A Pet's Valentine's Day

I love my cats and they love having what ever it is I am eating. So for a change of pace this Valentine's Day, they will be having their special cookies and not mine. I found this tasty treat at Catster.com

Catnip Heart Cookies

Adapted from Free Pet Projects

Most cats go cuckoo for catnip in any form, but put the magic herb in a heart-shaped cookie and watch the fun begin!

Ingredients

1 cup of all-purpose flour
1/4 cup of whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons of wheat germ
2-4 tablespoons of catnip
1/3 cup of milk
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 tablespoon of molasses
1 egg

Directions

Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl (flour, wheat germ and catnip).

Combine the wet ingredients in a bowl (egg, milk, vegetable oil and molasses).

Mix the wet and dry ingredients together and work it into a dough

Lightly flour the counter or other work surface

Remove a portion of dough and use a rolling pin to uniformly flatten the dough to a thickness between 1/8 of an inch and 1/4 of an inch.

Cut the dough into hearts using a cookie cutter or a knife.

Place the cookies on a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake the cookies for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies are crisp and lightly browned.

This recipe will make approximately 50 medium-sized cat treats. Once the treats have cooled, gently remove them and place the cookies into several small freezer bags.

Since these treats are preservative-free, they will not last forever. So to extend the life of these treats, store them inside the freezer in several small freezer bags. As needed, remove a bag from the freezer and leave it out for several hours to thaw. Once the treats are thawed, transfer into a Tupperware container for easy access and store the treats inside the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

We all know dogs love chocolate. We also know it is not good for them. Why not let them think they are getting chocolate but instead something good for them. I found this treat at dogster.com

Carob-Dipped Valentine's Day Dog Treats

From Doggie Stylish

Ingredients

1 egg
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup beef or chicken broth
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon molasses
1/4 cup cooking oil
2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups carob chips

Cooking Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 F.

In a large bowl, combine egg, applesauce, broth, honey, molasses and oil. Gradually stir in flour.

Dough should be stiff, add flour or water to adjust.

On a well-floured surface, roll out dough into 1/4 inch thickness.

Use a heart shaped cookie cutter to make shapes from the dough

Place on lightly greased cookie sheets and bake for 30 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown.

Melt carob chips in microwave or double boiler.

Dip half of the heart into the melted carob.

Place cookies on waxed paper and let stand until carob is set.

Sometimes a furry friend can be small, very small. But, even these little friends can enjoy your attention and special care at this time of year. I found these treat suggestions at pet-mice.com

Green vegetables (small amounts)
-Leafy greens
-Broccoli
Crunchy Fruits (not citrus)
-Apples
-Celery
-Carrots
Garden Peas
Mealworms
-bring out your mouse's inner hunter
-warning: a little gross
Cooked pasta
-Wormlike pastas (spaghetti)
Cereal
-such as Cheerios*
-No sugar please
Dry bread

*Cheerios is trademarked by General Mill Cereals

You may have one of the many other types of pets there are living with you in your home. If you have one of these make Valentine's Day special for them. But, beware of what you are feeding them. Some foods we think may be safe can actually be harmful to your pet.

It may be a better idea to get your pet a toy which makes their environment more interesting and challenging. Remember, just like people it is not always about eating.