Home Cooking for Pets

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Serve up healthy homemade treats for your four-legged friends.

Can pet owners prepare homemade meals without depriving their pets of vital nutrients? Yes, says the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, but cooking for the cat or dog requires precision.

"It does take education, effort and dedication to get it right," says Dr. Jean Hofve, DVM, a holistic feline veterinarian in Denver, Colo., and former editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association. "Many people get the idea that meat is all a cat needs. This is a very dangerous myth."

In fact, while meat is the cornerstone of a homemade diet for cats, supplements with the same kinds of vitamins and minerals found in its prey's bones, glands, and blood, are also vital for a cat's health, Dr. Hofve said. The goal of a homemade diet is to mimic the pet's natural prey; in the case of a cat, to "make a better mouse."

But anything a pet owner can cook up on the stove must be supplemented with vitamins and minerals, veterinarians say. For instance, cats must receive supplements that include taurine to prevent blindness and heart disease.

One company, Balance IT, offers canine and feline recipes made of human food ingredients, as well as the supplements to go with them. Pet owners go on online and click on one of eight proteins -- including lamb, chicken and tofu -- and one of nine carbohydrates -- including rice, pasta and couscous.

The resulting recipes -- all vetted by board-certified veterinarians -- can be enhanced with either human mineral and vitamins from drug stores, or with Balance IT's own supplements, which sell for $35 for a 21-ounce or 600-gram jar, plus shipping.

Even without the supplements, Balance IT is a pricey proposition: The company charges $20 for one recipe; $30 for two, and $37.50 for three.

Pet-owners can find free recipes on gourmetsleuth.com. Though the website doesn't approach pet cuisine with the medical precision of Balance IT, it does provide a chart with a break-down of canine proteins, fats, and carbohydrate requirements.

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