Halo Cat Food and A Trip to the Beardsley Zoo

This month, I am all about Halo Cat Food thanks to www.chewy.com. There are many things I like about Halo, but one outstanding thing is their sense of ethics.  Halo is very active in giving back to local shelters. As a matter of fact every time you buy Halo, they donate a bowl of cat food or dog food to shelters to help nourish and transform shelter pets to give them their very best chance at a forever home.

 Halo is also a Giving Tuesday partner with the Humane Society and has helped to raise more than $200,000. They also help feed pets rescued from extreme abuse and natural disasters and transports them to high adoption areas.

Halo's Chicken Pate

Since the gang of five enjoyed Halo Holistic Chicken and Chicken Liver Dry Cat Food, I decided to review Halo's Chicken Pate  thanks to www.chewy.com and they loved it. Two things I  liked about it right off was that it smelled really good and it looked appetizing with little flecks of spinach in it.

Just Natural Ingredients

Halo has been producing high quality holistic pet food for thirty plus years. A mantra at Halo is that they use only whole meat, in this case chicken and chicken liver in a chicken broth.  There are no rendered meat meals of any kind used in Chicken Pate making it easy for your cat to digest.

For Indoor Cats

Research shows that indoor cats are not as active as outdoor cats. This particular chicken pate is four paws up because it is grain free and specially formulated for indoor cats. The indoor cat food has essential fatty acids that protect house cats' skin and coat from the effects of HVAC systems and keeps them at a healthy weight. These recipes provide complete nutrition with quality ingredients but with lower fat and fewer calories that will help maintain the weight of your cat.

Ingredients

The Recipe 

Chicken, chicken liver,  chicken broth,  natural flavor, tricalcium phosphate, spinach, guar gum, carrageenan, carrots, potassium, chloride, cranberries, sweet potato, calcium carbonate, salt, minerals, choline chloride, vitamins, taurine, salmon oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols)  magnesium sulfate, and  rosemary extract.

Minerals 

Iron Amino Acid Chelate, zinc amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate, manganese amino acid chelate,  sodium selenite  potassium iodide

Vitamins 

Vitamin E Supplement,  thiamine mononitrate,  niacin supplement  d-calcium pantothenate,  pyridoxine hydrochloride,  riboflavin supplement,  vitamin A supplement, 

biotin,  vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, and folic acid.

Additional Health Perks

• Highly digestible because no meat meals
• A good source of additional hydration
• A great source of fatty acids that support healthy skin and coats
• No artificial colors, flavors or preservatives
• BPA free cans
• Non-GMO Vegetables (veggies sourced from farms that prohibit use of Genetically Modified Seeds)
• Protein averages from 33% to 30%

Lynx Kittens @ Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo

This summer the Beardsley Zoo, Connecticut's only Zoo announced that their new Canada lynx kittens born in April at the Zoo are both girls. The kittens were named by Spencer and Wesley Elkind of Greenwich after winning the opportunity of what to call the kittens. Spencer, age 12, and Wesley, age 11, said the names have special meaning, and added, "We chose Penny and Ruby because they are our favorite cats at our house. We love them so much, and know visitors to the Zoo will love the lynx kittens too." Don't miss a visit to the Zoo this fall to see the girls!

Lynx are light brown to gray in color, similar in appearance to a Bobcat but larger with longer legs.  The tip of their tail is black and they have long black ear tufts, giving them their distinctive appearance. Lynx lead a solitary life except during the breeding season and when mothers travel with their young. Lynx kittens learn to actively hunt and as adults they are exceptional stalkers.

Hello Halo Cat Food

This month I was so impressed with www.chewy.com - even when their headquarters in Florida were affected by the hurricane, our cat food and our products to blog came on time! I have since learned that www.chewy.com is also donating pet food to areas affected by the hurricane in Florida and in Texas - what a wonderful company to look after our unfortunate four legged friends in those states. 

This month, I decided to try Halo Holistic  Chicken and Chicken Liver Dry Cat Food and my gang of five loved it!  Even fussy Maxx likes it!  It is good for them because it is made with real chicken and specially formulated for indoor cats. This food is a great healthy option because of the many key nutritional benefits and a real bonus is that this food is well priced for the high quality of ingredients used in this formula.

No Meat Meals

The most important health benefit is that Halo uses whole meat proteins only, they never use meat meals.  The trouble with meat meals is that they are a rendered  high heat processed and dehydrated combo of non-human edible remnants from slaughterhouses and fish processing factories. Pet food companies use these "meat meals" because they are less expensive than whole meat.  A meat meal is less digestible and is high in ash content due to the heat process. According to AAFCO protocol tests this Halo cat food comes out on top in terms of digestibility. The real test here is that all my cats like it.

