# Do you cook for your pets? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 20, 2005, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cook-for-your-pets/313317 "2005-07-20T17:01:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![EllaBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a5b964/32.png) [@EllaBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllaBean)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cook-for-your-pets/313317/1 "2005-07-20T17:01:03Z")
I made muffins for our parrot this morning. I can’t believe I did that. does anyone else cook for their animals? or have I completely lost it? (in my defense, the bird only got one muffin. The people will eat the rest. but they were really for the bird.) ---
**Author:** ![Licentious\_Ectomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@Licentious\_Ectomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Licentious_Ectomorph)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cook-for-your-pets/313317/2 "2005-07-20T17:06:51Z")
Not cook, exactly, but I do warm up their canned food in the microwave for a few seconds if it’s been in the refrigerator. My SO used to scoff at me, until I showed him the veterinary column in the newspaper that said cold food is hard on their stomachs and could cause vomiting, so it’s a good idea to warm it up. I was vindicated. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cook-for-your-pets/313317/3 "2005-07-20T17:12:35Z")
On occasion when our dogs have had stomach upsets, the vet recommended cooked lean hamburger meat, well drained, mixed with white rice. That’s about it. I know there are recipes for homemade dog biscuits and such out there, but ours are happy with the cheap ones from the grocery store, so why bother? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cook-for-your-pets/313317/4 "2005-07-20T17:19:10Z")
My Grandmom used to make dog food sandwiches for her mutt and I thought that was extreme. I wonder if they can recognize and appreciate all the extra effort. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cook-for-your-pets/313317/5 "2005-07-20T17:22:10Z")
Let me just add… even if they can’t, if it makes you fell better having gone to all that effort then it’s worthwhile from that perspective alone. Without a doubt, it’s an incredibly thoughtful gesture. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cook-for-your-pets/313317/6 "2005-07-20T17:33:38Z")
My dog gets table scraps, so in a way, I cook for her. Also, she’s much more likely to eat something for humans than for dogs, so I could sit at the table with a big bowl of dog food and she’d be falling all over herself for it. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cook-for-your-pets/313317/7 "2005-07-20T17:34:56Z")
When I was growing up we had a poodle that lived for 16 years on people food. She had some sort of allergy to all the preservatives or something in regular dog food. When we didn’t have any scraps, she got scrambled eggs. She could go through a serving of beef stew and leave behind a small pile of perfectly polished potato chunks. She didn’t care for potatoes. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cook-for-your-pets/313317/8 "2005-07-20T17:41:22Z")
My kitties get a little bit of what we’re having if we’re having something they like. We tend to eat more stuff that they like now than we did before we got them. ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cook-for-your-pets/313317/9 "2005-07-20T17:47:02Z")
My MIL used to boil chicken for her elderly dog. Everyday before noon, the house smelled like boiled chicken. After noon, it smelled like dog farts. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cook-for-your-pets/313317/10 "2005-07-20T18:00:46Z")
Sheezus! Was I the only one who thought the thread title read “Do you cook your pets?” at the first glance? 😛 Adam ---
**Author:** ![EllaBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a5b964/32.png) [@EllaBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllaBean)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cook-for-your-pets/313317/11 "2005-07-20T18:13:47Z")
:eek: I suppose “How to Serve Pets” would not be the best title for my first cookbook, then? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cook-for-your-pets/313317/12 "2005-07-20T18:15:40Z")
… and from **Agent Foxtrot’s** post we get “Do you cook your pets at the first chance?” ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cook-for-your-pets/313317/13 "2005-07-20T18:16:48Z")
I too was reading a little too fast and was wondering how long this thread was going to last… Gives a whole new meaning to Fluffy-Nutter sandwiches. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cook-for-your-pets/313317/14 "2005-07-20T18:17:21Z")
I read the thread title and thought “I’d never do that! How silly”… and then remembered all the times I’d heated up popcorn for my little precious bird. So I guess I not only would, but would do it often. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cook-for-your-pets/313317/15 "2005-07-20T18:19:32Z")
My dog eats nothing except Alpo dog food… and spaghetti and meat sauce. We have to cook extra noodles because when she smells the sauce, she won’t stop barking until we share. Freaky dog. ---
**Author:** ![taxi78cab](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47c2d/32.png) [@taxi78cab](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taxi78cab)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cook-for-your-pets/313317/16 "2005-07-20T18:25:36Z")
I sometimes give my kitties little pieces of chicken or fish when I make it for me, but I don’t cook it specifically for them. My grandmother used to give homemade cookies to our dog and our neighbor’s dog. We always thought it was a terrible waste of homemade cookies! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cook-for-your-pets/313317/17 "2005-07-20T18:38:30Z")
Well… just this morning , I was fixing myself some comfort food , missing my Fancy Girl , and fixed bacon and scrambled eggs . And as always , I scrambled enough eggs for me and the remaining dogs , and they each got a slice of bacon , too . When I grill out , I toss a package of hot dogs on the grill for the dogs . If I fix chicken , I fix a little extra . They always get a little of what I cook , even if I don’r specifically cook FOR them , I cook EXTRA for them . Does that count ? Anna ---
**Author:** ![EllaBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a5b964/32.png) [@EllaBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllaBean)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cook-for-your-pets/313317/18 "2005-07-20T18:42:40Z")
> [@PapSett](#): > > Well… just this morning , I was fixing myself some comfort food , missing my Fancy Girl , and fixed bacon and scrambled eggs . And as always , I scrambled enough eggs for me and the remaining dogs , and they each got a slice of bacon , too . > > When I grill out , I toss a package of hot dogs on the grill for the dogs . If I fix chicken , I fix a little extra . They always get a little of what I cook , even if I don’r specifically cook FOR them , I cook EXTRA for them . Does that count ? > > Anna it counts (and I’m sorry to hear about your Fancy Girl ☹ ) I always set aside some dough to keep chocolate-free when I make chocolate chip cookies so that the birds can have some. I also keep a bit avocado-free when I make avocado tofu scramble because parrots can’t have avocado. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cook-for-your-pets/313317/19 "2005-07-20T18:47:52Z")
My sister makes her own dogfood: she browns lean ground beef and mixes it with boiled rice and frozen vegetables (peas, mostly. The dogs like peas). It’s more or less the same stuff that goes into making fancy dogfood, only without the preservatives and at less cost. ---
**Author:** ![Renob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8c91f0/32.png) [@Renob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renob)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cook-for-your-pets/313317/20 "2005-07-20T19:00:38Z")
In discussions like this, I am reminded of something I read in Plutarch’s life of Pericles: > [@Plutarch](#): > > Caesar once, seeing some wealthy strangers at Rome, carrying up and down with them in their arms and bosoms young puppy-dogs and monkeys, embracing and making much of them, took occasion not unnaturally to ask whether the women in their country were not used to bear children; by that prince-like reprimand gravely reflecting upon persons who spend and lavish upon brute beasts that affection and kindness which nature has implanted in us to be bestowed on those of our own kind. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cook-for-your-pets/313317.md?page=2)