Charlie eating wet food

The whole “what to feed your cat” debate will forever go on.  I have come to the conclusion that what you feed your cat has to be what you’re comfortable with, what your budget is and also what your life is like – it has to work for everyone.

I still would like to try out this wet cat food sampler from Luke’s to figure out the perfect wet food situation for us – it’s a constant balance of figuring it out.

After reading about chronic renal failure when Rags was dying, I decided that when I got new kittens I would only feed them wet food.  I failed at that.  I gave Charlie and Trigg dry food and wet food up until they were about 1.5 years old.

I then read the article on Dr. Lisa A. Pierson, DVM’s website, www.catinfo.org, again about the importance of not feeding dry food to cats, and decided it was time for the big transition.

My boyfriend, who is a teacher, has lengthy periods of free time, so over his spring break, I asked him to help me with the transition process – here’s what he put together based off of the information he found on Dr. Pierson’s website.  This transition happened in March 2011.

Transitioning Feline Dry Food Addicts to Canned Food

Things to keep in mind

• Canned food is MUCH better for the health of our cats (Protein, Carbs, and Water Content)
• Transition process takes time, patience, and often times tricks.
• Pet  food companies do not play fair, they coat their kibble with sprays to attract animal taste, creating an addiction in the process.
• Making the change is more important than the speed in which it occurs
• The single biggest mistake people make is to panic and fill up a bowl with dry food
• It is healthy and desirable to have a normal sensation of hunger.
• Do not withhold food for more than 24 hours, no food for 48 hours can be dangerous for an overweight cat (after 18 hours give approximately ¼ cup (or less) of dry food).
• Most cats will lose weight during the transition.
• Exercising your cat before mealtimes can stimulate his appetite.
• DON’T GIVE UP- all cats will eventually eat canned food if their caregiver is determined, methodical, and patient enough.

Tricks

• Increase water intake with flavored water (Tuna water, beef or chicken broth, clam juice, etc…)
• Heat to “mouse body” temperature
• Establish set mealtimes
• When Charlie is excessively annoying about food, do not hesitate putting him in another room.
• Turn the feeding of dry food into a game (play fetch with it).  Dry food only comes with exercise!
• Try dipping dry food in canned food juices.

Facts

• Average cat eats 4-6 ounces of canned food per day split between 2-3 meals.
• Caloric needs of a cat range from 150-250 calories a day,

SCHEDULE
7:00am

• 3 oz (1 can) of wet food for each Charlie and Trigg
• Leave wet food out until next meal time
• Try playing games for ¼ of dry food if still not eating.

7:00pm
•    3 oz (1 can) of wet food for each Charlie and Trigg.
•    Leave wet food out overnight.
•    After 30 minutes, if Charlie still hasn’t eaten much, put out ¼ cup of dry food.
•    Pick up dry food at 8:00pm.

CALORIE COUNT

• Fancy Feast Fish & Shrimp Feast    3 oz (1 can)    90 Calories
• Purina Pro Plan Select            3 oz (1 can)    95 Calories
• Blue Wilderness            3 oz (1 can)    135 Calories
• Blue Wilderness Dry            ¼ Cup        150 Calories
• Hill’s Prescription Diet T/D        ¼ Cup        70 Calories
• Wellness Indoor Health Dry        ¼ Cup        120 Calories

I ended up tracking this process more poorly than I had originally planned, so I only made one video during the process.  Here it is:

Click here to view the embedded video.

I am a big fan of the results of doing this – the only thing I am not crazy about is that Charlie has lost some of the depth of color in his coat – I am not sure yet if this is because of his food or the temperature from this summer.  But I am ready for him to be as dark as he was before.

Charlie and Trigg are now at their ideal weights and the vet is pleased with their shape. Charlie has a lot more confidence in his jumping ability and doesn’t “miss” when he jumps.

Exercise really builds their appetite, and when we come in from outside (please know the outside thing is controversial, I know, but that’s where they get the most exercise) they are ready to eat.

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Post tags: transitioning cats to wet food

Whole Life Pet Treats Salmon and Trigg

Well, last on our list of Whole Life Pet Treats that we were sent to product review is their Salmon cat treats.  I am sorta sad that our Whole Life Pet treat product reviews are coming to an end because every animal that I have given these treats to likes them, so they are sooo easy to review!

I love these treats because they are pure meat freeze dried treats.

