My cat won't eat people food. He wouldn't know a mouse if it jumped up and hit him in the nose. He likes his crunchy kibble. That is food, and he recognizes no other.

our bulldog will eat anything except: lettuce, carrots, cabbage and celery. We add a few apple pieces to his dry kibble occasionally. We mix his food with brown rice, plain full fat yogurt and a tablespoon of olive oil. Sometimes I get in the mood to make him turkey meatballs. We do spoil him once in awhile with a scoop of strawberry ice cream or a little McDs cheeseburger.

My cats go nuts when they encounter real meat. I give it to them as a special treat when I've been cooking and have scraps left. But the responsibility, expense and time required to formulate a suitable daily diet is more than I can take on.

MY poop pup has to stay in his kennel when I go to work so he gets soft food first thing in the morning to make sure he won't be hungry during the day. When I run out of soft food, I make him two poached eggs and a piece of bread, and I mash and stir them together in his dog bowl. IT IS HIS FAVOURITE! He licks the bowl for 10 minutes just to make sure he won't miss any yolk.
I also buy pork roasts especaily for him. The family eats the meat, but he gets the bone.

I don't cook for my cat, but I switched last year to an "all-natural" food that's corn-free and has meat as its main ingredient (as opposed to meat by-products or corn or another grain). I feel much better feeding that to him, and since he's been eating that he doesn't have as many hairballs and his coat is way softer, too.

My dog sounds like smooshmallow's. He's a rescue, and was 35lbs when we got him fully grown. He quickly filled out to 65lbs with a regular supply of nutritious food. He eats everything, and really tried to eat a banana peel the other day before we finally stopped laughing at him and traded the banana peel for some leftover potroast.
We don't really cook for him (because he is soooo happy even just getting kibble), but whenever I 'pour off the fat' from something, or have leftover juice from braising, some of it goes in his bowl. And he licks his bowl for 10 minutes and is really happy.

poor*** not poop

We have recently switched to a raw diet for all of our animals (7 yr old toy poodle, 7 month old standard poodle, 18 yr old cat, 7 yr old cat). We did it because our geriatric cat seemed to be on his last legs in December. We were literally waiting for him to die. He had dwindled to nothing but skin and bones, painful to just look at him skinny. Vet said feed him whatever he will eat. He wasn't dehydrated though. Snowstorm hit and we were caught short without canned food. Started to feed him some raw meet we had in the short run and he loved it. He has since gained major poundage, and is running, leaping, and playing like a kitten. It has seemed like some magic bullet. Now that he seems so much better, we had to try and get him much better nutrition. So we started reading up on raw diets. Had already switch to a very high quality kibble for everyone else (no grains), but as we read more and more, decided that a raw diet still seemed a better option, but were leary to trying to get complete nutritian to our animals. Armed with our research, we went to talk to a raw diet provider who sells at our farmer's market. We've since switched to her food completely. The meat comes from our local farmer and is all organic. It's processed in her home in small batches. She feeds her own animals the same thing she sells. It seems to be doing wonders for them.

My animals eat nothing but raw food, bones and all. This morning’s breakfast was duck drumettes for the dogs and sliced lamb heart for the cat. I buy 16 lbs of raw meat each week at the farmers’ market. Salmon or tuna trimmings are an excellent bargain at .49/lb. I give them organ meat once or twice per week. My animals are thriving, and they have zero tarter on their teeth.

We feed our 65-lb mutt higher quality dry food, but if I had the time, resources and confidence that I could cook food for her that was balanced and nutritious, I would. As it is, we don't give her "biscuits." Whenever I go to the grocery store, I pick up a 5-lb bag of organic carrots. She LOVES them, and they help keep her digestion smooth and efficient. She also likes ice cubes, though I worry a bit about her chewing on them and hurting a tooth. But with these two things in our fridge and freezer, there is no need for any processed milk bones or beggin strips.

