Episode 39: Feeding Fido on the Homefront
How Americans kept their cats and dogs fed on the homefront, plus a closer look at Dogs for Defense.
Welcome to the supplemental content for Episode 39 where I discuss how dogs and cats were impacted by meat rationing and how their owners got creative in order to keep them fed.
There is literally so much out there regarding dogs and cats during WWII, which is a blessing and a curse. I found so many wonderful stories and pictures, but I can’t share all of them with you because there isn’t enough space. Here is a somewhat small selection of what I found in my research. Of course “small” is relative. Ha!
Cats
Cats weren’t only cuddly, they were vital on the homefront and in the military for keeping down the mice and rat populations and boosting morale.
Marketing for cat and dog food was thriving in wartime, especially for brands who had a wartime message.
Dogs
Dogs also served important roles on the home front. There were guard dogs, sporting dogs like sled dogs, racers, and hunting dogs, working farm dogs who kept down vermin and protected valuable livestock, and of course they boosted morale all over the place!
I also found it interesting how they used animals in propaganda too:
Dog ads are some of the most fun I’ve come across.
Many loving pet owners sacrificed their meat points so their animals could get the meat they needed for their diets, but not everyone was in favor of that practice.
Dogs for Defense
I had a great chat with Kelsey Lonie, military historian, passionate researcher of the Dogs for Defense program, and a dog owner herself!
Cookbook Feature
In lieu of a cookbook feature, Kelsey and I each chose a recipe to try with our pets: Kelsey’s dog Rocky and my cat Caspian. I also wanted to share with you the variety of interesting cat and dog food recipes I found in the newspapers. I love that pet owners came to each others’ rescue to solve the challenge of rationing affecting what they could feed their animals.
***The following recipes are provided as historical information for research purposes only. Please consult your veterinarian first if you want to attempt to use these recipes with your pets. ***
The Ration Recipe I Tried
The recipe at the top of this article is the one that I used/modified for my cat. This was an experiment, and I haven’t replaced his regular diet with this food. It was an interesting result and empowering to know that real food can be blended to make good food for our pets. Again, please discuss any of these ideas with your vet.
My first attempt at feeding Caspian chicken liver, fish, cottage cheese, and scrambled eggs separately was met with curiosity and eventual disdain. He’s used to paté style wet cat food. So, back to the kitchen!
Next, following the recipe in the article above, I used cooked ground beef, some frozen and cooked peas, carrots and a few green beans, soaked oatmeal, and his dry cat kibble soaked in some water. I blended it all into a paste.
It looked pretty convincing to me! All that was left was to see what Caspian thought.
He loved it! I tried giving it to him the next day and he was less enthusiastic. Ah well. Leftovers will go to the chickens.
And here is Rocky, eagerly awaiting his wartime ration meal. He also loved it and ate it all before Kelsey could get a picture of him enjoying his food. Just look at that face!
One last episode to go for Season 5!
In Special Memory ~
This post is dedicated in loving memory to my dear friend Sara’s handsome black lab, Vitus. He was a devoted companion and the bestest of friends; a special comfort in hard times and a joy through all the rest.
Even though I never got to meet this distinguished gentleman in person, I grew to love him from a distance through photos and videos Sara shared. Vitus was such a good, sweet boy who is so greatly missed.
RESOURCES
WEBSITES
Kelsey Lonie - Guest for this episode!
Department of the Seadog (Dogs Bond and Dewey)
Fort Robinson - K9 Training Area (this Fort was featured in a story for the Homefront Highlight!)
The Surprising History of Commercial Pet Food
Let the Records Bark! Personal Stories of Some Special Marines in World War II
"Children and Dogs for Defense" with Hannah Palsa - 2021 World War II Scholars Symposium (Video)
The Forgotten History of the Pet Holocaust
Past and Present - Pets in Wartime
All fish canned cat food (fish + broth)
Human foods that are safe for cats to eat
IMAGES
New York, New York. A woman and her dog in the Harlem section. Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information photograph collection (Library of Congress) May 1943. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017851574/
Middle River, a small crossroads in the vicinity of Baltimore, Maryland. FSA (Farm Security Administration) housing project (later administered by the National Housing Agency) for Glenn L. Martin aircraft workers. A boy and his dog. Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information photograph collection (Library of Congress) Aug? 1943. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017860631/
Bondadier "Duke" Barks for his Bond, Barbara Friedmand - 3rd Drive. Department of the Treasury. U.S. Savings Bonds Division. U.S. Savings Bonds Division for New York. ca. 1944-ca. 1959. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/721726
“Watch Yourself Pal!” Office for Emergency Management. Office of War Information. Domestic Operations Branch. Bureau of Special Services. 3/9/1943-9/15/1945
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/513600
“Doggone It, Guys.” Office for Emergency Management. Office of War Information. Domestic Operations Branch. Bureau of Special Services. 3/9/1943-9/15/1945 https://catalog.archives.gov/id/514125
“Because Somebody Talked!” Office for Emergency Management. Office of War Information. Domestic Operations Branch. Bureau of Special Services. 3/9/1943-9/15/1945 https://catalog.archives.gov/id/513669
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/148727088
Cats magazine (wartime editions)
All newspaper articles used for research in my episode were accessed via Newspapers.com.
This is INCREDIBLE - and honestly, I'd never thought much about the role of dogs & cats in the war, much less the impact of rationing on them. Thank you for illuminating this!! The training for all the donated dogs must have been out of this world.
What a fun article! I never gave much thought to what our furry friends would have eaten back in the days of rationing. Bravo 👏