Tapas for Cats!

I just could not resist the chance offered by chewy.com to try Muse Creatables Variety Pack by Purina... it even comes with a recipe book! Even better it is like setting up a Tapas for your cats!!! Looking through the recipe book, which is just too cute there are a few pages in the back where you can note your own recipes after you get a million appreciative meows! I love the entire concept of being able to create... and the Tapas vibe, it  just makes me and the cats and -- happy!

Muse Creatables Variety Pack includes a total of sixteen items.  The crunchy bites are grain free and come in chicken and salmon.  There are six simply sauce pouches including two each of natural chicken gravy with carrots, natural salmon gravy with spinach and natural seafood chowder. To round out the variety pack there are six plastic containers of Natural shredded chicken, natural flaked salmon, and natural flaked tuna.   Zoey is checking it out and, she always watches Sabu....

I love the fact that you can mix and match these three ingredients and personalize your cat's meals.  It is also a great opportunity to try out these products to see which ones your cats like best so you can purchase them individually.  All my cats like them but  - as you will see in the next photo,  Sabu is so very satisfied -- licking his chops!

Another plus is that you can use each of the components as a stand-alone treat or topper to your cat's regular food. For a tasty treat combine the crunchy bites with tender filets and simply sauces to create a complete and balanced meal for your cat.  I thought it would be a fun and creative way to "tail-or" a special treat for my gang of five!  Another plus is that each recipe is grain free, gluten free and contains no corn, wheat, soy, fillers or poultry by-product meals.

February is National Pet Dental Month - Celebrate it with Greenies!

There are many things I like about February...chocolate and flowers on Valentine's Day, President's Day, the February Thaw...and the fact that it is National Pet Dental Health Month sponsored by the American Veterinary Medical Association.  It serves as a good reminder that the care of your pet's teeth and gums is important for their overall health.  When a cat's gums or teeth are inflamed from bacteria it is not only painful but can become systematic.  To prevent this, in addition to regular vet check-ups, I feed my gang of five treats that help remove pesky plaque like Feline Greenies Dental Treats - Catnip Flavor of course!

Chewy sent me a Catnip flavored dental treat Greenies to try out and my cats gobbled them up like mad... I let them for this blog but will feed them with more discretion daily!  Feline Greenies Dental Treats come in a "Catnip" flavor that all of my cats love.  They come in three sizes  2.5 oz., 5.5 oz., bags or an 11 oz. tub that is 17% off from chewy.  Best of all, the unique shape of this dental treat helps to scrape away plaque and tartar build-up that is critical to dental health between teeth cleaning and vet visits.  What I am most impressed about is that these treats have earned the Veterinary Oral Health Council Seal of Acceptance for tartar reduction.

I also like the fact that in addition to catnip, these treats pack a good punch of protein with chicken meal as the first ingredient that adds to their delectability.  They are also fortified with essential vitamins and minerals that support overall health.  Even cats need "guilt-free" treats and  Feline Greenies Dental Catnip Treats are only 1.39 calories per treat...and, no, they can't eat just one!  It is no wonder that chewy.com customers rate these treats at just shy of five stars!

Stuck in the Snow... Have Lil' Soup!

I like to think of winter as the time when nature sleeps.  When snow falls the light of the full moon dances on the landscape that is intensified by snow.  There is nothing like a snowstorm on a Sunday and curling up with a good book and a glass of wine by the fire.  One of my favorite things to do on s snowy day is to make comfort food and, there is nothing like a hearty beef stew scented with rosemary and red wine on a cold winter day.  It seems I am not the only one that likes soup on cold days, so does my gang of five! 

This month chewy.comhttp://www.chewy.com sent me a case of Lil' soups by Friskies and they love it!  Their soup of choice is the Lil' Soup with Tuna that is in a rich velvety chicken broth.  This brand comes in a variety of flavors including Chicken and Butternut,  Shrimp, Sockeye Salmon,  Tuna and a Variety Pack.  The handy plastic cups, that do not contain any BPA or any form of bisphenol are in perfect 1.2 oz serving sizes. The soup is low in sodium and the phosphorus content is 0.6%. According to the feeding instructions, you should swirl the cup of broth gently before opening.  Once you open it, you will see this is no ordinary watery broth -- it looks rich and creamy and has real tuna flakes floating in the soup.