We feed our 65-lb mutt (border collie mix) higher quality dry food, but if I had the time, resources and confidence that I could cook food for her that was balanced and nutritious, I would. As it is, we don't give her "biscuits." Whenever I go to the grocery store, I pick up a 5-lb bag of organic carrots. She LOVES them, and they help keep her digestion smooth and efficient. She also likes ice cubes, though I worry a bit about her chewing on them and hurting a tooth. But with these two things in our fridge and freezer, there is no need for any processed milk bones or beggin strips.

@Rick Roberts, you do know that your cat won't get all the necessary nutrients solely from raw meat? Google it.

No. Occasionally our cats get table scraps or some tuna but really I don't feel I understand the diet of obligate carnivores enough to start cooking for them. Nor do I have the time and resources to do so.

Sorry for the double post =)

I feed my cats grain free / low carb cat food. Barely have time to cook for myself, let alone the cats.

Occasionally I give them scraps of meat that I'm eating if I have any leftover. They also circle my feet while cooking and gobble up anything that falls on the floor.

Our younger cat has had digestive issues since we adopted him and recently had a major hairball episode so we have been feeding both cats cooked pumpkin with their canned food. I read somewhere that it's supposed to help keep hair from building up in the stomach. A friend gave us a bag full of mini pumpkins from her thanksgiving decorations and we bake them for the cats. We also give them the boiled meat scraps if we make chicken or beef stock.

I feed my 17.5 year old Cattle dog high fiber dog food topped with organic, diced, cooked chicken breast (which I cook once a week & dice & put in a ziplock bag for easy feeding). I top that with this http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Only-Natural-Pet-Super-Daily-Vitamins-Enzymes-Senior/999067.aspx I think all of this has a little something to do with her longevity! She used to have colitis & I had to give her meds occasionally when it would act up... but since I put her on the vitamin/enzyme powder about 6 years ago she has not had any signs of colitis.

Our two cats eat a strictly wet food diet, Natural Balance Chicken & Duck Liver Pate (cats are not supposed to eat dry food)
Also, it is very important not to feed cats Salmon, (cats are commonly allergic to it) cat's would never catch a salmon in the wild - they would live off of birds & rodents etc... And most definitely not tuna! I haven't seen a cat diving for a 100 pound deep sea tuna in a while...

Here is some great info from our wonderful vet that has taught us a lot about feline health: http://www.catandbirds.com/pets/cats/nutrition/

Our pretty mutt just eats dry kibble but he knows that on Sunday he'll get an egg and maybe a dash of bacon grease. He'll even beg for the "egg dust" that you scrape off a teflon pan after scrambling eggs.

My poor pup is allergic to everything, any human food makes him sick and most dog foods do as well. After taking the time to test multiple kinds of all natural and dry foods, the only thing that seems to work is the Science diet sensitive stomach. This dog lives for food, so it is heartbreaking that I can't give him anything at all, doesn't stop him from begging though...

My kitties also won't usually eat people food. Although, my Siamese loves an occasional spinach leaf (weird) and I usually give him a spoonful of yogurt every morning. I am actually pretty skeptical about feeding cats too much people food... the meat we eat is so high in fat. If I had access to rabbit and fresh fish I would feed them that alongside quality kibble. Once a friend gave me a bunch of venison jerky and my Siamese LOVED that! Oh, and a container of "cat grass" once a month or so is really good for them (or so I've heard).

My dog will eat almost whatever - sometimes things that are not even food or food-like. Napkins or paper towels that have been rubbed in something that smells like it might be edible included. However he has a lot of allergies so the only dog food we can give him is a high end no grain dry food. Occasionally I will make him a special dinner consisting of some of whatever meat we are having (we only eat meat once or twice a week tho) plus brown rice (which doesn't irritate him and helps settle his tummy after he eats something probably not edible in my parents yard), and some carrots or another non-oniony veggie.
I'd love to cook for him more but it's just not practical for us at this time.

