happy holidays: homemade treats for pets

The holidays are upon us, which means fun hangouts with family and friends, sweet gifts, and all the homemade goodies we can eat. While sharing these festive foods with our lovely pets is tempting, most human eats are big no-nos for our dogs and cats.

Most pets do well with their regular pet food, and giving them human food can cause health issues. After all, lots of delicious holiday food is full of salt, sugar, and/or solid fats! Some people food can even be toxic for our furry pals. Check out our take on pet-safe holiday food here.

So, if we’re being honest, it’s safer to purchase holiday treats for pets from your local pet store. But if you can’t resist preparing homemade treats — keep reading! We’ve got pet-friendly recipes that are super easy to make.

(Pleasenote: Many of these ingredients can be high in fat or calories. Whether purchased or homemade, treats should be a tiny part of your pet’s diet, especially if they're small or prone to GI upset. If your pet is on a special diet or they have a chronic disease, please talk with your vet first.)

Peanut butter pumpkin cookies for dogs

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup flour
• ½ cup peanut butter (no xylitol)
• 1 cup plain canned pumpkin 

Directions

1. Thoroughly mix all ingredients in a bowl and add flour slowly. You only need to use enough of the flour to make the ingredients stick together and create a dough-like consistency.
2. Form cookies into whatever shape you’d like.
3. Put cookies on a parchment-covered cookie sheet and bake at 350°F until they’re firm.
4. After they’ve cooled, hand one to your sweet lovebug! 

Please note: Cooking time and temperature vary depending on your oven and the size of the treats.

Psst...we know pumpkin is a big hit during the holidays. For more info on feeding it to your pets, take a look at this blog. 

Beef biscuits for dogs

Ingredients 

• 2 jars (2.5 oz) beef baby food
• ¼ cup dry milk powder
• ¼ cup cream of wheat 

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients and mix well.
2. Roll into balls and place on a well-greased cookie sheet.
3. Flatten slightly with a fork and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes or until brown.

4. Cool on a wire rack, then give to your furball and watch them do a happy dance. Store in the fridge or freezer. 

Holiday delights for dogs

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup molasses
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

Directions 

1. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly to combine.
2. Roll out dough on a floured surface to about ¼-inch thick.
3. Use a cookie cutter to cut into desired shapes.
4. Combine dough scraps and continue to roll out and cut into shapes until all dough is used.
5. Place cookies on an ungreased foil-lined baking sheet and bake at 325°F for 30 to 35 minutes.
6. Cool after baking, and then share with your cutie patootie.

Tuna yums for cats

Ingredients

• 1 pound raw tuna cut into 1-inch cubes (be sure to wash your hands after handling!)

Directions 

1. Cut the cubes in half. (This makes the yums thin enough to dry thoroughly without burning.)
2. Put the cubes in a single layer on a greased oven-safe pan.
3. Bake at 200°F for 2 hours or until dry and jerky-like.
4. Turn the yums once to make sure they’re evenly baked. 

(Please note: Tuna yums aren’t shelf-stable, but they can stay fresh for weeks in the fridge.And you can keep a large number of tuna yums in small batches in the freezer. You can also make chicken yums using plain, skinless chicken breast, or fish yums using a firm, non-flaky fish.)