled it into a little ball. It kinda worked, but looked a bit sad, honestly.
Trial and Error: What Worked (and What Didn’t)
Next, I tried the tuna. I drained it really, really well. Then I sort of flaked it onto a small plate. Whiskers loves tuna, so I knew that would probably be a hit. Simple is sometimes best, I guess.
Then I got a bit more ambitious. I remembered seeing something about little “cakes” for cats. I took a small amount of wet cat food – his favourite salmon pâté – and packed it into a tiny ramekin dish. Then I flipped it upside down onto his special birthday plate. It actually held its shape! Looked like a proper little cake.
This was the key part: To make it look festive, I didn’t use sprinkles or anything sugary. Instead, I crumbled up a few of his absolute favourite crunchy treats and sprinkled those on top of the pâté cake and around the plate. Like cat-safe confetti!
The Grand Feast (Kind Of)
So, for the actual “party,” which was just me and him, I presented the spread:
- The tuna flakes, just plain.
- The little sad chicken meatball (which he mostly ignored, typical).
- The “cake” made of salmon pâté, topped with crushed treats.
I put his plate down. He went straight for the pâté cake, licking off the treat sprinkles first, naturally. Then he polished off the cake itself. He nibbled at the tuna flakes too. The chicken ball? Yeah, that got left behind. Note to self: chicken balls are maybe not his thing.
What I Learned
So, the big takeaway? Keep it simple. Fancy ideas are fun for us, but cats mostly just want something that smells and tastes good and is, well, meat or fish based. The pâté cake was the biggest success, mostly because it was just his regular food presented differently, plus his favourite treats.
It wasn’t some gourmet meal, but watching him tuck into his little “cake” made the effort feel worthwhile. It was a fun little project, figuring out what he might like for his special day. The key was definitely using ingredients I already knew he liked and were safe, and just presenting them in a slightly more festive way.
