Homemade Pet Food

Why Homemade Pet Food?

There are many different reasons why people are interested in making homemade pet food. In 2007, a lot of pet food for dogs and cats was being recalled because pets were dying from eating contaminated commercial pet food. This scare, led a lot of people into looking for safe ways to feed their pets.

Another reason that people check into making homemade pet food is because they are interested in eating better prepared food themselves (less preservatives, more natural, organic) and they figure if they are watching the types of food they are eating, they should also be more conscious of what their pets are eating.

With the economy on a major down swing, there are people who are checking out homemade pet food to see if they can find less expensive, yet nutritious ways, of feeding their pets.

And of course there are those who just like to cook and they want to pamper their pets.

Cautions About Homemade Pet Food

Whatever your reasons are for wanting to make homemade pet food, there are some things you should be aware of.

• 1. Always talk with your vet first, and share possible recipes you want to try with them. Animals have very different and specific diet requirements for their best health - for instance, cats need more protein than dogs. Make sure that what you are fixing your pets will give them what they need.
• 2. Animals can't eat all of the same things we can. Their bodies either aren't meant to digest it (for instance, cats require very little vegetation in their diet). And there are things which are harmless to us, but are poisonous to them.
• 3. The cost and time required to make your own pet food can be prohibitive. You will need to keep track of what you are spending on your homemade food to see if it really is a cost saver for you. And you need to have a back-up plan for when you don't have the time to cook the food for your pet.

No-No Foods for Cats and Dogs

Dogs- You should never feed your dog the following foods: chocolate, garlic, onions, grapes, raisins, artificial sweetners or fats.

Cats- You should never feed your cat the following foods: You should never feed your cat chocolate, alcohol, onions, pork, raw fish, raw eggs, milk or bones.

Always, always, always check with your vet about other possible no-no foods.

Recipes

Below you will find several recipes- one for some of the main kind of pets. Please, feel free to share you own concoctions and we will add them to the page!

Cheddar Cheese Dog Treats

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup margarine
• 1 cup boiling water
• 3/4 cup cornmeal
• 2 tsp white sugar
• 2 tsp beef bouillon granules or 2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 cups whole wheat flour

Directions

• 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (300 if using dark pan. Grease cookie sheets.
• 2. In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, margarine, and boiling water.
• 3. Let stand 10 minutes.
• 4. Thoroughly stir in cornmeal, sugar, bouillon, milk, cheddar cheese, and egg.
• 5. Mix in flour, 1 cup at a time, until a stiff dough has formed.
• 6. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface, mixing in additional flour as necessary until dough is smooth and no longer sticky.
• 7. Roll or pat out dough to 1/2" thickness. Cut with a cookie cutter (whatever fun shape you think your pooch will like).
• 8. Place cookies on cookie sheet about 1 inch apart.
• 9. Bake cookies 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown.
• 10. Cool before serving.
• 11. Store cheddar cheese dog cookies in a loosely covered container.

Tender Kitty Tidbits

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound ground beef or turkey
• 1 small carrot, finely grated
• 1 tbsp grated cheese
• 1 tsp brewer's yeast
• 1 tsp dried catnip
• 1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tbsp tomato paste

Directions

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (325 if using dark cookie sheet).
• 2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the meat, carrot, cheese, brewer's yeast, catnip and breadcrumbs.
• 3. Add the egg and tomato paste and mix well.
• 4. Rool the mixture into walnut-sized meatballs and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
• 5. Bake for about 15 minutes until the meatballs are brown and firm.
• 6. Cool the meatballs completely before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• 7. These freeze well. This recipe makes about two dozen meatballs.

Horse Pumpkin Goodies

Your horse is going to love this! Get a small pumpkin and remove the insides - be sure to get out all of the seeds. Then fill the pumpkin with a mixture of whatever fruit and grain you have on your hands (apples, carrots, oats, etc). Put the top back on the pumpkin and give it to your horse. He is going to have so much fun playing with the pumpkin and getting the treats out. Many horses will even eat the pumpkin.

Bird Cake for Wild Birds

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of lard, suet or other hard fat.
• A combination of any of the following: crushed nuts, pear, breadcrumbs,stale cake, dried fruit, grated cheese, hulled sunflower seeds, bacon rind, etc.
• empty yogurt container
• string and a dowel rod or stick wider than the container

Directions

• 1. Make a small hole in the bottom of the yogurt container.
• 2. Thread the string through the hole and tape it in place (you will remove tape later).
• 3. Tie the twig onto the string at the top (open end) of the container) This will be a perch.
• 4. Chop up all the ingredients and mix them together. Be especially careful to finely chop the nuts.
• 5. Melt the fat in the pan and mix in the other ingredients.
• 6. When the mixture has cooled to a lukewarm temperature, carefully spoon the mixture into the container around the string.
• 7. Slowly turn the container upside down so that the twig is at the bottom. Pull the container off of the set mixture.
• 8. Use the free end of the string to tie to the branch of a tree. The birds will use the perch to eat this tasty treat!

Honey Seed Treats for Pet Birds

Ingredients

• 2 cups crushed plain cheerios
• 2 cups crushed pellets
• 2 cups mixed bird seed
• 1 1/4 cups honey

Directions

• 1. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
• 2. Add honey, stirring until mixture is wet.
• 3. You may adjust quantity of honey to obtain correct consistency.
• 4. Spread onto a cookie sheet.
• 5. Bake at 200 degrees for about 45 minutes.
• 6. Halfway through the baking, score with a sharp knife. When done, cut it into pieces. Store in a tight container.

Hamster Treats

Ingredients

• 1/4 tsp of peanut butter
• 1 box plain Cheerios
• vareity of vegetables - carrots, celery, bok choy
• small dog biscuit or stale or fresh bread
• bird seeds and/or hulled sunflower seeds
• a little cheese

Directions

• 1. Spread peanut butter on dog biscuit or bread.
• 2. Stick cereal on top and press in some of your hamsters favorite small foods (such as bird seeds, sunflower seeds, nuts).
• 3. Next press the vegetables and the cheese around the cheerios.
• 4. Hide the treat so your hamster can get some extra exercise and fun in searching for it!

Homemade Fish Food

Ingredients

• 5 raw shrimp with shell removed
• fresh cod
• fresh sockeye salmon
• fresh tuna
• 1 Pacific mussel
• 2 clams
• 1 colossal scallop
• several ounces of Mysis shrimp
• 3 sheets Nori
• 1 stalk of broccoli
• 3/4 bottle of Kent Marine Garlic Extreme

Directions

• 1. Throw everything into a blender or food processor. If using a blender, you may want to cut ingredients up into small pieces first.
• 2. Let it sit in the refrigerator overnight so all the flavor soaks through.
• 3. Sort into plastic bags - lay flat and freeze. Thaw as needed.

Guinea Pig Salad

Guinea pigs, hamsters and gerbils love fresh food. You should always give them pellets to chew on to make sure they are getting appropriate nutrition as well as soemthing hard for them to wear their teeth down on. Put together a salad with fresh greens and leafy vegetables as your main ingredients. Other foods that you can roate through include spianch, kale, watercress, dill weed, cabbage, dandelion greens, turnip and beet greens. They also enjoy a piece of orange, banana or apple.