My husband and I have a min pin who the vet has given the A+ on health, weight, etc. I guiltily told her I'd been feeding him "people food" since he was a puppy, and that I don't plan on stopping. She asked my to elaborate, and when I told her what I give him, and what I don't, she approved.

When I cook specifically for him (which I do on weekends or when I need to use up some ingredients) I stick to baked chicken breast, eggs, steamed veggies, sometimes a little bit of rice, and occasionally small servings of beans. For treats (other than dog treats) I give him little bits of cheese and dollops of peanut butter or cream cheese. I also sprinkle a little olive oil over his dry food a couple times a month.

But, it's not all healthy stuff. He also gets popcorn, crackers, chips (usually when we drop them - haha), the occasional last bite of hamburger or french fry, or the scrapings of last couple mac and cheese noodles in the bottom of the pan. My husband is vegetarian so when we had a bunch of left over turkey you know the dog ate more of it than I did.

We're very careful to steer clear of anything that contains onions, chocolate, too much sugar (like candy), and anything with too much garlic.

My parents cook every meal for their two dogs. I think the dogs eat better than my parents do. I can understand the intention but it's kind of silly to me.

I have a cat but I don't cook for her. I grow cat grass for her and sometimes I find her trying to eat pumpkin and zucchini. She's a funny one.

My SO makes treats for the dog. The same dog that will happily eat frozen poop.

I do give him chunks of veggies when I'm cooking. He'll eat pretty much anything except leafy veggies. Wasabi peas are entertaining.

As a veterinarian I see (and frankly see in these post) the whole range of people who do a horrid job to an exceptional job cooking for their pets. Pet food is far more standardized than people food, and has to be certified as nutritional by the Association of American Feed Control Officers before it can be sold.
The advice I always give is that its wonderful to do if you have the time, but you have to remember that dogs and cats are not small people and they have different nutritional needs. You can actually end up doing more harm than good if you don't use a balanced recipe tailored for your pet. The best recipes are in fact made special for your pet by a veterinary nutritionist. It's heart breaking to see people who have spent hours and hours, not to mention a lot of money on ingredients, only to have caused their pet harm. To tell them their dog or cat would be better on grocery store kibble is such a disappointment.

I don't believe that grocery store kibble is best and i think the dog food companies put out lots of misinformation about what is healthy/unhealthy for pets. An example is avocados - my dogs love them! After seeing them on many "poison to dogs lists" I did more research and found out that was crap put out by the dog food companies and their justification is that the dog could swallow the seed and choke. Well duh, i'm not giving the dog the seed! Anyhow, my dog was a stray as a pup (a runaway from an abusive home) and when I got her she loved garbage from the gutters but wouldn't go near kibble!

They DO have pet foods made with real food ingredients, nutrients and no bad chemicals. It just costs more. But there's definitely more than that whiskas junk out there!

Samson the pug gets dry kibble twice daily, half cup in the morning, half cup for dinner. I buy the expensive stuff that has no corn or wheat or soy in it, and he loves it and is not fat and is healthy.
He is also a heck of a beggar and so often gets tiny bites of whatever I'm having. he's not picky. spinach, carrots, cranberries, almonds, you name it, he eats it. his favorite treat though is either the chips themselves or licking someones hand (i dont eat em, EW!)after they've eaten salt and vinegar chips. he goes NUTS!

I wish more people would think about this. There are so many bad cat & dog foods at the store. Carnivores weren't designed to eat corn/soy/wheat, let alone ASH. I hope to see more certified raw & organic pet food on the market soon.

I feed my 12-pound dog half kibble and half meatloaf cupcakes (aka pupcakes, recipe posted here). Every other weekend I whip up 14 of them and keep them in the freezer. It's hardly any work and my dog loves them! Since she still eats some kibble everyday I don't worry about missing nutrients in the pupcakes.

I make homemade treats for our dog (just made a batch of heart-shaped peanut butter ones last night). She loves it, and will mill around the kitchen when she smells 'em cooking. It's something, I think, that adds to our unique, fun relationship with our pet—and it keeps nasty ingredients out of her system.

