#### **1. Why make homemade pet snacks? **

**The truth behind the data**:

- Hidden dangers of snacks on the market: more than **68%** contain attractants and preservatives (such as BHA/BHT), and 23% have false protein content;

- Pet obesity crisis: **59%** of dogs and **52%** of cats in the world are overweight, and high-calorie snacks are one of the main reasons;

- **Cost comparison**: The cost of homemade chicken jerky is about 15 yuan/100g, which is 40%-60% lower than branded products.

**Core advantages of homemade**:

✅ **Transparent raw materials**: Avoid allergens and additives

✅ **Precise card control**: Adjust the formula for elderly/obese pets

✅ **Strengthen trust**: The production process becomes an interactive ritual

> Veterinarian reminder: Homemade snacks cannot replace staple food, and it is recommended not to exceed 10% of daily calorie intake

#### **Second, zero-failure recipes: 3 popular items certified by nutritionists**

**1. High-protein chicken rainbow roll** (suitable for picky dogs and cats)

- **Ingredients**: 200g chicken breast + 30g each of carrot/spinach/purple potato puree

- **Steps**:

① Slice the chicken breast and beat it thinly, and flatten it into a rectangle;

② Spread the three-color vegetable puree on the meat slices in parallel;

③ Roll it tightly and cut it into sections, dry it in a dryer at 75℃/8 hours (or in an oven at 100℃/2 hours).

- **Nutritional highlights**: Dietary fiber promotes digestion, natural pigments replace synthetic attractants

**2. Gum-protecting and molar-gripping beef knee bone soup jelly** (for elderly dogs)

- **Ingredients**: 2 beef knee bones + 10ml apple cider vinegar + 1L water

- **Steps**:

① After blanching the beef bones, add vinegar and simmer for 6 hours, filter out the soup;

② Pour into a claw-shaped mold and refrigerate to solidify;

③ Sprinkle a small amount of turmeric powder after demolding to prevent inflammation.

- **Efficacy**: Chondroitin protects joints, and low-temperature solidification retains collagen

**3. Cat grass biscuits** (hairball magic)

- **Ingredients**: 15g cat grass powder + 50g pumpkin puree + 1 egg yolk + 30g oatmeal powder

- **Steps**:

① Mix all the ingredients and knead into dough;

② After rolling it flat, use a mold to press out a small fish shape;

③ Bake in the oven at 90℃ for 40 minutes.

- **Alternative solution**: Coconut flour can be used to replace oat flour for the grain-free version

#### *3. Problem scenario solution**

**Problem**: Pets don’t like homemade snacks?

- **Flavor upgrade tips**:

✦ Sprinkle a small amount of freeze-dried liver powder (chicken liver dried and ground into powder) on the surface

✦ Brush a layer of goat milk before baking to increase the milk flavor

✦ Add catnip (cats) or brewer’s yeast powder (dogs)

**Problem**: No time to make?

- **Weekend batch processing strategy**:

① Cut meat and vegetables together, package and freeze;

② Use a multi-layer dryer to produce 2 weeks of food at a time;

③ Package in silicone bags, mark the date and calories.

#### **4. From snacks to emotional bonds**

The story of Shanghai white-collar worker Abu developing low-phosphorus snacks for his cat "Pudding" with kidney failure was featured on CCTV: By self-studying pet nutrition, she extended Pudding's survival from the 3 months predicted by the veterinarian to 2 years. Now, the **Cat Diary** she created has helped more than 8,000 pet owners with chronic diseases.

> **The essence of homemade snacks is the embodiment of love**:

> - When the stray cat "Ping An" refused to eat because of his picky eating, the adopter Xiao Min saved his life by making homemade mousse with salmon crumbs;

> - During the recovery period of the golden retriever "Tank"'s surgery, the owner baked purple sweet potato chicken rolls every day as a rehabilitation reward;

> - Overtime workers used surveillance to see the solitary cat chewing on the biscuits they made by themselves, and remotely gained a sense of healing...

**The warmth of a bag of handmade snacks far exceeds the food itself** - it carries the owner's insight into the needs of the pet, the determination to protect health, and the sincerity of "making it for you by hand" that is rare in the industrial age. This bond is the most gentle contract between humans and animals.

Written by: Luna

2025.06.19