We never thought we would be one of those pet parents who would make pet food at home, but as they say – time surprises all.
Homemade pet food is not only cheaper than the ones available at grocery stores but it is also way better than those processed foods that you usually give your little friend to eat. Making homemade pet food does require a little extra effort on the owner’s part but the mental peace it gives you, of knowing that your pet has a rich diet, is unmatchable.
While people have all kinds of pets, in this guide, we will only focus on the two most common ones – cats and dogs.
Having said that, let’s break down some easy homemade cat and dog food recipes:
How to Make Homemade Dog Food
Just like any other food item, the best part of making dog food at home is knowing exactly what is going in your dog’s bowl. The most important thing to remember when making dog food at home is knowing that dogs have different nutritional requirements than humans, so it is essential that you make their food accordingly.
Below are two easy homemade dog food recipes that will help you become your dog’s personal chef.
Recipe 1:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups brown rice
3 cups of water
3 cups baby spinach, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 pounds ground turkey
1 zucchini, shredded
2 carrots, shredded
1/2 cup peas, frozen or canned
Method:
Step 1: Take a large saucepan, add 3 cups of water and boil rice in it.
Step 2: Take another pan and heat olive oil in it. Once that is done, add ground turkey in it and cook it for 3-5 minutes until it turns brownish. Make sure you crumble the turkey while you are cooking it.
Step 3: Add spinach, peas, brown rice, carrots and zucchini in the pan, cook it for 3-5 until the spinach becomes soft.
Step 4: Let the mixture cool and it is ready to be eaten by your dog.
Recipe 2:
Ingredients:
2 ½ cup of water
1 cup brown rice
2 cups sweet potato
2 pounds frozen mixed vegetables
2 large chicken breasts, cut into 6 pieces
Method:
Step 1: Take a slow cooker and add all the above mentioned ingredients in it.
Step 2: Either cook it for 5 hours on high or 8 hours on low.
Step 3: Take out all the ingredients from the slow cooker. Shred the chicken and mix it well with the vegetables and rice. Make sure everything is evenly distributed.
Step 4: You can keep it in the fridge for upto 3 days or freeze it in single portions.
Bonus Tip: You can also add bone broth powder in the mixture. It is extremely healthy and dogs also love its taste.
How to Make Homemade Cat Food
Many people wonder if cats can eat raw food. The answer to this is, yes, cats can eat raw food but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is against it because it involves risk of getting sick. While it is possible to feed raw food safely, it is hard to ensure it.
So, we recommend you have your cat eat cooked food. To make this task easier for you, we have some easy homemade cat food recipes for you.
Recipe 1:
Ingredients:
1 cup of cooked chicken
¼ steamed broccoli
¼ cup of steamed broccoli
Chicken broth
Method:
Step 1: Place all the ingredients in a food processor with multiple spoons of chicken broth.
Step 2: Crumble the ingredients until the mixture starts to look like canned cat food. Add broth to make the mixture smooth.
Step 3: Let the mixture cool down before serving.
Recipe 2:
Ingredients:
½ cup of cooked chicken
1 tablespoon cooked and mashed carrot
1 cup of tuna in oil
2 tablespoons brown rice
Method:
Step 1: Combine all the ingredients in a food processor.
Step 2: Blend the ingredients well until they turn into a mixture.
Step 3: Let your cat have it and put the leftovers in the refrigerator. Make sure you discard the leftovers after 3 days.
We hope that these recipes will help you prepare home cooked food for you little buddies. If you do not have the time to cook pet food at home, you can buy pet food from OLX Pakistan’s website.
Do let us know if you have any other recipes that can be added to this list.
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