15 pet products you can make at home

Making your own pet products helps control the quality of the care and food they receive. Here are 15 products for dogs, cats, birds, and other pets that you can make at home, with ingredients that you probably already own.

For dogs: dry shampoo for dogs

You can save a lot of money by substituting a single ingredient – a can of baking soda – for a dry pet shampoo. Although your four-legged friend will still need – occasionally – a good cleaning with soap and water to remove stubborn dirt, this dry shampoo will keep it clean (and it will smell good!).

The first step is to test the sensitivity of your Pitou by rubbing a little sodium bicarbonate in its coat between the ears – where it cannot lick itself. Wait five minutes and check for redness or other signs of irritation. If there is none, rub the baking soda into the dog’s coat, letting it penetrate the skin. Be careful to avoid the eyes, nose, mouth and ears.

For dogs: dinner with chicken and oatmeal

If you want a nutritious diet – no beef and no wheat – for your pet, this combination should satisfy his appetite and may even help him control his weight. It is also a very economical food made from fresh ingredients.

Cook 1 kg of chicken. Let cool and then cut it into cubes that you will mix with a cup and a half of cooked oatmeal (or brown rice). Crumble a dog vitamin in it and then stir in two cups and a third of the drained cottage cheese. To feed a 2.3 kg (5 lb) dog, you will need about 0.23 kg (half a pound) of mixture per day. Remember to double the serving for each additional 2.3 kg.

For dogs: carrot salad and brown rice

Here is a delicious food supplement for your dog! To start, mix a cup of grated carrots with a third of a cup of cooked brown rice. Dogs love carrots, which aid digestion, freshen breath, and provide them with good vitamins.

For cats: quick treats with fish sticks

Cats – and their owners – will love these instant treats made from inexpensive frozen fish sticks! Sprinkle half a teaspoon of garlic powder over the contents of a box of fish sticks and cut them into 1-inch squares. Garlic powder has the property of repelling fleas!

Store the bites in the freezer in a resealable plastic bag. To serve, remove one square at a time and cook in the microwave according to the directions on the package. Let cool and serve at room temperature. This recipe makes about 36 treats.

For cats: melon squares

Some cats love the flavor of the melon. If this is the case for yours, keep a few pieces of these melon treats close at hand.

Take half of an orange-fleshed melon (cantaloupe) and half of a green-fleshed melon (honeydew). Peel and cut the melon flesh into small cubes and keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Serve one or two cubes daily to your feline as a little treat.

For cats: fresh litter for kittens

The most effective way to avoid cat litter odors will also save you money! Rather than filling the litter box, just pour a thin layer, just enough to cover the bottom of the box. Thus, fill only 5 to 8 cm so that the litter can dry faster in the open air.