Cooking for your animal?

Hello,

I just read it, and I would never have thought that you could do that. Is it really cheaper? what do you cook and how? It's true that cats and dogs' food is really expensive, if you can do something that taste better and is cheaper...

Thank you for your help

Although today many people say table scrap is not good for pets, people had been feeding their dogs and cats with table scrap for centuries. Basically they were eating what humans eat, but the leftover. If that is your idea of "cooking for pets", then it is cheaper than buying pet food for dogs and cats. If you cook just for the dogs and cats, it might not be cheaper than buying pet food. Since most likely you will only be able to find human grade ingredients on the food market. They will cost more than pet food with lower grade ingredients bought in bulk by pet food companies.

I cook treats for my bird all the time. I tried cooking some for my cat, too, but he wouldn't touch them. I ended up giving them to the neighborhood squirrels.

I'm not sure if I'm really saving money when I cook treats for my bird, but it gives me better control over what he eats.

My dogs get some table scraps, but that's about it for cooking meals from them. I do however make dog biscuits for them. I try and mix the scraps with their normal dog food. I don't like them to have too much of one or the other.

My daughter, though she doesn't cook, does buy the ingredients to mix her own food for her goats.

Except for some fruits and veggies sometimes, the small mammals get regular food. We don't want to do anything that could be inherently bad for them.

On Thanksgiving we would give my dogs a full plate of food each. It was more of a "why even bother to try and stop them from begging" situation, we let them pig out so we could enjoy our meal as well. Although I miss them putting their head on my lap when they wanted something.

We tried giving our dogs some homemade dog biscuits that some local person was selling, and they weren't interested in it at all.

I cook very often for my dogs.

My basic ingredients are minced meat and rice. First I buy frozen meat which I turn into minced meat with my blender. Then I cook the meat with potatoes and a bit of salt for taste. When I want to feed my dogs, I mix the cooked minced meat with rice.

Cost-wise I spend a bit less than what I would have if I were to buy dog food with an equivalent amount of protein. I also supplement this with chicken bones. Very often I can get this for near-free prices from the shops selling chicken rice. They use the bones to cook the soup. So at the end of the day, they throw the bones away.

I pay just a few cents for a big bag. Of course, the bones are tasteless after being cooked the whole day, but it's still a good source of calcium.

In the end, I don't really think it'd be cheaper. Right now, my fiancee and I spend $10 every two weeks for a big bag of cat food for two cats. If we had to cook food for our pets then we'd spend double that, most likely, each week. It's best that pet owners buy animal food for their pets.

It might not be cheaper, but it can be a lot healthier! I once ran into a site with a very good recipe for cat food. She used chicken meat with all the additives needed for cats (I can't remember exactly how it went but I can put a link here if the forum rules allow it). A lot of store bought food is really bad, feeding them dry food is not a good thing on its own and the food is usually produced as cheaply as possible. Our own table scraps are also pretty bad for our pets, since some of it can be very harmful and most of it is not beneficial for them at all. Cooking for your pets takes a lot of research, but you'll know exactly what your pet is eating, and it's a lot healthier food. You could easily make a months supply at a time, so it wouldn't take a lot of time either. I plan to start as soon as I get the right condition, and I would recommend you to look into it too

I have posted about giving animals human food before, and let me tell you, it is not good for your animals. If you are going to cook for them, you need to make sure that what you are cooking is safe for their digestive tracts and that it is properly cooked, and clear of all bones, seeds, and other potentially hazardous materials that could cause issues.

It does not matter that people have been giving their animals human food for centuries, that just means they have been irresponsible with their pets' health for centuries. There is a reason why they invented food for pets.

Now, not that I'm saying you can't cook for your pets. That is absolutely not what I'm saying. All I'm saying is you need to do your research and make sure you are not putting your animal at risk. There are some foods that are safe for animals if prepared and cooked properly. Here is a link to foods that are bad for dogs, but also ones that can be given safely: http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/ss/slideshow-...-never-eat

And here's one for cats: http://pets.webmd.com/cats/ss/slideshow-...-never-eat

I encourage you to do what is best for your financial situation, but I also implore you to do ample research to make sure your are protecting your pet. It is your responsibility to keep them healthy and happy. It's easy to find answers online, or in books, or you can even ask your local vet. Plus, if you're ever in doubt, don't do it. Better safe than sorry! Good luck!

(08-04-2012 05:54 AM)Laura Wrote:  Hello,

I just read it, and I would never have thought that you could do that. Is it really cheaper? what do you cook and how? It's true that cats and dogs' food is really expensive, if you can do something that taste better and is cheaper...

Thank you for your help

I heard of the same thing in the past, but I won't really risk to do it. I have a friend who did it, for the main purpose of being able to save. Dog food is getting more and more expensive. However, she did not know that her dog is allergic to some vegetables, and so her dog got sick. She ended up paying more because she had to bring her dog to the veterinarian and she had to confine him for 2 days. So for me, it's not worth it, unless you are exactly sure what to cook. Dog food is still the safest option because it is already mixed according to what dogs would be able to eat. I've never heard of any allergies caused by dog foods.

Also, the time it takes to cook food is just not worth it. I would rather spend time petting my dog, rather than spending it in front of the caserole.

Sometimes money get really tight at the end of the month and I give my dogs rice with chicken broth. When they eat it they act like they are getting a treat, and not because they are hungry. I also go to the Dollar Store and buy hotdogs. I then cut them up and mix them thoroughly in the rice. This gets a bit tricky, because my dogs are so smart that they will actually use their paws and dig out the hotdogs and eat them and then ignore the rice. I also like to give them hard bread sometimes. They seem to like the round ones. One of them likes to toss the round ones in the air and play with them. My dogs do not like dog food. I guess they just don't like the fact that cornmeal is usually the first ingredient.

I give my dogs leftovers all the time. I always keep dry dog food and water available so that they can eat anytime they want, but also, I give them special meals besides that. Often, I will use leftover chicken, and cook it along with some rice and chopped up carrots, and they really enjoy that ! I add a little olive oil, or wheat germ oil, or maybe an egg; so it also helps their coat to stay shiny.
With all the low quality dog food on the market nowdays, I find it makes a lot more sense, to give them good quality food; but supplement it with home cooked meals as well.