Christmas Dinner Recipes for Pets. Get Cooking!

This festive season we’ve put together dog and cat Christmas dinner recipes that are fun and safe for your furry friends. We know how difficult it can be not to share some scraps of succulent turkey off your plate with pooch or a sliver of honey basted ham with your cat. But beware – many human foods we eat at Christmas can be poisonous to pets.

Rather than bending the rules and hoping for the best (which could land your pet in the vet’s room on Boxing Day) you can make your own pet-safe Christmas feast. Or at the very least, some tasty before and after treats that are tail-ored to their palette and health.

Whether you’re more of a cat person, dog person or both here’s your list of tasty canine and cat Christmas dinner recipes…

Ingredients for dog and cat Christmas dinner recipes

If you fancy yourself a bit of a Jamie Oliver and find yourself inventing new dishes on the fly, here are some ingredients that are safe for pets:

Vegetables that are safe for cats and dogs to eat:

That’s right – most of the ‘safe’ foods are the same for cats and dogs.

Vegetables are a great source of fibre for pets, but should nevertheless be given in moderation. You may recognise many of these same veg on your Christmas plate, however, pets shouldn’t have any of the oils or seasoning (especially garlic and onion) that we humans use to flavour our veg.

A good option for pets is to steam their veg as this retains most of the nutrients. Don’t add any oils, salt or other flavour enhancers, which could be dangerous. Your pet’s palette is clean as a whistle and doesn’t need any additives to enjoy the taste.

Avoid giving pets peas or brussel sprouts when these are raw because they could be a choking hazard. And if your pet is more of a protein fanatic and not so excited about veg, just add small quantities to their meal so as not to overpower it.

Or, move on to meat…

Proteins that are safe for cats and dogs to eat:

As with veg, your pet’s proteins are best served free of seasoning and other additives. Turkey and chicken should be deboned and all the fat and skin removed. Proteins like tuna and salmon that are high in omega 3 fatty acids and nutrients are great in small occasional quantities.

Avoid serving pets raw meat or eggs that could carry harmful bacteria. When it comes to dog and cat Christmas dinner recipes, a good method is to boil the meat you serve them. This also gives you the chance to use the water from the cooked meat in your pet recipe (or in a human dish later on), so you get to harvest all the goodness!

Delicious dog and cat Christmas dinner recipes

Grains are a good ingredient to bind together your selection of tasty veg and meat and make a wholesome meal of them. We’ve compiled four dog and/or cat Christmas dinner recipes to go bowing meowing wow for.

Remember to not overfeed your pet – you can always store leftovers for a day or two in the fridge. (We know it’s Christmas, but a quick skim through our article on National Pet Obesity Day will give you some portioning tips).

Depending on the size of your pet you can also up or downsize the quantities you make. We know you might want to cook up a bigger batter for your Labrador Retriever than for your Pug. Ditto for your Maine Coon compared to your Siamese cat.

Now onto these four super easy canine and cat Christmas dinner recipes. (Which btw you, your dog and your cat can all safely eat… Although we know the Christmas classics may be more your thing):

Turkey dinner for cats and dogs

• 1 cup boiled turkey
• 1 carrot, grated finely
• 1/2 cup chopped green beans
• 1/4 cup of the water from the boiled turkey (you can always add more for a wetter mixture)
• 1/4 cup of your pet’s favourite kibble

Blend the ingredients and serve immediately or chill for one hour if shaping. You can also substitute the kibble with a vegetable like boiled potato or butternut. Or if you prefer, swap it for a nutritious fibre like cooked rice or boiled oats.

Here’s a video of a similar recipe. Note that the recipe in this video uses canned tuna water instead of water from your boiled turkey:

Chicken feast for cats and dogs

• 2 tablespoons of cooked and mashed potato (or substitute with peas or pumpkin)
• 1 cup of boiled and shredded chicken
• 1/3 cup of cooked oats

Gently press the ingredients together and serve according to your pet’s portion needs. For cats, we recommend adding a teaspoon of catnip for that added purr. Read what does catnip do to cats to understand this amazing plant.

Beef feast for dogs and cats

• 1 cup of ground beef
• 1 cup of rice
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 cup cauliflower
• 1/2 cup diced carrots

Place the ground beef and rice in a medium sized saucepan, pour the water over and bring to a boil then simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on. Next add the veggies and simmer for another 15 minutes then cool and serve.

A nice roundup to our dog and cat Christmas dinner recipes are these homemade cat treats and dog birthday cake recipes! And if you don’t fancy cooking, read these Christmas gifts for pet lovers for ready-made tasty treats and more.

Just for kicks and giggles, check out this funny Christmas feast video from Freshpet:

Foods that are dangerous for pets

There are plenty of seemingly harmless ingredients and household items that are potentially dangerous to pets. Here’s a list of articles we’ve written that explain what to watch out for or avoid having in your home altogether:

• Dinner for pets (what they can and can’t eat)
• Christmas dangers for pets
• Chocolate toxicity in dogs (and cats)
• Things that can poison your pet
• Plants that are toxic to pets
• Bad for pets (common household items)

If you suspect your pet has swallowed something dangerous and is experiencing toxicity, get them to the vet right away.

Pet insurance – the purrfect Christmas gift

Besides dog and cat Christmas dinner recipes, another way to keep your furkid happy and healthy is a pet insurance plan. Then if your cat or dog eats an errant grape that rolls off the table and needs vet treatment immediately, we help pay the bills. Because the last thing you want is to spend Christmas worrying about vet bills instead of your pet.

All our cat insurance and dog insurance plans include cover for accidents, illness, hospitalisation, surgery, tests, prescription medicine and much more. If you get a plan for two or more pets, you might qualify for a multiple pet discount.

Find out about the many benefits and added perks you can include in your pet’s plan by clicking below.