Art & Culture

DIY Ways To Spoil Your Pets

Marc Gordon
Mar 02, 2022

For those of you with pets, we know they’re a major part of your lives. We know that you love them, and want to take care of them, provide for them, and give only the best things in the world. Spoiling your pets is a favorite past-time for pet owners. How many times have you found yourself procrastinating online purchasing more treats for your pet, or yet another toy for them to play with? Well, eventually the money begins to add up.

We’re gonna share with you a few things that you can try and make at home. This is bound to save some pennies, and can also provide more sustainable ways of using things you already have lying around the house. Let’s start off with treats. Just like human food, most processed pet food is filled with preservatives, and homemade stuff usually tastes way better. So why not make your doggo some homemade treats?

Hand of man stroking tabby cat

Getty Images / Westend61 / Westend61

You’re going to want to mix together 1 cup of pumpkin puree, 2 eggs and ⅓ of a cup of natural peanut butter. Make sure that there are no sugar substitutes such as Xylitol in the peanut butter. Once homogenous, stir in 2 cups of whole wheat flour and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon. You can use pumpkin spice if you prefer, but make sure there’s no nutmeg as this can be harmful to some dogs. Roll out the dough, and cut out your desired shapes. Bake at 350F for 20-40 minutes, depending on the desired texture you’re going for.

Next up are toys for your pets to play with. If you have an old scrappy T-shirt, then cut it into strips. You can then tie knots to make a cloth ball for your cat to bounce around or braid it into a chew toy for your new pup. Toilet paper rolls work great for both; by snipping the edge to create tabs, you can hide a bit of kibble or some treats inside. Not only is it a sensory toy as it rattles, but your pet will have fun trying to get at the goodies inside.