Category Archives: Reviews

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Edmonton International Cat Festival 2018

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The Edmonton International Cat Festival is an event I look forward to every year! It’s THE place to be if you are a cat lover! 100% of the proceeds from this event goes towards helping local rescues! What a great cause!

This year’s event was held at the Robbins Health Learning Centre at Grant McEwan University in Edmonton on May 26th 2018. I was lucky enough to meet celebrities such as Nala (the most popular cat on Instagram with 3.6 million followers!) and her adorable sister Luna Rose as well as Travis DesLaurier (model, actor and he works out with his cat, Jacob!) who did meet and greets with fans as well as Q & A sessions.

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I would like to say that the event was well organized and had many activities such as yoga with cats, cat themed escape room, puzzles, face painting, a pop up cat café to keep everyone of all ages well entertained. There were also tons of vendors selling the most adorable cat themed items as well as several rescue groups with the cutest adoptable cats.

I spent all day at the YEG Cat Fest! I took transit there since driving downtown Edmonton on a Saturday is not ideal (if I could drive that is! LOL) and after checking in, I went to line up for the Nala and Luna meet and greet!

the line up to meet the celepurrities!
Luna Rose is tiny and adorable!
Nala chilling in her CloverPet carrier!
Luna with her mom Shannon
Nala Merchandise! I got a coin purse!

After the meet and greet, I got interviewed by the news station, CityNews Edmonton. (Click here to see the interview segment) Next, it was off to check out the vendors and activities!! Here are some of the vendor tables I looked at!

You NEED to grab a copy of this book!
The Edmonton Humane Society’s Bingo Shop
Majesty and friends
Majesty and friends
Majesty and friends
Majesty and friends
Majesty and friends
Majesty and friends
Majesty and friends
Hop & Flop
Hop & Flop
Hop & Flop
Hop & Flop
Hop & Flop
Hop & Flop
Smartie’s Craftworks
Smartie’s Craftworks
Smartie’s Craftworks
Smartie’s Craftworks
Smartie’s Craftworks
CalmCatCo
CalmCatCo
Tinker Adventure Tents
Tinker
Purrs and Waggs
Cat Cafe on Whyte
Salgado Fenwick
Salgado Fenwick
Salgado Fenwick
Multi Menu Edmonton had this great book for anyone thinking about trying a raw diet for your pets
Alberta Animal Services
Petland

There were also many rescues with adoptable cats! Check out that awesome cat enclosure!

Hellas Pet Enclosures

After spending a few hours here, I stepped out to grab some lunch at Wendy’s (which was right across the street!). There are so many lunch options around this venue but I wanted an inexpensive lunch so I can keep more of my dollars to buy cat stuff! LOL

Once lunch was done, I came back and sat in on some Q & A sessions with Nala’s moms, Shannon and Pookie as well as Q & A with Travis. I ran into Bing Clawsby of Cats of Instagram and managed to snag a photo of him looking so sharp in his purple necktie!

Q & A with Shannon and Pookie (Nala and Luna’s moms)
Q & A with Travis
Bing Clawsby

There were cat videos playing throughout the day. I sat in on a very informative session with an AMA travel agent who talked about places that cat lovers need to visit as well as travelling with your cat! Finally, I wanted to stay for the Mr and Mrs Purrfect photo contest where Kitty Mojito was one of the contestants!

And the judging begins!
Kitty Mojito in her everyday look
Kitty Mojito in her formal look
Kitty Mojito in her swimsuit look
Kitty’s wish fot the world!

All the contestants were cute beyond words!! Finally the winners are announced!

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AND DRUMROLL!!!!!

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YAY! Kitty was crowned Mrs. Purrfect 2018! So happy!! She received a certificate as well as a wonderful prize of a Vesper Cubo Tower sponsored by Homes Alive Pets!

Posing with the judges Jordan Hertner and Chelsea Bird of CTV Edmonton
Proudly showing off her prize!
It’s all set up and ready to go!
Her certificate is being proudly displayed!

I had so much fun at the Edmonton International Cat Festival. If you are a cat lover, you need to check this out next year. You can pre purchase tickets ahead of time (it’s a few dollars cheaper if you do!) or you can buy them at the door. Just follow them on Instagram @yegcatfest to keep up on the details for next year’s event!

A huge thanks to the founder and organizer, Linda Hoang and her team as well as volunteers, sponsors, vendors, celebrity guests and everyone else who had a hand in making this event a huge success.  A total of $21,000 was raised and donated between this year’s recipients, The Edmonton Humane Society, Little Cats Lost and Zoe’s Animal Rescue!

