Hot Dish Review

Dogs get treats when they do tricks, right? Well, cats don’t do tricks. It’s not that they’re not smart enough, au contraire! They just do exactly what they damn please.

I would not have bought treats for The Bunny, however, she was given some samples of Whiskas Temptations courtesy of LC’s Mom. Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, they just look like regular dry food. But don’t let their innocent appearance deceive you….they are kitty crack. The Bunny goes nuts when I give her a few pieces, seeking out the bag when she is not engaged in one of her favorite activities of drinking water from the running bathroom faucet or eating toilet paper.

I don’t know what is in them (OK, that is not exactly true, they contain a tantalizing combination of dried meat by-products, salmon meal, animal fat, wheat flour, and “natural flavors”).

It’s the natural flavors, otherwise known as MSG in human food, that may be causing the feline frenzy. Or, it could be the marvelous marketing. Here’s what it says on the back of the bag: “Oh the rich and plentiful sea! With its ample supply of scrumptious shrimp and delectable fish. I yearn for its mouthwatering goodness. I would search the high seas endlessly for that miracle medley of purrrfection. Just gimme some Temptations…mmmm…meooww.”

And just in case you may think these treats are not healthy for your cat, the manufacturer adds that they are “100% nutritionally complete and balanced for all life stages.” Plus “tartar control, under 2 calories per treat”! Indeed.

Make sure you have some of these Whiskas Temptations on hand, so the next time your kitty entertains you with a trick like throwing up a hairball on your bed you can reward her with a treat!

It’s time to catch up with The Bunny….pussies gotta eat too! Here’s what fills her bowls these days.

Although she just had two extractions, she loves her Prescription Diet dry kibble (t/d, ironically for dental health). Of course, she also gets a little treat in the morning and another at night….just 1/3 can of Fancy Feast. Like fast food for cats, its nutritional merits are probably pretty low. Ingredients include wholesome poultry broth, chicken, and liver but then quickly go downhill with scary stuff like meat by-products and wheat gluten.

Made by Nestle Purina Petcare, the can claims “Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that Fancy Feast provides complete and balanced nutrition for the growth and maintenance of cats.” Well, there you go.

Am I a bad mother? Truth is, I feel like she eats such a small quantity of Fancy Feast that it isn’t detrimental to her health. But that’s like saying it’s OK to smoke crack, as long as it’s just a puff or two.

I think we’ll switch to organic, minimally processed canned food treats or meat baby food (Seriously, I saw an old lady at Publix buying it for her cats. The only ingredient in the beef is beef….can’t get simpler than that!)

Although I’ve been accused of having the morals of an alleycat (how charmingly retro!), The Bunny is a sweet thing and deserves the very best!