10 homemade treats for dogs and cats

Grain Free Peanut Butter Dog Snacks

What you need:

• 2 cups gluten-free flour (you can use wheat flour if your pup doesn’t require a grain-free diet*)
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 3/4 cup chicken or beef stock
• 1 egg

How to make:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Meanwhile, mix all ingredients until a dough forms. It should be firm enough to withstand cutting with a knife or cookie cutter – you can thicken it with more flour or peanut butter if needed. You can also add more stock (a little at a time) if the dough is crumbly and too dry.
2. Roll out the dough to about 1/2-inch thickness and cut into squares or use a cookie cutter to make shapes.
3. Bake on a greased baking sheet for about 20 minutes. Let cool completely before serving. Store for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.

*The Food and Drug Administration examines a possible link between grain-free diets and the development of heart disease in dogs. While grain-free treats are probably good, a completely grain-free diet may not be the best choice. If you are currently feeding or considering a grain-free diet for your dog, talk to your vet.

Dog treats with 3 ingredients

What you need:

• 1 1/2 cups quick oats
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 mashed banana

How to make:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Stir all ingredients together until well combined to form a firm dough.
2. Roll out the dough to about 1/2-inch thickness and cut into squares or use a cookie cutter.
3. You can serve them as is as soon as possible, or you can bake them for 10-15 minutes until crispy.
4. Store baked treats in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

No-bake pumpkin and rice dog treats

What you need:

• 1 cup cooked white rice (or you can substitute oats)
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup peanut butter

How to make:

1. Combine all ingredients well and form into balls. If the mixture is too wet, you can add more rice or peanut butter. If it’s too dry, add more pumpkin puree or some stock.
2. Refrigerate or freeze any treats you won’t be serving right away. (Since these are unbaked, they should be kept in the refrigerator. You can refrigerate them for up to 5 days or freeze them for 2-3 months.)

Puppies (for dogs)

What you need:

• store bought dog treats
• water or chicken stock

How to make:

1. Depending on the size of your dog and how big you want the puppies, place 1 or more treats in each cell of an ice cube tray or put a handful in a large, freezer-safe bowl.
2. Fill the ice cube tray or bowl with chicken stock to cover the treats.
3. Freeze until firm and serve to your pup on a hot day when they need something to keep them entertained and cool.

Cheesy dog ​​treats with bacon

What you need:

• 1 1/2 cups quick oats
• 3-4 strips of bacon, cooked until extra crispy and then crumbled
• 3/4 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup chicken stock (optional)

How to make:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine all ingredients except chicken stock. If the dough is too dry and crumbly to work with, add chicken stock a little at a time until the dough is moist enough to shape.
2. Roll out the dough to 1/2-inch thickness and cut into squares or use a cookie cutter.
3. Bake the treats for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown, let them cool before giving them to your dogs.
4. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Salmon cat treats

What you need:

• 4 ounces canned salmon (canned in water with no added salt is best)
• 1 cup flour (gluten-free if needed)
• 1 egg

How to make:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until a soft dough forms.
2. Roll out the dough to 1/2-inch thickness and cut into pieces with a knife or cookie cutter.
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Let cool before serving.
4. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Catnip treats for cats

What you need:

• 4 ounces canned tuna (canned in water with no added salt is best)
• 1 cup flour
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons dried catnip

How to make:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, making sure the catnip is evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
2. Roll into 1/2-inch balls or roll out the dough and cut into small bite-sized squares.
3. Bake for 7-10 minutes and let the treats cool before serving.
4. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Frozen cat food treat

What you need:

How to make:

1. Fill an ice tray with canned cat food and freeze until firm.
2. Serve your cat on a hot day for a tasty, cooling treat.

Cheesy cat treats

What you need:

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup sour cream

How to make:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until a dough forms.
2. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into small squares or use a cookie cutter.
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool before serving.
4. Store for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.

No Bake Fishy Bites (for cats)

What you need:

• 3 ounces canned tuna, flaked
• 1/2 cup quick oats
• plain Greek yogurt, to thicken

How to make:

1. Combine tuna and oats, then slowly add Greek yogurt (1–2 tablespoons at a time) until mixture holds together.
2. Roll into small balls.
3. Serve immediately. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

First of all, making homemade treats is an expression of love — a bit like making brownies for your kids or preparing your partner’s favorite meal.

Homemade treats also give you a lot more control over the ingredients. Many store-bought treats are made with the leftovers from the leftovers (like things they don’t even put in hot dogs) and other fairly low-quality filler ingredients.

Your dog or cat may not tolerate store-bought treats well, or they may have allergies or another condition that requires a more specialized diet.

Plus, homemade treats are less expensive than high-quality, store-bought treats made with similar ingredients. Cha-ching and meeee-ow!

In general, vets recommend that your pets get no more than: 10 percent of their daily calories of treats. This may require a little math and a phone call to your vet to ask how many calories your pet needs each day.

You will usually find the calorie content of your pet’s food on the bag or container. And you can easily calculate the nutritional value of your homemade dog treats using recipe builders on food tracking apps like MyFitnessPal.

It’s important to stick to this guideline because the treats you give your pet are slightly higher in calories (more calories in a smaller serving) than their food. Feeding your pet too many calories can lead to obesity, which puts them at increased risk for diabetes, heart problems and joint problems.

When making homemade treats for dogs or cats, you can have some that will cause your pet to have a bad reaction such as an allergic reaction or digestive upset. Of course, if this is the case, you should immediately stop feeding your pet and take him to the vet if he needs medical attention.

It may be easier to locate the no-no ingredient in homemade treats than in store-bought treats, because homemade treats generally contain fewer ingredients.

If your pet has a pet food that it tolerates well, comparing your treat ingredients to the ingredients on the food container can help you narrow down the new ingredients introduced into the treat that they may have problems with. Of course, you should also contact your pet’s vet for help and guidance.

Here’s a quick reminder list of things dogs and cats should do NEVER eat (sweet or not):

• chocolate or cocoa
• xylitol
• onions, garlic or chives
• grapes, raisins or grape juice
• macadamia nuts (and nuts in general)
• avocado
• mushrooms
• citrus fruits
• coconuts or coconut oil
• raw meat or eggs
• yeast dough
• alcohol
• coffee, tea or soft drink

It’s also a good idea to avoid foods that are high in fat or salt, as they can cause problems with your pet’s pancreas and other metabolic problems.

Hey, if you use ingredients that are safe for humans, make them from scratch, and cook them completely (or use ingredients that are safe to consume without cooking), then you do, boo.

However, because our puppies and cats don’t really need extra salt, sugar or fat, their treats may not taste as good to you. You can also get a big side eye from your pets for making movements on their munchies.

BTW, you should not eat store-bought pet treats or treats made from store-bought cat or dog food. While these products are technically made from ingredients that are safe for humans to eat, they’re usually made with leftover animal parts — such as bones, skin, and cartilage — and they’re definitely not intended for human consumption.

Homemade pet treats are a great way to control the quality of the treats your pet gets, show them love with a tasty homemade treat, and save money.

Be careful not to give your pet too many treats (no matter how cute they beg for it), and be sure to avoid ingredients like chocolate, xylitol, onions and grapes, which can be harmful to dogs and cats. And if you want to taste your homemade treats, make sure they are fully cooked.