Recipes for a cat and a dog

When switching your pet to a new diet, says Cathy Alinovi, DVM, start slowly. Take one to two weeks to switch from commercial dog food to home-prepared foods. For felines, offer tiny amounts one or two times a day. Don’t let the food stay out long or it will spoil. While some cats will take to the new diet immediately, others won’t. Ms. Alinovi says one of her felines took a year to switch.

Never feed onion, chocolate, grapes or raisins, as they can be toxic to pets. Bones are not recommended. Starches, such as bread and potatoes, can be hard to digest for dogs and cats, so avoid those.

The recipes were developed by Ms. Alinovi and her husband, Troy Jenkins. Recipes can be doubled or tripled and can be frozen. If frozen, food can be warmed up by adding a small amount of hot water or microwaved in a microwavable, not plastic, dish. If microwaving, be careful of hot spots in the food.

Boil, grill or roast meat until done. As in the human world, Ms. Alinovi preaches the benefits of variety.

Here are recipes from the book:

Chicken Clams Cat Food

Serves one 10-pound cat 2 meals, 1 day.

• 1/2 cup chicken breast, cooked, skin and fat removed, shredded or ground
• 1/2 (6.5-ounce) can clams, chopped with liquid
• 2 tablespoons liver, cooked, ground
• 1 teaspoon sunflower seeds dried, no salt added, ground finely
• 2 teaspoons cod liver oil
• 150 mg. calcium or slightly less than 1/8 teaspoon finely ground egg shell

Combine chicken, clams (and liquid), and liver in medium bowl, mix well. Add sunflower seeds, calcium and broth, mix well, serve.

Hint: This is a favorite recipe with my cats!

Protein, 21 grams; fat, 13 grams; calories 312.

Beef Stroganoff Dog Food

Serves one 30-pound dog 2 meals, 1 day

• 1/2 cup beef, cooked, shredded
• 3 oysters, canned, mashed
• 2 tablespoons chicken liver, cooked and ground
• 1/2 cup cauliflower, steamed, chopped bite size
• 1/2 cup green beans, steamed
• 1/2 cup white mushrooms, lightly steamed
• 1 teaspoon cod liver oil
• 600 mg. calcium or 1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon finely ground egg shell

1/2 cup broth, optional

Combine beef, oysters and liver in medium bowl, mix well. Add cauliflower, green beans, mushrooms and calcium, and mix. Add broth, mix. Add pasta last, mix gently and serve.

Hint: Some varieties of whole-wheat pasta tend to stick. To prevent sticking, add 1 teaspoon olive oil to water before boiling.

Protein, 38 grams; fat, 19 grams; calories 510.

– “Dinner PAWsible: A Cookbook of Healthy Dog Cat Meals,” by Cathy Alinovi

This site is hosted by (click on the graphic for more information)

Return from recipes to Home Page