The Proof is in the Poop!

Yes! According to the packaging, "the proof is in the poop" and I can't wait to see if this is true!  Halo notes it that because of this cat foods proven digestibility you can expect to pick up after your cat just a little bit less and, in general feed them less. The chain of logic used here is that when you feed your pet a whole meat food that is more digestible your pet utilizes more of it- and, the more nutrition your pet benefits from, the less you pick up as waste.

Dream Coat

This highly palatable and digestible formula also includes a proprietary "DreamCoat" supplement.  This is especially important for long hair cat owners. This formula grooms from the inside out so to speak by adding an essential blend of pure oils that supply essential omega fatty acids that support a full, shiny coat...just like the maxx has !

Additional Health Benefits

• This product is heavy in protein and includes sustainably-raised, cage free chicken in addition to chicken liver and dried egg product. 
• Halo is rich in vitamins, antioxidants and fiber. The formula includes: non-GMO vegetables, sweet potatoes, blueberries, carrots and cranberries.
• In addition to no meat meals, this cat food has no hormones, antibiotics, artificial colors or preservatives.

Reviews

In addition to my humble opinion, Halo Holistic  Chicken and Chicken Liver Dry Cat Food  was recommended by 97% of the people that bought this product and reviewed it; 89% gave this product 5 stars -- or should that be 5 paws?  Best of all, www.chewy.com is offering this food for 20% off.

Where Fleas Hide

It is fall already, how summer has flown by.  The coyotes are back, I hear them howling late at night...and it seems that this year the flea and ticks season is worse than usual. My gang of five are banned from going outside (except on their leash) especially with the coyotes in the back woods.  The two pests I do watch out for when we are out are fleas and ticks. I have scoped out a few places where these pesky parasites like to hide and thought I would share them with you.

• Tall Grass is a favorite place for ticks, it seems they like to climb up and latch onto a passing person or pet. The solution is to keep out of the tall grass and to mow your lawn regularly. No romping in late autumn meadows for us! Interestingly, well irrigated mowed lawns are not a viable habitat for flea survival, they need a moist, humid area that is sheltered from the wind and sun. Fleas can't survive in areas that get a lot of rain, are well irrigated or poorly drained.

• Piles of Leaves are colorful and yes kids love to run and jump in them... and my cats love to play with piles of leaves, but there is one problem... leaf piles are perfect sanctuaries for fleas.  A colorful pile  of leaves provides darkness and humidity and is a perfect flea haven. It is best to keep your cats and dogs away from piles of leaves and to pick them up after raking and dispose of them.

• Shrubs and Trees attract fleas because fleas like wet, warm, shady, humid areas and are particularly attracted to trees and shrubs. It important to trim back shrubs and rake out any leaves that are under them.

• Pet areas that your dog or cat frequent often also attract fleas - they seem to have an uncanny ability to latch onto a dog or cat in their favorite spot.   A dog house, a favorite shady spot under a deck or porch, dense ground cover or a crawl space are all flea hot spots that should be noted and avoided. My cats love to go under the deck to eat the long grass that grows there, I guess that is off the list of things allowed for now!

A Turbo Charged Birthday!

In August my Max turned nine years old and Zoey and Zivah turned two...how time flies! To help celebrate these birthdays, www.chewy sent us the most amazing gifts -- treats by Wellness, an interactive cat toy by Kong Active replete with catnip and their favorite toy of all, the Turbo Scratcher interactive cat toy.  Best of all www.chewy.com is selling this toy at a 38% discount.

All my cats have taken a serious liking to this toy. I have a smaller version of this made by a different company but they really were not interested in playing with it, I think it was too small and the ball was too difficult for them to get at.  Size matters and is the reason why my cats, especially Zoey really loves this toy which is big enough to lay on and scratch away!   The Turbo Scratcher measures 16x16x2.  Zoey seems particularly fascinated by the ball and the sound it makes (reminds me of a eggs clinking in a kettle of boiling water) when batting it around.

Zoey loves to sit on the scratching pad in the center of the Turbo Scratcher and watch the ball go around her after she gives it a good bat with her paw! When I added a little catnip to the center scratch pad this was the icing on the cake!  I like the fact that the center pad is replaceable because they are all scratching it and batting the ball around! On another note, the other thing they seem to love are bags with tissue paper and their chewy box!!

Key Benefits

This toy was popular right out of the chewy.com box!  It also has some key benefits.

• It decreases unwanted scratching because the pad is made from corrugated cardboard
• It offers cats of all ages hours of fun
• It keeps cats active with the added treat of catnip
•  A replaceable pad and ball are available
• It comes in a number of fun colors

Choosing Cat Food - Three Tips

Your cat's nutrition is important for a happy and healthy life.  When choosing a cat food, I usually look for three basic things.  The first thing I look for are whole proteins like chicken, duck, salmon, beef or liver. The second thing I look for is to make sure the food is grain free.  The third thing I look for is the addition of vitamins, vegetables and fruits.

