Innovative Ideas For Cat Treats

If you have as many cats as I do; I have four and one who adopted us as his owners, plus a variety of dairy cats that drop in from day to day... Then having a trick or two up your cat treat cupboard isn't a bad idea. 

I started out buying the little packages of Temptations, Purina Luvs and Friskies Party Mix. 

Unfortunately while my cats love them and look forward to their treat time with them, its a very small amount of treat when compared with the price so I don't buy them in the department stores and I certainly don't shop pet stores. Dollarama and other Dollar Stores that stock them is my place to shop for treats. When I started adding up my pennies, I was none too impressed with what I was spending -  

over $2 for a 60 gram pack of Luvs or Party Mix

and well over $2 for Temptations!!!   I don't think so anymore.

It was time to take action and make some innovative changes to their treats and my pocketbook!

So, what do you do?

In the past I have experimented with making my own feed for them but frankly, to do it right will cost you more than buying these treat packs. Cats are meat eaters, not vegetarians; after the research I did searching out professional vets and other people who are into the whole 'natural food' thing for cats and dogs, like catching rabbits and using them as a base food for cats because they are closest to their usual prey... Well, I found the pricing of the ingredients I would need to purchase (off island, no less), was just too expensive to even contemplate, not to mention the storage I'd have to maintain. Nor was I in the mood to set tiny traps around the house in a vain attempt to catch, then do I don't know what with, the mice and other critters that might be trapped. Besides, it would be very time consuming and if they weren't deceased I'd have to get my husband to do the deed and it would just get far to messy in the long run.

I point this out because I've reviewed many a video on Utube of people who are doing this at home and feeding their animals the most unsuitable concoctions and calling it 'homemade cat food'. Like humans, they need a certain diet that cannot and should not be 'played around' with. Its a good thing cats digestive systems are highly adaptable, otherwise they'd likely become extinct!

And yes, I do have some recipes for homemade cat treats though I have yet to discover an ingredient combination that my furry friends won't turn their pert little noses up at. So far, I've had little success in this area as well. I quickly decided against the homemade cat food and cat treat ideas in favor of re-inventing the wheel a little bit here and came up with a workable solution. 

And --- Here it is... simple, straightforward and friendly to both my feline friends and my wallet! Heck, it even works with Bluejays in a pinch.

 Look familiar?   Is you're cat like this?  Mine too.

And thus, it gave me an idea - (LIGHT BULB anybody)! I figured out the cost between the pack of treats and a bag of a little higher quality cat food and worked out that it would cost me far less to purchase a bag of the stuff than splurge on tiny packs. What an idea! If great minds think alike... I've tried several different varieties of cat foods to see which are the preferred favorites.

A 500 gram bag of Whiskas Meaty Selections works but they tire of the same old, same old. So off I went with the different varieties of Friskies Sensations, to everyone's happiness. Today I decided on something a little out of the way and purchased a 3.5 pound bag of Special Kitty Cuisine; 2 actually... worked like a charm when I got home. 

All I can say is that its worked better for us and them and if you are caught between the cat bowl and the treat dilemma, give this a try and see how it works for you. 

Catspaw 

Q & A Cat Litters

Here is my Very First Response to my request for Blog Ideas, sent to my Email For Direct Contact address.


This is a Q&A for the following question: I'm asking my Readers and Visitors to Please Participate!!


Q:  What type of environmental friendly cat litter have you tried and how has it worked for you?

My A:  I use strictly natural clay or corn-based brands because I have four pretty finicky indoor/outdoor cats. 

Special Kitty Multi-Cat with baking soda is a 18 kg bag of non-clumping litter that has several strikes against for non-clumping, that my cats don't like it, its hard to clean up and there tends to be way too much waste. The clay pieces are way too big.

Special Kitty Clumping 11 kg box. Same brand as above but it clumps well, doesn't smell, is easy to clean up and dispose of and my cats like it better.






Purina Kitty Litter Clumping with 50% Baking Soda 14 kg box. Pretty much the same as for the above product though its a name brand so it can be more expensive and I get the same usage as the Special Kitty brand. So, depending on the store and the price, at the time I purchase it, its not easy on my pocketbook.


The biggest plus for the clay based, clumping litters is affordability, usage and easy disposal. Because I can toss it into the green recycle bin and not worry about it again. I can usually get a good usage ratio of 1 box per month, even with four cats because they are outdoors a lot. I empty and clean, then rinse with bleach, both boxes once a month and they are emptied daily.

I have used all three types and like them for their good performance levels

I've tried a product that is not yet ready for market because its still in the development stage so I can't give the name. Its grain based in a 10 L bag. Very economical and again, easy to dispose of but the composition, as it is now, does not make it user friendly for the cats or the people using it. Its too dusty and does not clump well and my cats had a very peculiar reaction to it, because the grain has a weird texture, I'm assuming by their reactions that it didn't feel quite right against their paws.  

One product I really like and have been using for awhile is Arm & Hammer Essentials in a 4.8 kg bag that they claim does the work of a 9.5 kg box. Its corn fiber based, absorbs odor well, very easy clean up and dispose of but it took my cats some time to get used to it. Once they realized that it was more pleasant than the clay and they liked the texture and smell, they've used it readily and without difficulties. I find it really does do the work of a 9.5 kg box of clay litter. The only problem with it and the clay based ones is the mess...  Unless you've got a closed litter box the stuff gets everywhere! 

But that's a small price to pay for a product that meets my criteria of affordability, usage and disposability.  

What products have you used and how do you like them?  Please email your answers and input to me at catspaw04@gmail.com. Once I receive several answers I will repost the question and a list of the answers I have received from my readers and visitors under a Product Information blog that will be valuable to everyone. 


Please help by sending me an email with the question and your answer. Thank you.


Catspaw