TeenHelp - Baked holiday treats for your pets

Baked holiday treats for your pets
By Chantal (WretatsyRemedial)

Holidays are about sharing delicious treats and spending time with one another including our pets. Our pets might enjoy receiving special homemade treats during this time. These treats can also be a great gift for those who have pets. This article will go over how to make healthy, homemade treats for your pets and for loved ones who have a pet they'd like to spoil.

Baked bird treats
This is a special treat for your bird that is packed with calcium and nutrients. These oatmeal chews are healthy and can also be used as a toy.

Oatmeal Chews

What you will need

Mixing bowls
Any sized mixing spoon
Measuring cups
Baking sheet/baking tray
Skewer (a long wooden or metal stick)

Ingredients

1 cup dry oatmeal
1 egg
2 or 3 tablespoons of honey
Dry fruit like raisins, currants or finely chopped fresh apple

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 177 degrees Celsius.
Spread a little vegetable oil evenly on the baking sheet to avoid sticking.
Combine the oats, egg, honey, dried fruit and/or chopped fresh apple and mix together with a spoon
Create a ball with the mixed ingredients.
You can make the ball as big as you would like to.
Hold the ball with your hands and use a skewer to poke a hole through the centre and out the top of the ball. Remove the skewer when you're done.
Place the balls with the hole in the centre on the baking sheet.
Bake for 7 to 10 minutes.

These bird treats last for three days so you will need to refrigerate any uneaten treats. You can hang them in the bird's cage or any special places the bird likes to go around the house.

Baked cat treats
Your cat will purr and knead you while you feed them this special tuna treat. It is packed with fresh tuna smells and nutrients for your cat.

Tuna Special

What you will need

Mixing bowls
Measuring cups
Food processor or blender
Baking sheet/baking tray
Parchment paper/baking paper
Rolling pin

Ingredients

1 can tuna (drained)
1 egg
1 1/4 cups of flour (interchangeable with oats)
1/2 cup water
Dash of parsley

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 177 degrees Celsius.
Place parchment paper on the baking sheet.
In a blender or food processor combine tuna, egg, flour or oats, water, and parsley. Add more water if the flour or oats are sticky.
Dust a surface with flour and roll out the dough. If you are substituting flour with oats, use your palm to make small balls and then flatten them with a fork.
Use a small circle like a cap from a bottle to cut out the treats. Place them on the baking sheet.
Bake for 25 minutes.

Baked dog treats
Make something special for your dog as a treat, training tool, or a special holiday treat that can be used as a Christmas gift. These treats can be helpful for your dog if they are constipated or have diarrhea.

Pumpkin Balls

What you will need

Mixing bowls
Measuring utensils
Baking sheet/baking tray
Spoon any sized mixing spoon

Ingredients

1/2 can unsweetened pumpkin (not spiced or pie filling)
4 tablespoons of molasses
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1/4 tablespoons of baking soda and powder
2 cups oats
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 177 degrees Celsius.
Grease the baking sheet with some vegetable oil.
Combine pumpkin, molasses, water, and vegetable oil in a bowl and mix ingredients together.
Add the oats, cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder together. Mix all ingredients together with a spoon until everything softens.
Take a handful of the oats mixture and with your palms of your hands roll into balls.
Place the balls on the baking sheet. Optional: You can flatten them with a fork or leave them as balls.
Bake for 25 minutes or until they harden.

Baked rabbit and guinea pig treats

Try these treats packed with vegetables for your rabbit or guinea pig to chew on. They are great way to keep them busy and can be beneficial for their teeth because their teeth grow rapidly and this allows them to be shortened when chewing.

Vegetable Biscuits

What you will need

Mixing bowls
Measuring cups
Baking sheet/baking tray
Spoon any sized mixing spoon
Rolling pin

Ingredients

1 cup oats
1 cup rabbit pellets
2/3 vegetable broth
Fresh shredded carrots, chopped broccoli, chopped parsley
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 177 degrees Celsius.
With the spoon combine oats, rabbit pellets, vegetable broth, honey, olive oil, shredded carrots, broccoli, and chopped parsley together.
On a surface, place the combined ingredients and roll them out. Cut them out into different shapes.
Place them on the baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes. Turn off oven and let them cool down inside the oven for 1 hour.

Conclusion
These holiday treats serve as a great way to spend time with your pets. Pets love to be spoiled all year round, so try making one of these special treats for them around the holidays or any time of the year. You can even use holiday cookie cutters to cut them into shapes during different seasons. These are just some of the many treats that someone can make for their pets; to find more treat ideas Google your pet species and homemade treats.