Review: Weruva TruLuxe Canned Foods

I’m always looking for canned food that is high in protein, low in fat and little to no carbs, along with other factors stated in this post to add variety to their meals. Of course, Weruva makes great recipes that fall within that criteria.

Weruva has 4 product lines (most expensive to lease); TruLuxe, Weruva, Cats in the Kitchen, and b.f.f. Their food is grain, GMO, MSG, carrageenan free! I love that this company is transparent with their nutrition profile which is accessible on their website Weruva. I’m also thankful they post photos of most of how their canned cuisines look like as Sky is a bit picky with texture (no patés!) I actually looked up the nutritional values before picking it up in the store.

The best way to know if a canned food is high in protein and low in fat and carbs is to look at the metabolizable energy (ME) profile to see how much calories in percentage comes from protein, fat and carbs. All three will add up to 100. Here’s the information directly from their website:

Based on this information, I chose the ones with less than 10% carbs and that are meat based only, no fish. Ranked from most nutritious:

1. Quick ‘n Quirky with Chicken & Turkey in Gravy
2. Peking Ducken with Chicken & Duck in Gravy
3. On the Cat Wok with Chicken & Beef in Pumpkin Soup
4. Steak Frites with Beef & Pumpkin in Gravy
5. Glam ‘n Punk with Lamb & Duck in Gelee

The cats loved all of them and finished the food quickly. They were very palatable as they licked their dishes clean each time. I definitely would repurchase Quick ‘n Quirky, Peking Ducken, and On the Cat Wok.

Nom Nom Nom ^^

I’m not sure if it was just the one can of Peking Ducken that seemed to have less than all the other cans. I know they vary batch by batch but I felt like it didn’t fill the whole can and I didn’t get my money’s worth! Hopefully it was just that one can.

Steak frites also has higher calories in fat than protein, not by a lot but if reading the ingredient list, a lot of fat/carbs are in the top 5; water sufficient for processing, beef, pumpkin, sweet potato, carrots, potato starch. Beef is not as lean as poultry either so I would probably give this once in awhile as a treat but it would not be part of their meal routine.

I didn’t like that Glam ‘n Punk had tuna in it, which was the third ingredient on the list. Also, the gelee consistency made it very similar to pate which made it a bit harder to feed/clean out the can. But the deal breaker is, even with almost zero carbs, is that the fat is almost double that of protein! Moderate fat is ok (~20%-40%) but this one is too high so I will be crossing this off my list.

If you’re in Richmond, you can purchase the Weruva TruLuxe line at Pet Food ‘N More, Bosley’s by Pet Valu, Tisol and Faithful Friends. The prices are consistent amongst the pet stores: $1.89/85g cans, and $2.99/170g cans.

 

Are there any brands you can recommend that are high in protein but low in fat and carbs? Let me know in the comments! 🙂

 

How to choose food bowls for your cat

I use separate bowls/dishes for dry and wet food. When feeding dry food, I would put it in their bowl but they only eat the food in the centre and always leave food around the edge of the bowl even when they’re still hungry. Maybe they think they finished all of it but the food they don’t finish tends to get stale and later they meow for a fresh bowl. They just won’t touch the leftovers (unless I starve them). I’m not sure why they do this but I figured it’s the shape of the bowl that causes this behavior. I’ve even seen memes regarding this so our kitties are definitely not the only ones!

So the bowls they had been using for years is this one. Pretty right?

Often then not, I find food left around the edge and it gets stale so I toss it away because they refuse to eat it.

The bowls are wide enough for their faces to go in, I know that’s not a problem but I think they just don’t like to eat from the edge? I don’t leave food out for them and I only give them 1/8 cup each time I feed them so they probably are still hungry after leaving this much in the bowl. I also don’t like tossing out the food, it’s not cheap!  So I went to several pet stores to see what bowls might be good for them (I check both cat and dog sections). I figured that a wide flat surface will encourage this behavior as the food will just be pushed to the edge. Luckily I was able to find a bowl wide enough for their heads to go in but with slanted edges that force the food to the centre; Whisker City Double Cat Bowl.

So I fed them in this new bowl and most of the time, there’s nothing left! It makes me happy that they finish their food 🙂 Sometimes though they would leave maybe 2-3 kibbles at most.