These treats are stinky!  But I like the fact that they are because when Rags was getting older the vet told me that as cats get older, they lose their sense of smell, so the stinkier the food, the better.  Since Rags loved Salmon, I cannot help but wonder if I had sprinkled smashed up Whole Life Pet Treats on his food, that he wouldn’t have had a couple of more bites.

Whole Life Pet Treats Salmon and Trigg

Whole Life makes a number of different treats:

• Salmon
• Beef
• Cod
• Turkey
• Chicken
• Lamb
• Venison
• Liver from Lamb, Beef or Chicken

In fact, maybe Whole Life could benefit from powders of their treats….hmmmm.

Want to buy Whole Life Pet Products Salmon Cat Treats?  You can buy them online or in your local specialty pet store.

You can buy Whole Life Cat Treats Cod online through DogCatSupply.com or use Whole Life’s store locator to find them near you.  DogCatSupply.com sells them for $12.50 for a 2 oz. bag

Here are a few videos I captured during the review process – this time you get to see my mom’s 7-year old Ragdoll cats, Caymus and Murphy, try them as well:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Join the good people of Whole Life Pet Products on Facebook.

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Post tags: Whole Life Cat Treats

Whole Life Cat Treats Turkey (up close and personal)

Whole Life Pet Productsrecently started carrying Turkey as an option in their variety of flavors and when they contacted us to try it out, of course, I was game because Charlie and Trigg just can’t say no to Whole Life Cat Treats.  Besides, how easy can it get when Charlie and Trigg, Caymus and Murphy and my parents’ German Shepherd dogs all like them?  Sure makes one-stop treat shoppin’ a little bit easier!

Whole Life’s freeze dried turkey treats for cats, come in a cube type shape – about the size of a pea (which isn’t square, of course!).

I’m totally head over heals for Whole Life’s products.  I love the concept, the simplicity and that my cats love them.

Charlie eating Whole Life Cat Treats Turkey

Whole Life makes a number of flavors:

• Salmon
• Beef
• Cod
• Turkey
• Chicken
• Lamb
• Venison
• Liver from Lamb, Beef or Chicken

You can buy Whole Life Cat Treats Turkey for $13.50 for a 4 oz. bag – or you can buy them today or tomorrow directly through Whole Life and save 10% while Whole Life is having their moving sale:

Save 10% on our Entire Line!  All orders received via phone or fax will have discount automatically applied.  Use code MOVE during checkout to receive your 10% discount.

Whole Life’s toll free phone number, fax and email:
Phone 877-210-3142
Fax 413-383-0025
email info@wholelifepet.com

Join Whole Life Pet Products on Facebook

Here is a video I shot during the review process:

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Post tags: Gourmet Cat Treats, Ragdoll Cat, Treats For Cats, Whole Life Cat Treats

Arrival of Wellness Cubed Sliced and Minced Grain Free Canned Cat Food

Several weeks ago, we rec’d Wellness Cubed Sliced and Minced Grain Free Canned Cat Food in the mail.  They sent us:

• Minced Chicken Dinner in Gravy
• Sliced Salmon Entree
• Cubed Tuna Entree
• Cubed Turkey and Salmon Entree

Since we were only sent 1 can of each of the flavors above, it was hard to judge if they really liked this Wellness Brand cat food.  Because, as you well know, your kitty can eat the first can of food and then decide thereafter that they don’t care for that flavor (only after you’ve bought a case, of course).  So, unfortunately, I cannot report with accuracy if they liked a specific flavor, but of the 4 cans sent, they were all opened at the same time and given to Charlie and Trigg at the same time, and they did finish all of them.

Wellness Sliced Salmon Entree

Wellness Cubed Sliced and Minced Grain Free Canned Cat Food is, yup, you guessed it, 100% grain-free and contain no added artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

It comes in the following flavors:

Wellness Minced Chicken Dinner
Wellness Minced Turkey Entrée
Wellness Minced Tuna Dinner
Wellness Sliced Turkey Entrée

Wellness Sliced Chicken Entrée
Wellness Sliced Salmon Entrée
Wellness Sliced Turkey & Salmon Dinner

Wellness Cubed Sliced Grain Free Canned Cat Food

Wellness Cubed Tuna Entrée
Wellness Cubed Turkey & Salmon Entrée
Wellness Cubed Salmon Dinner
Wellness Cubed Turkey Dinner
Wellness Cubed Chicken Entrée

After interviewing Susan Thixton of truthaboutpetfood.com, I asked her what the standard questions are that she asks pet food manufacturers. Here they are – with Wellness’ responses about the food discussed in this review. Questions are credited to Susan Thixton.

