Easy DIY Pet Treats and Toys

Our lives seem to revolve around our pets – at least in my case!  I swear my daily routine is all about my dog – I wake up, feed her, take her for a walk, go to work, come home, feed her, take her for a walk, sleep, and repeat!  It sounds like I have no life, but honestly, I love it – she keeps me in a routine and keeps me healthy!

Now, I don’t know about you, but personally, I love DIY-ing her treats and toys (I don’t think I’ve bought her a single toy from the store!).  Here are some of my favorite ideas for both dogs and cats:

Dog treats:

• Peanut butter and coconut oil  The coconut oil in this recipe will keep your pup’s coat nice and healthy – and there’s no baking required!
• Breath mint cookies  If you struggle with your dog’s breath, then these cookies are the perfect choice for your fur-ball.
• Spinach, carrot, and zucchini biscuits  These look SO yummy that I had to feature them in our graphic!  I love how the dog’s name is pressed into the biscuits – so cute!
• Peanut butter bacon strips  Bacon AND peanut butter?!  Irresistible!  Your dogs are going to love these!
• Grain-free sweet potato biscuits  These are perfect for those dogs with grain allergies.

Dog toys:

• T-shirt braid  Have any old, useless t-shirts lying around?  Put them to good use by making a toy for your pup – I’ve made two of these for my girl and she loves them!
• Rope and ball  Combine the t-shirt braid with a tennis ball and you’ve got a super awesome toss-able toy!
• Water bottle sock  If your dogs love chewing on things that make noise, then this toy is the way to go!

Cat treats:

• Tuna cheddar crisps  The parsley in this recipe will do a great job of keeping your cat’s breath fresh – kill two birds with one stone!
• Salmon and oat cookies  Made entirely of whole foods, this recipe is filled with nothing but goodness for your little fur-baby.
• Tuna catnip biscuits  The catnip in this recipe will have your cats going nuts for their treats!
• Spinach and chicken bites  For a less fishy option, try these spinach chicken treats!

Cat toys:

• Felt birds  Your cat will love these adorable little felt birds that are filled with catnip – bonus!
• Knotty felt spider  Such a simple and cheap toy.  We used to have something similar to this when we had cats and they couldn’t get enough of it!
• Cat wand  It’s safe to say that cats love to pounce on things that are dragged along the ground.  This DIY cat wand is adorable and contains endless amounts of fun!

Tip… I recently purchased a food dehydrator and I use it to make a ton of dehydrated treats (I can’t stress how easy this is!).

*Photo [above] courtesy of Damn Delicious