Simple, pet-safe recipes to make your furry friend feel extra loved this holiday.
It’s finally here. The leaves are turning gold. The scent of spice is in the air. Fall festivities are in full swing, and we want to make sure everyone gets a piece of the (pumpkin) pie. Here at CUDDLY, we take our Thanksgiving feasts seriously, and our pets get a seat at the table, too. So, let the gourd times roll and get to baking, ‘cause we’ve got a list of tasty, Thanksgiving-themed treats your dog or cat will love.
Frozen Pumpkin Yogurt Drops
Ingredients And Supplies:
- 1 cup plain pumpkin puree (not pie filling!)
- 1 cup plain, unsweetened yogurt (such as Greek yogurt)
- Sheet pan
- Parchment paper
Method:
- Lay out parchment paper over a sheet pan (this ensures easy cleanup after freezing!).
- Mix the pumpkin puree and the yogurt together.
- Spoon out little drops of the pumpkin yogurt mixture onto the sheet pan before popping it into the freezer for a few hours.
- After the time is up (and tummies are growling), take the sheet pan out of the freezer and place a yogurt drop or two in a bowl or on a plate for your pet to gobble up! Be sure to store the leftover yogurt drops in an airtight container in the freezer.
Dogs and cats can both have plain, unsweetened yogurt. The live and active cultures can even aid in digestion! But be careful, especially if your pet hasn’t had yogurt before. No two pets are the same, and for some, yogurt can cause GI upset. Most importantly, remember that yogurt is a treat—not a daily meal.
Cranberry Turkey Biscuit Bites
Ingredients And Supplies:
- ½ cup fresh cranberries
- ½ cup canned turkey pet food (canned cat food for cats, canned dog food for dogs… you got this!)
- ¾ cup oat flour, more if needed (be sure to use oat flour and not wheat flour! Oat flour is easier for dogs and cats to digest. If you don’t have wheat flour, rice flour is another option, but it may affect the measurements of this recipe)
- 1 egg
- Food processor or knife
- Sheet pan
- Parchment paper
- Cookie cutters (optional)
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and place the parchment paper over a sheet pan.
- Blend the cranberries in a food processor or use a knife to mince them into small pieces.
- Add the chopped cranberries, turkey, oat flour, and egg to a bowl. Mix until a dough begins to form, sprinkling in more oat flour if the mixture is too wet.
- Roll out the dough and cut out shapes with a cookie cutter or a knife. Adjust the size of the biscuit to match your pet! Cats will prefer smaller biscuits than dogs.
- Place the dough cutouts onto the sheet pan before popping them in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
- Note: the size of your biscuits may affect the cooking time! Be sure to keep a close eye on them while they’re in the oven.
- When the biscuits are golden brown, take them out of the oven to cool. Give them a good 30 minutes to cool off before you package them up in an airtight container or offer them up to a snacky pet.
Sweet Potato And Apple Chews
Ingredients And Supplies:
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 2 apples
- 2 sheet pans
- Parchment paper
- Knife or mandolin
- Wooden spoon
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200°F and place parchment paper over your sheet pans.
- Use a kitchen knife to slice your sweet potatoes and apples into thin pieces. If you have a mandolin, you can use it to slice the sweet potatoes into more even pieces in less time.
- Place sweet potato and apple slices on the sheet pans, ensuring that there’s a decent amount of space between them.
- Pop the sheet pan in the oven and prop the oven door open with the wooden spoon. Bake the slices for around 1 hour, checking on them halfway through.
- Continue to dehydrate the slices until they reach your desired level of chewiness.
- Pull the sheet pans out of the oven and let the slices cool for at least 30 minutes before packing in an airtight container or offering to your pet.
Cats can have an occasional sweet potato snack, but since cats are obligate carnivores, they don’t need many carbs to stay healthy. Go easy on the sweet potatoes.
Or… Skip The Homemade
Isn’t the holiday season busy enough? We don’t blame you if you would rather spend more time with your fuzzy family members instead of standing over a stove all day. Hop on over to the CUDDLY shop and pick up a bag (or several) of CUDDLY Turkey Crispers! These little rounds of crispy goodness are made with 100% dehydrated turkey, for a tasty snack your fuzzy friend will love. Better yet, every crisper purchase gives back to an animal in need. Could we be any more thankful?