What is the country of origin of ingredients?

Our ingredients are primarily sourced from the United States and Canada. There are many high quality ingredients available in the U.S., however, sometimes ingredient quality is higher from other countries or in some cases, sourcing from the U.S. isn’t an available option for us (or even the vast majority of pet food companies) because, for example, supplies are limited.

Our ingredient breakdown by geography is as follows:

• U.S. and Canada: 98%+
• Europe: less than 1%
• Asia: less than 1%

What is the country of origin of the vitamins and minerals?

If the pet food has a meat meal (such as chicken meal), does the meat meal contain muscle meat only or does it include bone and internal organs? If the pet food has a fish meal ingredient – what preservative does the fish meal supplier use on the fish meal?

The new Wellness canned cat food contains no meat or fish meal at all.

Do the pet food cans contain a BPA lining?

The Cat Cans are completely BPA/BADGE free

Where are the foods made? Does the plant have any special certifications?

We require all suppliers to meet stringent requirements and adhere to the highest standards. Exceeding even the strictest requirements from the FDA, we are determined to go further, to do better and to take as many precautions with our pet food, as is taken with food for humans. We require all of our manufacturing partners to have a HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) program and pass a quality audit by NSF–Cook & Thurber, the leading human food auditing firm. Our manufacturing partner is also audited by BRC (British Retail Consortium) – one of the highest recognized international audit groups.

_____________________

Here is the video I captured of Charlie and Trigg trying out the Wellness Cubed Sliced and Minced Grain Free Canned Cat Food for the first time:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Do your kitties eat Wellness?  Have you tried this new cubed, sliced and minced variety?  What do you think is the best canned cat food and why?

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Post tags: best canned cat food, wellness brand cat food

Ingrid King with Amber

Although I have been reading the blog, The Conscious Cat, for a few years now, it wasn’t until recently that I approached Ingrid King, Publisher and Founder of The Conscious Cat, for an interview.  Thank you, Ingrid, for the opportunity.

1.  How did The Conscious Cat blog come about?

The Conscious Cat was inspired by Amber, who was the original conscious cat. She was wise old soul in a feline body who shared my life for ten years. I was initially looking for a vehicle to build a platform for my book Buckley’s Story: Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher, and I thought the blog would be a good way to do that. It’s since taken on a life of its own. The Conscious Cat has become a comprehensive resource for conscious living, health and happiness for cats and their humans. I cover topics ranging from feline health and nutrition to feline lifestyle, cat themed book reviews, and more.

2.  How many cats do you currently have?

Allegra

I have two, both of them are tortoiseshell cats. Allegra is almost two, and Ruby is almost one year old. Each of them has their own column on the blog: Allegra’s World and Ruby’s Reflections.

3. What do you feed your cats?

I feed primarily raw food, with an occasional can of grain-free food for variety.

4. How has having a blog about cats changed how you take care of your cats?

Actually, it hasn’t. One of the reasons I started the blog was because I wanted an outlet to share my passion for feline health and nutrition with other cat parents. I’m a former veterinary hospital manager, and during my twelve years of working in various facets of the veterinary profession, I gained a thorough understanding of pets’ and owners’ needs in what can often be a challenging, stressful environment.  I realized that pet owners are often afraid to ask the tough questions, and resort to the Internet to find answers to their pet health questions.  Even though there’s a wealth of pet health advice available online, it can be difficult to find information that is current and factual.  My mission is to provide accurate and well-researched pet health information to my readers.

5. I noticed that you offer consultations on your site, can you tell us a little bit more about them?  What successes have you had with them?

Ruby

I offer phone consultations to help cat parents with various health related issues. For example, I can help if a cat was diagnosed with a serious or chronic illness and the cat’s human is feeling overwhelmed and having a difficult time sorting through treatment options. I can help them review the cat’s diagnosis and treatment plan and offer support for implementing the veterinarian’s suggestions.This may include helpful tips and tools for caring for a sick cat, and providing resources for the cat’s specific health condition, including what alternative treatments may be available.

I also offer nutritional consults, and pet loss counseling.

6.  I noticed, too, that you are a Reiki Master – can you do Reiki only in person, or can you also do it remotely?  Would you mind explaining briefly what Reiki is for those readers that are not familiar with it?