For wet food, they use these small dishes I found at Dollarama. They are pretty shallow and the edges are slanted as well. Before, we used to feed the wet food on a round flat plate but because the surface area was too big that the food kept moving around as they tried to eat it. It was hard for Sky to pick it up and he left pieces here and there. So these small dishes work well as the food stays in one spot and if needed he licks the food against the edge to eat it.

 

If you have this problem with your cat where they don’t finish all their food, maybe try changing their bowl/dish. It worked for me and they lick it all clean so I don’t have to deal with hardened/stale food! 🙂

Review: Omega Paw Roll ‘n Clean Litterbox

Sky’s first litter box was the Omega Paw Roll ‘n Clean Litterbox. I bought it on Gmarket for about $50. It was good and we used it for the remaining time we were in Korea. It comes in two sizes; regular and large. We got the regular since we only had one cat at the time.

How it works: when it’s time to clean the litter box, you roll to the right until the contents fall to the top then roll back and the grill will separate the clumped waste into the tray which you can then pull out to dispose.

Pros: easy to dispose of waste, just pull out and throw it away

Cons: if the waste is not dried or the clumps break apart, it gets stuck at the top of the litter box when rolled and on the grill of the pull-out tray which is then a mess to clean

Would I recommend this? Yes I would. It makes the task easier and the only drawback would be the cleaning as is with most litter boxes. When we left Korea I gave ours to my Korean co-teacher and she was really happy with it as well!

Richmond’s Pet Stores

After we moved to Richmond, BC, I was worried about being able to find the usual brands they eat which are Weruva, TikiCat and Go! So my mission is to search for all the pet stores in Richmond, and check them out to see what they carry. These are the ones that carry brands you can’t find at Petsmart. I don’t have information on all the stores, but I’ll update this list as we go along.

Locally owned – Pet Food ‘N More:

• They carry brands such as Weruva, Tiki Cat, Go!, Merrick, B.F.F, Almo Nature
• They offer a coin operated self serve dog grooming room
• They encourage you to bring your furry friends into the store
• They offer a preferred customer program: buy 10 get 1 free pet food
• Best of all, their guaranteed satisfaction policy allows you to return anything, even opened items, with receipt within 30 days (if you’re part of the preferred customer program, you get an extended 30 days I believe)!

Was Petcetera – Pet Culture:

• They carry brands such as TikiCat, Merrick and Go!
• They price match local competitors, and do price adjustments for items on sale within 30 days of purchase
• They sell animals 😦
• They provide grooming services
• They offer a frequent buyer program; buy 10 get 1 free

Was locally owned Bosley’s Pet Food Plus, bought by Pet Valu – Bosley’s Pet Valu:

• Have not yet been able to check it out, but should be similar to the Pet Valu stores in Edmonton and Ontario

Was locally owned, bought by Pet Valu – Tisol:

• They carry brands such as Go!, Weruva, B.F.F
• They operate a pet food bank which they donate to shelters

Was Star Pets Only, now Faithful Friends:

• Haven’t checked them out yet, will be updated!

Review: Kong ZoomGroom for Cats

Sky’s first grooming brush is the Cat ZoomGroom by Kong. I bought this at a local Home Plus in Korea. It’s made of soft rubber with firm teeth that is supposed to massage and groom your cat at the same time. It claims that while grooming, the loose fur will stick onto the soft, rubber fingers.

Sky & Pearl have different types of coats. Sky’s hair is a bit thicker and doesn’t shed as much when we pet him. When I brush him, I can clump the hair together and it will form a hair ball. Pearl’s coat is lighter and more fluffy. Her hair is definitely longer than Sky’s. She sheds very easily, especially if we pet her. When I brush her, the hair will not stick together and flies everywhere so grooming her is a pain.

Brushing Sky

Brushing Pearl

I’ve tried the ZoomGroom on Sky and Pearl. They both seem to enjoy the feeling of the massage and it does remove loose hair in their coat but it doesn’t stick to the rubber fingers. The loose fur is just flying everywhere. Grooming Sky with this is manageable because he sits still. With Pearl, it works wonderfully in removing her loose hairs but there’s white fur everywhere like it’s snowing! On top of that, she doesn’t sit still which means the fur is flying higher and further. As I normally groom them by myself, this is definitely not an efficient method.

Fluff everywhere!

