As a pet owner, no doubt you want to give your dog or cat the best care possible. And caring for your pet means feeding him the best diet you can.

Animals, because they are color blind, choose their foods by smell. Most dogs like gamey flavors best, as well as liver, fat, garlic, horsemeat, lamb, beef, cheese and fish.

Cats enjoy chicken, liver, fish, turkey, lamb, and prefer fresh to aged flavors. Remember that cats are fussy eaters and it is not wise to continually feed them their favorite foods. Soon they will refuse to eat anything else; it is your job to see your cat has a balanced diet.

Warning: Do not feed cats onions!

Animals do not need salt added to their diet as the natural salt in the food is enough for them.

Dogs may eat any vegetable they want, but cats should not have any starchy veggies, like peas and corn. Some dogs and cats even enjoy fruits!

It’s a good idea to always add a grain, such as Kibble, wheat germ, cooked oatmeal or whole wheat bread to meat dinners. For dogs use 75% carbohydrate foods (grains and vegetables) to 25% meat.

You will find, once you begin making your own pet foods, that it is really relatively simple and you will save some money as well. remember that all pet foods should be served at room temperature; don’t serve food cold from the refrigerator nor hot from the stove.

Incidentally, you should know that cats should be fed three times a day, while an adult dog needs only one meal a day.

Cats are healthier on a diet of raw meat supplemented with priobiotics. Consult with your veterinarian before offering a raw meat diet to an immunocompromised cat. Meat should be fresh and frozen for 24 hours then thawed and offered to your cat. Consult your veterinarian before suddenly changing the diet. Many pet stores offer raw foods in the cooler section.

One site states “Some raw food proponents also add other ingredients:

• fresh, raw vegetables, including broccoli, carrots, squash, and potatoes
• raw fruits (apples, cranberries, and bananas are frequently mentioned)
• grain, such as barley, oats, or brown rice (whole, ground, or sprouted)”

I personally had a cat who loved honeydew and cantaloupe. He would eat it the same way that we eat corn on the cob.

Here are some cooked pet recipes you can make at home. Limit the amount of liver that you pet eats.

SAUTEED LIVER

• Heat 1 teaspoon corn oil in a pan.
• Add 1/4 pound beef liver and fry on both sides until cooked but not dry inside.
• Add 1/2 cup water to the pan and mix it up with all the brown bits.
• For dogs, cut the liver into pieces and serve; for cats, grind the liver in a blender, using the pan juices.

VEAL STEW

• Combine 1/2 pound stewing veal, 1 cup canned tomatoes, 1 cup water, 1 chicken bouillon cube, and parsley in a pot and simmer.
• When meat is tender, remove all the bones.
• For dogs, cut the meat in chunks, and mix stew with kibble or some other grain; for cats, grind the stew in blender, adding a tablespoon of wheat germ.

CHICKEN SOAP

• Combine 1 chicken liver, 1 giblet, 1 chicken heart, 1 chicken neck, 2 cups water and 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley.
• Cover and simmer until the giblet is tender.
• Chop all the meat for dogs removing bones and mix with kibble; for cats, you may want to grind the meat in the blender.

CHICKEN SOUP

• Combine 1 chicken liver, 1 giblet, 1 chicken heart, 1 chicken neck, 2 cups water and 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley.
• Cover and simmer until the giblet is tender.
• Chop all the meat for dogs removing bones and mix with kibble; for cats, you may want to grind the meat in the blender.

LIVER COOKIES

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine 1/2 cup dry milk and 1/2 cup wheat germ; drizzle 1 teaspoon honey on top.
• Add one 3 oz. cooked blended liver and stir until everything is well mixed.
• Form the mixture into balls; place them on an oiled cookie sheet and flatten them with a fork.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes.
• Consistency should be fudgy.
• Store in a jar in the fridge; freeze if keeping more than a few days.

MACKEREL DINNER

Heat 1 tsp. corn oil in a skillet and fry 1 small mackerel until it flakes apart easily. Remove and cool. Pour 1/2 cup hot water into the pan and scrape the brown bits into it. Remove the bones from the fish and mix with the juice. For dogs, serve in pieces with kibble; for cats, grind with the pan juices.

BEEF COOKIES

• Following the recipe for Liver Cookies, using cooked beef puree instead.

FISH COOKIES

• Follow the recipe for Liver Cookies but use instead 3 1/2 ounces of mashed and boned mackerel, either canned or freshly cooked.

DOG MORSELS

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 cups white flour
• 1 cup skim milk powder
• 2 eggs
• water
• 1/2 cup melted beef or pork drippings (or lard)
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix ingredients together with enough water to make a stiff dough. Roll out and cut into Christmas shapes. Bake on cookie sheet until hard.

BUDGIE BROWNIES

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 tsp. finely ground cuttlebone
• 1 cup hulled millet
• 2 tbsp. liquid honey
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp. raw wheat germ
• 4 egg yolks (for larger birds add 1/2 cup peanuts)
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Pat into a greased and floured baking dish.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until firm (if edges start to get too brown, cover with foil).
• Cool and cut into small squares.

LIST OF FOODS KNOWN DANGEROUS FOR CATS:

The following list is taken from the site: www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=104435