Quickstart Guide to Making Your Own Pet Food at Home

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. By making your own pet foods, you'll be saving money, up to 80%. And to top it off, it's easy; making pet food at home is probably a lot less time-consuming than you may have thought. With hundreds of websites offering free pet food recipes online, it's now easier than ever to make your own pet food.

To prepare healthy and nutritious food for your pet you should study your pet's natural habitat and food sources, and then prepare foods that most closely resemble their own natural or original diet.

Animals, because they are color blind, choose their foods by smell. Most dogs like gamey flavors best, as well as liver, fat, garlic, onions, horsemeat, lamb, beef, cheese and fish. Cats enjoy chicken, liver, fish, turkey, lamb, and yeast, and prefer fresh to aged flavors.

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.

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; for cats use half carbohydrate foods to half 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.

Homemade pet food should take a ridiculously small amount of your time. As a general guide meats should be raw and vegetables must be finely chopped in a food processor or by a hand grater.

When it comes time for feeding, it is important that you let your dogs and cats eat as much as they want at the time of feeding. Once their body becomes nutritionally satiated, they will cut their food intake, sometimes by half the amount, and go on a maintenance diet. Incidentally, you should know that cats should be fed three times a day, while an adult dog needs only one meal a day.

To get started, find a good book with pet food recipes and use it to start preparing simple meals. You can also get free recipes from many websites online. If preparing your own pet food is not an option for you visit the website below for some healthy pet food http://www.pet-care-supplies.co.uk/food/

C opyright © 2005. Bridget Mwape of http://www.pet-care-supplies.co.uk/ which offers thousands of products to help you care for your pets. This article may be reprinted as long as all the above links are active and clickable and this author box (byline) is not edited.



How To Keep Your Cat Healthy - Your Guide to Cat Diseases and Conditions, and How to Cure Them

Even with the best care, cats can become ill. Sometimes... Read More

Dog doors ? dog and owner reprieve

Buying dog doors onlineIf you need to buy a dog... Read More

Here?s How To Find The Right Pet Meds For Your Favorite Pet

Our pets depend on us for their every need, including... Read More

Buying a Custom Bird Cage

Many of us dream of having a beautiful, exotic bird... Read More

Pet Loss: Should You Clone Your Cat?

Clone a Cat, Go To Jail ...or at least... Read More

How To Use Horse Training Thinking To Solve Dang Near Any Problem With A Horse

Horse training can be a relatively mysterious subject to people... Read More

Chinese Shar Pei Character

If you have never seen a Shar Pei before, the... Read More

Tips & Guide To Looking For A Good Dog Trainer

Dog training is definitely not rocket science and is easier... Read More

Training Your Dog To Jump The Rope Trick: Simple and Fun Dog Trick

To teach a dog to jump, with your right hand... Read More

Ensure a Good Relationship Between Your Cat and Your Kids

Many parents know that the best way for children to... Read More

Grieving Our Pets Death

Our pets give us so much. They entertain us, listen... Read More

Goldfish Tips - Choosing The Right One

Tips to getting the right GoldfishGoldfish are a temperate breed... Read More

You Dont Get a Second Chance!

I'm sure you're aware of the bad reputation Pitbulls have.... Read More

Wooden Bird Cages

Gone are the days of boring bird cages. Today's bird... Read More

Canine Selection: A Guideline for Picking Your Perfect Companion

Let's face it ? everything is cute when it's small... Read More

My Tips to Take Care of a New Dog

So you're bringing home that cute little puppy from the... Read More

Tired of Vet Bills?

Do you make a lot of trips to the vet's... Read More

Bark Collars: Stop Unwanted Dog Barking

Bark CollarsMany pet owners become lost as to what to... Read More

Tank Requirements For Discus Fish

For Discus fish, there are 2 consideration in tanks -... Read More

The Top Ten Reasons You Can - And Should - Hold an Equine Educational Event

Boarding, Breeding, Training & Showing Stables:1. You need to fill... Read More

Scottie & Westie - This Mistake is Perfectly Understandable

Show an uninformed dog lover a photo of a Westie,... Read More

What Your Cat Wants You To Know

If your feline friend could speak your language, here a... Read More

How To Care For your Pet Dog

He will be there by your side, as your loving... Read More

Crate Training for Puppies and Dogs

Wondering how to begin crate training your puppy or dog,... Read More

Dog Anxiety - Fear of Thunderstorms, and Other Dog Fears

How to Deal With Anxiety in Your DogAnxiety in dogs... Read More

If you'd like to keep up-to-date,
please complete the form below and we'll put you on the mailing list
to receive our twice-yearly newsletter for supporters

* Your email address:
* choes your language: