I have to admit that after the endless pet food recalls of 2007, any recall puts me on edge. The recent salmonella recalls aren’t as frightening (or widespread) as the melamine-contamination recalls six years ago (Has it really been that long?) but they are still a cause for concern. Two of my favorite organic pet food manufacturers are included in the recall, so I’ve cracked out my pet food cookbooks and recipe cards (once again.)
In her last few years of life, my Siamese cat, Pepper, developed severe food hypersensitivity. Basically, she was allergic to most everything processed. Even natural and allergy-remedy foods made her ill. So, I began cooking her meals. Food hypersensitivity is fairly rare in pets—some studies estimate around 10% of the pet population has food allergies. They do tend to be more common in older pets. Pepper also suffered from asthma and seasonal allergies. And, she was a notoriously picky eater even before her hypersensitivity.
My vet helped me create a diet for Pepper that included not only cooked foods, but an array of vitamin supplements. She took daily doses of Nutri-cal Senior, a supplement paste that smells a bit like tuna and looks like chocolatey toothpaste. The pet food that you buy in the store is specially formulated to meet all your dog or cat’s nutritional needs and includes all the nutrients necessary for your pet’s good health. Crafting at-home dinners for your pet is much more difficult—not only because so many foods that humans consume are toxic to animals, but also because unlike purchased pet food, no one meal contains all the nutrients your pet needs. For instance, cat food (and strangely Red Bull) contains taurine. In the wild, your cat would get taurine from rodents. And, taurine is not something that you can mix in with a plate of chicken and rice.
Fortunately, there are some very good pet vitamins you can purchase to add to your homemade meals. Your vet can steer you in the right direction when it comes to add-ins, and there are several great websites (www.avma.org and www.petdiets.com) that can give you more information on how to craft a relatively balanced diet for your furry friend.
For me, this sudden renewed interest in homecooking is only temporary. After a month or two of no new recall information, I’ll probably start feeding my cats and Lady, my sole dog, their regular kibble. I’ve always baked them treats around the holidays when I get into my baking frenzy. But, since I pretty much live on soup and salads, I don’t usually have the desire to pull out the mixing bowl for anyone—furry or otherwise.
My reintroduction to the kitchen has been gratifying. I did a lot of cooking for Pepper and I’ve included a few of her and my other pets’ favorite recipes below. I hope your pet enjoys them. Pepper was notoriously picky when it came to her dinners. I sometimes sprinkled a little catnip on her food when she was in a really grouchy mood. No professional food critic can rival the scornful looks generated by an elderly Siamese. Fortunately, my current menagerie is much less picky when it comes to their chow. In fact, the cats tend to sit behind my heel as I cook willing their chicken to brown quicker and their rice to cool. Lady, on the other hand, goes through bouts of pickiness.
As she’s gotten older, she’s more particular about what she eats. She prefers treats to food—but then, so do I, so I can hardly complain on that score. She also favors only certain flavors—currently, she’s a turkey fanatic. Next week, she may only like beefy flavors. Pets, like people, have their favorites as any pet person knows. So, if your pet turns his or her nose up when you present them with tuna treats, it may be because they were hoping for liver rolls.
Pet nutrition is very complicated. Before you start whipping up food for your pet, you might want to consult the ASPCA’s pet poison and irritant page, as well as your veterinarian. I’ve noticed that a lot of pet food recipes online use onion and garlic powder—both of which cause anemia in cats and dogs. And, some pets do have food allergies. Pets also like foods that, frankly, smell quite unappetizing to humans. But, all of the recipes below are completely human-safe. You can take a nibble if you want, but I don’t advise it! Salmon Oat Balls may be the cat’s meow, but I’d rather eat toothpaste. You’ll also notice that quite a few of these recipes call for squash or pumpkin. Strangely enough, cats like pumpkin and it is a good source of water. My vet recommended I feed Licorice pumpkin when she had kidney problems and needed to increase her water intake.
I’m hoping that the latest recall will be over soon and that there will be no more foods or treats added to the list. So, bon(e) appetit! And, have fun in the kitchen.
Frisky Cat’s Salmon Oatballs:
• 1 small can of salmon
• ¼ c. oats (cooked)
• ½ c. pumpkin/squash (cooked)
• ¼ c. vegetable or safflower oil
Heat salmon in a skillet with oil until warm (not hot) and pliable. Mix in cooked oats and pumpkin. Let cool slightly and roll into balls. Add oatmeal as needed to get the balls to hold form.
