As if the recall of pouch and canned cat and dog food wasn’t plenty grim already, terrifying and scarifying, it’s gone from bad to even worse. Now, as you no doubt know, in addition to those disposal-bound pet eats, various biscuit treats have been added to the list of don’t-feed items.
Granted, filling their bowls with good, healthy, pet-safe stuff for breakfast and dinner is the priority. At the same time, Scrappy, Badger and Magic Kruse consider it their four-footed right to have, and my foremost duty to provide, regular rewards in the form of gobbleicious goodies.
There are, after all, those occasions when they deserve a reward, not to mention those times when an edible bribe is absolutely essential – as in, “See this? Hold still. We ARE going to get that rat out of your ruff, and then you can have it.”
Peculiarly, my explanations regarding the present dire food treat situation and certain limitations, seem to have fallen on deaf little cat and dog ears. They want their yummies, and they want them now!
Generally speaking, supermarket and pet store shelves are still stocked with a variety of presumably safe stuff. On the other hand, if you’d feel better about things, here are two recipes you can make yourself in your own kitchen, using your own safe ingredients.
Both the biscuits and the crunchies are taken from my copy of “A Purr-fectly Wonderful Cookbook,” compiled by Peninsula Friends of Animals in Sequim.
Before you begin, though, if you have any questions about any of the ingredients in either or both of the recipes, always check with your own veterinarian.
1cup rolled oats
1/2cup margarine
1cup boiling water
1/4cup cornmeal
1tablespoon sugar
1-2teaspoons chicken or beef bouillon
1/2cup milk
4ounces shredded cheddar cheese
1egg
2-3cups flour, divided
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. In large mixing bowl, mix together the oats, margarine and boiling water; let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in cornmeal, sugar, bouillon, milk, cheese and egg. Mix well. Slowly add flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition, to form a stiff dough. On floured surface, knead in remaining flour until dough is smooth and no longer sticky (3 to 4 minutes). Roll or pat out dough to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Cut out with bone-shaped cookie cutter. Place 1-inch apart on greased cookie sheets. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, cool thoroughly, then store covered.
Makes 42 large biscuits, or 96 small biscuits.
2cups whole grains (oatmeal, millet, cracked wheat, barley, corn)
1cup soy grits
1tablespoon sea salt
2quarts boiling water
1cup bran
3/4cup nonfat dry milk powder
1/2cup wheat germ
1/2cup brewer’s yeast
2tablespoons alfalfa powder
1tablespoon kelp powder
1tablespoon bone meal
1/2cup vegetable oil
1teaspoon cod liver oil
400I.U. Vitamin E
Slowly stir grains, soy grits and salt into a pot of the continuously boiling water. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Add more water, if too dry. Cool slightly. Add bran, dry milk powder, wheat germ, brewer’s yeast, alfalfa powder, kelp powder, bone meal, vegetable oil, cod liver oil and Vitamin E, stirring rapidly and thoroughly. Spread mixture thinly on a cookie sheet. For cats, score the dough into small squares or little ribbons before baking. Dry in the oven at 150 to 200 degrees until crisp. For dogs, bake first and then break into dog-bite size pieces.
The Forum is always happy to receive your contributions and requests, so send them along to Judyrae Kruse at the Forum, c/o The Herald, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206.
Please remember that all letters and all e-mail must include a name, complete address with ZIP code and telephone number with area code. No exceptions and sorry, but no response to e-mail by return e-mail; send to kruse@heraldnet.com.
The next Forum will appear in Friday’s Time Out section.
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