Halloween Treat Recipes for our Animal Partners

Happy Howl-oween everyone!

This time of year treats and sweets are plentiful in stores and in homes with Halloween just around the corner and the many other holidays that are soon to follow. While we have plenty of tasty snacks to eat, that leaves our furry friends and loved ones out of the fun. In this article I’ll be walking you through how to make a tasty treat or two for your companions!

Treat One

The first treat today will be a quick treat for cats and dogs! All ingredients will be as budget friendly as possible!

For this treat you will need:

• 1 cup sunflower seed butter

• ½ cup blueberries (fresh preferred. Chop if desired)

• 1 carrot thinly shredded

• 1 teaspoon salmon oil (optional)

• 1 can of tuna (in water)

Instructions:

• In a medium bowl mix together your sunflower seed butter and tuna.

• After thoroughly mixed, add in your salmon oil if you chose to add it. If not this is where you add your fruit and veggies.

• Once all combined grab a plate with some parchment paper over it and make the treat into bite sized balls (this will vary depending on your companion’s size!), you may need to grab a second plate or a baking tray to fit everything.

• After that is complete put your treats into the freezer for at least two hours to harden. Due to the nature of some ingredients the treats may still be soft after freezing. Freeze for longer if a more stiff treat is desired.

Treat Two

For our next treat we will be making something for our reptile and rodent companions!

For this treat you will need:

• ½ apple diced

• 1 carrot diced

• ¼ cub blueberries (whole or chopped)

• 1 cup greens of your choosing chopped (I prefer carrot tops for rats and other rodents and a spring mix for reptiles!)

• For reptiles: mix in any calcium or other vitamin powders for extra nutrition.

• For omnivore rodents/reptiles: add up to 5 dried mealworms chopped.

• For herbivores: add half a bell pepper diced or a handful of hay chopped or ground.

Way one:

Mix all these ingredients together to form a salad of sorts and serve in small feedings as these treats will be high in protein and vitamins!

Way two:

Blend the mixture up until all combined, then pour into molds of your choosing and freeze for at least three hours for a cold treat! Adding dried pasta before freezing makes a fun treat as well!

Treat Three

This will be our last treat of the day! This treat will be for our larger hooved companions such as horses and cows. This one will be a little more precise.

For this treat you will need:

• 1 cup rolled oats

• ¼ cup chia seeds

• 2 Tbsp molasses

• 2 Tbsp coconut oil

• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

• About 2 Tbsp water (as needed to get the right consistency)

• Pinch of loose salt of choice

Instructions:

And all you gotta do is mix it all together in a medium bowl and roll these bad boys into 1-2 inch balls! These can stay in the fridge to keep fresh! They hold their shape well thanks to the molasses.

Final Notes!

And that’s some quick and tasty treats for your furry (and not so furry) family! All treats should be given in proportion and not fed too often! Remember to keep your treats frozen (one month max) or refrigerated (two weeks max)! We don’t want to give our loved ones expired treats!

Please also keep in mind that every animal is different! I tried to keep in mind common allergens while coming up with these recipes. If your companion has an allergy please switch it out for a safe alternative.

Also be sure to give a small portion first and supervise in case of an allergic reaction.

Be safe and enjoy some treats with your companions!

Article written by Ghost Paws (October 2022)

Questions, comments or concerns? Check out the discussion thread on ZooCommunity, or join our Discord!

https://zoocommunity.org/thread-1589.html

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