As I mentioned yesterday, I visited the Purina Headquarters in St. Louis last week. I knew it would be a day filled with all things cats but I had no idea the amount of knowledge I would gain. Over the next 4 weeks, I will be sharing with you some tips I learned to help you learn and embrace the True Nature of your cat. Each week I am given some tasks to complete and will share with you what they are. AND, if you stick with me, I have a HUGE giveaway for one reader to do the program too! Read through this post for your chance to win!
So, week one is the Getting Started week…
- I have three cats. Two are on prescription food so they only get some wet food that isn’t prescription and only from time to time. Lucy, our newest baby, sleeps on a different level of the house and does not need the prescription food. So, for this first week, I am transitioning Lucy to Purina ONE food.
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What to do…
- Over a period of a week, I incorporated small amounts of Purina ONE into Lucy’s other food. I switched out about 20% of her food until she was eating all Purina ONE food. She had no problems with the food and loves her new Purina ONE Healthy Metabolism food. Purina ONE Healthy Metabolism is formulated for spayed and neutered cats so it is a great choice for my babies.
- Lucy is a healthy cat but, after checking the Body Condition chart provided to me, I think she may be slightly overweight. A 6 on the chart is “ribs palpable with slight excess fat covering; waist and abdominal fat pad distinguishable but not obvious; abdominal tuck absent”. We will be watching her score and seeing if it changes with the program!
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- One thing I learned last week is that a cat needs a calm feeding environment. In order to do that though, you need to think about the cats in the wild and the pressures they have with feeding. “Active hunters know the value of a meal, so they stay alert for rivals coming in to steal the food.” It is important to give your domestic cat the same sense of ease to be able to see what is going on around them when they eat.
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What to do…
- I had always had my cat’s dish against the wall. Immediately upon coming home, I moved their dish out away from the wall. This gives them clear views of the space around them and access to more ways to escape. Both of these things appeal to the cat’s natural instincts. What I found is that instead of eating the way they always did, my cats naturally went behind the dish and ate where they were facing the “busy” area. They did not have their back to us when they ate any longer.
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- Cats need to be stimulated. In the wild they hunt for their food. They need this! Stimulating hunting toys are a great way to keep your kitty enriched and active. It also serves as a redirection to something positive, like a toy, instead of my beloved chair.
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What to do…
- Did you know that a cat needs to be active for their metabolism? Well, I didn’t either. But, what I have found is that when I play with Lucy before her meal, she is more content. I found that by playing with her at night, when she is most active, and then feeding her, she doesn’t cause as much raucous in the house when we are trying to sleep. Also, with a week of playing about 15 minutes a day behind us, Lucy is a much more lovable and friendly cat. I am not kidding! Spending time with her and letting her burn off some energy makes her happy.
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- One product that Purina ONE sent us is a Mystery Mouse. This is a toy that rotates a “mouse” under a piece of fabric. It has taken my other two cats some time to warm up to it and one still won’t look at it. Lucy loves it and has even gone so far as to attack (pounce on) and “kill” the mouse. Between this and playing with the Da Bird toy for 15 minutes a day, Lucy is one happy kitty! My other kitties are getting in on the fun too but aren’t as interested. I’ll keep trying. Lucy doesn’t really seem to have a special play time but when she jumps up on the table and looks at me, I give her that time. She does seem to associate the play with eating now so that pattern is working well for us. The point is to make time to play with your kitty… and your kitty will remind you that it is time to play!
- In my time at Purina headquarters, I also learned a few other things that I have put into place.
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What to do…
- Cats do not like to drink from water that is standing still… apparently they can’t see it! So, I bought my cats a water fountain. Two out of three have opened up to it and are enjoying it. I have one that is holding out but she gets closer to drinking every day. In the meantime, I still have water for her in her old bowl. The best thing about this for me is that, as I mentioned, two cats are on prescription food and it is for bladder issues. Them drinking more water is definitely good! I have incorporated some wet food into their diet too but we will talk about that more next week.
