Our Zoo animals often get special ice treats made just for them. They like the cold feel of the ice, but they get really excited when the ice begins to melt and they can get at the yummy things inside. Why not make one for your dog or cat? You'll need to do this in steps, so it's a good project to plan a whole day for.

What You Need:

• 1 paper cup or an empty, clean margarine tub
• Pieces of dry pet food, shredded cheese, or any kind of special treats you are allowed to feed to your pet
• Water
• Food coloring (optional)
• A freezer

What You Do:

1. Put some pieces of dry pet food into the bottom of the cup or margarine tub. Add just enough water* so that the food is covered. Put the container in your freezer.
2. Check the container after about one hour. If the water has not frozen yet, put it back in the freezer and check again in another hour.
3. After the first layer is frozen, take the container out of the freezer and add something else (we used shreded cheese). 
4. Add a little more water, again so that the food is just covered by liquid. Put the container back into the freezer.
5. After the second layer has frozen, add some more treats and water to the container. Put the treat back into the freezer.
6. When the last layer has frozen solid, remove the treat from the container. If you used a paper cup, you will probably be able to simply tear the cup away from the ice. If you used a margarine tub, you can set the tub in a bowl of warm water for a minute so that the ice begins to thaw, and the treat will slip out of the tub.
7. Give the treat to your pet and watch what happens: does your pet sniff or lick it first? Does your pet bat it around with a paw? How long does it take your pet to get to the treats inside?

*You can make your pet treat more colorful by adding food coloring to the water before you pour it into the container. If you use food coloring, do not let your pet take the treat onto any carpeted area in your home.