I have Daily Tips that pop up on Catster.com and every so often the comments get startling in their nastiness — both to me and others who comment. It was really discouraging since all we’re all trying to do is support happy living with kitties, right?! So I commented back to the commenters and got a lovely note from one who calls herself “Little Doll” when she posts.

Little Doll you are doing a great service to be taking care of so many kitties and I salute you. Here are some thoughts on how to make it easier and more affordable. Feed each cat on a small paper plate then no wash up, more sanitary actually. For the best food bargains you can go to PetFoodDirect.com and my website has the code — CATCHAT20 — to put in at the end for a 20% discount. You can get any brand on the planet, no dragging home heavy bags (UPS man does it all!) and often they have many choices on sale, which is how I do it for my dogs. If you have to use dry (for a variety of reasons) you’ve picked a quality brand so the higher the protein and a named protein source as the #1 ingredient, the less worrisome it is to feed dry food. But it must be without corn, wheat, soy,powdered cellulose (which is SAWDUST!!) etc. I like HALO because they use actual real meat, muscle meat, in their kibble which no other company does. Still, any kibble is bad for cats’ health because at the end of the day it is highly processed and carbohydrate heavy. As for listening to my shows, any chance you can download them from the online library onto an iPod or other device? I am a dope and don’t know how, but loads of people are doing it. I really appreciate your very kind words and hope you’ll have a chance to get THE CAT BIBLE at some point because I know it will give you even more insights and advice you can use. If you do get it, remember to send me your mailing address and a list of ALL your kitties names so I can send you an autographed bookplate to put in it — and a coupon for $20 worth of Cat Attract litter and a CD of my show about nutrition.

Thank you so much, Tracie.  There’s a place here in Chico (CA) called Northern Star Mills that has some good prices on dry pet food and I will have to check out Halo.  I did forward PetFoodDirect (I’m on their mailing list) to a good online friend of mine who has MS and it is very difficult for her to wrestle big bags of dry food home.  My neighbor has a three-year-old daughter who has been fascinated by my cats for the last year and a half and it inspired my neighbor to adopt three kittens.  She then realized how much commitment they can take and stopped there.  I am, somewhat slowly, trying to educate her without preaching, which is difficult for me.  The quality of pet food bought is one topic I’m working toward.

I do forward some tips on to a few of my friends who have cats and recommend Catster to cat people I chat with.  The Cats room in Pogo Addiction Solitaire seems to be a special gathering place for cat people, more than any other room or game I’ve been in.  Whenever I come across someone who is grieving over a lost feline friend, I recommend putting a memorial page on Catster.  Also, there are many cat people at Care2.com and cat groups.

Thank you very much for your kind offer.  I may surprise you someday by taking you up on it!

I am very sorry about the people who attacked you in comments on your Daily Tips.  It was certainly out of the blue.  I think these people feel threatened.  Most people want to be patted on the back without doing the work.  We often do things like putting in five inches of kitty litter in the box or filling the dry food bowl without even realizing why.  Often, it is because the product itself recommended that amount.  The more used, the better for them.  Or maybe their parents did it that way, never stopping to consider that their parents might not have really known or understood about cats and then they have an emotional attachment to doing that way.  The point is to get beyond that emotional reaction and reexamine the best way to do things for the animals we say we love, not for our own emotional fulfillment.  Just because we did it that way it and it seemed to work doesn’t mean we can’t, in the light of new information, rethink our methods and try something different.

Actually, I think one drama queen had a knee jerk reaction which influenced a few other people, but I don’t think the majority of your readers feel this way at all.

I noticed that Comments are closed on the last couple of Tips.  I hope this was your decision and wasn’t forced on you.  Please don’t be discouraged, the presence of crazies actually means that you are being effective and getting somewhere. Certainly, you are being noticed.

Thanks for your kind words & encouragement — it means a lot. I did tell the folks at Catster about the out-of-control responses so they probably turned off the tap. Great to know you are out there!