I have two cats that have been on a raw food diet since kittens. They absolutely love chicken, fowl, turkey, and fish of all kinds. I couldn't imagine raising them any other way. They have clean teeth and no smelly breath! Also they occasionally have eggs for breakfast with a tiny bit of olive oil, which seems to make their coat super shiny and soft. House guests are always so impressed with how soft they are. Highly recommended diet if y

we have a puppy who is almost one and have been feeding him Pure Vita dry dog food since we got him, which he seems to really like. there are chicken, salmon and duck options so we switch them up every time we have to buy a bag.

so while we don't cook for him specifically, he does occasionally get people food, which usually means he gets lots of vegetables with whatever protein we were eating, chopped up and mixed in. he LOVES people food. also, we quickly learned that dog treats that don't contain a ton of garbage are extremely expensive, so i always make homemade treats, either with beef liver or bacon fat reserved from our breakfasts. he hangs out in the kitchen the whole time i'm making them and i like knowing exactly what is in the treats!

I feed my dog kibbles. But he loves crunchy vegetables (carrots, broccoli) and spinach. He also gets meat scraps and bones when we have them (except chicken bones). He hovers around the kitchen in hopes I drop something but other than that, he doesn't get meals made by me - I can barely afford my own meat and veggies!

I don't cook specifically for my dog, but he does get home cooked food from time-to-time. Anytime I make pasta, rice, chicken, etc. and have a little extra (not enough to save) I put it in his bowl. He also gets a bowl of food on holidays. He is such a great dog, never begs, so I won't feed him from my plate as I like to keep it that way. The cat, on the other hand, won't eat anything besides his dry food.

I do a raw diet for both my dog and cat. Occasionally I get the premade frozen stuff at the pet store but usually I buy meat directly from local farmers. Chicken necks, hearts, liver, gizzards and meaty bones are mainly what I feed. Think about what your pet would eat if it lived in the wild, whole prey, including the meat, skin, fat, organs and bones. For cats it's important for them to get Taurine, which is found in heart , esp. beef heart (from grass-fed animals).

We cook for our dogs often. We also feed extremely high quality food to begin with, so we're already obsessed with their food, and cooking for them just gives us an extra bit of control. :) We always make something special for them for holidays and their birthdays, and in the summer they get their own homemade frozen yogurt (they could have ice cream, but the yogurt is so much better for them, and they love it the same, so that's what we do). We don't feed them anything with wheat, corn, soy, preservatives, sugar, etc etc etc. This includes their dry food, store bought treats, homemade food, etc. We actually have an app in the Apple App Store of our recipes for delicious doggie meals, treats, and goodies. Vets are about as good about nutritional stuff as a regular doc is for it for humans. Veterinary nutritionists are great resources, and many will work with pet parents to develop a feeding system that benefits their lifestyle and helps their pet get all the good nutrition they deserve. We don't feed a raw diet in our home, but we're not opposed to it. We do add some raw items on a regular basis, but our typical doggie diet is blended: raw, home cooked, and dry dog food, plus nutritional supplements and the occasional cookie.

I feed my dog Taste of the Wild kibbel on a regular basis, but I will also make food for him sometimes. He loves spaghetti squash with parsley and a bit of parmesan, peanut butter oatmeal, broccoli and rice, as well as any meat or fish that comes his way.

Interesting post. We have a kitty who we rescued as special needs, she was anorexic and her coat was like straw. Poor girl just had no interest in food- the shelter told us to prepare for the worst, and even gave us a voucher for a free kitty if she died within the month (!). After extensive testing and a year-long elimination period which often involved syringe-feeding, we discovered she was allergic to animal proteins- at least every single one we were able to try her on. She eats hydrolyzed soy protein exclusively, since it is the only one her body won't reject. As with all cat foods, hers is supplemented with man-made ingredients, including taurine.
I make her treats out of wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, flax seed and kale which she simply can't get enough of. I have to be careful when I bring home my groceries that she doesn't get to the kale before I unpack it- she's been known to carry it off into 'hiding' for future consumption. She is very happy and healthy now, especially considering the shape she was in when we first got her. She is also the sweetest, most affectionate cat I've ever known. She still gets sick if she gets into animal proteins, but we're diligent about segregating the food.
I don't think I could make her food, simply because I have too many care-taking chores in my day already. Making treats is not a source of nutrition- she gets like, 3-4 grams a day of them, so I don't have to worry about messing it up and having it adversely effect her health. I would stress too much about having her food made just right.

