Does anyone make their own pet food?

[lizbids]

Since a few threads started regarding toxic pet food, does anyone here cook meals for their pets? I'm not a dog-owner yet, but I sure would love to own a Lab :) I wonder if I'd be able to cook for her/him? Does it get super-expensive? Labs are piggies!!

[smilingcat]

I occasionally cook up a batch for our dogs. A golden and a lab mix.

Basically a stew without any seasoning except bit of salt. We use a whole chicken and I don't even bother butchering the chicken apart. cook it with lots of carrots don't even bother peeling, some rice, onion, and celery.

After its cooked let it cool and strip the meat from the bone and throw away the bone. Well that goes without saying.

I costed it out once and it's definitly cheaper than the canned dog food. but not quite as cheap as a premium dog food. Pretty close though. Premium dog food is around $1.50 to $2.00 per pound.

They also like my homemade peanut butter doggie biscuits.

Even though the home made dog food is more expensive per pound, we feed less of it. So in the end, I'm not sure which is more economical.

The other thing to consider too is, is the home made dog food nutritionally balanced? Or is there some supplement I need to add like taurine for the cats.

For me, its more convenience factor.

Dogs definitly like the homemade dog food over anything you can buy.

Get your chicken, rice, carrots and other ingredients at Costco or an equivalent place. Their prices are very competitive to restaurant supplier or even wholesalers.

Shawn

[lizbids]

Thanks for the info, Smilingcat! Oh, did you know that Lifetime tv has a cute cat contest on their web site? My sister sent in a picture of her cat. :p We'll see if she wins!

[smilingcat]

wish your sister lots of luck. Since I'm not entering any of my kitties photo she'll have a chance :D

Shawn

[roguedog]

Ya...

it's called leftovers (that have been in the fridge for a few days) :rolleyes:

[LBTC]

I used to. They got raw meat, which is much better for them than cooked, and vegetables. They were so good at picking the veggies out, though, that I had to cook squash and use some ground beef. We didn't add any seasoning, especially salt, as they really don't need it! All the dogs and cats thrived on the food, but they all preferred it fresh, so it was a lot of work twice a day for two dogs and two cats. Our border collies were both calmer on the home made food, and the yard was much easier to keep clean!

I stopped last year as I moved to a new job in a new city and I lived here for 5 months with DH and all 4 "kids" in our old town....since DH was renovating the house to sell it he sure as heck didn't have time to make the food himself! So the dogs eat Nutram kibble, and frequently get small bits of meat, as long as I have cooked it myself - ie no preservatives, added. Our Ted cat is a super fussy eater with several health conditions so it's important for him to eat every day....and all we've found that he will eat is Fancy Feast - and only 3 varieties at that!

We are still on a terribly tight budget, so I'm afraid we are not able to make their food right now. With the whole pet food scare, though, I feel terrible about it!

Look up the BARF diet, there are lots of sites with info on it.

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[lizbids]

Thanks for the tips! My parents have a cat named Teddi...and he loves Fancy Feast. I always make sure that I have a can with me when I come home, as it's a treat for him (rather than the dry food). In fact, both cats became so accostomed to my bringing the food it created a Pavlovian effect: as soon as I walked downstairs they'd stare at my hands as if to say, "Where's the Fancy Feast?" Very cute :D

[7rider]

My sister-in-law makes food for her cat(s). One or more is very sensitive to store-bought foods, so she needs to make her own. It's Alaskan pollock and veges, but I'm not sure of the exact recipe, but I could probably find out her method if you're curious.

Edit: Oh...and my bunnies get a twice daily salad that is made by me in the overworked salad spinner! Does that count as "home made"?? ;)

[makbike]

I do not make my own pet food but if you want to do so please keep a few things in mind. There are some things that should be avoided (onions for example can cause anemia, tomatoes are very acidic and cause stomach upset, etc) check with your vet for they should have a list of these foods. There are also things that must be added to keep your pet healthy. Taurine must be added to cat food to prevent cardiomyopathy and retinal disorders as well. If you are going to pursue this please sit down with your vet for ideas, suggestions, etc. They may have "recipes" they can give you to insure that your cat/dog gets a properly balanced diet. Again, I am not an expert and with my crew of thirteen (8cats, 2 dogs, a rabbit, a guinea pig and a chinchilla) I feed high quality processed diets. They are all healthy, happy and enjoying a good life.

[ccnyc]

Whole Health for Happy Cats: A Guide to Keeping Your Cat Naturally Healthy, Happy, and Well-Fed by Sandy Arora
http://www.amazon.com/Whole-Health-Happy-Cats-Naturally/dp/1592532667/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-0238299-2344051?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1174871398&sr=1-1
Excellent cat specific book with large section on making nutritionally balanced food. Detailed info on taurine, proper calcium/phosphorus ratio, etc.
I've been making food for my cats for the last 7 years. It's not difficult and the results are outstanding... beautiful, healthy cats with gorgeous coats and sweet personalities.