With the holidays fast approaching, we want to give you a quick and easy guide on do-it-yourself treats and toys for your pets, be it a dog, lizard, cat, bunny, or fish. These gifts are designed to be easily made and require things you already have around the house. Let’s jump right in!
Dogs: Homemade Peanut Butter Treats
This recipe is one of our volunteers’ own recipes! The treats are nice and healthy, with no added preservatives. You can control exactly what goes into them. If you want to add a touch of sweetness for your pup, you can mix in one to two tablespoons of raw honey.
2 ½ cups of flour
1 egg
1 cup of peanut butter (Make sure it’s dog safe!)
1 cup of water
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour and the egg. Add the peanut butter and water and stir until you have a stiff dough. You may need to use your hands to mix it thoroughly.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough about ½-inch thick and use a cookie cutter to make fun shapes. The treats barely spread and rise, so get creative with your shapes.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden. Once done, set aside to cool. If you made small cookies, use less time. We recommend checking them frequently.
Allow these cookies to cool completely before serving them to your pup. I make them regularly for my dog and she loves them!
Cats: Homemade Cat Toys
Let’s make your kitty a homemade t-shirt cat toy. This idea from Muslin and Merlot is super simple. Take some old t-shirts and cut them into roughly 2 inch by 6 inch strips. Layer three strips on top of one another and tie a knot in the middle. And that’s it! It’s a great way to get rid of old t-shirts and it gives your kitty something fun to play with. Just make sure that they aren’t too small for your kitty. Some bigger cats may require bigger strips to avoid intestinal blockages.
If you’re more crafty and know how to crochet, you could always crochet some catnip toys.
My favorite pattern is from Cafe del Craft. The pattern is called No Sew Cat Toy. It’s nice and easy to follow, and can be worked up in around an hour. The pattern is available for free on their blog. There are also more complex patterns for fish, mice, and even springy ones you can hang from your door. If you make one of their toys, take a pic of your pet playing with it, post it on social media, and tag Cafe del Craft in it! They love to see pets playing with their creations!
Fish: Frozen Treat Cubes
These homemade treats are nutritious and well-loved by fish, snails, and other aquatic animals. They are packed with nutrient dense ingredients that are both delicious and healthy for your scaly friends. This recipe comes from one of our volunteers.
Supplies:
Small silicone ice cube tray. The size will depend on the size of your tank and how many fish you have in it.
Fresh veggies and fruits like peas, nori, watermelon, lettuce, oranges, cantaloupe/melons, grapes, banana, zucchini/squash (make sure you boil firmer vegetables like the peas and zucchini to make them easier to digest)
Blender
Instructions:
Add your desired fresh veggies and fruits to a blender. Add just enough water that it will blend easily.
Turn the blender on. You want there to be small chunks, not a puree. Alternatively, you can use a potato masher and hand mash your fruits and veggies. You still want to add water to help them go in the mold.
Spread your prepared mixture into the mold, being sure to smooth out any lumps. Freeze them until solid.
To use these, just place one of the frozen treats into your fish tank. As they slowly melt and thaw, it will release small chunks of food for your fish to snack on!
Bunnies: Toilet Paper Treat Tubes and Forage Box
Save your toilet paper rolls for this bunny friendly gift. Make sure they are unscented, as the scent can upset their stomach. This one is fairly straight forward. You just stuff the toilet paper tube with timothy hay. If you want to make it extra special, fill it halfway, add a treat, and stuff it the rest of the way. As the rabbit works to get the hay out, they’ll be rewarded with a hidden treat!
To make a forage box, you’ll want a box with low sides and a large flat bottom. Grab scrap cardboard, paper, toilet paper and paper towel tubes, and other paper that is unpainted. You’ll want to shred everything into fairly small pieces. We recommend using inch by inch pieces of cardboard, or inch wide strips of the paper towel and toilet paper tubes. Spread the shredded paper products in the box. Sprinkle hay, pellets, and treats in the box. Since rabbits are foragers by nature, they’ll enjoy using their natural instincts to hunt for the treats in the forage box.
Check out The Bunny Lady for more information about other DIY bunny toys and treats!
Lizards: Homemade Lizard Hammock and Hideaways
All you need for this gift is sturdy fabric cut into a large square (the size should be big enough for your lizard to sit comfortable in), suction cups, and scissors. Fold the fabric in half and cut small holes in the corners. Use the suction cups to hang it up in your lizards enclosure. And that’s all you need to do. It’s a very quick and simple project that is also very affordable. We recommend making more than one, so when one gets dirty (AKA pooped on) you can trade it for a clean on right away! Find the complete instructions at Oddly Cute Pets!
To make a hideaway, you just need something large enough for your lizard to hide under with a hole in the side for entry. Flower pots and sand castle molds are easy enough to get ahold of. Just put one in the enclosure and lay it down on its side. You’ve got an easy hide already built! If you want to get more creative, use stones and lizard safe silicone to build a custom hideaway.
We hope this guide gave you some easy and affordable ideas for the holiday season, and will help you to spoil your pets!
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