DIY Halloween Treats for 4-legged Trick-Or-Treaters

On Halloween, you’re sure to see some 4-legged tick-or-treators on your doorstep next to children. So, why not be prepared by having a batch of freshly made treats by your side? It’s a fun way to do something special for the dogs (and cats) that visit your home this Halloween.

Peanut Butter PupCakes

You will need…

½ cup brown rice flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/3 cup oil (no canola)

1/3 cup applesauce

1 egg

2 tbs. honey

3 tbsp. plain Greek yogurt

1 ½ tbs. peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl stir flour, baking powder, oil, applesauce, egg and honey until well-combined. Insert cupcake liners into a muffin or cupcake tin. Spoon the mixture into the cupcake liners, filling each about halfway. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the PupCake comes out clean. Allow to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, in a bowl, stir yogurt and peanut butter until mixture is smooth and creamy. Use a small spatula or butter knife to smooth a layer of peanut butter frosting over the PupCake.

Noms for Cats

You will need…

1 cup flour

1 tbs. dried catnip

1 can tuna

1 tbs. tapioca flour

½ tbs. olive oil

Preheat oven to 250 degreed F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Throw all ingredients in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Pinch small pieces off and roll into small balls (about ¼” thickness), and over your parchment with them. Bake for about 10 minutes until they are dry to the touch. Allow them to cool completely before serving to your cat. Store in a dry, airtight container.

A word of caution: While pumpkin is healthy for dogs, remember that chocolate is not! Some of the recipes that we’ve seen listed as “dog safe” call for white chocolate, which is still deadly to dogs. You can substitute white or regular carob chips in recipes that call for chocolate for a dog-safe version.

Did your pet have a happy Halloween? Send your photos to social@fetchpetcare.comfor a feature on our Facebook and Twitter Pages!

Why Dogs Sniff Each Other & More — This Week on Pets Weekly

Pets Weekly is a series that highlights valuable headlines from around the web: From health tips, events, humor and more. We’ve got your tail covered!

In this issue of Pets Weekly:

- Why Dogs Sniff Each Other.

- Who Needs Sheep?

- When Taylor Swift’s Parent Cat Sit.

Why Dogs Sniff Each Other
Dr. Lawrence Myers is an associate professor of animal behavior, a veterinary behaviorist, and a veterinarian. His answer to the question is not the answer we are looking for, his answer is, “Nobody really knows the reason, and it seems to be a social recognition. Introductions must be made.”

Dr. Lawerence goes on to share the way that dogs enrich our lives by providing a common interest with other dog lovers, and how that common interest had its benefits.

Image Credit

Who Needs Sheep?

A new dog agility sport is emerging that consists of a soccer net and balls that are lined up on a field. The differently colored balls are “herded” into a net in the order that is asked for by the trainer. This sport, Treibball (also known as driveball), is fast becoming a worldwide phenomenon with competitions that are held regularly.  Now dogs with a lot of energy and anxiety have a new way to learn to focus and play.

When Taylor Swift’s Parents Cat Sit

Olivia Benson is a much loved family member. And when she goes to Grandma and Grandpa’s house, she is no different than any other grandbaby, they take pictures. Lots of pictures. And they post those pictures to their Instagram account. Since they will be babysitting again soon, we can look forward to more pictures.

This cat does not trust a lemon - not one bit. Lemons are suspicious.

Lemons may appear to be fairly harmless to the rest of us, but when it comes to this little kitty,
lemons are not to be trusted.

In the above video -- posted in 2012 from YouTube user 220hime, but recently surfaced on the web as a popular viral video – a clever cat by the name of Hime curiously paws around with a fresh cut lemon.

Although Hime’s infatuation with the fragrant fruit may not make much sense to us, it is nonetheless

thoroughly entertaining to observe.

Corgi Puppy - Playtime

This Corgi puppy, Maya, thinks it’s time to celebrate Halloween already.  Watch the cuteness and share with your friends.

Halloween Pet Safety

Halloween is just around the corner. While we were putting up pumpkin lights around the garage and decorating the house with cobwebs we started chatting about how to keep our critters safe as we celebrate our favorite holiday: Halloween!

We started by looking at the decorations in and outside the house.  Outside we made sure our pumpkin lights were tacked down well to avoid our dog getting tangled or mistaking them for a chewy toy.  We also bought flashlights for inside the jack-o-lanterns, eliminating the temptation for our furry ones to play with the fire or knock them over.

Inside the house was a bit more difficult. We are making sure the wires and cords to our electronic decorations (think life size witch!) were tucked away and checking for small parts that could break off and resemble a delicious treat.

Then of course you have the candy, which can pose many threats to your pets.  Chocolate and xylitol are a well-known hazard for dogs and cats; however, a lesser known hazard are raisins, which are equally as dangerous!

It just wouldn’t be Halloween without a costume!  When considering costumes for your pet, remember to consider the pet’s tolerance to stress.   Costumes can limit their vision and fit uncomfortably, causing some pets to panic.  If you do go the costume route make sure they are pet-proof, so they don’t get chewed and that your pet is comfortable and happy! 

Once the night gets started, make sure your pet has a safe and cozy place to be when the trick-or-treaters come.  We love the trick-or-treaters but we don’t like the animals to be stressed, or worse, run out the front door because they get spooked.  In case your pet does get out, make sure their microchip registration is up to date, so you can easily track them down. Remember to have a fun candy-filled Halloween! And send us your Halloween pictures to post on our Facebook page at social@fetchpetcare.com.

In this issue of Pets Weekly:

Pets Weekly is a series that highlights valuable headlines from around the web: From health tips, events, humor and more. We’ve got your tail covered!

- Cool Cats in Fashion

- Scooter, World’s Coolest Cat Has a Cool Message For Other Cats: “It’s Hip to be Snipped!”

- Top 7 Halloween costumes for your dog 

Cool Cats in Fashion

Choupette eats from a silver dish, has a custom-made name brand bag, and a makeup line. Her daddy is Karl Lagerfeld and it is natural that this kitty is a mogul. In addition to all of her other endeavors, she has a book out and a collection of accessories for sale. 

Choumpette isn’t alone in the world where cats are integral part of the fashion world.  Read about Maggie and Reena and other cats that are making their names in fashion.

Scooter — The World's Coolest Cat

Scooter, World’s Coolest Cat Has a Cool Message For Other Cats- “It’s Hip to be Snipped!”

Scooter is sharing the message of spay and neuter for GiveThemTen.org. Scooters’ message is that getting neutered is not only cool; it is healthy for the cat. Male cats are at risk from aggression, testicular cancer, prostate cancer, death from running around, and they also add to the cat overpopulation problem if they are not neutered. Female cats are more likely to get uterine cancer.  See Scooter’s video here.

Top 7 Halloween costumes for your dog

Are you planning to dress up your dog for Halloween? Pets can go trick or treating and they cannot eat the candy (more for their owner). There are some tips in choosing what costume works best, including: 1. Bring out their inner diva by pulling out the tutu and tiara. Go read more tips here.