Homemade Holiday Pet Treats: ‘Bone-afide’ Christmas Recipes for Fido & Fluffy

With the holidays right around the corner, many people are scouring the crowded stores in hopes of finding those last-minute gifts, busy wrapping presents and/or preparing for that big holiday meal. But in the hustle-and bustle of a busy and hectic holiday season, many folks overlook other valued members of the family – our furry, four-legged friends.

Whether your family consists of a Fluffy or a Fido, it’s important to remember our beloved pets during the holidays too! And you don’t need to spend a fortune either. Why not whip up a batch of homemade pet treats that are safe to eat and guaranteed to be tail-waggin’ “bone-afide” hits? Grab a few of your favorite holiday cookie cutters and you are on your way to being the cat's meow and the top dog in your house!

While the holidays can hold additional hazards and dangers for our furry friends such as tinsel, certain table scraps and poisonous plants, it is important to remember certain ingredients humans consume can cause serious illness or can be deadly to pets!

Recipes for Homemade Holiday Doggy Treats

• Gourmutt Holiday Peanut Butter Treats – This simple recipe sounds dog-gone good! You’ll need molasses, natural peanut butter and oil! There is also another recipe for Christmas Carob Mint Dog Cookies too!

• Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Dog Treats – This top-rated recipe calls for canned pumpkin, peanut butter and ground cinnamon.

• Peanut Butter Slice and Bake Biscuits – Besides smooth peanut butter, this recipe also calls for whole wheat flour, molasses, wheat germ and shredded dried beef for the topping.

• Christmas Cheese-a-licious Cookies – You’ll need low-fat Cheddar cheese, low-fat cottage cheese, whole wheat flour and canola oil. I’d skip the nuts since some nuts can cause serious upsets in pets.

• Homemade Dog Biscuits – This recipe, from Martha Stewart, has gotten some hair-raising reviews! You’ll need wheat germ, brewer’s yeast, low-sodium chicken stock and all-purpose flour for this one.

• Dog Christmas Cake Recipe – This recipe calls for wheat germ, whole wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, molasses, canola oil, vanilla extract, an apple and 2 eggs.

• Christmas Dog Treats – Just in case Fido is watching his waistline, this minty recipe is low in fat and low in calories! You’ll need whole wheat and unbleached flour, oats, bran, dry milk, dry yeast, spearmint leaves or peppermint extract, applesauce, spinach powder or green food coloring.

• Gingerbread Dog Bones – You’ll need all-purpose and whole wheat flour, molasses, cinnamon and ginger for this recipe.

Homemade Feline Treats

• Cat Crackers – This recipe calls for tuna, cornmeal and flour. Roll out the mixture, cut into treat-sized pieces and bake for 20 minutes.

• Fish-tive Holiday Pretzels – You’ll need canned tuna or salmon, butter and whole-wheat flour for this kitty treat. Recipes for Holiday Cheese Balls and Gobble-Ups are also included.

• Kitty Kisses – This interesting recipe calls for a can of cat food, cat nip and a Ziploc bag!

• Joyous Cat Food – This baked recipe calls for milk, flour, an egg and meat and veggies. Use a holiday cutter to cut into fun shapes.