Merrick's Backcountry Freeze -Dried Raw Meal for Cats

This month www.chewy.com sent me a package of Merrick's Backcountry Freeze-Dried Raw Meal Mixer to try. It is chock full of protein that will provide your cat with a nutrition packed boost of raw that your cat craves. The Real Salmon recipe contains freeze-dried pieces of real salmon that not only locks in freshness but this food is easily digestible. Best of all this month www.chewy.com is offering this treat at 20% off.

I like the fact that this protein rich kibble is mixed with vegetables, fruits and vitamins making this a healthy choice.  All of Merrick's formulas are made in the U.S.A. and they are free of corn, soy, wheat and gluten. They also don't contain any by products or artificial preservatives.  The flavor of this food is sealed in with the expert freezing process used by Merrick making it a tasty treat and mixer.

Two Ways to Mix It

You can use Merrick's Backcountry Freeze-Dried Raw Meal Mixer two ways.  For a complete meal you can serve it as is or re-hydrate it by adding 1/4 cup of water per one cup of Backcountry Freeze Dried Raw.  The Merrick website actually has a feeding calculator that helps you determine the portion size for each meal!

The second way to use Merrick's Backcountry Freeze-Dried Raw Meal Mixer is to just add it to your cat's regular wet food or kibble mixture. Make sure you reduce the amount of the other food accordingly to avoid overfeeding.

The Taste Test

The real test of any food is whether your cats will eat it. All my cats seemed eager to try the raw boost -- even themaxx got into the action. As usual, my cats seem to prefer to eat this mixer as a treat and in their dry kibble food.  It is important to remember to slowly transition your cat to a new food over five to seven days.  Make sure you continually increase the amount of Merrick food while decreasing the amount of food in your cat's previous diet in order to reach a healthy balance.

Wellness and your Cat... Plus 5 things Never to do....

This month, www.chewy.com has sent me a new food by Wellness Core called Simply Shreds Grain Free Wild Salmon and Tuna in a savory broth, and this snack definitely gets two paws up. Wellness Core is crafted with carefully sourced, thoughtfully prepared ingredients in order to bring more love to mealtime and snack time. Save 10% by ordering from chewy.com

About Wellness Core Simply Shreds for Cats
These handy pouches are a grain free boost of pure protein perfect for snacking or topping. They consist of 100% natural cooked shred of fish (or poultry - it comes in several varieties). This hearty and healthy snack will satiate even the pickiest eaters...my gang of five loved the salmon and tuna. I also liked the fact that it is in a savory broth that adds water to their diet.

Product Description
The amazing thing about this nutrient dense food is that each recipe is made with four ingredients or less!  It is packaged in an easy to use 1.7 oz pouch that is sold by the case that includes twelve packets.  This food is a great snack and is intended to be fed in conjunction with a complete and healthy cat food diet. There are several ways your cat can enjoy this food; it can be used as a topper on wet or dry cat food or fed to your cat as an extra special treat, Sabu and Zoey love the extra treat factor!

Ingredients
There are only three ingredients in the Simply Shreds Wild Salmon and Tuna mix that includes: salmon. fish broth and water sufficient for processing tuna.

About Wellness
Wellness, is a family-owned company of pet parents on a mission to raise the bar in pet food, because they believe the right choice at mealtime forms the foundation of a long, happy life together. That's why they do things the right way, not the easy way—they are 100 percent focused on natural nutrition all the time, crafting their pet food and treats recipes that are carefully sourced and thoughtfully prepared. They use the finest, natural ingredients, ensure the highest quality standards, and create delicious recipes pets crave to make every mealtime count. 

TOP FIVE THINGS NEVER TO DO TO YOUR CAT

1. Never put your cat outdoors unsupervised. If your cat is an indoor cat putting them in the great outdoors can confuse or frighten them... keep kitty harnessed or leashed for your peace of mind and to reassure the cat with your presence.

2. Never leave windows open without a screen. By nature cats are curious and an open screenless window (been there... my cat knocked it out because the screen was not secure) so-- make sure your screens are secure...  if they aren't this can lead to roof climbing (they like it - you won't) or worse, a fall  depending on the roof and screen.

3. Never put off a vet visit.  Even if your cat acts healthy cats can have subtle health shifts that an annual exam can identify and treat.

4. Never hold your cat on your lap while driving- it just isn't safe or smart.  A range free cat can become a flying object if you stop quickly.

