Homemade Animal Treats

If you're not fond of purchasing premade animal treats at your local pet store, you can make your own pet snacks at home with everyday household ingredients. Pamper your dog, cat, ferret or bird with bone-shaped biscuits, cookies, suet ornaments and more. Before you whip up a batch of people cookies, however, be sure to exclude any ingredients that could potentially harm your pet.

  1. Harmful Human Foods for Pets

    • Chocolate, onions, raisins, grapes and macadamia nuts are all harmful or fatal to dogs, according to bellaonline. While there really isn't any substitute for the last four items, substituting carob in recipes that call for chocolate is a safe alternative for canines.

      According to Dr. James Glover of petpeoplesplace.com, chocolate is also unsafe for cats, so it's a good idea to exclude it from the diet of any pet you own. According to chow.com, cats are unaffected by carob, so if you must include chocolate-type ingredient, this is a good alternative for felines as well as dogs.

    Safe Human Foods for Pets

    • Animals love pungent ingredients in their treats, as their sense of smell can arouse a more tasty experience while they eat. Some of the most popular homemade-animal-treat ingredients include garlic (which can be a good substitute for the harmful onion in a recipe), oregano, sharp cheese, bacon and salt. Although you probably won't wish to smell their breath afterward, your pets will thoroughly enjoy biscuits baked with these ingredients.

    How to Make Dog Biscuits

    • One popular dog-biscuit recipe on gourmetsleuthcom calls for whole-wheat flour, milk, eggs, bacon fat, garlic powder, salt and water. These are some of the most common ingredients for most dog biscuits. Add some shredded cheddar cheese to this batter and your pet is sure to enjoy it.

      If you don't wish to make a full batch of biscuits, but would rather make only 15 or 20, use two and a half cups of wheat flour, one half cup of milk, one egg, one quarter cup bacon fat, a small shake of garlic powder, one half teaspoon of salt and a quarter cup of water. Blend everything together in a bowl, roll it out and cut it into shapes (bones for dogs, fish for cats). Bake for half an hour in a 350-degree oven on a greased cookie sheet. Allow the biscuits to cool before serving them to your pet.

    Make Your Own Bird Treats

    • Mix 16 ounces of melted lard or suet with two cups total of sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, cracked wheat and tiny mixed nuts. Pour this mixture into a small bundt pan or gelatin mold; chill in refrigerator until solid. Using a two-foot piece of yarn or small rope, loop the ring of suet around the branch of a tree or hanging bird feeder.

      You can also create bird-seed treats using pieces of toast coated with melted butter and sprinkled with assorted bird seed. Bake these in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees. You can spread these on the ground or hang them with yarn on a tree, bird feeder or indoor bird cage.