Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Tuesday Taste Test (#ChewyInfluencer)

The kitties recently taste tested some new goodies as part of the Chewy.com Blogger Outreach Program. They tested out some treats that are probably pretty well-known among cat parents. We're talking about Feline GreeniesⓇ Pill PocketsⓇ.


The kitties around here are what you might call picky. At the same time, the majority of them are big fans of poultry goods. So, I thought trying these treats out in the chicken flavor might be promising.


My oldest kitty is Evan, and he will be turning 6 this year. As his momma, that number seems a bit scary. Evan is also hind limb paralyzed, and already takes joint supplements in the form of powder sprinkled onto his food. I can't deny that my boy will very likely end up with early onset arthritis due to his altered method of ambulation, and so prepping him for future medication administration might not be a bad idea. That's why Evan was the resident kitty I primarily wanted to use as my guinea pig for the Feline GreeniesⓇ Pill PocketsⓇ.


Evan was certainly intrigued by the treats. He even gave them a good lick.


Guess what, though? Evan wouldn't eat them. Given that he's typically one of the primary treat fiends in the house, that made me lose some hope for these treats.

Evan wasn't the only one who tested them out, though.


The other mancat in the house, Toby, is another treat fanatic. He also, however, refused to eat the pill pockets.

I also tried these out on the kittens, Tonks and Winky. In general, these two girls are also primary treat eaters around here. That especially goes for Winky.


Though I didn't get a photo of Winky testing out the treats, the above photo of Tonks ended up with same result as a photo of Winky would have. And that is, neither kitten ate the treats. The kitties around here were being especially and unusually critical of the Feline GreeniesⓇ Pill PocketsⓇ.

Little lady Thimble is not a treat eater, which she solidified when she barely gave these treats a passing glance. My girl Eddy is also not a treat eater, but guess what happened when I went out on a limb and offered her one? She ate it! My girl Eddy ate treats for perhaps the first time in her life, and the treats were ones that not even the resident treat fanatics will eat. Honestly, not even pup Astrid would eat these, but Eddy sure did. That sort of blows my mind, but also kind of excites me. I finally have a treat to give Eddy, and one that literally no one else in the house will steal from her. I don't have photographic evidence of Eddy's enjoyment of the treats, because I had put my camera away before deciding to try them out on her on a whim.

Given all of the above, I don't really know how we'd rate the Feline GreeniesⓇ Pill PocketsⓇ. The truth of the matter is that the only furbaby in the house who will eat them is Eddy. But, since she generally loathes treats, that also seems like even the slightest bit of a good sign. Another positive aspect of this is that Eddy is what I might call my wild child. She's the one who draws blood when I often fail in my attempts to put her in any of the carriers I own. She is a momma's girl, but on her terms. She is not always all that keen on being handled, so having pill pockets that she'll eat gives me hope for any future pills she might need to take.


(Disclaimer: As members of the Chewy.com Blogger Outreach Program, we received Feline GreeniesⓇ Pill PocketsⓇ treats in chicken in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are our own. We only review products that we believe will be of interest to our readers, and we never recommend a product that we do not believe in.)


We hope all of you friends of ours have a tasty Tuesday! We also hope you all stay warm and cozy! The next couple of days are going to remain in the negatives here where we live, with wind chills reaching exceedingly dangerous lows. Our hearts, purrs, and prayers are with all of those who do not know a warm home. We wish safety and comfort for all.



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Our Doodle of the Day:




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Our Tip of the Day:

Our series of winter safety tips has already covered wiping off those paws when they've been in contact with snow, ice, ice melts, and so forth. Today's tip relates to all of that, and is to regularly check your furbaby's cute little toes. It is of course important to always ensure that your furbaby and his or her paws are free or injury, but this is something that is especially important in the winter. The cold and dry air, as well as the cold ground that might be covered in snow, ice, ice melts, and other substrate in the winter, can potentially lead to dry, cracked, bleeding, and overall uncomfortable paw pads. This is why it is important for you to regularly check your pup or kitty's paws in the winter, and of course year round. Be especially vigilant of the condition of paws that frequently go outdoors.