Best wishes,
–Tracie Hotchner

The Cat Bible

My neighbor Virginia up here in the hills of Vermont is also an ex-New Yorker  — they call all transplants “flat-landers” up here!. She cannot find what is my favorite (and her kitties’ favorite) cat food, Weruva, up here where are “centrally isolated,” as my husband describes it. So she is thrilled to be able to get Weruva via Pet food Direct (with a nifty 20% discount using coupon codes catchat20 or dogtalk20)  for her gorgeous pair of Siamese:

I want to thank you for the promo codes you gave me for petfooddirect.com.  I was able to get 20% off my cat and dog order! The order included a lot of Weruva cat food (my 2 cats favorite flavor is Paw Lickin Chicken).

I got this heartening note from Kristin, a new listener to my new show DOG TALK & CAT CHAT at 10 PM (EST) Saturday nights on WOR 710 AM from NYC (but anybody can listen live online at www.WOR710.com) I was so thrilled to know that smart New Yorkers are getting my “Kitty Crack” message loud and clear!

Dear Tracie – I listen to your show on WOR in NYC. You are an angel!

I have a questions regarding kitty food. You mentioned that you recommend a wet diet and spoke about several brands. I looked at your website but I could not find the information that you said is there. [Webmaster's note: Tracie's Approved Cat Food List here.] I specifically wanted to know which flavors of food that are made by Friskies brand was the best. Right now my budget does not allow me to purchase the premium brands.
My cat is addicted to dry food, which you call “Kitty Crack”. I want to wean her off of this.

Thank you so much for all of your wonderful work!!

Thank you so much for writing and for your enthusiasm. I am really psyched to have passionate NYC listeners like you. The list of Cat Chat Approved foods is on my main website, TracieHotchner.com but I apologize because that list should be easy to find on the website for my WOR show, www.DogTalkandCatChat.com. I am going to get that fixed ASAP — I want the experience of coming to my website to be rewarding and satisfying once you’ve gone to the trouble of finding it and looking for advice and information. I have GREAT NEWS for you about an affordable canned cat food that is also premium quality. AND you’ll get a discount as my listener! Weruva, my favorite cat food, is now making a special affordable brand just for PETCO called Soulistic. It comes in many flavors and uses the same high quality ingredients as fancy expensive Weruva! So go to a Petco near you, or go to Petco.com and put in the discount code mydogtalk or mycatchat in the coupon code box at checkout. I hope you’ll call into the show one of these Saturday nights! I’d love to meet you on the air. And if you get THE CAT BIBLE do tell me because I’ll send you an autographed bookplate to put inside the book and lots of surprises!

Tracie

The Cat Bible

You can see the photo of Leo on the Fat Cat contest page of www.dogtalkandcatchat.com but here is the sweet letter that came with it:

I just heard your show for the first time a few nights ago on Radio 710 WOR, and I Loved it! I was particularly interested when you started talking about dry vs. wet cat food, as I have wondered about this issue for a very long time…  Everywhere I look, I see / hear conflicting opinions, and it seems nobody can seem to agree; the one thing everyone does agree with (especially my VET ) is that my Maine Coon LEO is too fat!

He weighs 17.5 lbs!  After hearing your show and then visiting your website on Saturday 11-7, I decided to put Leo on a wet food only diet. (Leo also has a brother and a sister at home, but they aren’t fat BUT I don’t want them to get that way, so they will be eating wet food only as well)

I know that Maine Coons are supposed to be big boned, long, etc, but they are not supposed to be fat, and Leo definitely has a big belly. While he certainly is big boned, he is also overweight. When you view him from above, he is shaped like a bowling ball! Leo also seems to have some allergy issues: he has tiny little itchy spots on his skin, he sneezes, etc. and I have taken him to the vet several times regarding this, and the Vet definitely feels its allergies. Hopefully, the diet change will help this issue as well.