5. Deal with  hairballs, never ignore them. Cats groom constantly - if you have long hair cats, give them a hand and groom them.  This will help reduce the number of hairballs by reducing the amount of hair your cat swallows... plus brushing is a wonderful way to bond with your cat.

For the Love of Shoes and Blue Buffalo's Variety Pack!

It is time for a summer picnic and  www.chewy.com sent me a 12 count variety pack of cat food by Blue Wilderness and we can't wait to try it. As you can see, Mocha is waiting patiently to be served!  This is not your "boring" pack of food with the usual suspects, turkey and beef; this variety pack consists of four cans of duck, 4 cans of salmon and four cans of chicken. 

Chewy.com is offering the 12 count variety pack for 19% off, you save $3. I like the fact that this gives my gang of five something different to try, they really enjoyed the duck, it was different for them and they gobbled it all up! 

Why Blue Buffalo Wilderness Pate is a Healthy Choice for Your Cat
This Blue Buffalo Wilderness Pate is based on the diet of the lynx that thrives on a meat in the wild.  This special formula was crafted to provide your cat with a natural, ancestral diet with nutritional levels established by the AAFCO cat food nutrient profiles.

• This holistic food is made in the USA with high quality, natural ingredients.
• It is made with real meat or fish.
• Some brands of cat food use wheat to thicken their product, a trigger for allergies in some cats. Blue Buffalo never uses wheat to thicken food.
• No chicken/poultry by-products, artificial preservatives, corn or soy are added.
• This high protein pate is 100% grain free and fortified with vitamins and minerals.
• This food is recommended for adult cats.
• And, most important, my gang of five prefer pate as opposed to flakes, minced or bits. 

About Shoes
For some reason, tons of cat owners will verify that they have or have had a cat that loves to lay on shoes. Something about that intoxicating scent of a million different smells mixed together on the bottom of your feet intrigues your little kitty. The shoes are from my favorite shoe company Icon Shoes - www.iconshoes.com they also make other fab accessories. It looks like themaxx likes them too!!

Why Cats Love Shoes

• They want to smell where you’ve been all day.
•  Rubbing against shoes can be their way of reclaiming you as their territory 
•  Cats have scent glands in their foreheads and cheeks so rubbing their face against objects like shoes is a type of marking territory. Your scent is comforting, it may sound strange but some cats  the smell of our sweat relaxes cats.

Thinking Inside the Box... Kitty Litter

If you have indoor cats, there is no getting around cat litter, it is a necessity and a two billion dollar a year industry ! This year, cat litter celebrated its seventy year birthday. It was invented in 1947 by Edward Lowe who was living in Michigan selling sand, sawdust and clay to heavy industries that used this material to soak up spills.

The Story of Kitty Litter

An acquaintance of Lowe's asked for help, she didn't like the sand her cat dragged through her house. Most people used sand in litter boxes at the time. Lowe knew that clay was absorbent, so he gave her a bag of clay and her cats seemed to like it...and so did she, it was absorbent and cut down on odor.

 Edward knew he hit pay dirt so to speak with a money making idea to sell clay to cat owners. He went around the country selling "Kitty Litter" for .69 cents a bag to pet stores, he even showed off his product at cat shows and in 1964 he founded his company Tidy Cat. In 1990 he sold his company to a management team that changed the name of the company to Golden Cat Corporation. Following his death, the Golden Cat Corporation was sold to Ralston Purina.

Fresh Step Extreme - Hawaiian Aloha

This month, chewy.com sent me one of the best items yet, a new fabulously smelling kitty litter, Fresh Step Extreme and I am hooked.  It really has an amazing smell and is really effective at controlling odors, with five cats, this is critical!

Cats can take a bathroom break on litter that is as fresh as a Hawaiian Breeze with the new litter just released by Fresh Step. One of the keys to this formula that will make your house guests wonder if you even have cats is that it uses febreze to eliminate odors continuously, 24/7.

Advantages

• Febreze works to eliminate odors, not mask them.
• This litter uses advanced clumplock technology that makes clean-up easy-- and less clean up time for  you!
• The formula is low dust, there is nothing worse than litter dust on surfaces and in the air. It will cut down on constantly sweeping up litter dust.
• It is made for multi cat households.
• Extreme uses antimicrobial agents to stop the growth of  bacteria that causes odors.
• It lasts ten days so it is very cost effective. A 35 pound bag of Fresh Step Extreme is equivalent to a 50 pound bag of other non-clumping litter.

There are so many types of cat litter on the market these days it is hard to make a choice of what litter to use. I have found that Fresh Step Extreme is the best alternative kitty litter for my gang of five. Chewy.com is offering Fresh Step Extreme at a 37% savings, a 14 pound box is only $6.64.