If you do notice your furbaby's paw pads are dry, cracking, or bleeding, or if they are displaying any discomfort when walking, consider options for treating and combating paw pad dryness and discomfort. There are pet paw salves on the market that are intended to combat dryness and to protect paws pads that often go outdoors. In some cases, petroleum jelly might be deemed safe to wipe onto the paw pads before they head outdoors, but this is sometimes a debated option. More importantly, when it comes to the health, safety, and comfort of your furbaby and their paws, it is of course always recommended to discuss the matter with a veterinarian. A veterinarian can check for any damage to the paws, and can also best recommend treatment for or prevention of dryness, cracking, and other injury to the paw pads. So, do be observant of the state of your kitty or pup's paws, and seek veterinary care if you have any concerns.

14 comments:

Katherine Kern said...

Right after we adopted Ellie, we had to pill her. Let's just say it took over an hour to get a pill down her throat. We tried these - and the first time, she scarfed it down ... but I guess she realized the trick because she refused to eat them a second time. And Bear took a cue ... so the bag sits in our pantry.

Pam and Teddy said...

I REALLY was hoping that I could use pill pockets with Angel Sammy because his meds were a big problem BUT he wouldn't have anything to do with them. He was a pate eater and I think it was the large size of the pockets he didn't like. It was an epic fail but I do know that others have no problem with giving them to their cats for meds and their cats (and dogs) LOVE them! I found that grinding up the pill for Sammy and putting in baby food or pate cat food worked.

Hugs, Pam

Fur Everywhere said...

How funny that your treat fanatics would eat these but Eddy did!

I've tried using these with Carmine and Jewel. Jewel was too smart and wouldn't eat them with her medicine in it. Carmine ate them a few times, but he quit after a few doses of his Pred in them.

By the way, try not to worry too much about Evan. Carmine's had arthritis since he was 6, and he is now nearly 14. He can still jump and run around with the help of his Pred and cosequin. :)

TurtleLover said...

I find the salmon flavor better and they seem to be more moist to hold the pill in ... the chicken (I've tried 3 times) always seems to be a bit "crumbly"
I am thankful for the pill pockets - my cat will almost always eat her pill
sometimes I put a tiny bit of food on top ... but that's not all that often. I just think some days are better than others.
thank you for your blog :-)

Eastside Cats said...

When Chuck began his pill regime, we purchased pill pockets, then discovered Pill Paste, which is the same gooey stuff, but you could make your own glob and wrap all kinds of things in there! At first, Chuck ate them like treats, then one day he bit into a pill, and he refused them in the future. So, The Hubby made a glob of pills, scooped Chuck up from a nap, and tossed it down his gullet! That went on for years. We feel it helped keep Chuck with us for a lot longer than the vet predicted. My poor Chuck.

Marg said...

That is too bad that they wouldn't eat the pill pockets but I am not surprised. I have never tried that on any of mine but I have a feeling they wouldn't eat them either.You all have a fine day.

World of Animals, Inc said...

We guess some kitties will like them and some not. Thanks for sharing your review with us. We are still going to give them a try to see if our ones at home will like them. Thanks again. Have a great one.
World of Animals

Cathy Keisha said...

As you prolly would have guessed, I won't eat them either. I'm shocked at Eddy.

messymimi said...

There is a liver flavored pill wrap that i’ve noticed almost all cats and dogs seem to like, and you use as much as you need for the size of the pill or tablet. We got ours from our vet, you might look into that if you are trying to find something.

As far as pilling cats goes, though, i ask for liquid meds if i can get them, it’s easier. If it doesn’t come in a liquid, i find coating the pills in butter makes them slide down more easily.

Melissa, Mudpie and Angel Truffles (Mochas, Mysteries and Meows) said...

I'm sorry they didn't go over at your house :( They're such a good idea too. Love that doodle!

pilch92 said...

I am shocked that Tonks and Winky didn't clean up those treats. Very cute drawing and excellent tips.

Lone Star Cats said...

Well Eddy, sounds like ya have em to yourself, MOL!

meowmeowmans said...

We thought for sure Eddy was gonna like them! Darn. Gracie and Ava are not treat fans here, either.

Mark's Mews (Marley, Lori, Loki, and Binq) said...

We are so used ta canned stinky goodness that even regular dry kibbles seem like treats ta us.