National Cook for Your Pets Day 2026 Is Sunday, Nov. 1: Foods to Keep Away From Pets

National Cook for Your Pets Day is Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, an informal observance with no confirmed founder, and the safest way to mark it starts with what to leave out of the bowl. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) lists the people foods it says to avoid feeding pets, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gives handling rules. This story puts the ASPCA list in one table and adds a free kitchen checklist with the ASPCA poison line.

Where does National Cook for Your Pets Day come from?

We could not confirm a founder or a start year, so we do not give one. Treat it as an informal day on Nov. 1. It is not a federal holiday and nothing closes. Nothing below is a recipe, and no homemade dish here is presented as a complete diet.

Which foods does the ASPCA say to keep away from pets?

The ASPCA’s page “People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets” names these. Reasons are the ASPCA’s wording, shortened.

Food	Why the ASPCA says to avoid it
Alcohol, raw yeast dough	Poisoning; dough can rise in the stomach
Chocolate, coffee, caffeine	Methylxanthines: vomiting, abnormal heart rhythm, seizures; darker chocolate means greater risk
Grapes and raisins	Kidney damage in dogs
Onions, garlic, chives	Destroy red blood cells and cause anemia; cats are more susceptible
Macadamia nuts	Weakness, tremors, vomiting and overheating in dogs
Xylitol	Low blood sugar and possible liver damage
Raw or undercooked meat and eggs	Salmonella and E. coli
Raw bones	Can injure or obstruct the digestive tract
Salt and salty foods	Can cause excess thirst, abnormal electrolytes, vomiting, tremors and seizures
Milk and dairy	Diarrhea

Our table follows the ASPCA’s list and adds nothing about amounts, which the sheet does not give.

What do the CDC and feed officials say about homemade pet food?

The CDC page “About Pet Food Safety” (Jan. 30, 2025) says to talk to your veterinarian or a veterinary nutritionist if homemade pet foods are your pet’s main diet. It says the CDC does not recommend feeding raw pet food or treats to dogs and cats, because raw meat and other raw animal protein can have germs like Salmonella and Listeria. It also says to wash your hands with soap and water before and after handling pet food or treats.

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) answers a common question on its frequently asked questions page: it does not approve, certify or otherwise endorse pet foods, and there is no AAFCO-approved pet food. Its nutrient profiles have 37 nutritional parameters for dogs and 44 for cats. So no product or recipe can truthfully claim AAFCO approval, and a veterinarian is the person to ask about a diet.

What should you do if a pet eats something on the list?

The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center takes calls at (888) 426-4435, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The ASPCA says a consultation fee may apply. Keep your own veterinarian’s number beside it; our printable has a notes box for that.

Free pet-safe kitchen checklist

The one-page checklist groups the foods above, the CDC hand-washing and veterinarian steps, and the poison line. Print the colour version or the ink saver copy and put it on the fridge, beside the printable weekly calendar with vet visits. The November 2026 printable calendar is a place to mark them.

For another pet date this season, see our National Cat Day 2026 story, which uses ASPCA shelter and plant data.

What we left out: an origin for the day, any recipe, and portion sizes, none of which our sources give.