However, instead of tossing this aside, I found use for it as a pet hair cleaner! So if you have one and it doesn’t work very well as a grooming brush, try using it to get the cat hair off fabrics. I use it on my sheets and pillows and it works well! If I had to use a lint roller on the fabrics, I’d probably have to use many sheets to clean it all up. Now I haven’t tried it on many different kinds of fabrics so test it out on whatever needs cleaning. I find that different products work better with certain fabrics.

 

ZoomGroom on sheet

ZoomGroom on pillows

 

Pros: it provides a good massage and removes a lot of the loose hair from the cats and certain fabrics

Cons: loose fur does not stick to the ZoomGroom and causes the hair to fly everywhere. The teeth on this brush does not provide a thorough groom especially to their undercoats.

Would I recommend this? No, because it doesn’t give a thorough brush as the fingers are far apart. The aftermath of the brushing is a lot of work as the fur does not stick to the fingers. The remaining hair that is stuck to the fingers are hard to remove by hand, you’ll need a vacuum to clean it. I usually hold them with one hand while I brush with the other. Pearl runs away with any chance she gets so while I clean the ZoomGroom after 2 brushes, she runs off with the loose hair trailing after her. It’s just too much work but again it depends on the type of hair they have. It will be more manageable if their hair tends to clump together.

Review: Go Pet Club F2080 72-inch Cat Tree

When we moved to Edmonton, we tried to take as little as possible so we gave the cat tree to my mother-in-law as she also has two cats. I shopped around a lot since they’re so expensive and decided on a 72-inch cat tree by Go Pet Club. I know cats like being up high so I got one as tall as I could afford. I ordered it from amazon.ca on Jul 29, 2014 and it arrived Aug 01, 2014! At the time, it was $139.00 (not bad!!).

Once it arrived I delegated the task of building it to my brother, and he finished building it within an hour. It was pretty easy to assemble as the package had included tools and easy instructions. It was sturdy and the faux fur padding was soft. They took to it right away and loves scratching on all posts, the lower and higher ones. They love sitting on the top and just watch everything happen below them; makes them feel superior! We did end up removing both “stairs” on the cat tree as we noticed they don’t even use it. They just jump right up and jump right off. They use the top three perches the most, then sometimes the middle condo and the bottom condo, we’ve never seen them use.

The only thing that did not last was the little mouse dangling from one of the top perches. Sky loves furry things so he played with it quite often. 5 days later we came home and looked at the cat tree and noticed something was missing. We looked around for Sky and caught him red handed!

We initially had put the cat tree next to the stairs but Christmas came and we decided to put the Christmas tree there. The townhouse didn’t have much room so we had to put the cat tree next to the window which was actually a plus for them. I would roll up the blinds and they would stare outside from up high. The neighbors’ dogs would run around the backyard (not fenced) and they enjoyed the entertainment. The down side was when the blinds were down, Pearl would force her way through the blinds. Even if I moved the cat tree a bit further, that doesn’t stop her. She’s such a brat sometimes, luckily the blinds were not damaged!

Pros: The height is great and the tower is sturdy. More importantly the size of the condos and perches are appropriate. I’ve seen many cat trees only with these tiny kittens and usually does not fit average sized cats but this one is great. The length of the scratch posts are good as well!

Cons: The stairs are useless, hopefully they make something else to replace the stairs, maybe a hammock instead? Also the mouse hanging from the perch came off way too easily.

Would I recommend this? Totally! This has been an awesome cat tree for them. They love going up and down the cat tree, sleeping on it and of course grooming their nails on it. Everyone that has come into our house comments on it “That’s the nicest/tallest cat tree I’ve ever seen, where’d you get it?” Of course we brought it with us to Richmond as well. The sisal rope is coming off on one or two of the scratch posts but it’s an easy fix. I definitely recommend this if you have two or more cats!!!

 

 

What kind of wet food should I feed my cats?

Pearl is just ecstatic when she smells food but Sky is somewhat of a picky eater. Since we have had Sky much longer, I tend to follow his preferences. Sometimes it’s the taste that they don’t like, but also the type of wet food as well. One thing I know is that they do not like pâté, even Pearl who cleans her dish every time still leaves a bit behind. I personally also do not prefer to feed them pâté as it is more like a paste and just sticks to the spoon. I prefer the stews/gravy type that I can just plop onto their dish without leaving any on the spoon.

