May 3 -  Kitty Treats
The Carefree Gourmet - by Joyce McCombs

This winter McCombs Manor hosted a temporary resident for about three months. Miss Sassy was a beautiful tiger striped, golden eyed, long haired cat with a peaceful disposition and affectionate nature. We offered to care for her while her “parents” were Outside, and I don’t think I’ve ever fallen in four footed love so fast in my life.

It only took about two days to figure out the Sassy’s routine, which we soon realized couldn’t vary much, especially dinner time, or we’d hear about it. She was a very vocal cat, and liked to remind us often how intelligent and clever she was, especially when she was staring intently out the sliding glass door, a routine we began to call Sassy’s Bunny Vision. We quickly learned the difference between her contented chirps and demanding meows and soft pleas for more back scratches. She never fussed when we left the house, but when we returned, there was at least an hour of penance to pay in the form of lap time cuddles and furry faced commentary.

We always had cats when I was growing up, at least one and often two and they seemed perfectly content to do a little urban foraging to supplement their dry kibble and occasional canned food. We’d often find an offering on the back porch - a shrew or sometimes a small mouse, laid out delicately and with evident pride by our kitties. And it was always a great delight to watch them stalk a butterfly or a windblown leaf, or even a sister or brother kitty. We had barn cats, too, but they were wild and flighty and were meant to keep the mouse population under control.

Sassy was a good eater, very precise and very neat. Even if her dish held a bit extra, she seemed to self regulate her intake, and heaven forbid if a crumb should fall to the floor or a drop of water splash out of her dish. We tried giving her morsels of salmon, a bit of tuna, even a taste of chicken, but she didn’t seem to crave people food at all and preferred her bit of dry kibble and half a can of moist food every evening at 6:00. She did love the occasional cat nip treat, though, but I am not sure that counts as nutrition or recreation!

Since we covered good things for dogs last week, I thought I’d find similar information for our feline pals this week. Some of the same things on the “not good for dogs” list applies to cats, too.
Chocolate can cause irregular heart beat, lethargy, vomiting, and muscle tremors. Onions, garlic or leeks (cooked or uncooked) can cause anemia by destroying red blood cells. Because cats lack the enzyme required to digest lactose the high fat content of some dairy products can cause intestinal distress. Avocados contain "persin” which is a fatty acid derivative and it wreaks havoc with the feline digestive system. Too much liver can create Vitamin A toxicity, and too much salt is hard on kitty kidneys. Too much tuna sets the stage for steatis, commonly called Yellow Fat Disease. Apples, apricots, cherries, peaches and plums have stems, seeds and leaves that contain a cyanide type compound. Even small bits of raw yeast dough are dangerous because it rises to many times its size, expanding the pet's stomach. Then as it ferments, alcohol is produced, causing toxicity.

That’s a lot of bad news all at once, but here’s the good news. If you choose to not feed commercial food for a while because of the pet food contamination scare, there’s still lots of choices. Cooked fish, chicken and tuna are not only easy to prepare, but favored by almost all cats, and will provide excellent an excellent source of protein. A bit of cooked egg, small bits of diced vegetables, well diluted chicken or beef broth are also good additions and will help round out the nutritional needs of your cat.
Best of all, your cat will probably let you know in no uncertain terms what tastes good and what doesn’t. Empty bowls and clock watching cats that can’t wait for supper is a sign you’re doing something right. Just remember to keep a bowl of fresh water handy all the time, and go easy on the cat nip, no matter how hard Sassy begs you for more.

Here’s a couple of easy home made cat treats you can put together in no time. All of them should be kept in an airtight container such as a zip lock bag, and stored in the refrigerator for no more than two weeks.
My thanks to Sassy for a lovely three months and to her parents who trusted us to care for her while they were gone. We’re still trying to decide who cared for whom, and we miss her very much. Most of all, we can’t wait for next winter when we hope she comes to visit again.

Nutri Nuggets
Don’t worry about the bit of cheese causing a dairy reaction - it’s just for flavor and texture and shouldn’t cause any problems.
1/2 pound ground beef or turkey
1 small carrot -- finely grated
1 tablespoon cheddar cheese -- grated
1 teaspoon brewer's yeast
1 teaspoon dried catnip
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 egg -- beaten
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the meat, carrot, cheese, brewer's yeast, catnip and bread crumbs. Add the egg and tomato paste and mix well. Make walnut - sized balls, and space one inch apart on a lightly sprayed cookie sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until brown and firm.

Sardine Snaps
Preheat oven to 350 and spray a cookie sheet
Combine:
7 ounces well mashed sardines
1/4 cup powdered non-fat milk
1/2 cup wheat germ
Make 24 small balls and place on cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with a fork. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until brown and crisp.

Buffy’s Biscuits
If you have the patience to train a kitty, bits of these biscuits make great rewards.
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup powdered nonfat milk
1 egg, beaten
Chicken broth or water from canned tuna (enough to make a stiff dough).
Preheat oven to 350 and spray a cookie sheet.
Combine flour and powdered milk, then add beaten egg and mix well with hands, adding broth as needed until stiff dough forms. On floured surface, roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into small rounds, squares or triangles (or use cookie cutters). Place biscuits on cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until firm and dry.

  

Index to Carefree Gourmet Articles

Sourdough Sensations June 29, 2007

Kitty Treats June 29, 2007

Dog Treats April 20, 2007

Sandwich Plan March 23, 2007

Carefree Wacky Ingredients March 8, 2007

Homestead Hearth January 25, 2007

Carefree Cooking 101 January 11, 2007

Holiday Punch December 23, 2006

Holiday Treats December 12, 2006

Thanksgiving II November 20, 2006

Standby Favorites October 16, 2006

Cabbage October 11, 2006

Apples September 22, 2006

Kids Cook July 6, 2006

Wacky Tips June 8, 2006

Graduation May 11, 2006

African Cuisine April 13, 2006

A Bit of Irish March 23, 2006

Crazy for Carrots March 9, 2006

February Vacation February 23, 2006

Easy Budget January 12, 2006

Christmas Treats December 22, 2005

Sweet Surprises December 8, 2005

Turkey Times  November 22, 2005

Grand Champions - Part 2 - October 13, 2005

Janet Boyer September 22, 2005

Grand Champions September 5, 2005

Blueberries  August 12, 2005

Halibut and Zukes July 28, 2005

Orange Juice July 14, 2005

Happy Birthday June 30, 2005

Honey June 9, 2005

Picnic Dishes May 26, 2005

Celebration Salads May 12, 2005

Kraft Foods April 21, 2005

Shrimp April 7, 2005

Carry on Airline snacks March 25, 2005

Sandwiches March 10, 2005

Back from Vacation February 24, 2005

Super Bowl Snack Attack  January 14, 2005

Ginger Snaps December 29, 2004

Christmas Memories - December 12, 2004

Thanksgiving November 23, 2004

Glen and Meat  October 29, 2004

Blueberry Pie Champion  September 30, 2004

Fair Winners  September 2, 2004

Glen's Knives June 11, 2004

Aunt Aggie Tells All... May 13, 2004

Crazy About Catsup April 29, 2004

Carefree Clearance Special April 8, 2004

Seattle Adventure March 26, 2004

Vegas, part 2 March 12, 2004

Vegas Wind February 12, 2004

Casserole Bonanza January 11, 2004

No Fuss Dishes  December 19, 2003

Fake and Bake Christmas  December 11, 2003