Easter treats for cats and dogs

Easter is just around the corner and that means chocolate, hot-cross buns and lots of it! Where we humans can consume both of these treats, our furry friends cannot. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to give some special Easter treats to them, too? We’ve put together some pawfect recipes for homemade cat and dog treats below, along with some information on best ingredients to use and what to be aware of.

Good to know

  • The human digestive system works differently to those of our furry friends, so be aware that offering our pets treats off our plate is providing extra calories in their diet that could add up to extra kilos.
  • Extra kilos can potentially lead to diabetes, bone and joint discomfort/damage and more.

Should you use natural or processed ingredients?

It’s best to use the most natural ingredients possible for these treats. Most things you’ll probably have in your pantry/fridge already. It’s best to check the ingredients labels anyway of the ingredients you use, such as peanut butter or tuna.

  • When using peanut butter in treats or as a snack for your animal on its own, try to use natural peanut butter with no additives (salt, sugar or xylitol).
  • There’s a high chance there will be canned fish used in a lot of cat treats, so when using any canned fish, like tuna, best to use a springwater variety, not oil. This will prevent extra calories ending up in your recipe where they’re not needed.

Recipe for Cats

Easter Bunny Tuna Biscuits

What you’ll need:

  • 175g canned Tuna (in water), drained
  • 225g plain flour
  • 220g dried cornmeal or polenta (keep some extra out for sprinkling)
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 2tbs water
  • Rabbit/bunny shaped cookie cutter
  • Rolling pin

Method:

  1. Be sure to preheat your oven at 180 degrees, fan forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
  2. In a medium/large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients together until a soft dough has formed. Leave it aside to rest for 10 minutes.
  3. Using the extra dried polenta or cornmeal, sprinkle some over a flat surface. With your rolling pin, roll the dough out over the sprinkles into 1cm thickness. Cut as many bunny shaped biscuits out as you can with your cookie cutter.
  4. Bake the bunny biscuits for 15-20 minutes. Once baked and slightly golden (prevent from overcooking so they aren’t too tough), leave to completely cool before feeding to your cat on Easter morning!

Recipe for Dogs

Peanut Butter and Banana Easter egg cookies

What you’ll need:

  • 1 ripe banana, mashed
  • 225g plain flour
  • 3tbs natural peanut butter
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • Egg shaped cookie cutter

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees fan forced and line a baking tray with baking paper.
  2. In a medium to large bowl, combine all the ingredients thoroughly until you reach a dough texture, then let the mixture rest for five minutes. If the mixture is too wet, add some extra four in small amounts until you reach the desired texture.
  3. On a flat, lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into 1cm thickness and cut as many egg shapes with your cookie cutter.
  4. Bake for 32-35 minutes, until golden brown. Make sure to leave them to cool completely before treating your dog.