🍪 Homemade Meals & Treats for Pets: Pros, Cons, and How to Balance Nutrients
Last Saturday, I baked a batch of banana oat cookies. The twins said, “Yay, snacks!” Tolu said, “Yay, snacks!” I turned around for one minute—ONE—and suddenly, there were crumbs, some very happy pets, and three very angry children.
Turns out, my “healthy cookies” were more pet-friendly than kid-approved. And thus began my deep dive into homemade meals and treats for pets. Spoiler: it’s not as simple as giving them what’s left on your plate.
🧠 Did You Know?
Before commercial pet food became a billion-dollar industry, most dogs and cats were fed homemade meals—leftovers, scraps, and stews. But with today’s science, we now know that homemade doesn’t always mean healthy.
Just like us, pets need specific nutrients in the right proportions—too much rice or too little calcium, and you might be creating a cute nutritional disaster with a wagging tail.
💡 What I’ve Learned (So Far):
✍️ Pets love homemade stuff because it smells better than store kibble.
✍️ Dogs can’t eat everything humans eat—onions, chocolate, grapes, and garlic = NOPE.
✍️ Treats should make up no more than 10% of a pet’s daily food intake.
✍️ It’s easy to overfeed carbs and underfeed protein or fats.
✍️ Cooking bones = bad. They become brittle and can splinter.
🍳 What We’re Practicing:
Simple pet-friendly recipes like:
⭐ Banana-oat cookies (pet-approved, kid-rejected)
⭐ Boiled eggs and sweet potato mash
⭐ Chicken & pumpkin meatballs
⭐ We avoid spice—no salt, no seasoning cubes, no pepper!
⭐ I add calcium supplements or crushed eggshells to homemade meals.
⭐ Pet meals go into clearly labeled containers so Daddy doesn’t eat from them by mistake again. 🙃
⭐ We keep homemade days to twice a week to prevent imbalance.
⚠️ What to Take Seriously:
✍️ Homemade meals MUST be balanced over time. Don't just wing it.
✍️ Check your pet’s weight, poop (yes, I said it), and energy levels regularly.
✍️ Use a vet-approved recipe or work with a pet nutritionist.
✍️ If in doubt—don’t feed it. Google isn’t a vet, but it can help you double-check quickly.
✍️ Treats = occasional. Love = daily. 💛
🛒 Fur Mom Faves:
❤️ PetFusion Stainless Steel Pet Bowls – Because Clean Food Deserves Clean Bowls
❤️ Pet MD Calcium Supplement for Dogs & Cats
❤️ Homemade Healthy Dog Treats Recipe Book
📺 How It Ended:
The next day, I made two batches of the banana cookies; one for the pets, one for the kids. I added chocolate chips to the kids’ batch. Guess who tried to eat the wrong one? Stu. That cat’s trying to give me grey hairs.
But now, everyone’s happy. Blaze and his fur sibs get their soft cookies, Tolu and his sisters get crunchy ones, and I get the satisfaction of knowing nobody is poisoned or protesting.
📝 Final Thoughts:
✅ Homemade is awesome—when you plan it.
✅ Stick to simple, safe ingredients.
✅ Balance is everything. Just because they can eat it doesn’t mean they should.
✅Your pet is not your leftover bin; feed them responsibly they're your furry family.
🐾 Coming Up Next: The Role of Protein in Your Pet’s Diet
Also known as: Why Raya now sniffs her kibble like it owes her steak.
😂 Affiliate Disclosure:
Yes, I may earn a commission from those links above. It helps keep Blaze from stealing the kids’ lunch, helps me buy better baking trays, and maybe—just maybe—pays for the therapy Stu clearly
needs. No pressure. 😎
✌️ Signing out!
Nene Ajayi,
Your neighborhood fur-parent, treat baker, and drama survivor.
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