cat food / Kanika & Wellness!
mermaiden wrote a post about food for pets, which got me thinking about cat food and searching for info. I had done a little research before, and knew enough to check the protein & fat content (the higher those numbers the better) and avoid anything that had by-products (HORRIFYING) listed as an ingredient or listed anything before chicken/meat (including 'chicken meal'). What I didn't know was that corn and grains in general are just filler, not actually helpful for the cat. I was feeding Kanika Maxximum Kitten (which is better than Iams according to ingredients; chicken as primary ingredient, no by-products, high protein & fat) and then Trader Joe's dry food, which is pretty good, but after learning about the uselessness of grains I wanted something better. I found Wellness and learned that it was available at Whole Foods, so I picked some up when I stopped to get my odwalla bars.
When I first brought it home, Kanika could smell it through the bag and got excited! so cute! Ze's been on the new food for about three days now, and ze actually seems happier. Just as playful as usual, but friendlier (not so inclined to dart off if you reach to pet zir), and more tolerant of hugs/cuddles and even holding. Not a huge amount of difference, but noticeable -- and I'm hoping it will increase. When I was feeding zir Maxximum, ze would sniff at it when I put it in the bowl and then leave it. With Trader Joe's, ze would sometimes sniff-n-go, but sometimes have a bite or two -- but with Wellness, ze has a good-length munch session immediately after I put it in the bowl!
I also tried it myself and found that it's actually pretty tasty! They say it's human-grade, and you can tell, f'sure. I tried my cat's food way back when my parents were buying the cheapest food possible and boy was it nasty, with an aftertaste that lingered after brushing my teeth. Now I know that there were probably beaks and feet and who-knows-what-else in there and UGH grosssssss.
It's also pretty pricey as cat food goes (about 2.5 times as much as the previous kind), but considering that a month of food is about three coffees, it's definitely within our ability. There was a time when it would have been hard but I think even then I would have wanted to get it if I had known (even would have sacrificed some of my treasured coffee trips!). I'm happy to be able to get the good stuff without difficulty (and know what 'good' is) now ;-)