May 3 - Kitty Treats
The Carefree Gourmet -
by Joyce McCombs
This winter McCombs Manor
hosted a temporary resident for about three months. Miss Sassy was
a beautiful tiger striped, golden eyed, long haired cat with a
peaceful disposition and affectionate nature. We offered to care
for her while her “parents” were Outside, and I don’t think I’ve
ever fallen in four footed love so fast in my life.
It only took about two days to figure out the Sassy’s routine,
which we soon realized couldn’t vary much, especially dinner time,
or we’d hear about it. She was a very vocal cat, and liked to
remind us often how intelligent and clever she was, especially
when she was staring intently out the sliding glass door, a
routine we began to call Sassy’s Bunny Vision. We quickly learned
the difference between her contented chirps and demanding meows
and soft pleas for more back scratches. She never fussed when we
left the house, but when we returned, there was at least an hour
of penance to pay in the form of lap time cuddles and furry faced
commentary.
We always had cats when I was growing up, at least one and often
two and they seemed perfectly content to do a little urban
foraging to supplement their dry kibble and occasional canned
food. We’d often find an offering on the back porch - a shrew or
sometimes a small mouse, laid out delicately and with evident
pride by our kitties. And it was always a great delight to watch
them stalk a butterfly or a windblown leaf, or even a sister or
brother kitty. We had barn cats, too, but they were wild and
flighty and were meant to keep the mouse population under control.
Sassy was a good eater, very precise and very neat. Even if her
dish held a bit extra, she seemed to self regulate her intake, and
heaven forbid if a crumb should fall to the floor or a drop of
water splash out of her dish. We tried giving her morsels of
salmon, a bit of tuna, even a taste of chicken, but she didn’t
seem to crave people food at all and preferred her bit of dry
kibble and half a can of moist food every evening at 6:00. She did
love the occasional cat nip treat, though, but I am not sure that
counts as nutrition or recreation!
Since we covered good things for dogs last week, I thought I’d
find similar information for our feline pals this week. Some of
the same things on the “not good for dogs” list applies to cats,
too.
Chocolate can cause irregular heart beat, lethargy, vomiting, and
muscle tremors. Onions, garlic or leeks (cooked or uncooked) can
cause anemia by destroying red blood cells. Because cats lack the
enzyme required to digest lactose the high fat content of some
dairy products can cause intestinal distress. Avocados contain "persin”
which is a fatty acid derivative and it wreaks havoc with the
feline digestive system. Too much liver can create Vitamin A
toxicity, and too much salt is hard on kitty kidneys. Too much
tuna sets the stage for steatis, commonly called Yellow Fat
Disease. Apples, apricots, cherries, peaches and plums have stems,
seeds and leaves that contain a cyanide type compound. Even small
bits of raw yeast dough are dangerous because it rises to many
times its size, expanding the pet's stomach. Then as it ferments,
alcohol is produced, causing toxicity.
That’s a lot of bad news all at once, but here’s the good news. If
you choose to not feed commercial food for a while because of the
pet food contamination scare, there’s still lots of choices.
Cooked fish, chicken and tuna are not only easy to prepare, but
favored by almost all cats, and will provide excellent an
excellent source of protein. A bit of cooked egg, small bits of
diced vegetables, well diluted chicken or beef broth are also good
additions and will help round out the nutritional needs of your
cat.
Best of all, your cat will probably let you know in no uncertain
terms what tastes good and what doesn’t. Empty bowls and clock
watching cats that can’t wait for supper is a sign you’re doing
something right. Just remember to keep a bowl of fresh water handy
all the time, and go easy on the cat nip, no matter how hard Sassy
begs you for more.
Here’s a couple of easy home made cat treats you can put together
in no time. All of them should be kept in an airtight container
such as a zip lock bag, and stored in the refrigerator for no more
than two weeks.
My thanks to Sassy for a lovely three months and to her parents
who trusted us to care for her while they were gone. We’re still
trying to decide who cared for whom, and we miss her very much.
Most of all, we can’t wait for next winter when we hope she comes
to visit again.
Nutri Nuggets
Don’t worry about the bit of cheese causing a dairy reaction -
it’s just for flavor and texture and shouldn’t cause any problems.
1/2 pound ground beef or turkey
1 small carrot -- finely grated
1 tablespoon cheddar cheese -- grated
1 teaspoon brewer's yeast
1 teaspoon dried catnip
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 egg -- beaten
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the meat, carrot, cheese,
brewer's yeast, catnip and bread crumbs. Add the egg and tomato
paste and mix well. Make walnut - sized balls, and space one inch
apart on a lightly sprayed cookie sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes
until brown and firm.
Sardine Snaps
Preheat oven to 350 and spray a cookie sheet
Combine:
7 ounces well mashed sardines
1/4 cup powdered non-fat milk
1/2 cup wheat germ
Make 24 small balls and place on cookie sheet. Flatten slightly
with a fork. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until brown and crisp.
Buffy’s Biscuits
If you have the patience to train a kitty, bits of these biscuits
make great rewards.
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup powdered nonfat milk
1 egg, beaten
Chicken broth or water from canned tuna (enough to make a stiff
dough).
Preheat oven to 350 and spray a cookie sheet.
Combine flour and powdered milk, then add beaten egg and mix well
with hands, adding broth as needed until stiff dough forms. On
floured surface, roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into small
rounds, squares or triangles (or use cookie cutters). Place
biscuits on cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes
until firm and dry.
