Yoghurt Drops (for Rodents)

With all the treats and delicious food that comes our way this time of year, it's easy to forget that our pets deserve a little something in their stockings too! For us, we have one "group" stocking for all 10 animals (not counting fish) - we have 3 cats, a dog and my sister's 6 adorable rats.

Yes, rats. Most people think the idea of rats is creepy or weird, but they are friendly and have personalities that are more complex than some people I know!

Now, my sister being who she is, these are some pampered creatures. They go to the vet, have 2 cages (one in her "student" home, one in our living room), get special food and are even bathed! Of course, this all costs a pretty penny, and as a student she needs to save her cents! For the holidays, I decided to take on the task of making the furballs one of their favourite snacks - yoghurt drops. The rats love yoghurt in general (and it is quite cute to watch them eat it), and the drops are a sweet treat once in a while that they go nuts for!

If you have rodents, you know how expensive their treats can be - but for the price of a tub of Greek yoghurt (or even cheaper, homemade yoghurt), skim milk powder, gelatine and the crushed dregs of breakfast cereal, you can make your own. These stay shelf-stable if you take the dehydrator step, but if you don't have one, no worries - they keep perfectly fine in the freezer.

Have you ever made your own pet treats? What pets do you keep at home?

Yoghurt Drops (for Rodents) 

Adapted from The Allergylicious Mama Chef's Dehydrated Yogurt Drops

Makes 335g
2 cups full-fat vanilla yoghurt
2 tbsp honey
3 tbsp unflavoured gelatine
½ cup instant skim milk powder
3 tbsp cornstarch
½ cup crushed breakfast cereal (any type, I used Cheerios) or 2 packets instant oatmeal

1. Beat together the yoghurt, honey, gelatin, milk powder, cornstarch and cereal. Let stand 10 minutes.
2. Scoop yoghurt mixture into a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and pipe small drops on sheets of parchment paper cut to the size of your dehydrator trays (or baking sheets if freezing).
3. Dehydrate until completely firm and dry to the touch, about 6 hours (or up to overnight). Let cool to room temperature, then transfer to a zip-top bag. These store best in the fridge but can be kept in a cool, dry place as well.
4. If freezing, place sheets in the freezer overnight, then transfer to a zip-top bag and storing in the freezer.

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