Reikiis an energy therapy that originated in Japan.  The practitioner channels healing energy through her hands to the animal (or person) through a light touch either directly on the body or from a distance.  The word Reiki

Amber receiving Reiki

(pronounced “ray-key”) is a Japanese composite word usually translated as “universal life energy”. It is based on the idea that all living beings have life energy flowing through them. When life energy is high, pets are healthy and balanced, more relaxed and less likely to get sick. When it is low, they’ll often be more easily affected by stress and less resistant to illness. Reiki is a safe complement to conventional Western medicine, Chinese medicine, herbal medicine, homeopathy and all other forms of healing.

Animals, especially cats, are naturally receptive to the Reiki energy and tend to gravitate towards it readily (while it may be a little far-fetched, some people even say cats invented Reiki!)  Some pets may initially prefer to experience the energy from a slight distance, rather than having the practitioner’s hands directly on them.

Reiki can enhance a pet’s overall well-being, strengthen the immune system, accelerate healing following illness or surgery, help with behavior issues and training, and promote relaxation and stress reduction. It an also provide comfort and relieve pain, anxiety and fear for terminally ill animals.

I offer Reiki treatments in person in Northern Virgina, and remotely to anywhere in the world. Distance treatments are just as effective as in person treatments and can be preferable to hands-on treatments in some instances.  Some animals may be fearful of strangers, old and fragile, or close to death and may be better able to relax and absorb Reiki distantly.  For people with very busy schedules, alternating distant Reiki treatments and in-person treatments is a good way to be able to give a pet the benefits of Reiki more conveniently.  Distant treatments are also quick to schedule: in emergency situations, I can usually offer a distant treatment the same day. Similarly, if a pet seems to be coming down with something or needs additional support between treatments, distant healing can provide what is needed.

7. What’s your favorite part of the The Conscious Cat blog?

I don’t think I can pick a favorite – I love blogging about all the topics that I cover. If my readers’ reactions are any indication, though, Allegra and Ruby’s columns are extremely popular – I’m not quite sure what to make of that!

8. What are some of your favorite products that you have product tested over the years?

I’d have to say that toys are the most fun to review (just ask my two product testers!)

9. What does the future hold for The Conscious Cat?

The Conscious Cat has experienced rapid growth over the past few months, and I hope that will continue. There’s a lot more information about feline health, nutrition and lifestyle that I want to share with my readers. The more educated the cat’s human, the happier and healthier the cat – and isn’t that what we all want for our cats?

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Post tags: Ingrid King, The Conscious Cat

Pat & Toli 1999

Pat McKay was referred to me by Dexter Del Monte, an Animal Communicator, when I was talking to her about Caymus’ recent vet visit.

1. I understand that you are the founder of the Society for Animal Homeopathy.  What was your reason for founding such an organization?

The main purpose of SfAH is to provide information and advice regarding nutrition and classical homeopathy because both of these modalities are essential for optimum health for our cats.  Many people are not even aware of the option of using natural health care as opposed to Western or Allopathic medicine.  I like to provide some free basic information so people can start asking questions about these options.  I answer all emails personally; no question is too elementary.

2. I understand you are a big supporter of the raw food diet.  Can you tell us a little more about what a raw food diet entails and what the dangers are with canned or dry food for cats?

Felines in the wild eat only fresh kill.  Cats are very adept at killing; it is a sport for them as well as a source of their food.  If they aren’t hungry, they leave their prey for other carnivores who aren’t as clever and quick as they are.  They do not bury their prey and go back and eat it later as do canines.  All of a cat’s nutrients and fluids come from fresh kill.  The closest we can come to that domestically is to feed raw meat. And that raw meat must be food fit for human consumption, because there is no way of knowing what is in anything labeled as pet food no matter what these commercial pet food companies claim.  Pat McKay Raw Food Basic Recipe

3. One of the concerns I have with a raw food diet is salmonella as well as giving my cats the hormones that come in our meat.  Do you feed your cats organic meats?

Cats’ digestive juices are extremely acidic, and those acidic juices kill any salmonella or E coli.  Do not assume that because a food is cooked that it is free of salmonella.  One of the worst cases of salmonella was in 1998; 500 tons of cooked baby food cereal…yes, cooked cereal…was contaminated with salmonella; many babies died, and you did not hear about it on mainstream news broadcasts; did you?  In all the years I have been suggesting raw meat for cats, I have never had anyone report to me that their cat was stricken with salmonella or E coli.  During these same years I did hear about cats contracting salmonella from canned cat food.
I do not feed organic meat mostly because of the cost, but mainly because organic meat in this country is not truly organic.  The farm animals are vaccinated; they are treated with antibiotics if they are ill; they drink tap water; and they graze next to highways and freeways.  I feed what is referred to as naturally-grown or free-range or cage-free which is essentially the same as organic, it just isn’t certified, so you are not paying for a lot of paperwork.  I have my own food formula called HARMONY FARMS, produced by H F Meats in LaCrescenta, CA. It is certified by the USDA as food fit for human consumption.