Place balls on an ungreased baking sheet and cook at 350 for 5-10 minutes. Cool and serve.
**Pumpkin & squash are good sources of fiber and water. Most cats enjoy the taste of pumpkin, but for those that don’t a little salmon does a lot to change their minds!
Peakah’s Pumpkin Pies:
• ½ c. pumpkin puree
• ¼ c. heavy cream or half and half
• 1 egg
• Catnip or American Cheese (optional)
Preheat your oven to 450. Mix pumpkin, cream, and eggs in a small bowl. Pour mixture into muffin tins (greased). Catnip or American Cheese can be added to the top of each “muffin” if desired.
Bake at 425 for 15 minutes and then at 350 for 40 minutes. Check with a toothpick or knife for done-ness.
Cool one hour and serve while warm to waiting kitties!
Pepper’s Nippity Oatmeal:
• ½ c. oats
• 1 c. water
• ½ tsp. Butter/margarine
• 2 tbsp. Catnip (chopped)
• 2-3 tbsp. Milk
• 2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese grated
Place oats in a sauce pan/pot with water and 1 tbsp. margarine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until soft. Add catnip, remaining margarine/butter, and cheese and stir until margarine/butter is melted. Add milk (or cream) to cool and cheese to garnish.
Nonny’s Parmesan & Catnip Yogurt:
• 1 small container plain yogurt
• 3 tbsp. Parmesan cheese (or American)
• 1 caplet fish oil
• 1 tsp. Catnip (chopped)
Slice open fish oil tablet and stir into yogurt in a small mixing bowl. Stir in cheese slowly and add catnip. Stir until all ingredients are distributed. Serve 1-2 dollops as a treat. You can store the mixture for 1 week in the original yogurt container.
Lady’s Favorite Dog Bones:
• 1 ¾ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ c. oatmeal
• ½ c. cornmeal
• ½ c. Bonemeal powder (You can get this at pet stores and/or your local health food store)
• 2 eggs
• ½ c. milk
• 3 tbsp. Veggie or peanut oil
Preheat your oven to 325. Mix dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in eggs, oil, and milk. Knead dough and roll on a cutting board to ½ inch thickness. Cut with a cookie cutter or biscuit cutter. Cook on a greased cookie sheet 45 minutes (checking bottoms for browness). Cool and serve.
For a special treat. You can smear peanut butter on the top of a biscuit. These will keep 2 weeks in an airtight container or can be frozen. This will make 1 dozen large bone sized biscuits.
***Bone shaped cookie cutters are available at chain pet stores and at most cookie supply stores. But, these treats will taste great to your pet in whatever shape!
Liver Pop-Ups:
• ½ lb. Liver, chicken, tuna (processed or minced)
• ¾ c. cornmeal
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp. Cod-liver oil/fish oil
• Optional bacon crumbles
Preheat your oven to 400. In a medium mixing bowl, combine meal, egg, and meat using a blender on low or a spoon. Stir in fish oil and crumbles if desired. Pour into greased muffin tins and bake 20-30 minutes. Test for done-ness with a knife or toothpick.
**Fish oil is great for pets with dandruff or eczema. For a kitty variation, use tuna or chicken and replace catnip for the bacon crumbles.
Dog-Gone-Crazy Biscuits (Dog):
• 1 c. whole wheat flour
• ½ tsp. Baking powder
• ½ c. chunky peanut butter
• ½ c. milk
• ½ c. oats
• ¼ c. bacon crumbles or crumbled dog treats
Preheat your oven to 350. Combine flour, baking powder, milk, oats, and crumbles. Work in peanut butter slowly. Roll into balls place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten with a fork. Bake 15-20 minutes. Mmmm. . .a treat for any hungry pooch!
Lady-Dog’s Cheesy Liver Puffs:
• 1 c. whole wheat flour
• 5 eggs yolks (beaten)
• 6 cups American cheese (softened)
• 1 c. liver chopped and cooked
• ¼ c. milk
Mix flour with cooked liver in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in egg yolks. Add cheese and milk folding into the mixture. Roll into balls or flatten into patties and serve. These can be frozen.
This treat will serve several dogs.
