I think that I used too much vanilla.

Oh. My. God. Vortex's cherry muffins are too vanilla. Everything I know is wrong! Up is down, black is white, cats are dogs....

Vortex's cherry muffins are too vanilla.

BWAH! Thanks, sean, I needed that laugh.

Vortex's cherry muffins

I'm still giggling over the phrase.

If it has grain in it, I'm not feeding it to my cat. I checked, just out of curiousity, the label on the bag in the vet's office that's supposedly formulated for *diabetic* cats and guess what the first ingredients are? Grain. WTF.

These are people whose profession requires them to have an understanding of biology. How is it that they don't get that obligate carnivores NEED meat - not by-products, not meal, but actual muscle meat. It's like having a nurse tell a parent that juice and prescription fruit roll-ups are way better for kids than actually eating a whole piece of fruit. It boggles.

Windsparrow, I don't really know much about cat food requirements other than what I remember you posting about (and I probably missed most of that). I feed my cat Iams indoor cat variety (hairball control and weightloss)--is it really bad for her, and what should I get if not that?

She doesn't like gooshyfood at all, just kibble.

Vortex's cherry muffins

I'm still giggling over the phrase.

Well, last weekend I was bluffin' with my muffin, so I guess that works.

uggg. I hate the hiring process. Trying to schedule times to talk with folks, who I want, who management doesn't want, and all the stress of "are they the right person"? Wanting to hire the higher position first, but getting pressure from the top candidate in the middle position, because he is getting other offers, and I want the top position to have say in the middle position, since they will be working hand in hand together all season. UGGGGggg. What? stomach? Sure, I can use another hole in it, no problem.

I have no idea how Facebook knew I may know a childhood friend from Pittsburgh, but good goddamn, I love the Internet.

Dear Cow-Irkers:

I could give a shit about what Jell-o adds or doesn't add to my make my Dulche de Leche pudding cup only 60 calories. It's fucking good and you can't have any, so suck my ass.

No Love,
The Empress

I *hate* it when people comment on others' food choices. Srsly.

She doesn't like gooshyfood at all

Are you sure she's a cat? [link]

Kathy, I'm a big fan of reading the ingredients lists. Iams is a step up from, say, Special Kitty. But it is not the best by a long shot. Here is a website that can teach you how to understand the ingredients on a cat food label: [link] It also has some reviews of various brands and varieties. It sums up pretty well my thinking on the topic, and the author can point you in the direction of decent documentation for what she says.

Summing up what I look for when I am reading a cat food label, I look for foods that have specific muscle meats - not meal, not by-products - as the first ingredient. I try to avoid those with by-products altogether, as I believe it is a lower-quality. Meat meals, if they are lower down on the ingredients' list, don't ping me so much. I must avoid those with corn and wheat in any form, as Harvey does not tolerate them - besides, they really are there as filler, not for any actual benefit. The further down on the list any grain or starch is, the better. The brands I feed my cats include Eagle Pack, Felidae, Wellness, and Natural Balance. Innova is a good brand, and Innova Evo is reputed to be the best dry cat food. I have to take Harvey off the Innova due to the fish content, which we just found out he is allergic to. Different brands of similar quality are available in different places. That is why it is important to read those labels, so you know what you are getting, and can make the best decision for yourself based on what is available, and what works for your budget. But do bear in mind, that the fewer fillers in a food, the more nutritionally dense it is, and so a cat may be more satisfied on a significantly smaller portion. This can make spendier, higher quality foods more economical in the long run than they appear to be at first glance. For instance, my cats are quite happy on 1/2 cup per day of Felidae Platinum kibble, whereas they need a whole cup of Purina One kibble per day. The Felidae 4lb bag is about $11, and the Purina One comes in a 3.5lb bag, for about $9, the last time I crunched numbers. So you see, the Felidae is the more economical as it provides many more meals for only a slightly higher expense. t /soapbox