4. How did you get into what you’re doing?

During the 70s, I was a court reporter in Los Angeles; many of the areas I was required to work were not the safest areas of the city, so I had two Doberman protection dogs who would accompany me when necessary.  During our training sessions, the trainers and other people training their dogs would ask me why my dogs looked so terrific, trained so easily, and were so obedient and observant.  Nutrition was the key, and I have to say people were quite shocked when I said I fed raw food, but because of my dogs, they were willing to try it for their own.  After ten years of court reporting, a situation where no one is ever happy, I decided I needed a break from listening to such horror stories in our courts.  One of the trainers said that I really needed to start a nutrition business for cats and dogs…which I did.  In 1981 I opened a nutrition center on Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles which eventual grew to three nutrition centers:  Pasadena, Woodland Hills, and one on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles.  People do want an alternative to vaccines, drugs, chemicals, and pet foods.  I closed my facilities in 2003, believing I was going to retire; then I kept hearing from clients who needed help and now it is all by email so that I can stay home with my own animals:  Dutch, Josie, and Bobby.

5. Can you share with us one of your favorite homeopathic stories?

MISS KITTY: One of my most recent stories just within this past month:  (I’ve changed the name)  Miss Kitty, a 16-year-old with hyperthyroid, who just had dental surgery stopped eating, was seriously constipated, and had already lost weight.  With the guardian’s diligent care and force feeding, Miss Kitty is doing well at this point; eating a bit on her own and with the stimulation of homeopathic remedies her mouth is healing.

MR KITTY: A cat that I helped many years ago first started on my raw food program at age 9; within a month or so, he no longer had a body odor, his ears that had always had a heavy black waxy discharge since he was a rescued kitten were clearing up as well.

About two to three weeks later, Mr Kitty started drooling on one side of his mouth.  After he continued to drool for another week, he was brought to me, and I said he looked like he might have a tumor or an abscess and recommended that he see a veterinarian.

Please note:   Mr Kitty did not exhibit any signs of the malignancy until his body started to get healthy from the raw food; then his body was strong enough to present the malignancy.  This is why people, and even veterinarians, feel that raw food causes an ailment, because the body is too weak to present the illness until after being on raw food, so naturally, the first thought would be that if an animal became ill after feeding raw food it must be the food. However, common sense would tell you that this malignancy did not happen in two to three weeks. It was developing for months or years.

The veterinarian took a look at his mouth and immediately said he believed Mr Kitty had bone cancer of the jaw and that in order to save him, he would have to remove his lower jaw.

It was decided that the operation was not an option. The guardian had seen a cat that had that same operation, and that cat was unhappy, couldn’t eat or drink properly, had a gaping hole on the bottom of his face, couldn’t keep himself  hydrated or groomed.

Mr Kitty was brought back to me because he decided to treat Mr Kitty homeopathically.  The guardian did want to get a second and third opinion, and he wanted a veterinarian to monitor Mr Kitty through this procedure.  The second opinion resulted in a diagnosis of euthanizing him, and the third was by a holistic veterinarian who felt she didn’t have any better solution than what had been suggested; however, she was willing to monitor Mr Kitty.

The visible area in Mr Kitty’s mouth near his lips started out at about the size of a kidney bean, plus other parts of the tumor wrapped his jawbone causing him to drool and making his face asymmetrical.
Mr Kitty was put on  Bio-enhanced, living-cell, organic vitamin C. (Real vitamin C, not ascorbic acid.)   The supplements in his raw food were calcium, magnesium,  probiotics, CoQ10, magnesium oxide, vitaminD, omega 3s, and a potent antioxidant.  I mention the supplements because there is another theory that supplements should not be given while fighting cancer, because it heightens the cancer’s ability to grow. I don’t believe that. I find that good supplements that build the immune system while destroying the cancer are very effective.

Mr Kitty’s drooling went from constant to occasional in the first two weeks; it stopped completely two weeks later.  The tumor stopped growing; it seemed to remain static for about a month, and then the second month it started to get smaller.  After three months the tumor was about one-half its original size.

Throughout the treatment Mr Kitty remained playful, had a great appetite, and externally appeared healthy, happy; maintained his weight and a great coat.