This product is made with real ingredients and comes in an easy to use, no mess cup.  Lil'Soups are not made with fillers or meat products, the soup is also grain free with no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.  This soup is considered a supplemental food and is not intended to replace the diet of your cat.  I like to serve it one of two ways, either on its own as a super scrumptious treat or lavishly poured on top of their favorite wet food to add a little pick me up goodness to their regular diet.  Either way, they lap it up!  Lil' Soups is highly rated by chewy.com customers, with 4.4 rating out of five stars.  My gang of five is definitely giving this five paws up!

Get Raw Boost by Instinct for the Holiday Cheer!

I love the holiday time of year when friends and family get a together...my gang of five is very convivial and they love it when folks come to visit.  All of them vie for special attention, especially Mocha!  In order to make sure that my guests don't feed my begging kitties table food that might upset their digestive system, I decided to try out Raw Boost Mixers Instinct by Nature's Variety from chewy.com.  Raw Boost Mixers are really healthy and packed with protein that will ensure that your four-footed friends get plenty of healthy protein.

What is Raw?

Raw has real ingredients and is all natural, with vitamins and minerals derived from real natural foods.  There are no preservatives and nothing artificial.  Raw is never cooked because this company wants to preserve the integrity of the ingredients by never heating them or diminishing their nutrients.  Raw natural whole food without grain or gluten promotes maximum digestibility, the natural oils and omega fatty acids provide a healthy coat and skin, and the meat helps to maintain strong lean muscles.

What is Freeze Dried Raw?

Freeze-dried raw is 100% raw nutrition that sits safely on your pantry shelf. All the moisture is removed from the natural frozen recipes without heating or cooking, to lock in nutrition and taste. The ingredients are preserved by using cold pressure technology. Also known as high-pressure processing this method uses pressure instead of high heat in order to create an all-natural, safe, raw pet food that can be used as is.

About Raw Boost Mixers

Nature's Variety is a U.S. company based in Lincoln, Nebraska started to make small batches of pet food from real meats, whole fruits, and vegetables, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar and turmeric, to name a few ingredients in order to create a pet food that stimulates overall wellness, immune and digestive health, lean muscles and a healthy skin and coat.  All their raw pet food starts with pure animal protein, not peas or potatoes because they believe that animal protein provides all the essential amino acids that our pets need.  Raw Boosters is freeze-dried and made of real protein-packed chicken that is minimally processed.  There is no grain or gluten. They start with 12 ounces of real chicken and chicken liver plus whole vegetables and fruits and then freeze-dry these ingredients locking in the nutrients and flavor.

How to Use

The beauty of raw boost instinct is that it can be used in two different ways.  It can be used as a special healthy treat right out of the bag or it can be used as a topper on your pet's favorite wet or dry food.  I tend to use raw boost as a treat for my gang of five.  Instinct Rawboost Mixersby Nature's Variety has had rave reviews on the chewy.com website giving it 4.6 stars out of five with 79% of those reviewing this product giving it great reviews and 94% of those reviewing this food recommending it.

Holiday Goodie Box for your Feline Friends

Calling all feline lovers... chewy.com has issued a new Holiday Goody Box chock full of fabulous treats for your cats!  If you are looking for a, dare I say it... a "pawsome" gift for your fellow fur friends, this box makes it easy to spread the holiday cheer!  Best of all this box is on sale (25% off) and ships free!  The Holiday Goody Box has been marked down to $14.95 and gets rave reviews from chewy.com customers.

This festive box is chock full of goodies that is sure to stir up some warm fuzzy feelings at this happy time of the year.  Best of all for cat owners, it gives your feline friend the opportunity to try a variety of products before taking the plunge and buying products in quantity.

I was very impressed with this holiday box because it came with three types of cat food...all elegantly delectable in their own way.  There are two Triple Layer Cups of Turkey and Pumpkin that is served in a fancy parfait style with layers of smooth and creamy pate, whipped mousse and shreds of real turkey...this was an instant hit with my gang of five!  There is also a Slide N' Serve pate by Weruva that combines grass-fed lamb with mackerel and provides the variety that my cats love.  I was really excited to try the Adult Instinctive Pouch of food by Royal Canin because that is the brand of dry food that my gang of five devours...and, I am hoping they will like this pate as well.

The goodies don't stop there!  Also included in the box is a fun, lickable cat treat that is chicken flavored and grain free by Inaba Churu...it is pure deliciousness!  If your cat is playful there are four shimmer ball cat toys by Ethical Pet that have a built-in rattler that makes this ball even more fun to bat around and under the couch!  No goody box is complete without catnip and, this box comes with a small bag of catnip by Xtreme sure to get your cats rolling around and playing. 

