Rachael Ray's New Cat Food --- Purrfection It's Nutrish! & How to store dry cat food

Rachael Ray of Food Network fame has developed a new line of cat food (dog food too) called "Nutrish" -- what a cute name, can't you hear her say it!  Anyway Rachael  used her basic cooking philosophy "simple recipes" to craft her brand of pet food.  She worked with cat nutritionists to develop Nutrish. The Indoor Complete  Chicken with Lentils and Salmon  recipes  #1 ingredient is  chicken that is combined with a "superfood blend" to make sure indoor cats are happy and healthy.  This is the first blog where fussy "TheMaxx" is eating --  he is beyond fussy but he loves this  food, so does Zoey!  TheMaxx is on the right of your  screen and distinguished as always!

So what is in this superblend of Nutrish ... well...  lentils, pumpkin, dandelion greens (this must be it!) cranberries and blueberries.  So what does this superblend mean exactly?   Lentils are naturally rich in fiber and protein; they are low in fat; basically supporting a healthy way for an indoor cat to live while maintaining  optimal weight -- and yes, we all need to  maintain a healthy weight!  Pumpkin is fiber rich and good for digestion,  cranberries and blueberries are rich in  antioxidants and good sources of minerals  like vitamin C that helps cat maintain a good immune system.

Leafy dandelion greens are high in fiber that has natural prebiotics your cat will benefit from. Another thing I really like about  Nutrish , especially for Himalayan cats with their small mouths is the size of this food...another reason why TheMaxx is purring when eating it!  He really is... because it is easy for him to eat.   I have never heard him purr and eat, honest!   Thank you,  Rachael Ray for crafting this new kibble piece with  it's  unique shape and taste.  It  has a certain crunch to it... and is not too big and not too small.  It is  purrfect for  a cat to  chew and swallow.  The Tonks however are never to be left out... they like Nutrish  a lot too...

This month I am so glad I asked www.chewy.com to send this to me for a  review -- it  is 36% off, and honestly, my  cats, all five love it!  My next thought is how Rachael Ray would suggest  to store the food.. I am not sure what suggestions Rachael would have and I am sure  she has many tips she would want to add... but -  here are a few basics that I follow....

1. Store food in a cool, dry location to keep it fresh... try a bag or a plastic container that seals tight. Never let moisture in the food 

2. I never put "fresh" dry food into  a container with "older" dry food.  I finish it up, wash the container and then put in the new food. 

3. I usually never have to check the sell by date, but yes, cat food now has that... so -- make sure you keep that in mind.  If you are really ambitious you can cut out the production code and best before date and tape it to the  container... thankfully, I never have to do this with all the hungry cats I have to feed!

Time for a St. Patrick's Day Party w/ Taste of the Wild!

St Patrick is known as the patron saint of Ireland. True, he was not  born Irish, but he has become an integral part of the Irish heritage since the 5th century. Today St. Patrick's Day has become a more secular holiday and is commonly thought of as a celebration of the Irish and Irish culture on March 17. The leprechaun, a Celtic fairy, is a chief symbol of this holiday, along with the shamrock, an ancient symbol for the triple goddess Brigit. It is fitting that this holiday should fall at the time of the year when the return of spring begins to seem at hand; or so we thought until yesterday when Connecticut got blasted with six inches of snow and more is expected this coming week !  To get in a holiday mood, we have decided to try the new catfood sent to us by www.chewy.com called "Taste of the Wild" Rocky Mountain flavor which you can get from chewy at a 14% discount.

I decided Taste of the Wild  Rocky Mountain flavor with real salmon, chicken liver and roasted venison in gravy would be the purrfect food for my frisky felines to try in honor of St. Patrick's Day.  I am hoping it will bring a little variety to their diet and encourage their inner tiger to come out for a prowl! Sabu and Zoey seem to love it!

I was impressed that this food actually contains smoked salmon which I know my Tonkinese love.  The bite size chunks are full of protein that is so important for overall cat health. Venison is a highly digestible lean protein source that adds a bit of variety to your cat's diet and also provides nutrients that support strong bones and muscles. Sabu really likes the gravy which also helps him get the water he needs. 

Best of all, A Taste of the Wild is supplemented with antioxidants from fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, blueberries and raspberries that are also good sources of  fiber and vitamin C and A . In addition, Wild Rocky Mountain is grain free and loaded with vitamins including taurine a type of amino acid that is critical for your cat's vision, digestion and heart muscle function. And, who can resist the bright eyes of a cat... my little friend Lars calls Mocha lemonade eyes!

The brand, Taste of the Wild is based on the philosophy that our cats (and dogs too) crave a taste of the wild and their formulas are based on a grain free diet that relies on quality meat and fish plus probiotics that will maximize the nutritional health benefits for your pet, as nature intended. The company has five manufacturing facilities in the U.S. including north and central California, Missouri, South Carolina and Arkansas.

As far as storing canned food it is important to remember that you shouldn't leave an open can of Taste of the Wild out for more than thirty minutes.  It is important to store partially eaten cans properly by covering them or by putting them in an airtight container in the fridge. Cans stored this way should be kept no longer than three days after opening.

When I think of St. Patrick's day, I also think of  Limerick's that gained popularity in the pubs of Ireland where Irish poets composed limericks during their drinking sessions, including some say, a pub in Limerick that was already noted for its pub crawl chorus, "Will you please come up to Limerick ?"

We have a cat named Sabu

 So very bad he is Taboo

I am elegant and must hunt

Not get sent to the front

But without chewy I would bid you adieu

Maxx is the master of staring

He is not disturbed when the music is blaring

At the top of the stairs he looks down

With bright lemonade eyes like a clown

Meowing for chewy for  sharing

Orders of $49 or more ship free in two days from www.chewy.com with an additional savings of  5% with automatic shipment. Review of product shipped by chewy