Oh My Gravy! Weruva BFF OMG! 'People Food for Cats'

This is a sponsored post for Weruva pet foods. The kitties and I were compensated with a box of Weruva cat food and some toys. No monetary compensation was received. 

This past week, on August 8th was International Cat Day. A week before that, on August 1st, was "Gotcha Day!" for both Tux and Cali. In late-August is Newman's gotcha day, as well as Cooper (the dog's) gotcha day! Not only that, but, Happy Healthy Cat Month is in September.

With all that cat-ness going on, this is the purr-fect time to talk about our feline friends' diet (or lack thereof).

Tux, checking out the goods!

Tux isn't really a picky eater. He will eat just about anything. Cali and Newman will also, but they usually "regurgitate" right afterwards unless it's a certain kind of food. Available for this project was Tux, who showed up at the kitchen table almost immediately after I woke up the morning I took these picture and videos of the package of goodies we received from Weruva.

But some cats are picky eaters, and did you know that's one of the three most common cat concerns? It's true: picky eating, weight gain and urinary tract issues are the top three issues that concern cat parents. I learned about this by partnering with Weruva -- they're launching a full line of gluten, grain and carrageenan-free cat food in honor of International Cat Day. It's a luxurious, natural pet food dubbed "people food for cats", and it's called B.F.F. OMG! (that stands for Best Feline Friend, Oh My Gravy!), and it's designed to aim at preventing these Big 3 Cat Concerns.

Look at all the goodies!!

Great new flavors, and I love the artwork!

If your cat is experiencing any of these three issues, you might want to consider some dietary changes. For instance, is your cat picky? Picky eating is usually a problem with texture (or, as my veterinarian explained it "shape"). Since cats are carnivores whose tongues and teeth are perfectly evolved for meat-eating, it's easy to see why a cat might dislike something without real shreds of meat. If you're a meat eater (I'm not) would you eat steak with the consistency and texture of tapioca? Of course not! Weruva's food features real shreds of meat right off the bone, which is why Tux basically devoured the entire thing especially the gravy!

Lots of great flavors. All grain, gluten and carrageenan-free; with cute names. "People Food For Cats"

Bonus: Weruva sent me the package from their headquarters right here in Natick, Massachusetts just 5 minutes from where I grew up ---  and it's the town my father worked in for many years! Not only did we get a groovy box of cat food, but we're supporting a local business by writing this post. Booya!

Is yours a Fat Cat? The problem is in the kibble, which is usually filled with unnecessary carbs that are almost impossible for cats to process (they don't produce amylase, an enzyme that helps humans digest food). Weruva's B.F.F. OMG! has no kibble to worry about because it's made from 100% real meat in true form.

Then there are the poor kitties who have the dreaded UTI issues. UT-why? Urinary tract issues often stem from dehydration -- even if you're giving your cat plenty of water. Or, if he's drinking it straight out of the faucet like Newman does! In the wild, cats stay hydrated via the food they eat instead of what they drink. Cats are used to "eating" their water -- but most wet foods don't have nearly enough hydration to keep cats satisfied. All of the products in the new B.F.F. OMG! line by Weruva are over 85% hydration, which satisfies a cat's hydration needs just about purr-fectly!


I really got a kick out of Weruva products because they are considered ‘people food for pets.’ The new line of B.F.F. OMG! cans and pouches feature land proteins like boneless and skinless white chicken breast, salmon, beef, duck, lamb and more. All recipes are grain, gluten, and carrageenan free. And if you are a BPA-free home, check out the pouches because they are are BPA-free. Best of all, Tux loves it! And, did I mention, we're supporting a local business?!

Health isn't just for humans, and I'm glad I took the time to learn how to feed my BFF properly.  I may have found Tux's new favorite food. He especially liked Weruva's Chicken & Salmon Dinner in Gravy flavor, which you can read about at http://www.weruva.com/. You can also explore the whole B.F.F. OMG! lineup there, and find a flavor your cat will 'paw'sitively adore, at Chewy.com 

Has your cat experienced one or more of the Big 3 Cat Concerns? 

Share your experience in the comments!

Bring Your Cat to the Vet Day was August 22, 2016 #Cat2VetDay

Little did I know that August 22, 2016 was "National Bring Your Cat to the Vet Day" when I made my appointment for all three cats to be visited by our mobile vet, Bay State Mobile Veterinary Service on that day!

Of course, when the neighbors saw the van pull into my driveway, they were concerned that something was wrong with one of the critters.  Nope, I explained, it's just easier to have the vet come to me, than drag three yowling cats, in crates, to the veterinarian's office.  It's also a lot better on my shoulders (ouch!) and my anxiety level.  And theirs (the cats, AND the vet).  Win-win for all!

 

                                       This is what it used to be like!!