Four  months after we first started, the tumor was completely gone. Mr Kitty continued to have check-ups by the holistic veterinarian every three weeks for the next three months.   No sign of any tumor.  Mr Kitty then had another bout of illness about seven years later at age 16 where he was in an unknown state of collapse, and was again treated homeopathically at that time.  It took about a month to get him back to health.  After I lost contact with his guardian, I heard that he was euthanized at 19.5 years of age.

MR A: An 11-year-old diabetic cat whose  glucose level was 362 (normal levels are between 80 to 150) was on 2 units of insulin twice a day was immediately put on my raw food program, including the supplements.  To make a long story short, in eight days his glucose level was 242, at which time the vet agreed to lower the insulin to 1 unit two times a day, and in two more days it dropped to 173.  The vet who was monitoring  MR A, truly thought there was an error in the test and did it again with the same results.  The guardian’s email to me:  “Mr A has improved in his energy level and attitude; his urine output was less; he came to sit on my lap.  His eyes are bright and not sleepy looking.”  This was all within two weeks.  The veterinarian agreed that at 150 he could start coming off of the insulin completely.

This is a case where you need to monitor the glucose levels on a daily basis, because too much insulin is always more serious than not enough.  The guardian didn’t feel she could monitor the glucose levels on her own, so that’s why she chose to work with her veterinarian, which was fine with me, as long as we could get the vet to believe it was really happening.  Interestingly, the vet never contacted me to find out what was done nutritionally or homeopathically for Mr A.

6. I noticed that you sell products on your website – did you develop these products and why are they important to give to your cat?  What was your reasoning for developing them?

CLO-3-PEARLS

I did develop these products.  Over my 30 years, I’ve formulated at least 40 or more products: vitamins, minerals, herbs, glandulars, and homeopathics.  Some more complicated and expensive than my present formulas.  About three years ago when I could see we were all in for serious economic problems in this country, I felt I had to come up with a complete, yet affordable, product, so I formulated BIO-8 which is a combination of eight Bio-enhanced, organic, living-cell, whole-food nutriments that are essential for all of us:  cats, dogs, and people.  I wanted to do just one product, however, in order to provide all the essentials, including the most natural form of omega 3s and vitamin D, I had to have one oil-soluble product, CLO-3-Pearls to go with the BIO-8 which is in both powder and capsule forms.

As many of you know, I am working on transitioning my cats from a wet food diet to a raw food one.  The subject of cat food is a difficult one as there are so many variables for not only the cats but also the humans, so my goal is to provide education and knowledge, so that you can make your own decision.  Thank you to Pat for taking the time to do an interview with me for the site.  Do you have any questions for Pat?

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Post tags: canned cat food, natural raw cat food

Trigg Eating Tiki Cat Canned Wild Salmon Cat Food

Next up in our Tiki Cat line up of canned cat food is their Wild Salmon in Salmon Consomme.  They sent us 4 wet cat food flavors to try and this is the second one to be featured.  You might have already read our Tiki Cat Chicken with Egg in Chicken Consomme Review.

They sent us (I crossed out the ones we’ve reviewed now):

• Koolina Luau – Chicken with Egg in Chicken Consomme
• Hanalei Luau – Wild Salmon in Salmon Consomme
• Hookena Luau – Ahi Tuna and Chicken in Chicken Consomme
• Papeekeo Luau – Ahi Tuna and Mackerel in Tuna Consomme

Trigg and Charlie definitely liked this flavor (you can see them eating it in the video below).  I like it because their food is made of whole foods.    They are all natural and have vitamins and minerals added.   It’s also a low magnesium cat food, low sodium wet cat food and a low card moist cat food.

I also really enjoy the fact that Tiki Cat has named their different moist cat food flavors after Hawaiian names (as you might have noticed by the list of cans that were sent to us above) – but here’s an example of what this flavor is called:

I also like that their product looks like what is described on the outside of the can.  In other words, when it says that it is Salmon – it ends up looking like Salmon on the inside of the can.  In the video below, I open the can during the video and dump it into their bowls, so you can tell how fresh it looks.

I know there are readers out there that are more educated than I am about the ingredients in cat food, so please feel free to comment on the ingredients, if you have a deeper knowledge than I do.

Here is a list of the ingredients in this food:

Tiki Cat Canned Wild Salmon Cat Food ingredients

Looking to Buy Tiki Cat Food? You can buy the Variety Pack through the Cat Connection for $11.50.  If you know of less expensive online retailer where you can buy Tiki cat food, please share it with everyone by leaving a comment below with a link and the price listed.