 

 

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Review – Catit Senses 2.0 Food Tree

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My reason for looking into the Catit Sense 2.0 Food Tree started when Kitty Mojito started to throw up her food sometime last year.

We tried everything from changing her food to giving her smaller portions but the throwing up continued. After vets visits and extensive testing, we came to the conclusion that there was nothing physically wrong with her! She was just eating too fast and not really chewing her food well enough for it to digest (P.S her throw up would just be chunks of undigested dry food!)

Anyway, we finally resorted to the fact that we need to rethink her food situation. We switched to a smaller sized kibble especially designed for sensitive stomach issues from Halo Natural Dry Cat Food, Sensitive Stomach Seafood Medley, 6-Pound Bag and we added a great supplement from NHV Natural Pets. Just a side note, these supplements are wonderful to add to your kitties wet food (or just drop it directly into their mouth) for overall well being!

We researched and found that it is best to give her the opportunity to ‘hunt’ for her food. Not only does it help her practice her hunting instincts, it greatly aids in slowing down her eating.

The Catit Food Tree is very easy to set up. It literally just clicks into place. This makes cleaning up really easy as well since you can just pop out the sections and give it a good rinse.

The idea is to get the cat to paw at the kibble in the different levels and get it down to the wide base where they can eat it. I really liked the fact that the base was nice and wide which help reduce whisker stress for the kitties.

When I set this up for Kitty Mojito, she was a bit hesitant at first. She would sit by it and stare at it. She knew the kibble was in there but I think she was expecting me to get it for her LOL.

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I must admit that she did try to climb on to it and then tip it to get more food out but eventually learnt that she has to put her paw in and actually work to get the food out. Now she is a pro and just goes in there and gets what she needs.

What I love about this is that the sections are not too wide which prevents the cats from sticking their whole heads in there! I have caught Kitty trying to put her face in there with her tongue sticking out, trying to lick at the kibble (epic fail!). But it is not wide enough for that so you wouldn’t have to worry about that happening. All you need to do is to put their regular serving of dry food on to the top section and let your kitty get it down to the base (remember, this is for DRY FOOD ONLY!)

I am very pleased to say that her throwing up has greatly reduced since we started using this food tree. If you have a cat that gorges on food and eats too fast, I HIGHLY recommend giving this a try. It is definitely worth it.

Feel free to leave your comments and let me know what you do to help your kitties stay happy and healthy.

To purchase in Canada, Catit-43151-Senses 2.0 Food Tree

To purchase in the US, Catit Senses 2.0 Food Tree

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Review – Katsville Kats Catnip Cat Toys

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I had the pleasure of learning about Katsville Kats a few weeks ago via Instagram.

This is a Canadian company based in Maple Ridge, British Columbia and they focus on making catnip toys from upcycled denim, filled with organic and locally grown catnip.

Here is a bit about how Katsville Kats’ came to be from the owner, Cathy Chambers.

My family and I have always loved animals. We have a special affinity for cats. I have 3 cats who love to play. The cat kicker toys are especially popular amongst them. However, the toys from the store would be shredded in a day. An idea manifested in my head in wanting to combine my cats’ need for play and my desire to do something good for the environment.

I really love upcycling, recycling and looking after the environment. So I designed cat toys made with sturdy upcycled denim and filled with organically and locally grown dried catnip. My designs have been cat tested and cat approved!

Cathy was kind enough to send over some toys to be tested by our resident product tester, Kitty Mojito.

This is the Cat Kicker Toy. Immediately, I was very impressed by the size and the sturdiness of it. Kitty was able to bunny kick the life out of it and it held it’s shape really well. Of course, we had hours of play with the “danglies” at the end.

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The next toy we tried out is called the ‘Bermuda Flannel Triangle’. It is definitely a good size for a triangle toy and is softer than the kicker toy. While it is too small for bunny kicks, it is great for throwing around and I think smaller cats will really enjoy kicking it about.

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What I found most impressive about these toys is the fact that they are very well made. As you know, cats can be quite aggressive in their playtime and most store bought toys don’t survive the clawing, kicking and ripping that the toys are put through. The fact that it is made with upcycled denim (hooray for reusing products and saving them from heading to the landfills!) is a huge plus. I am all for supporting small businesses that go the extra mile by making sure their products are eco- friendly and/or use their platforms to make the world a better place in some way.

