Pet-friendly mooncakes trending

Varsity student Sherlyn Beh, 22, said she incorporated her pet’s favourite foods into her pet-friendly mooncakes such as pumpkins, sweet potatoes and chicken while the exterior is made with goat’s milk powder to provide a higher nutritional value.

JOHOR BARU: Unable to resist her dog’s lingering stare as she was enjoying mooncakes, a university student decided to make pet-friendly versions.Sherlyn Beh, 22, said she incorporated her pet’s favourite food such as pumpkin, sweet potato and chicken as part of the filling.

The skin of the mooncake, she added, was made with goat’s milk powder for added nutrition.

“As a dog owner, I always feel bad when I cannot share the delicious mooncakes with my pet, so I made the treats for it to enjoy.

“When I saw how much my dog enjoyed the pet-friendly treats I made, I decided to sell them on social media.

“The response was surprisingly warm,” she said when interviewed.

Her pet mooncakes contain no preservatives, oil and artificial colouring so they are suitable for animals.

Beh said she came up with six different flavours and has sold 120 pieces of pet mooncakes since opening for orders a month ago.

“Most of my customers are from the Johor Baru area and some of them purchased the treats as gifts for their friends who are pet owners,” she said.

Though today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is usually celebrated by the Chinese community a month before the actual date.

Another seller, Koh Xiao Wei, 25, said she usually made pet-friendly treats for her furry companions, but this is the first time she decided to sell them online.

“Sales have been brisk with orders coming from Kuala Lumpur, Kedah, Negri Sembilan and other parts of Johor such as Segamat.

“I use only natural ingredients, including purple potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, salmon and chicken, which are beneficial to pets. Although the ingredients are simple, it is quite time-consuming to make pet mooncakes as the ingredients have to be steamed individually,” she said.

Meanwhile, in Batu Pahat, 27-year-old Chan Sheiny said she offered a no-meat pet mooncake option for her customers to cater to pets with allergies.

“I often see people feeding their pets with pet mooncakes on social media so I decided to learn how to make it online,” she said.