It’s that time of year when we travel to our family member’s house, and have what is the most exhausting and delicious feast of the year. Thanksgiving is coming up, and we here at Wayside thought it would be nice to send out a friendly reminder of what you can, and cannot feed your pets. We also thought we would include fun dog and cat friendly recipes that are fun to make, and they have fun eating them!
- Turkey-Turkey can be a wonderful lean protein to share with your pet. You will just want to be sure to remove any excess skin or fat, stick with white meat, and make sure there are no bones.
- Potatoes-Potatoes are a great, filling vegetable to share with your pet. However even though the potatoes themselves are not harmful to pets, be aware of additional ingredients used to make mashed potatoes. Cheese, sour cream, butter, onions, and gravies are no-no’s in a pet’s diet.
- Cranberry Sauce-Cranberry sauce is just fine for pets but watch the amount of sugar in it, or have no sugar at all to be safe. It is probably best to only provide a small helping to your pet’s plate.
- Macaroni and Cheese-If you know your pet’s stomach handles dairy alright, macaroni and cheese is a safe leftover to share. If you are unsure though, it may be best to just give plain macaroni. Cats often develop lactose intolerance when they become adults.
- Green Beans-Plain green beans are a wonderful treat for pets. Fresh vegetables are a great addition to any diet. If the green beans are included in a green bean casserole though, be conscious of the other ingredients in it.
- Corn-Loose corn is fine, but avoid corn on the cob.
- Homemade Rolls-Rolls fall to the ground during the annual food fight and are nibbled up by your kitty? Never fear. As long as they don’t have a lot of butter on them, they are safe for your pets to enjoy.
Sweet Potatoes-Sweet potatoes are starchy root vegetables that provide plenty of nutritional benefits for our canine companions.
There are also some fun receipts you can try to make Thanksgiving a little more pet friendly, besides just human treats! PetPlan has several fun recipes that you can try, both for dogs and cats! Pumpkin smoothies, sweet potato cookies, sorbet, oh my! EntirelyPets also features fun, simple recipes such as Muttballs, Puppy Meatloaf, and Catnip Cookies!
Finally, just as a reminder, please always keep your pets’ tags and information updated, because more company means more doors opening and closing. If you are going out of town, and have to board your animal, make sure to book in advance, as holidays are times when facilities fill up quicker. Continue taking the dogs on walks if they have a heavier meal, and put in some extra playtime with those kitties to work off those extra calories! Try your best to ignore the stare they will give you from below the table-the above treats and recipes should help you out! Be wary of counter surfing, as the aroma may overwhelm your pet. Immediately throw out scraps and bones you will not use and keep it out of reach from pets. Sometimes they get a little curious, and go dumpster diving!
We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and enjoy your time with your family, pets included! Keep an eye out for Black Friday, as we might have a special going on. In the meantime, consider meeting some of our pets during our adoption hours!
- Monday: CLOSED
- Tuesday: CLOSED
- Wednesday: 12pm-8pm
- Thursday: 12pm-8pm
- Friday: 12pm-8pm
- Saturday: 10am-6pm
- Sunday: 1pm-6pm
Written by Teryn J.