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Of course, the most important feedback comes from the tester herself! As you can see, she wasted no time attacking the toy and ended up playing with it for a long time. She enjoys a lot of bunny kicking so this was perfect for her.

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She was more drawn to the kicker toy than the triangle which I assume was due to the size of it.

I would definitely recommend these toys for anyone looking for quality catnip kickers for their feline friends. Don’t forget to leave me a comment and let me know what your cats favourite toys are!

If you would like to get your paws on your very own Katsville Kats Catnip Cat Toys, head over to their Facebook page and order one today!

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(These toys were sent to us free of charge in exchange for our honest review) 
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Review – Petsfit Comfort Carrier Backpack

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I am very excited to review this new backpack that I got for Kitty Mojito recently.

Kitty Mojito is adventurous and likes to spend time outdoors. Even though she walks on a leash, sometimes I need to put her in her carrier to transport her to various places such as the vet, pet shop or the park. A good carrier is a must have in any pet household!

As someone with neck and shoulder issues, the traditional carrier puts a lot of strain on my body. The carrying handle on regular carriers are usually fairly thin and when you add a 10 pound cat to the mix, it just really does some damage to my already delicate neck and shoulders. I have tried out many carriers and finally learnt about this Petsfit carrier from a friend who takes her very adventurous kitty on hikes and trails! (Thanks Jude!)

Let me first tell you about what the product description says on Amazon.

1. Thick padded straps makes it easier to carry.

2. Features mesh window for safety, ventilation and visibility, sturdy adjustable shoulder straps and comfort grip handle.

3. A waist strap and a chest strap make it easier to carry.

4. Removable and machine washable pad.

5. Front and top entrance.

6. Soft fleece mat is comfortable for pets.

As you can see from the pictures above, there are two flaps, one on top and one in the front. This keeps the air flowing through the carrier to keep your pet comfortable.

One of my favourite aspects of this carrier is the fact that it is really roomy inside. Kitty was able to comfortably move around and lay down inside. This is a really important thing to keep in mind as you want your pet to be able to move freely and not feel constricted.

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You can also attach a harness inside the carrier for added safety. I made it extra comfortable by adding a small blanket on top of the fleece mat that comes with the carrier.

Now on to the real test….. many people who saw my posts and videos on Instagram asked me how comfortable it is to carry this around. Even though I was skeptical at first, I was really impressed by how easy it was to carry Kitty around in it. The padded shoulder straps were very comfortable and didn’t put any strain on me. The chest and waist strap kept the carrier from bouncing around on my back.


We took Kitty along some snowy trails and she really enjoyed chilling out inside the carrier when she wasn’t out walking around. I could tell she felt safe and cozy. Even though she meowed a little bit at the beginning, she got comfortable enough on our walk and eventually just stretched out and enjoyed the view 🙂

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Not sure if you can spot Kitty inside! (PS the green silicone bowl does NOT come with the carrier!)

We spend a good hour or so walking around and I was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t end up with a sore neck and shoulders!

To end this review, I give this carrier a big THUMBS UP! Not only is it a great option for everyone who has a pet who weighs less than 15 pounds, it is the only carrier I have found so far that doesn’t give me severe neck and shoulder pains after carrying it!

It is sturdy and provides great support. Most importantly, it is the most comfortable carrier for Kitty Mojito!

You can get your own Petsfit Backpack by clicking on the Amazon links below.

Amazon.ca Petsfit 43cmx32cmx29cm Comfort Dogs Carriers Backpack,Hold Pets Up To 15 Pounds

Amazon.com Petsfit Comfort Dogs Carriers/Backpack, Hold Pets up to 15LBS,Go for Walk, Hiking and Cycling Black 17″H x13″L x11″D

 

Don’t forget to let me know your thoughts on your favourite carriers!

(We are a participant in the Amazon Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites)
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Review – NHV Naturals Multi Essentials For Cats

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I came across NHV Naturals via Instagram. At that time, I wasn’t really looking to add any supplements to Kitty’s health regime but I kept it in mind in case I needed to look into it.

NHV MULTI ESSENTIALS digestive aid and energy support for cats and dogs

Well, the need came sooner than later when Kitty started to get sick. If you read my previous blog post, you would know that Kitty had some stomach issues and was throwing up frequently. After visiting the vet and learning that there isn’t really anything wrong with her, I did some research and reached out to the lovely people at NHV Naturals to see if they can provide me some tips to help her tummy.

