You might not have all these ingredients, but knowing what you can feed them is key to being able to make our own food to keep them healthy and alive. If you are missing any particular ingredient just leave what you don’t have out of the mix and feed them what you can.
It is important to note that animals have different nutrient requirements than humans. (see list of “ingredients to avoid” at the bottom of this article)
The basic pet food necessities for cats and dogs:
- High-quality protein (meat, seafood, dairy or eggs)
- Fat (meat or oil)
- Carbohydrates (grains or vegetables)
- Calcium (dairy)
- Essential fatty acids (egg yolks or oatmeal)
Dog Food Recipe #1
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups brown rice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 pounds ground turkey (or chicken)
- 3 cups baby spinach, chopped
- 2 carrots, shredded
- 1 zucchini, shredded
- 1/2 cup peas, canned or frozen
Directions:
- In a large saucepan of 3 cups water, cook rice according to package instructions; set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add ground turkey and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the turkey as it cooks.
- Stir in spinach, carrots, zucchini, peas and brown rice until the spinach has wilted and the mixture is heated through about 3-5 minutes.
- Let cool completely.
Dog Food Recipe #2
Ingredients:
- 1 cup quick oatmeal or quinoa
- 2 cups (one lb.) ground meat (beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, etc)
- 1/2 to 1 cup ground raw vegetables or rehydrated vegetables.
Directions:
- Add oats or quinoa to 2 cups salted boiling water, and cook until soft. Remove from heat.
- While oatmeal or quinoa is still hot, stir in meat. Heat should lightly cook it.
- Stir in vegetables when the mixture cools to lukewarm. Salt to taste if desired.
Cat-Approved Recipes
Cats are pure carnivores, and therefore require more protein than dogs. Cat foods should be at least half meat, eggs, or dairy products and half grains and vegetables.
Cat Food Recipe #1
Ingredients
- 1 cup fish (Tuna, Trout, Mackerel) fully cooked
- 1 cooked egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon fine chopped broccoli, steamed
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in food processor.
- Puree until blended and serve.
Cat Food Recipe #2
Ingredients
- 1 cup of broiled or baked chicken
- 1/4 cup of mashed steamed broccoli
- 1/4 cup of mashed steamed carrots
- Chicken broth, separated
Directions
- Place ingredients in a food processor with tablespoons of the chicken broth.
- Puree or crumble the ingredients until it resembles pate cat food. Gradually add broth until the mixture is smooth but not soupy.
- Serve at room temperature.
Once you’ve made your batch, note the date! It will keep refrigerated for one week or frozen for a month in an airtight container.
Ingredients to Avoid
- Chocolate
- Any candy containing the sweetener Xylitol
- Grapes and raisins
- Macadamia nuts and walnuts
- Moldy foods
- Mushrooms
- Mustard seeds
- Onions and onion powder
- Garlic (raw, cooked, and powdered)
- Yeast dough
And of course items like coffee grounds, tea, and alcohol should be kept away from pets. For more information, please see the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center website.
Check out more recipes on the Homestead Guru (click here).