Two interesting items found in the Holiday Goody Box is a calming cat diffuser kit by Comfort Zone and a Calming Collar by Cat Paws perfect for those shy cats that don't like all the company and entertaining that goes on for the Holidays.

No matter what holiday your family celebrates, this festive box spreads holiday cheer for pet parents and their furry friends.  Goody Boxes are available from chewy.com for both dogs & cats, there's something for everypawdy !

Music and Miko Cat Food 50% Off!

I love the quote by humanitarian and Noble Peace Prize winner, Albert Schweitzer, who said, "There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats."  Thinking about that statement, I  think of the famous "cat music"!  Perhaps, one of the most famous is Edward Lear's verse, The Owl and the Pussy Cat, set to music by Stravinsky.   Rossini composed, "Duetto Buffo Dei Due Gatti" where two female singers vocalize solely on the word meow, and then, of course, Scarlatti's "Cat Fugue" that was inspired by his cat running over his piano keyboard.  And, let's not forget that modern classic, sung by Peggy Lee... The Siamese Cat Song!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlQYqQs0R3w.

As you can imagine, I decided to write this blog about Miko Cat Food that chewy.com sent me this month listening to music!  Miko Cat Food has been formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by AAFCO standards using real flaked fish or poultry that are packed in a delicious, savory consomme.  The texture is flaky and the consomme smells great with the added benefit of providing more liquid to your cat's diet.

All About the Goodness

I decided to ask for the Miko Poultry and Seafood Variety Pack that comes in a case of 12 three-ounce cans that includes two cans each of chicken, chicken & turkey, chicken & vegetable, mackerel & tuna, tilapia & tuna, and salmon.  The real good news is this item sells for $14.99 and is currently 50% off the first time you buy it with a limit of one case per customer.  If you put this item on auto ship, you will receive an additional 5% off.

Key Benefits

• Each can is made from real chicken, turkey, or fish and provides your cat with the protein it needs to thrive.  Real protein is the #1 ingredient.
• The consomme is a flavorful real broth that adds liquid to your cat's diet helping to provide healthy hydration for your cat.
• Each can is packed with added vitamins, minerals, and taurine, an amino acid that is essential to feline heart and vision health.
• This is a grain free product that never contains wheat, corn, soy or carrageenan.

Reviews

According to the chewy.com website, this product is in the top percentage with 81% of the customers that bought this product giving it a five-star rating.  Many people note that this food does contain a lot of consomme; others say that it has a good consomme - meat ratio, and, 81%  say that their cats love it.  Of some concern, it is noted that this product is made in Thailand.  On the other hand, research shows that Thailand has very strict standards for pet food, having been to Thailand many times, this was not a concern for me.  And, best of all, my cats, especially Sabu loved this food.  He actually prefers a food with a consomme broth.

Thanksgiving Treats and the Popularity of Cats!

We all know there are two kinds of people in the world... cat people and dog people, I love both, but admittedly, I am more of a cat person.  In the U.S. slightly more households own dogs than own cats according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, but in raw numbers, cats outnumber dogs to the tune of two million.  Euromonitor found that at a state level in the U.S. cats outnumber dogs in the Northeast and Upper Midwest and that dogs are a favorite in the South and Southwest.  Our state of Connecticut is a cat state with 1.25 cats per household for every dog.

It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is around the corner... with that in mind, www.chewy.com sent me the perfect treat for my gang of five so they can celebrate the holiday too.  I couldn't wait to try the special Temptation's Holiday Dinner that comes in luscious Turkey and Sweet potato flavor.  The 16-ounce handy plastic container that keeps these treats fresh is only available for a limited time.  I like the fact that they come in a stay fresh pack and when I shake the container, my cats come running!

Key Benefits

The best thing is that these treats will keep you from feeding your furry friends things that might be too rich for their systems and cause digestive problems. To order click here.

•  These colorful treats are festive and made with the irresistible flavor of turkey and sweet potatoes.
• They have a crispy outer shell that helps keep your cat's teeth clean by preventing the build-up of tartar.  
• The soft meaty center is a special surprise these "Temptation" treats offered.
• No worries about weight gain, these treats are less than two calories per treat (I wish a slice of pumpkin pie was too!!).
• The resealable fresh pack keeps these treats fresh and the container can be re-used for other goodies.

Reviews

The Temptations Thanksgiving Treats scored high on the chewy.com website with 4.6 out of five stars!  The reviews all mention that even though cats can be finicky,  just about every cat from sweet rescues to breed all had one thing in common, they loved these holiday treats and from the look of things here, so do my gang of five!