Cats have always been a big part of my life, as far as pets go. Seems that as far back as I can remember, we've always had one. As soon as my son was old enough to enjoy a pet, we decided that a kitten was the perfect choice. Never did I imagine that at just four months, my kitten would have kittens! Of course, my son Ty's first response was "I'm keeping them!"

Let me say that even though I have grown up around cats all my life, I would not consider myself an "animal" person. I don't love my cats like they are children, and I do not consider them children either. They are pets. My son adores the cat, and that goes a long way, lucky for her! In the end, we decided that of the 3 kittens she had, we would keep only one.

Now the question becomes how and what do we feed these eating machines? Sugar (that's Momma Cat) had her litter in the summer. Sugar was exclusively an outside cat because she urinated one too many times on my duvet. Goose down ain't cheap. While outside, I was amazed at the amount of cat food this cat went through. We had to keep the garage door cracked at all times so she could get into the shelter of the semi-indoors when needed. I'd never seen any other cats, yet I was going through a 3.5 pound bag of cat food every 3 days or so. Well, that was my first clue that we were feeding the neighborhood, and the nail in the coffin came when she swaggered up to me with her enormous belly. And I thought she was just over eating!

When the kittens were born I grudgingly agreed to bring them inside until they were old enough to defend themselves. This is when I noticed the food bill going down dramatically. Now I feed the cats twice daily, and use the guidelines provided by Purina. They say to feed a 5 to 9 pound cat 2/3 to 3/4 cups daily. You should feed a 10-14 pound cat 3/4 to 1 1/4 cups daily.

The reason I stated earlier that I'm not an "animal" person was not to have you immediately NR me, but to help you understand my next point. I will not purchase gourmet cat food at Pet Smart. If you give it to me, I will use it. But I am a working mom, and I have to be able to get all of our necessities at the grocery store. And I'm not paying for IAMS. If I have a coupon, that's who's getting my business. Purina is very helpful in the coupon department, I can count on finding one in many bags, and in nearly every Sunday paper. I got my last bag free! So you don't think I'm a total jerk, I also buy the store brand canned vegetables for my family.

I've done some research at the Purina website for this review and found out that maybe I'm not such a jerk after all. Cat Chow is loaded with vitamins for my cats and it is 100% nutritionally balanced for cats of all ages. Besides, I trust the Purina name. Here are some of the vitamins found in the Cat Chow and what they do:

Calcium and Vitamin D-3: Good for strong teeth and bones.
Manganese: Aids in metabolism.
Potassium, Sodium and Chloride: Maintains fluid balance.
Taurine: Prevents feline heart disease and keeps eyes healthy.
Vitamin A: Helps vision, growth, immunities and reproduction processes.
Vitamin B12: Turns food into energy.
Vitamin E: Keeps cells healthy.
Zinc: Keeps immune system in working order.

You can purchase Purina Cat Chow at any grocery store or pharmacy. I can even get it at Walmart. I have to go to at least 2 of these places each week, so the convenience is a huge plus for me. You can buy them in 18 ounces boxes (why waste your time?) up to 18 pound bags (too heavy to carry with a 4 year old in tow), but I prefer the 3.5 pound bags. Each bag has a freshness date, so look at it before you put the bag in your cart. Your cat will thank you. I say this statement purely hypothetically since my cat virtually ignores me.

Have a great night and don't rub your cat the wrong way. This I learned from experience.



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