I must say I was very impressed with the time they took to chat with me about Kitty’s condition, her symptoms, etc to try to figure out what is causing her to throw up.  After a lot of discussion, I decided to add the Multi Essentials to her diet.

Multi Essentials for Cats is a herbal multi vitamin, digestive and energy booster. According to their website, it helps in the following ways;

  • Stimulates metabolism
  • Promotes healthy skin and coat
  • Aids effective digestion
  • Reduces fatigue and increases energy levels
  • Helps fill nutritional voids

One of the reasons I picked this product is that last point ‘filling nutritional voids’. I was concerned that Kitty was not retaining any nutrition from her food because she was throwing it up.

Once I got my order in, I was instructed to introduce it slowly. I started with a few drops twice a day. After a few days, I increased it to 0.25ml.  Once Kitty got accustomed to it (which took about a week), I began the recommended dosage of 0.5ml twice a day.

I found the dropper bottle easy to use as the dosage amount is already marked on it so there is no guess work.

As a serial label reader, I was happy to learn that the supplements are made with natural ingredients and no artificial flavours or preservatives are used. One bottle would last about a 100 days.

I suppose the biggest test is to see how she responded to it. I started the supplements on the 24th of October 2017. She took to it fairly easily. For an entire month, she didn’t have throw up incidents. I believe this was a combination of her new food, limited treats and the supplements.

I was really happy to with how things were going with her. She was eating well and her skin and coat was looking better than ever (side note: She did have some dry skin which has now cleared up!)

To end this review, I would encourage every cat parent to look into adding Multi Essentials to their cat’s diet. It will provide great support to your cat’s overall health. One thing to keep in mind is to make sure you give the supplements AFTER meals. Kitty had a couple of throw up incidents a few days ago so I am now mixing the supplements with her wet food to help her digest it better.

For more information on a variety of supplements, please check out www.nhvnaturalpetproducts.com.

(This is an independent review based on my own experience with this product which was purchased for Kitty Mojito’s use. It was in no way influenced or sponsored by the company mentioned)

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A Visit To The ‘Cat Cafe On Whyte’

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A Cat Cafe…. In Edmonton………! Finally!

A cat lover’s dream come true!

It was so exciting to finally get to visit the Cat Cafe on Whyte since it opened it’s doors early this year!

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Located on Whyte Avenue, a hip and happening area in Edmonton, the Cat Cafe is hard to miss, with it’s bright yellow signage and the most adorable cats staring at you through the large window as you walk by!

As you walk through the main door, you are greeted by the cheerful cafe where you are treated to the most adorable cat merchandise  as well as specialty drinks and treats!

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Hot drinks menu

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More deliciousness!

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The most delicious Rose macaroon and shortbread cookie I have ever had!

 

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Can’t get enough of this Pistachio macaroon!

I’ve tried a few different items off the menu during visits to the cafe and my favourite so far have been the Strawberry Acai Refresher and the macaroons! They are a must try! Even if you don’t visit the cat lounge, the cafe is a great place to just chill, catch up on some emails or relax with a good book!

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The drinks and treats bar!

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A cozy place to chill!

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A great book library! Do you spot my book? 🙂

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Adorable cat themed goodies!

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Now on to my favourite part! THE CAT LOUNGE! The admission to the lounge is $15 and it is the best $15 I have spent!

After a short read up on the rules and a quick clean of hands, you are now ready to mingle with the kitties. One of the first things I noticed is how wide and open the space is! The kitties have so much room to run around and play!! Everything is set up for the maximum comfort of the cats!

If you are a cat lover, this is definitely your domain! There are so many cats with various personalities that are just waiting to hang out with you!

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You can tell that the cats are happy to be exploring, playing and interacting with the visitors! The best part is that all the cats at the cafe are adoptable through SAFE TEAM RESCUE www.safeteam.ca

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Adopted Cats!

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I would highly recommend checking out the Cat Cafe On Whyte! It is a great place to hang out with friends, get some cat cuddles in and share the word about all the wonderful, adoptable cats that are looking for forever homes!

Check out their website www.catcafeonwhyte.com for more information. You can book your visit in advance or you can walk in!

 

 

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Review – Weruva BFF (OMG-Oh My Gravy!)

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I’m so excited to be given this opportunity to try this brand new product from one of my favourite pet food companies, Wevuva!

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Before I found Weruva, I have tried so many different brands and types of wet food with not much luck. One thing I did find out is that Kitty Mojito loves gravy based food! So my mission was to find her the best quality wet food out there and I found that in the B.F.F line!!