Unfortunately at this time, Tiki Cat doesn’t have a Facebook page – I wish they would get one!!

Does your cat eat Tiki canned cat food?  If so, what are his or her favorite flavors?

Here is a video of Charlie and Trigg trying Tiki Cat Canned Wild Salmon Cat Food for the first time.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Post tags: canned cat food, moist cat food, petropics, Tiki Cat, tiki cat food review, wet cat food

I cannot even remember how I stumbled upon truthaboutpetfood.com, but I immediately subscribed as it is something I am learning and want to have more knowledge about.  I do believe had Rags been fed a healthier diet, he wouldn’t have gotten cancer.  At the same time, though, he lived a long life, so maybe that’s good genes and love?  Anyway, I asked Susan for an interview, as I was curious about a few things.  Thank you, Susan, for a great interview.

1. From the domain name of your website, truthaboutpetfood.com, your site appears to focus on pet food.  Was there something that happened to you personally that made you want to start this site?

Susan Thixton

Yes, there was.  Twenty years ago I owned a kennel and dog obedience school in Louisville, Kentucky (The Pet School and Hotel).  My business partner was my dog Samantha.  Almost overnight I noticed a lump on Sam’s pelvic bone.  With a trip to my vet I learned it was bone cancer and I had about two weeks to tell her good-bye.  This dog was only 8 years old.  She was my best friend.  Of course I had questions for my vet, the biggest was how/why?  My vet told me the most likely cause of the cancer was the chemical preservatives in her food.  He told me that pet foods add chemical preservatives to extend the shelf life of pet foods.  At the time, I didn’t fully understand; shelf life?  I called the pet food manufacturer (which was the leading pet food in the US at the time, remains a world leader today).  I asked them what the ‘shelf life’ was for this dog food.  I’ll never forget what they told me.  Exact words…”25 years”.  Twenty five years!  That means that dog food would remain ‘fresh’ for more than three times as long as my dog lived.  That moment changed my life.  From that day forward I’ve studied the pet food industry.

2. What cat food manufacturers do you trust and why?

I don’t recommend any pet food company; I don’t feel it is my position to tell anyone what to feed or what company I would trust.  Selecting a pet food is a very personal decision to me.  The best I can do is provide pet parents with education and allow everyone to make educated decisions.

3. What cat food varieties from those manufacturers would you recommend feeding to cats?  Why?

Same as above.  However, because cats have such a low thirst drive and drink little water, I do recommend a moist food in their diet.

4. What have you learned from having this website?  Does the truth scare you?

No, the truth doesn’t scare me…but it certain breaks my heart at times.  The truth is, pet food is allowed to violate federal food safety law (specifically the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act).  And it seems no one of authority cares.  It’s just heartbreaking.  People trust what that label tells them; the truth can be far from what the label says or implies.

5. My cats like a canned food, Avoderm, but on the back of the box, it says “Made in Thailand” – which sorta freaks me out.  Should it?

Well, that touches on the pet food selection being a personal decision.  If it is a concern to you, then I suggest listening to your concerns and changing to a US made food.  However, just because a food is ‘made’ in the US doesn’t mean all the ingredients are sourced from the US.  Always call the manufacturer and ask them ‘What is the country of origin of all ingredients including vitamins and minerals?’  Many if not most vitamins and minerals used in pet foods are sourced from China.

6. Does it matter if the food is made from fish or beef or turkey?

No, as long as the pet has no allergies.  One concern with a fish meal ingredient would be the preservative used (by the fish meal supplier).  Pet food regulations do not require an ingredient added by a supplier to be listed on the pet food label; as example ethoxyquin added as a preservative to the fish meal – added by the fish meal supplier not the pet food manufacturer.  Ethoxyquin is the preservative that killed my dog 20 years ago.

7. What is the best thing to feed your cat and why?  Would you say home cooking or raw and if it’s raw what sort of raw?

There is no ‘best thing’ to feed all dogs and all cats.  I prefer home cooking and all my animals (3 cats, 2 dogs) do very well on it.  It just depends on the animal and the pet parents situation.

When you say that you home cook your food, what recipes do you follow?
Well…I follow recipes that myself and Dr. Cathy Alinovi developed.  We are about to publish a pet food cookbook with recipes that use whole food ingredients providing all the nutrition.  It’s very exciting.  My pets have been the ‘test kitchen’ for almost a year now.