I cook oatmeal with canned chicken for my dog, and he just loves this for dinner. He eats a good brand of kibble apart from this meal.

Our dog eats raw meat and offal from the butcher or online and lots of vegetables from the market (and yes, I know that dogs don't *need* veg in the wild, but it fills her up and the bulk is good for her digestive system, the vet suggested it). We do dry out meat for treats - chicken or fish or lamb jerky. She gets leftover veggies too. She gets scrambled egg if she's been sick or we have eggs which are getting old. Sometimes I think she eats better than we do!

The humans in our household are vegetarian - when we got our first kitten, we tried her on a diet of brown rice mixed with cottage cheese, brewer's yeast and taurine powder (an amino acid - cats lose their eyesight without it). She wasn't going to stand for that sort of jackassery, of course, although over her lifetime she loved her some avocado, and - on its own - never turned down cottage cheese. I'm convinced it was the taurine powder that ruined it. She lived to age 20; Science Diet rules.

I highly recommend the food from The Honest Kitchen. They make high quality dehydrated raw food that you rehydrate about 15 minutes before you plan to feed your dog or cat. My dogs absolutely love it! We add extra turkey and supplements for skin/coat/dental health. For treats, my dogs love cranberries.

Another veterinarian here.

Remember, cats are obligate carnivores but dogs are NOT. They are omnivores in the wild.

Either way, remember that the domestic dogs and cats we keep as pets now are NOT the same species as their wild ancestors. Just as pre-historic humans USED to survive on raw meat and foraged veg, our systems have adapted to our discovery of cooking. Dogs and cats began living at the fringes of human societies upwards of 20,000 years ago, and thus have adapted to eating differently than they did in the wild.

Does your bichon look anything like a wolf? Think it could survive in the wild? No. It is reasonable to assume that their insides have evolved as much as their outsides.
It's also important to remember that those wild animals we are idealizing generally have lifespans of less than 5 years. They do succumb to parasites, infections, etc. and are not the perfect pictures of health.

Some people do a great job of home cooking for their pets, but they are in the minority and most have consulted a veterinary nutritionist to get the right balance of trace nutrients.

There are cheapo pet foods out there for sure, but the fancy-pants expensive brands are the ones spreading most of the propaganda about what is and isn't good for your pet (e.g. corn is not poison).

Whatever you feed your pet, remember that chocolate, grapes, raisins, onions and garlic can all cause serious toxicities.

my cats have been living with me [a vegetarian for my foods] for so long, that when my husband [a carnivore] tried to give them a piece of meat - they didn't know what to do with it. he was a little heartbroken that they didn't understand what bacon was for...

but yes, if i had unlimited resources, time, and knew i had the correct nutritional guidelines, then sure i would cook for my "kids". why not? i cook for me.

Since some time my 13 year old cat is having some 'gastro-intestinal' problems every now and then whose cause the vet can't determine.

Last week I thought about an intolerance to the normal canned food she may have developed. For the first time I cooked for her. Chicken in a very thin vegetable broth plus some rice and a little butter was all that came to my mind. Picky as she is, I wasn't sure whether she would eat this at all.

She loves it, has no more problems so far and seems to do much better than before. Fingers crossed.

I'm trying to figure out how to go on with this now (that's why I came across this post). I do know she needs supplements but what and how much is hard to find out. 10 different websites on this subject = 10 different statements. Guess, I will discuss this with my vet.

Molly
http://www.katzentisch.com/