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Pamper Your Pet
Written by: Janet Pope
Everything you need to make your cat happy.
My mother often came to visit, and she would sometimes bring a treat for my cat. She said nothing, but I know what she was thinking. She felt badly for my "poor, deprived" feline. My cat, Leo, has only been given dry cat food, which my mom thinks borders on pet abuse. My cat never seemed to complain and she definitely does not look like she is wanting for food.
Also, Leo can be described, like many cats as aloof and independent. I reluctantly admit that being in a household of two full time working adults, Leo is not played with a lot. He seems to have accepted that fact, because when engaged in play by us or a visitor, Leo kind of looks at you with disdain or at best, complete and utter apathy. He loves nothing more than to nap in a favorite spot, get up, stretch and move to a new spot for another nap. So, in an effort to shake him from his boring life, and to relieve the pressure and guilt from my visiting mother, I decided to treat Leo to a few new treats.
First, I tried AromaDog- Aromatherapy Products for Pets. Begun in 1998, this company was originally started by someone with a nursing background and an obvious lover of pets. Aromatherapy is the use of plant oils to heal and nurture the body, mind and soul, and Leo's soul was in need of some serious healing. I tried the Litter-box Neutralizer, which is supposed to get rid of that ammonia smelling odor in the litter. Perhaps that was what was depressing Leo. The ingredients sound good enough to spray in your bedroom- lavender and lemon oils. Well, it did a great job and the litter box smelled terrific. Leo kind of sniffed it out, but returned to a curled up position in his bed.
This company also makes Purrfect Ears, which helps to clean out waxy ears and annoying mites. Again I thought this was an area, as a pet owner, I have been lax in. Leo sat still for his treatment, and without getting too graphic, I could see by the cloth I used, that he needed a good ear cleaning. But without missing a beat, Leo ran towards the blanket he sleeps on, at the foot of my bed. At least he had clean ears.
I also got the Cat Nap, which is supposed to chill out the agitated feline, but as you can see, being agitated is not necessarily my cat's problem. I saved this for another day and a week later we were having our bedroom painted. While we proceeded to take all the furniture out of the room, Leo did not look like a happy camper. He ran in and out of the room at top speed, and that's when I remembered the Catnap. I sprayed it on him and I think stunned at first by the mist, he did indeed become calm. This product is not harmful and is made of lavender and chamomile. Now we could paint and Leo could sleep, for a change.
My next "treat" for Leo was in the food department. From a company called Bon A-Paw Tete (who thinks of these great names?), I ordered some organic gourmet food. I don't even order gourmet food for me and my husband, and certainly not organic. This company was begun in 1995, by a dog owner whose pet developed a life threatening illness. She decided to research nutritional diets for pets and discovered studies showing that poor diets can severely impact a pet's health. Makes sense. Her research also gave her insight into what is actually in the dog and cat foods that we readily serve our pets, with the assumption that it must be good for them. Now I really felt guilty about that bargain priced dry cat food.
These meals come fresh, frozen and vacuum packed. I called Leo to his dish and served him "pizza pie." Yes, you read right- pizza pie. It is made with organic cottage cheese, tomatoes, whole wheat pasta, durum wheat, tomato sauce, carrots, zucchini and more ingredients that sounded better than my supper. Leo spied it cautiously, encircling his bowl, as if this was some kind of a trick and he was not falling for the bait. Once he began lapping it up, he didn't stop. I never saw his tongue move in and out that fast before. I must admit, that even though Leo loved the pizza, his stomach did not. I assume no other explanation is necessary. Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks, but not necessarily a cat. I waited a few days and tried the salmon soufflé. Again he loved it, but it did not agree with him. I think the trick here is to introduce a new food to any pet gradually, with only a few bites at a time. The next day he ate a little of the Beef Liver and Bacon Ball with better success.
To go along with his new taste treats, I bought the DURA-BOWL, put out by Guardian. I love this bowl. It is a two-tiered bowl, with the water on the bottom and the food on the top. Besides being a consolidated unit, it is supposed to prevent ants from getting at the food. Unfortunately, we have always been plagued by pesky ants and I assume they annoy Leo too. It is obvious by now, that Leo responds slowly to anything new. At first, he knocked a morsel of food into the water area and then all he did was watch it float around and around, as he tried to swat it out. Finally, he ignored it and began to eat and best of all no more bothersome ants are near his food. I saw an ever so slight smile on his face.
Now that the litter, the food and the water was handled, I sent for a new toy for Leo. SmartCat makes a "Peek a Prize Toy Box," which is supposed to engage the most bored or stressed out cat. It basically looks like a square wooden box the size of an 18 inch square, with circles cut out the top. The premise is you put toys inside the box and the cat can play for hours trying to swat around the toys inside. I am sorry to report that Leo was "engaged in play" all of about two minutes. At first he wasn't interested at all, so I followed the direction that said you could hide your own treats inside. I put some of Leo's dry cat food in the box, and for that he went a little crazy. I guess you really can't teach an old cat new tricks. Basically, I think some cats are playful and energetic and some cats are not – kind of like people.
So as I am writing this now, Leo just woke up from yet another nap. If my mother tells me again what a boring life he has, I'm going to scream. I tried my best. I give up.
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