We cater food at every party we run, and the single question owners ask most often is simply: can my dog or cat actually eat this? So here is the honest, working list our kitchen uses — what is safe to serve dogs and cats at a Bali pet party, what to avoid, and how to keep a table of treats from turning into a vet visit. Save it before your next celebration.
The Hard No List — Toxic to Pets
The dangerous part is that several of these hide inside party food that looks innocent — a frosting made with xylitol, a savoury dip with onion powder, a "fruit platter" with grapes tucked between the melon. At our parties the human grazing board and the pet menu are physically separate tables for exactly this reason, and we recommend you do the same at home.
Safe and Genuinely Loved — Dogs
- Lean cooked meat — plain chicken, turkey or beef, no seasoning. The star of any dog party plate.
- Carob "chocolate" — the safe stand-in for cocoa in cakes and biscuits.
- Banana, blueberries, watermelon (deseeded), apple (no core), mango flesh — Bali's fruit is perfect for frozen summer treats.
- Plain unsweetened yoghurt — frosting, or frozen into bite-size drops.
- Pumpkin and sweet potato, cooked and mashed — gentle on stomachs, easy to shape.
- Xylitol-free peanut butter — read the label twice, then use it for everything.
Safe and Loved — Cats
Cats are obligate carnivores, so their party plate is simpler and meatier. Small amounts of cooked chicken, turkey or white fish (boneless, plain) are the gold standard. A spoon of plain cooked egg, a few flakes of tuna in spring water as a once-off, or a commercial cat treat shaped for the occasion all work. Skip the cake concept for cats — most ignore it. A "high tea" of warm meat in tiny portions, served on a pretty plate for the photos, is what a cat birthday actually wants. We cover the full format on our cat birthday party page.
Portion Sense at a Party
Treats and party food should stay under roughly 10% of a pet's daily calories — celebrations are the day that rule gets quietly broken, and the result is an upset stomach the next morning. Serve small, serve slowly, and put the leftovers away rather than leaving a bowl out for grazing. With a pack of guest dogs, assign one human per two dogs to manage the plate, or the fast eaters clear the table and the polite ones get nothing.
Let Us Handle the Menu
Every party package we run includes a pet-safe menu planned around your guests' allergies, and our bakery makes the centrepiece cake. If you are self-catering and just want a second pair of eyes on your shopping list, send us a photo of the labels on WhatsApp — we would rather check than commiserate. For more party planning, see our ten party ideas and our guide to dog-friendly beaches.