Do the cats get something different than the dogs?
Yes, the significant difference is cats need more meat in their diet.

Do you think it is more expensive to home cook?
No, actually I think it is less expensive to cook than purchasing commercial.  It just takes a bit of time.

Or what did you mean by it depends on the pet parents situation?
The ‘situation’ can vary in that some pet parents have a difficult time with raw meat as example.  I’m one of those.  While I agree completely with the concept, I can’t get past the raw meat ‘thing’.  So my personal situation is I prefer to cook for mine.  Also, some pets do well on raw (using this same example) and other pets don’t.  It all just depends on the pet and on the pet parents situation.

8. Is there still a problem with aluminum cans vs. tin cans and what about the white lined cans?

The concern with canned foods is the lining.  Many canned foods (including human foods) contain a plastic lining that contains Bisphenol A (BPA).  BPA is linked to serious illness; science has linked heat to the absorption of BPA into the food.  Since canned foods are cooked in the can (heated), there is a concern of the chemical leaching into the food.  Many small aluminum canned pet foods do not contain a BPA lining.  The only way to know for certain is to call the manufacturer and ask (does your pet food cans contain a BPA lining?).

Thank you to Susan for this interview.  If you have additional questions for Susan, please feel free to leave a comment or visit her website, truthaboutpetfood.com.

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Post tags: Cat Food

Trigg Eating Whole Life Pet Products deVour for Cats

When Whole Life Pet Products sent us a bunch of their gourmet cat treats to try, they included samples of their deVour for cats.

Whole Life’s deVour is a topping to put on top of cat food.  Whole Life says it is specifically for dry food, but I tried it on wet food for Mr. Charlie and Trigger-man.

Whole Life’s deVour is made of:

• Whole Life Freeze Dried Chicken
• ground dried green peas
• cranberry powder
• molasses powder

The dried cranberries are added to help promote a healthy urinary tract.

I love that is is low in fat and calories (only 8 calories per serving) and made from 100% human-grade ingredients.

Charlie Eating Whole Life Pet Products deVour for Cats

As you can see in the video below, it is easy to use because all you have to do is just sprinkle it over the food and serve.

Here’s a run down of the Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein not less than ……… 46.5%

Crude Fat not less than …………….. 11.6%

Crude Fiber not more than …………. 2.9%

Moisture not more than …………….. 2.4%

Serving Sizes:

• Small to Medium Cats: 1Tsp per meal
• Large Cats: 2 Tsp per meal

You don’t need to refrigerate it – just want to keep it in a bag in a cool and dry place and out of reach from your kitties because they will find it and open the bag!!  Mine did!

Charlie and Trigg love the Whole Life Pet deVour – thanks to Whole Life Pet Products for sending!

Here are videos I shot of Charlie and Trigg chowing down on deVour:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Have your kitties tried deVour?  How do they like it?

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Post tags: freeze dried cat treats, Whole Life Cat Treats

Charlie and the Teal Appeal ModaPet Bowl

I originally saw the ModaPet Bowls on I HAVE CAT’s Facebook page and thought they were so good-looking, so I went to ModaPet’s website and then requested a product sample.

I was thrilled when they obliged.

They sent us their:

• Lemon Zest (2 Cups / 473 ml)
• Teal Appeal (2 Cups / 473 ml)

The bowls are made of ABS plastic which is BPA Free and is also a food grade plastic.

ModaPet Cat Food Bowls

The bottom of the bowl looks like rubber, but it’s actually TPE is a soft plastic similar to rubber.  This sort of bottom helps with no tipping or slipping.

It’s important that the bottoms are also plastic because the TPE plastic can be over-molded to the ABS for a solid bond.  The over-mold is what makes their bowls dishwasher safe, if rubber were used then the base would need to be glued.  The glue would breakdown after a few dishwasher cycles and separate.

Trigg Eating From the ModaPet Lemon Zest Bowl

I love that they are dishwasher safe – I have run them through the dishwasher about 15 times now and have not had a problem – they still look like they did the day they arrived.

I also like that they are sorta cross between a plate and a bowl.  I have long heard that some cats don’t like eating out of a bowl because it tickles their whiskers, however, when I have tried to feed Charlie and Trigg from a plate, they get food all over the floor.  So this is a great happy medium.  I use these bowls every day now.  I love them.

ModaPet Designer Cat Bowls retail for $14.95.

Here is the video I took while product testing them.  I learned a lot about different plastics while doing this review:

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Post tags: cat food bowls, cat water bowls, Designer Cat Bowls, modapet