If you're looking to add more variety to your feline's diet, you could offer them soup for cats. While it shouldn't replace the best cat food, it's a great way to hydrate them if they don't drink much water and offers a host of benefits.
Since bone broth contains high amounts of collagen, soup can promote healthy joints and cartilage, making it particularly beneficial for cats with arthritis. It might also be a good option for felines who struggle to chew or have food sensitivities.
Before you grab your favorite can from the cupboard, it's worth bearing in mind that you should never feed them human soup, as it often contains ingredients that are potentially toxic to cats. Instead, try these three safe and simple recipes below and find out the benefits of soup for cats from Dr Rebecca MacMillan.
Our favorite soup for cats recipes
Always consult your vet before adjusting your cat's diet – especially if they have special requirements.
1. Homemade chicken soup
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 90 minutes
Ingredients:
- Water
- 2 chicken legs with skin and bone
- 1 carrot
- 1 stalk of celery
Instructions:
- Finely chop carrot and celery.
- Fill a pot with water, and add vegetables and chicken legs.
- Bring to the boil, and let simmer for 90 minutes.
- Strain the soup to remove all bones.
- Fill mason jars or freeze in ice cube trays for easy one portion serves.
- Refrigerate for up to seven days or freeze for six months.
Tip: Serve a single small portion (¼ cup) on its own or mix with the best wet cat food or raw food
2. Beef and vegetable broth
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 24 hours
Ingredients:
- Beef bones
- Water
- 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice per gallon of water
- A mix of cat-friendly vegetables, such as carrots, beans, and peas
Instructions:
- Place the beef bones in a pot and cover with water.
- Add two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice per gallon of water. This will help the bones to break down and release their minerals.
- Stir in your choice of chopped vegetables.
- Simmer on a low heat until all the meat residue has fallen off the bones.
- Remove meat and vegetables.
- Let the bones simmer for another 20 hours.
- When cooking time is up, skim off the fat, and remove and discard all bones. Let the broth cool completely before freezing.
Tip: In the warmer months you can serve broth popsicles straight out of ice cube trays for a refreshing treat. Alternatively, why not try spooning the broth over dry cat food to add some moisture?
3. Catnip soup
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of prepared chicken soup from recipe 1
- 3 tablespoons of dried or fresh catnip
Instructions:
- Heat the chicken soup on the stove until it’s gently simmering.
- Add the catnip, and let it infuse until it has given the soup a greenish tinge.
- Cool to drinking temperature, and serve ¼ cup of the soup in a shallow bowl, or pour over wet or dry cat food.
- Store the remainder of the soup in the refrigerator
What are the benefits of cat soup?
Cat soup that has been made from animal bones offers a ton of healthy and wholesome benefits to your kitty. Here are just a few:
1. Improves hydration
Vet Dr MacMillan says: "Bone broth can be a great way of getting to encourage your cat to take in extra fluid. This can be particularly helpful for cats that are elderly, recovering from recent illness or that have certain health conditions like urinary tract issues. Just speak to your vet first to make sure that it is suitable for your cat, particularly if they are on a special diet."
2. Promotes healthy joints
Bone broth has high amounts of collagen, a type of protein that helps protect your cats bones, joints, and cartilage. Older cats with arthritis, or any cat with weak bones, will benefit from consuming cat soup.
Dr MacMillan says: "Bone broth is rich in glucosamine and chondroitin. These help to promote healthy cartilage, the cushion inside joints which helps animals to move smoothly. Increased intake of these can help improve mobility and reduce signs of joint disease. The collagen and amino acids also found in bone broth will further support overall joint health."
3. Aids digestion
Collagen can also help strengthen the lining of your cats intestinal lining and digestive tract, preventing the bacteria from undigested food from seeping into the blood stream.
Dr MacMillan says: "Bone broth is a great source of gelatin, which can help to protect and heal the digestive tract, encouraging better absorption of nutrients. This may prove useful in cats with certain digestive issues such as inflammatory bowel disease, though more research is needed."
4. Improves the immune system
Bone broths contain marrow, which helps transport oxygen to your cats cells, increasing their resistance to illness.
Dr MacMillan says: "Bone broth contains many immune system boosting nutrients. This includes amino acids like glutamine and glycine. It can tempt unwell cats into eating, providing them with essential hydration and nourishment to help speed along their recovery."
5. Boosts nutrition
Full of nutrients, and tasty too, cat soup is also easily digestible, making it ideal for cats with sensitivities, or those who are unwell who may not otherwise get all of the nutrition they need.
Dr MacMillan says: "As a rich source of collagen, bone broth can help to improve skin, nail, and coat condition in cats. Collage helps to give skin its elasticity, as well as nourishing hair and nails. Some owners report a reduction in shedding, as well as a shinier and healthier appearance to their cat’s coat."
Are there any risks of feeding soup to cats?
We know there are plenty of benefits to feeding soup to cats, but are there any risks? We asked Dr MacMillan to find out!
"If your cat has a diagnosed health condition, then you must speak to your vet before offering bone broth. Bone broth is high in protein, which can be particularly problematic for cats with kidney disease who need to be on a controlled protein diet.
"You must also be careful not to give your cat bone broth that contains other ingredients like onions and garlic, or high levels of salt, all of which can be toxic to cats. Many stores now sell bone broth intended for human consumption, so it would be easy to accidentally give your cat a product made with harmful ingredients.
“Check labels carefully when choosing bone broth for your pet, or even better, make your own at home.
"Owners must also take care not to give their pets too much bone broth. This could lead to an unbalanced diet, leaving your cat deficient in other essential nutrients. Bone broth should be used in moderation, ideally as an occasional treat or as a way of encouraging your cat to recuperate from illness and to start eating more of their high-quality complete cat food."
Are you struggling to entice your kitty to eat, whether it’s soup or something else? Then be sure to check out our guide of things to check when your cat’s not eating which has a wealth of great advice from our vet. Or, learn about dehydration in cats
Rebecca is a veterinary surgeon who graduated in 2009 from the Royal Veterinary College in London. She has a wealth of experience in first opinion small animal practice, having done a mixture of day-to-day routine work, on-call emergency duties and managerial roles over the years. Rebecca enjoys medicine in particular and she is proud to have recently achieved a BSAVA postgraduate certificate in small animal medicine (with commendation).
Edited by Georgia Guerin and Alexis De Leaver.
This page was last updated in May 2025 by Megan Milstead.