Nowadays, there are so many variations of wet recipes: pâté, stew, gravy, soup, consommé, au jus, aspic, sauce, gelee. Then there’s the type of wet food: cubed, minced, diced, sliced, shredded, chunky, flaked, morsels. A bit overwhelming! Every cat has their own preference so make sure to observe your cat’s eating habits, but more importantly, educate yourself on reading the labels before making the purchase.

Although I am flexible with their preferences, I do follow a guideline. I’m no expert at food analysis but I try to do as much research online and read the labels. The labels don’t provide all information which is why you will need to do your research, look into the company’s site for detailed nutritional values.

My guideline for choosing cat food:

• Keep in mind that all food products vary from batch to batch hence the (min.) and (max.) on the guaranteed analysis
• Animal based protein; chicken, turkey, rabbit  (>50% calories based on Metabolizable Energy)
• Moderate fat (~20-45% calories based on Metabolizable Energy)
• Low carbohydrate (~1-2% calories based on Metabolizable Energy)
• Crude protein (min) on guaranteed analysis (the higher, the better but read ingredient list to see where protein is coming from)
• Crude fat (min) on guaranteed analysis (the lower, the better)
• Moisture (max) content on guaranteed analysis (~75%-85%)
• Ash (max) content on guaranteed analysis (<2%)
• The first several ingredients listed must be protein but not liver (liver is high in Vitamin A & D which can be overdosed)
• Avoid by-products (nutritious organ meats such as liver, spleen, kidney but can also include feet and feathers)
• Avoid meals (heavily processed), fillers, corn, soy, wheat, rice
• As little carbohydrate sources as possible; grains and vegetables (rice, potatoes, peas, starch, corn/maize)
• Preferably gluten free (plant-based protein)
• Carrageenan free (additive used to thicken, emulsify food)
• Try to limit fish-based recipes (high allergy potential, toxin/mercury levels, high in phosphorus/magnesium, addictive)
• Note: Ash (mineral) – the higher the ash content, the less actual food calories is in the can so the lower the better

Hopefully this will help you with choosing wet food for your feline friends!

 

If you’d like to learn more in detail about cat food analysis, visit catinfo.org

What do I feed my kitties?

If cats are on a dry food only plus water bowl diet, they have a higher chance of getting feline urinary tract issues. If cats are on a wet food only diet, they consume double the amount of water than cats on a dry food diet plus water bowl. I read a lot about how cats are naturally carnivores and should only be on a raw diet, but not everyone can afford to go that route.

When I first adopted Sky, I read about what to feed cats and I went half-half. I know water consumption is extremely important so water is refilled around the clock. Obesity is common with cats, and many who are spayed/neutered develops a pouch (Sky has a big pouch, Pearl is developing a small one). Before when we had a busy schedule we would just leave a bowl of dry food out but slowly I noticed Sky gaining weight. Portion control is important as well. And yes, they love it when you shake the treat bags, but don’t go crazy giving it to them just because they’re so cute!

So this is what I feed them: 1 full spoon of wet food + 1/8 cup of dry food each, twice a day approx. 8-9 hours in between each feed, and then treats (usually 4 pcs each per day).

Dry food: GO! Fit + Free Chicken, Turkey + Duck Recipe
Wet food: I currently rotate between GO! Fit + Free Chicken, Turkey + Trout Stew, Tiki Cat Puka Puka Luau, Weruva Nine Liver and Weruva Paw Lickin’ Chicken (check out what kind of wet food to feed here).

I know a lot of cats seem to be fine on dry food diets but if you can, add wet food to their diet. It will help them consume more water and improve their urinary tract system. Remember to always have fresh water in their bowl!!

They are both indoor cats. We moved from a condo, to a 2 level town house to a 3 level town house. If anything they should have more space to run around here. They have a 74 inch cat tree as well. Still I find Sky to be gaining weight, so I’m contemplating if I should remove dry food from their diet altogether. That or I get them a wheel! 😉

Flying the cats to Edmonton via Air Canada Cargo

For our move to Edmonton, we decided to drive our cars over (3 days) which meant we had to fly the cats as well. My husband and brother went a few weeks ahead of me so they were there to pick up the cats when they landed.

To prepare for the flight, I called Air Canada Cargo (AC Live) to discuss what is required for flying them from Toronto to Edmonton. Luckily the restriction is for 2 pets per kennel. The only concern was that they could cancel the shipping if it gets too hot (29.5°C). I did not need to provide any documentation, just had to fill out some information about them. As long as they were healthy they were good to go.