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- The second thing I changed immediately was to get rid of all bowls. I did not know that cats that have to put their head into a bowl can have whisker stress!! My poor babies. Since I changed to just giving them food on a plate, they have eaten less but it is a good thing… because in addition to eating less, they aren’t vomiting their food up anymore!!! They went from being sick almost every time they ate to never being sick. It has been such a great thing. I admit that they are messy but it is okay. I can deal with some food on the floor.
As I mentioned, Purina ONE sent us a bunch of fun toys and products to use during our journey to revealing the True Nature of our Cats. The fun part for me is sharing another kit with one of you!!!
So, about that giveaway… ONE winner will receive all of the following:
- Pioneer Pet Products Tiger Diner
- Aikiou Stimulo Cat Feeding Station
- KONG Cat Wobbler
- Kong Cat Cozie Kickeroo Catnip Toy
- ABO Gear Pet Fun Tunnel
- Come With Me Kitty Harness
- Flat Food Dish
- Da Bird, a fishing pole-style cat toy
- Mystery Mouse
- PLUS, not pictured are coupons for Purina ONE wet and dry food!!!
This is a huge prize pack and I am so excited to give it to one of you cat lovers!!
Disclosure: Giveaway is for US only, one winner. ToBeThode was given the products mentioned for the purpose of the True Nature of Cats journey from Purina ONE. No other compensation was received for the post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Betty C says
We have two cats. One is a beautiful tortie who adopted me at the local humane society. She is truly the queen of the house. The other is about 6 months younger and has been with my son for nearly 10 years. They still often act like kittens instead of sedate adults.
Sue C. says
We have 3 Maine Coon cats, a little girl and 2 big boys – all so playful and loving.
Sarah L says
My friend has two beautiful cats and a limited income. They would all enjoy this.
Thanks for the contest.
michele p says
I currently have Shadow which is a disabled kitty I got as a kitten… they wanted to put him down but I kept him and he is very happy and has lived a good life for 12 yrs with no problems other than a little extra care. His buddy Stubby, is a cat I had given to my dad as a kitten (he baby sat him for him and never sent him home!) when my dad passed away Stubby was a year old and we had him come live with us, he is unique in that he was born with a stub tail.
Cynthia C says
I have one precious cat, Sophie.
Vikki Billings says
Chico is black and white and he has been in our family for 16 years now, we got him from a shelter!
Diana Stanhope says
Sam is almost 3 now. He is gray kitty that we rescued from a shelter. The four dogs and I think Sam to are convinced he is a dog!
Leslie S. says
We have a mother and daughter pair that love to play.We also just adopted a 6 week old little girl yesterday that is already in love with toys.
Rachel S says
I did not realize most of this! How interesting. I’m going to have to change things up for my cats. One of them has been being weird at night, either wanting to lay on me (uncomfy!!) or play, loudly, beside my bed. I guess it’s time to start playing with her before bed to wear her out!
alyce poalillo says
I have several kitties ages 1 year up to 15 years old and I also foster and rescue cats from the area so I can sure use all these items!
Michelle S. says
I’m probably one step away from a crazy cat lady! LOL I have a brother and sister cat that are 16 years old this spring, the youngest are 2 brothers that came from a litter of kittens that were dumped by my house. I found homes for most of them but decided to keep these 2 boys. They are the sweetest kitties! I call them The Feets Brothers, one has 4 white feet and the other one is all black, so their names are Feets and No Feets. They actually have other names but with all the animals I have I had a hard time remembering which one was which of the two, so they became The Feets Brothers due to my bad memory! LOL
Cathy Truman says
I have a cat named Jasmine she was about 7 weeks old my sister in law
found her she was all by herself. They think her Mom got hit by a car
and her brother was taken my another animal. She is 4 years old now
spoiled rotten she is a special cat.
Lynne T. says
My kitty is Desiree, she’s grey and black tiger striped. Her 4th birthday is coming up in 4 days (the 25th) and this would be a great birthday present for her.
Margaret Smith says
We have three kitties. Our oldest is Shadow. He’s my baby and is so loving. He really adores our sons and when they are home, he’s like a puppy dog with them. Our other two kitties are sisters, Rielly and Peanut. They are 3 years old and they are best friends. They even sleep together, while Shadow likes to sleep with my husband and I.