 

I learned about the Big 3 by partnering with Weruva (www.weruva.com)– a luxurious, natural pet food dubbed “people food for cats” who just launched a full line of gluten, grain, and carrageenan-free cat food in honor of International Cat Day. It’s called B.F.F. OMG! (that stands for Best Feline Friend, Oh My Gravy), and it’s all about preventing these Big 3 Cat Concerns ; picky eating, weight gain, and urinary tract issues.

There are so many yummy flavours to choose from!!

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With International Cat Day that happened on August 8 and Happy Healthy Cat Month coming in September, now is the perfect time to address the ‘cat in the room’—and that’s your feline friend’s diet.

Here are some useful nutritional information that I learnt from Weruva!

Keep these in mind when it comes to our feline’s food!

If your cat has any of these, you might want to consider changing their diet:

>> Is your cat picky? Picky eating is usually a problem with texture, 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—would you eat a steak with the texture of tapioca? Weruva’s food features these shreds of real meat right off the bone, which is why Kitty Mojito took to it like a duck to water (or a cat to gravy)!

>> Got a fat cat? The problem is in the kibble. It’s filled with unnecessary carbs, which are almost impossible for cats to process (they don’t produce amylase, an enzyme which helps humans digest their food). Weruva’s B.F.F. OMG! has no kibble to worry about because it’s 100% real meats in their true form.
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>> UT-why? Urinary tract issues often stem from dehydration—even if you’re giving your cat plenty of water. In the wild, cats stay hydrated through 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 them satisfied. All of the products in Weruva’s B.F.F. OMG! line are over 85% hydration, which satisfies Kitty’s hydration needs.

 

I love Weruva 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 BPA-free. Best of all, my kitty loves it!

(PS: Carrageenan is a thickener and emulsifier made from seaweed, that while natural, induces gastric inflammation when processed by the intestinal tract in isolation from its natural state)

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I am a very fussy pet mom who spends a lot of time researching pet food and reading labels at the pet stores. It is very important to me that my pet eats quality food. It could cost $0.50 a can or $3 a can, all that matters to me is that the list of ingredients are filled with the nutrients that Kitty actually needs.

Of course, the taste test is the most crucial. Kitty just gobbled up the BFF OMG as soon as I put it in her bowl! Her favourite so far is the ‘CRAZY 4 U’ chicken and salmon in gravy and ‘DATE NIGHT’ which is duck and salmon in gravy!

As I shared about this on Kitty’s Instagram (@kittymojito), I have had several requests to let readers know about the actual texture and consistency of the products as well as how Kitty reacted to it.

Here are my thoughts (along with Kitty’s great taste testing skills!) on some of the flavours we tried!

Product: SEEYA SOONER – Chicken and Tuna dinner in gravy

Verdict: The consistency was great. It was quite runny so it’s wonderful for kitties that love gravy based food. You can still see some chunks of meat in there and the first few ingredients are chicken broth, chicken and tuna. I reduced the dry food and gave her this entire pouch in a feeding. Two paws up for this one!

PRODUCT: CIAO BABY – Chicken and Shrimp dinner in gravy

Verdict: This was an instant hit as the combination of chicken broth, chicken, tuna and shrimp was a definite winner. Like the previous flavour, you will find it has a very generous gravy base so it is very easily licked up.

PRODUCT: PURR-FECT PLANNING – Chicken, Turkey and Salmon dinner in gravy

VERDICT:  Turkey is not a favourite with Kitty. It’s a hit and miss. However, she really loved this one. It could be the fact that there was salmon in it but she ate it up in no time.


PRODUCT: LOVE MUNCHKIN – Chicken and Pumpkin dinner in gravy

VERDICT: Another favourite! I love to add pumpkin to Kitty’s food when I can because I find that it really helps with her digestive issues. It keeps her eliminations regular and normal.

 

In conclusion, I would like to say that I will continue to feed Weruva BFF Oh My Gravy line to Kitty as it is, by far, one of the best wet foods that I have come across. This is a great line of food for kitties that have trouble chewing as the gravy makes everything soft and palpable as well as for any kitties that prefer a more liquid consistency to pate!

Kitty and I give it two thumbs (and paws) up!

Please visit www.weruva.com to learn more about these amazing food items and to find out where you can get your hands on some of it!

(THESE FREE ITEMS WERE SENT TO CRAZY CAT LADY CORNER IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW)

PS: The Skittles were sent for me !! 😉

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