They do have strict airline kennel requirements so based on that I ordered a large kennel (32L x 22W x 23H in.) from Costco for $89.99. I also purchased a Top Paw Crock Crate Bowl from Petsmart so that they would be fed water/food/medication if required. The shipping fee was $297.52 from Toronto to Edmonton.

 

They are required to be dropped off 4 hours prior to flight and picked up within 4 hours of landing. That day I made sure they ate and used the washroom before putting them in the kennel. I had lined the kennel with blankets so they would be comfy. My sister and brother-in-law helped me bring them to the Cargo facility (it’s not the same as airport). I filled in the paper work and paid the fee. It was the first time leaving them alone and my heart sank as they meowed. I was worried if they would be safe in the cargo section, if they would be scared and if they would arrive safely. Of course I started tearing up as I said bye to them and they were taken away.

They arrived safely and were picked up immediately. They were safe and sound, and ready to explore their new home.

Getting your cat or kitten spayed/neutered

Before Pearl goes into heat and annoy us with dreadful cries, we decided to get her spayed. I wasn’t too familiar with this process since Sky was already neutered when we adopted him. The local vet hospital in Mississauga that she usually goes to quoted us $350. Considering that we already spent approx. $250 for her previous 2 visits (flea prevention, vaccinations, etc.), we needed to look for alternative options. I called a few different vets around the area but the lowest cost was $150 in Scarborough. I looked online and read about spay/neuter clinics across the GTA that offer the surgery for canines and felines at a very affordable price. These are self sustaining, high volume clinics with waiting lists as they service the public, animal shelters and rescue groups. There are two associations that offer this service; Toronto Humane Society ($70) and Ontario SPCA ($65). I called the Toronto Humane Society first as they were in closer proximity to us but they were fully booked into late May. Cats can go into their first heat as young as 4 months old so I didn’t want to risk waiting any longer. I called the closest SPCA clinic which was the New Market location (they also have one in Barrie, St. Catharines and Windsor) and was able to book Pearl in for April 12th when both of us would be off. Payment was made over the phone and an email confirmation was received with pre-op instructions.

Night before surgery – no eating at all after 6:00pm, water allowed

Day of surgery
In mid April it was about 2 degrees and snowing. I placed Pearl in the carrier and we drove to the clinic. Due to weather conditions the drive took about an hour. They do not open the doors till 8:00 am sharp. At the door, there was a table of forms on clipboards for visitors to fill out. We grabbed one and went back into the car. We filled out the form and sat there until they opened the doors. Others decided to line up at the door. When we got in, we handed the form, paid $15 for the e-collar (cone) and left Pearl in their care. The drop off took about 15 minutes. They do not need proof of vaccinations to proceed with surgery which had me worried as I had forgotten to bring it. Owners were given the choice to come pick up their kitties at either 4:00 pm or 5:00 pm sharp. We opted for the latter as canine pick ups were at 4:00 pm only and wanted to avoid the rush. The pick up took about 15 minutes as well as they briefed us on important post-op information. Pearl was already awake by then and had the e-collar fitted on her. They also provided us with emergency contact if necessary on a copy of the admission form, and a sealed envelope with medication inside for post-op. Once we got home, we realized the anesthesia had not worn off yet. Pearl walked into everything possible, and when her cone hit something she would reverse a few steps and try again. She started eating right when I fed her and she’s already jumping up and down even though she’s not supposed to. We did have to keep the two separated though to prevent Sky from licking her wound.

Morning after surgery
The next morning she was fine; no signs of swelling or infection. Right when I was about to feed her wet food, I remembered the medication. I opened the envelope and found two syringes of Metacam (meloxicam) in it. Metacam is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug which must be taken with food. I took one of the syringes and added it to her wet food which she licked clean as usual. Along with the medication is an information sheet that helps you determine if your kitty is in pain or not which I thought was really helpful. She’s in great shape for day 1 of 10! Sky couldn’t keep away from her so we let them play together but kept a close watch.

All in all, I’m just glad the surgery was a success! I know some people might be worried that because they are a high volume clinic, they might not provide quality service but I think they are very professional and organized.  I would definitely recommend SPCA to any pet owners! 🙂

You can visit the sites for more info and fees:

http://www.spayneuter.ontariospca.ca/
http://www.torontohumanesociety.com/sn_clinic.htm