Thanks so much.
janet says
I have a tortie cat. Her name is brownie .
my moms cat also lives with me and her name is lulu. lulu has a cancerous tumur that has been removed 2x but is growing back:( and she could use some kitty prayers:)
Shannon says
our cat is about 14 years old but she still acts like a kitten
Heather G says
We have one cat named colby. He was a barn cat that was rescued by my daughter.
Carolsue says
I only have one cat right now (I’ve had up to 5). He is a Maine Coon Cat and his name is Bugsy. He was a rescue kitty and we’ve had him for two years in June!
Melanie Johnson says
My daughter just got a new little tuxedo kitty. I have an orange tomcat that acts like a teenager.
julie wright newton says
My Stormy is my baby! She would love to have this!
Victoria Fox says
Mila is our beautiful soft grey and white kitty. She is so energetic and will turn 1 this summer. Our kids love her!
Elena says
I have two beautiful tabby cats. They are my fur babies
Elisabeth says
We have two cats that are both about 1 year old and are super active so they would love this!
Heather says
I have an eight month old Siamese kitten named, Cheech! He’s the best cat! He loves to sleep on my lap and just be a fun all around cat.
Sheila K. says
I have a gorgeous red tabby who has been the light of my life for the past 14 years!
Shelley P says
We have a 12 year old cat named Shadow. She was a stray who adopted us : )
Amy Orvin says
I have 4 indoor only cats that are also all rescues. They are so spoiled! Bubba is a 23 lb black domestic short hair, Little is a 12 lb tabby, Chester is a 13 lb brown tabby, and Ryder is a 11 lb tuxedo cat. They are all so wonderful and love to eat and play.
Debra Hall says
i have a 14 year old female Siamese named chong she is just so dang bossy
Leanne M says
We have a 6 mnth old kitten and a 14 yr old cat.
Karin C. says
We have had Tigger for 13 years. She is our Cat-Dog. She acts like a dog, and guards
our front yard. Nothing gets by her. She even chased a dog away!
Rita Jinkins Knits says
This is really interesting! We have a cat that throws up frequently, but the vet has been unable to find anything wrong with him. Maybe it’s because his whiskers get in the way when he’s eating.
Kelly Ann T. says
Yoshi showed up one and the dogs don’t mind him. He has not been claimed and he is not chipped either. He is a sweetie though
Cynthia R says
i have three kitties all very different personalities, the kitten though would love these items!~
Christina says
Right now we have two very loved kitties, they were both rescue kitties. One is about 6 years old (Molly) – she’s a black & white DSH… everyone always told me there was something special about black & white cats before I had one, our little Molly is such a love bug – she has some health issues and she never found her voice lol but she is such a sweetie. Our other kitty (Loonette) is about 10 months old and VERY wild and crazy, she came into our lives after we lost both our dog and other cat to cancer last year (just a few months apart) and Molly became very depressed, started pulling her fur out… she obviously wasn’t liking being the only pet in the house. We love our kitties. I’d have more but I am horribly allergic so even having two is probably over my limit most days but we wouldn’t trade them for anything!
Sandy VanHoey says
We have 2, one is about 13 years of age so she likes to just lay around, the other is a kitten and extremely active and is very different. I have had lots of cats in my life but this trips me when i walk because she cuts in from of me until I feed her. She is just a very weird sort of kitty. Maybe toys like this would help her out.
Andrea Carpenter says
we have 8 cats….Chubby, Medium, Bubbles, Baby, House, Katness, Juice, and Hissy. They are all rescues people have dropped them off and we keep and raise them.
bmack31919(at)yahoo(dot)com
Kimberly Schotz says
We have the sweetest orange and white cat named Chuck.
Nancy says
Three year old Lillian has beautiful tortoiseshell coloring!
Vicki Wurgler says
we have a beautiful black 2-year old cat, that the kids love – his name is Jasper
Piper says
My little kitty is an old man now, coming up on 11 years but don’t tell him 😉 He still thinks he’s a young thing lol He’s not really my kitty anymore, though–once Izzy was born, he had eyes only for her and is her little bodyguard. He is so tuned in to her that he has alerted us to changes in her health and we were prepared for bad news before we even saw the cardiologist. He is devoted to her 🙂