 




My cats did not like the experience at home any more than the experience at the vet's office!  We did not bring them into the veterinarian's van, although that is an option.  I invited the vet and her assistant into my home, and we corralled the cats in the basement (i.e., the Girl Cave -- it's not a creepy basement!).  They even brought a portable scale and weighed each cat.  As predicted, Cali is the smallest, and Tux (the food addict) is the largest.

Newman was the best behaved and easiest.  Cali was screaming and hissing and growling, but allowed them to do everything they needed to do, despite the fact that Tux kept jumping up on the table to instigate her further.  I had "shooosh" duty!  Then, it was Tux's turn, and he wouldn't let us pick him up, but then he relented and growled and hissed just as much as Cali did.  Then, they all didn't "speak" to me for two days!

Maybe we will speak to you again, if you give us canned cat food!

It ended up that the dogs would have been due for some booster vaccines in January.  While I normally don't like to over-vaccinate, I agreed with the vet that it was easier to just do everybody now and be done with it for another year (or three, in the case of rabies).  Cooper, as always, was a piece of cake.  Charlie, as always, had to growl and whine and threaten to bite.  Sigh.

Watch out! Sometimes I gets in a bad mooood!

If you don't have a mobile vet in your area, why not petition your local vets to consider starting mobile services?

As a member of Cat Writers' Association,  I get to be the first to know about fun things such as National Bring Your Cat to the Vet Day #Cat2VetDay.  They sent us some brochures, infographics and flyers to share with our readers.  Here is a link to all of the info, courtesy of American Association of Feline Practitioners.  

I'm including the #Cat2VetDay infographic below, for your viewing pleasure!

What is your experience taking your cats to the vet?  Do you avoid going because of the stress and hassle?  Do you rise to the challenge and get it done despite the stress involved?  Use Rescue Remedy or another herbal relaxation treatment for your cat(s)?  Share your cat-to-the-vet experience in the comments.

Go local for pets!

The k2k9 crew has been spending September attending the various dog/cat festivals in and around our area.

These are local events that support local pet-related charities and businesses.  A valuable part of attending these events is not just spending money making donations or buying products from local folks, you also get to socialize your dog(s).  [Cats are usually not invited, although we did see Spike and his dad, and his famous cat brother (sister?) that their dad wears like a mink stole around his neck.  Yes, a real, live cat!  At a doggie event!  These folks actually attend a few of these events, and I've seen them a few times.  Spike is a wonderful, black senior dog who is SO friendly.  The cat is very docile.  I tell their dad that he is VERY brave!]

The weekend after Labor Day, Charlie and I attended Pet Rock Festival.  Now in its 17th year, Pet Rock was inspired by a news report of a horrific animal cruelty case -- a Worcester-area woman had a band named Pet Rock, and she wanted to do something to help animals.  Pet Rock Festival was named after her band, and over the years has become a fun gathering of music, vegetarian food, and all things dog, cat, pet.  This year the event was held at Becker College, in Leicester.  This was a great venue because of size, and a perfect fit since the college offers a popular veterinary/animal program.

Charlie Brown at Pet Rock

A week later, was New England Pet Expo.  This is a nationwide organization (may include Canada, as well?) that does Pet Expos in various cities each year.  There are usually two in our area:  New England Pet Expo, and South Shore Pet Expo.  But this year, there was no South Shore Pet Expo.  Pet Expo is a bit like a home show with dog/cat products.  Ferrets, reptiles, birds and horses, are featured, too.  Shorty Rossi (The Pit Boss) usually makes an appearance at each Expo, and there are other well-known animal trainers, agility courses, police k-9 demos, and other activities.

Me, and Shorty Rossi in 2012 at NE Pet Expo

I brought Cooper to Pet Expo -- it was Cooper's very first event like this.  He did quite well.  He only has three legs, so walking from the parking lot to the venue can be an issue.  I thought about taking advantage of handicapped parking, but I didn't think that'd go over well!!  Anyway, he did ok, but he got a little "testy" with a couple of dogs after being over-stimulated for a few hours, so we were soon outta there.  I was very proud of both of us.  No one got bitten, unless you count me. (Trying to entice him out of the building with a tennis ball in my hand! Ow!)

Cooper at Pet Expo

Yesterday was festival number three, of several:  Woofstock!  Similar to Pet Rock, this is a music and food fest with booths from the usual suspects.  I should point out that many pet companies attend ALL of these conferences; but some only attend one or two.  So, you don't always see the same people twice, but when you do, it just reinforces the networking.  Networking locally is SO important!

Posing at the Woofstock/Buddy Dog table, while I added to my impossibly unmanageable t-shirt collection.

Coming up:

Oct 3 & 4: Animal Weekend -- hosted by Second Chance Animal Shelter and Wellness Center.
(our pals at Second Chance are going to be exhausted, because they have been at EVERY one of the aforementioned conferences, AND they're doing their own full weekend next week.  I'm tired just thinking about it!)

Cooling off at Second Chance's booth during Woofstock-- see you next weekend!