He is approximately 3 years old. I rescued him from a shelter a year and a half ago… he is a very wonderful, intelligent, sweet and funny boy, and I want him to be with me for a long, long time! Please add him as a contestant in your Fat Cat contest! I look forward to sending you updates on his progress every couple of weeks

At this time, I can’t financially afford Weruva, although it seems like a FANTASTIC product, and I hope to be able to switch them over to it by the middle of 2010 when things improve for me financially. For now, they love Fancy Feast Gourmet.

Thanks!
Connie, Leo’s Mom

Hi Connie! I am so excited to hear from you and see Fat Leo, who will be Slim Leo soon.  His photo is going right up on the website and you are going to get a special coupon for Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat long haired litter!!

Thanks for joining the contest. It’s just wonderful to learn of your decision to get him off the “Kitty Crack” and save his beautiful life!

Tracie

P.S.
Petco has a food made just for them by Weruva called Soulistic — really high quality, only 89 cents a can — you can use that, too. On Petco.com they give my listeners a discount by putting in MYCATCHAT. Stay in touch with Leo’s progress!

The good people at Weruva kindly forwarded this email they got about their new line of food made just for PETCO called Soulistic. I was really gratified to know people are learning about the less expensive alternative to Weruva. I love the ingredients of Weruva (and I deeply respect a company that has resisted making any dry food because they know it is bad for cats and have heard me call it “Kitty Crack” so many times) but many times I have felt conflicted recommending it because it is pricey and out of many peoples’ comfort zone for their budgets. So here is what Amy wrote:

Thank you for the SOULISTIC version of your food offered at Petco at an affordable price! I have purchased WERUVA for my cat, and heard about your SOULISTIC product offered at Petco by Tracie Hotchner on CAT CHAT® on MARTHA STEWART RADIO.  Thank you!  But I have only one wish: I use the small cans for my cat (1/2 can per meal) but my plastic can covers don’t fit your cans!  Do you know of a can cover available to fit your cans? I know it sounds petty… but the can covers are so much more convenient!

And David Forman, who owns Weruva, wrote her back:

Thank you for the email to Weruva/Soulistic and support of our products. You live in Natick, Massachusetts, home of our corporate headquarters! We love Tracie, and we are pleased to hear that you are a listener to her show. Yes, there is a cap that fits our 3.0 oz cans. It is called Kitty Kap, and it is available at one of Tracie’s favorite places to shop… Pet Food Direct. Here is a link to Kitty Kap, and if you use MYCATCHAT (thanks to Tracie) as a coupon code at checkout, you can get 20% off.

What a nice lady and I’m honored that she takes my advice. But I want everybody to become independent and make good decisions and trust themselves!

Hi, Tracie,

You have an awesome show on Sirius radio! Thank you, thank you! I learn so much. I have 2 cats, one yellow tabby that is 14+ and a part Persian all white that is about 6. I buy the canned Blue Spa Select – I also have the kibble that I wet and make soft for my older kitty. I know how you feel about kibble and dry food…

My question is, if I feed them only the canned Mature Blue Spa cat food – is this good stuff? Just wondered, I know the Weruva is best, better, best but if I have to go with the Blue, do you approve?

Many thanks from Bev

Bev,

Thank you so much for your kind words of praise. Your appreciation means a great deal — and even more to know that you have taken to heart my advice against feeding kitty crack and are feeding wet food exclusively. But you shouldn’t need to ask me whether one brand is good. By looking at the ingredients you should be able to tell for yourself! That’s what The Cat Bible is all about: giving you the tools to make good decisions on your own. I looked up the Blue Spa food for you and it’s dandy. But you cannot feed one brand only. Your cat may get hooked on that! And variety of ingredients is important for overall nutritional balance. Get a couple of cans of Weruva for their birthdays! But mix up other brands from my approved list on my website. And don’t forget the 20% off frorn Pet Food Direct. Put RADIOPET in the coupon box at check out.

Keep listening! I love knowing you’re out there.

Tracie