Oct 3:  Great Dog Rescue Meet & Greet. Harvard Farmers' Market, 27 Mass Ave in gorgeous Harvard, Mass.  (Great Dog Rescue is the place I adopted Charlie and Cooper from!)  If you're looking for a great dog, you might just meet her or him here.

Oct 11: Pug Rescue of New England (PRoNE) Pug Social -- right here in beautiful downtown Spencer (at the fairgrounds).  If you love Pugs (and who doesn't?) this is a can't-miss event.

Oct 24: Klem's Annual Dog Halloween Costume Contest, at Klem's in Spensah!

Oct 31:  Sweetpea Friends of Rutland Animals Halloween Spooktacular, at Camp Marshall in Spensah!!

(Can you tell how excited I am that all of these things are right here in SPENCER!!!?  Have I used enough exclamation marks?)

November 7:  Goodness Gracious Run for Rescue 5K.  This 5K is being held in dog-friendly Marblehead.  If you've ever been to Marblehead, you will notice.... dogs!  It seems like everyone who lives there has a dog.  What a wonderful community!  Our friends at Great Dog Rescue have a team participating in the race, so if you want to donate to the Great Dog team, here is the link.

If it weren't for Facebook...

I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook.  Mostly hate.

I hate that it's addictive, I hate that if you are a blogger, pet advocate, business owner or photography buff, you are more or less obliged to have a Facebook account and/or page.  I hate that they are now pushing page owners down, down, down on the totem pole unless of course you want to pay $5 a day to "boost" your posts!!  I hate that most of all.

I love that the site has connected me with old friends (one of whom I had lost touch with for over 30 years, and how cool was it to reconnect with that person!?).  I love that it has revealed cousins that I did not know before (ok, ancestry.com helped with that one, too).  I love that I can stay in touch easily with my nieces, nephews, cousins, sisters-in-law and aunts -- all at once, just by posting a stupid photo or remembering a birthday or anniversary.  I love that I am actually "Friends" with musicians I have adored my whole life.

And then there's this:

If it weren't for Facebook, we wouldn't have Charlie Brown; and we wouldn't have Cooper, either!

Five months after the sudden loss of our beloved Hector, we weren't looking for a new dog.

Handsome Hector Huge!  We love ya, buddy!

We were enjoying our time being a one-dog (and three cat) family.  Enjoying trips to the beach and the lake with Hobie, and spoiling him rotten.  Hobie missed "Hec" just as much as we did, maybe more.  They were brothers from other mothers.

Hobie, at the lake, after a spa day!
(Bandana provided by groomer)

I had been on Facebook for about 3 years, having joined because of a high school reunion.  So, after the reunion came and went, I ended up spending a lot of time-wasting on Facebook.  Once the cold weather set in, and trips to the beach with Hobie would be on-hold for a few months, I started looking at PetFinder and was following a bunch of shelters.  I kept showing puppies to Gil and he kept saying no, we are not ready yet.  At one point, he casually mentioned how his next dog should be a combination between Schulz (his beloved Collie-mix from before he knew me) and Hector (our beloved hound-mix).  Remember that for later: a collie, and a hound... 

A day or so later, I saw that a friend of mine had "Liked" the Facebook page of a local rescue called "Great Dog Rescue of New England".  I just went to their Facebook page and clicked "Like" for no other reason than it was something to do.  

And a few days later, there was this picture and post about a dog named Charlie Brown.  

Charlie Brown is a smart, cuddly, 7 week old Collie/Hound mix who weighs 8lbs. He was rescued along with his siblings after being discovered in rural Tenn by a construction worker who was sent to bulldoze a house. When he looked inside to do a final check of the home, he heard a cry and started looking around. That is when he found the momma, Kate and her 8 tiny babies hidden in a closet. The worker thought he did the right thing by taking them to a shelter, but unfortunately it was a kill shelter where Kate+8 faced certain doom. Luckily for this little family one of the kind shelter workers called a Southern Rescue partner of Great Dog Rescue New England. She saved the family and kept them healthy and well until they could be moved to MA where they now are living with one of our wonderful foster mommies who loves and adores each and every one of them! Charlie Brown is the leader of the pack and the first to climb in your lap, grab a toy or let you know hes ready for fun. He likes to be cuddled and play with toys and his littermates. He has the sweetest face and a tail that is always wagging.. Due to his age, he is not crate trained or house trained, but he is such a smarty, he should not have any problems learning. 

We didn't adopt Charlie right away.  Someone else had beat us to it.  But a few weeks went by, and I decided to see if Great Dog had any other guys available for adoption.  Lo and behold, the adoption fell through with the original family, and we were next in line!  We got Charlie Brown in 2012, and 7 months later, we adopted his brother and litter mate, Cooper, the three-legged cuddling machine!

So, you see, Facebook isn't all bad!  

To follow my Facebook page, go here:  K2's K9s and Kitties, on Facebook