The cat comes around

Meet Progo.



Likes: the smell of olives, trying to eat leafy greens, chewing plastic, scratchin' stuff, waking up early, hanging out on knitting.

Dislikes: flashlight beams, the vacuum cleaner, guests, piles of things, cat treats.

Cat treats?! What kind of feline doesn't like cat treats? I'm both sorry for and suspicious of the snackless. Come on, just try it! I've offered him a ridiculous variety, too, but he turned up his li'l cat nose at every brand he sniffed -- Whisker Lickin's, Pounce, and Meow Mix, most recently.

The closest I got to being able to treat Mr. Proginoskes was a few years ago, when I received a sample of Flint River Ranch cat and kitten food. It was just a small pouch, but the cat gobbled it up. He's not finicky about cat food (just treats), but it was still clear this was an especially pleasing flavor to his palate. I'd often thought about ordering more of the food online to replace the rejected "official" cat treats, but never got around to it. As it turns out, Flint River makes treats, too. So last week I decided to order Flint River Ranch's Signature Brand Ultra Premium Sun Dried Bonita Treats and give this treat-shy cat one last chance to be pampered with a special snack.



The Bonita Treats came in the mail yesterday, so I took them for a test run after dinner. What's in the package looks and smells like large flakes of fish food, has no additives nor preservatives, and should last quite a while (the serving size is just a pinch). I had to hold a small piece crumpled in my fingers and poke it at Progo's nose a couple of times to get him started, and I tried not to get my hopes up ("He won't eat it. He hates everything."), but once he got a little taste he was snacking like a pro and looking for more. He likes it! Hey, Progo!


Postscript: It may be early to tell, but the taste of the Bonita Treats may just have changed his life, snackwise. making him more open to previously rejected treats. After enjoying his pinch, he considered he might try a tartar control Whisker Lickin's, too. When the cat decides to prove me wrong, he spares no effort.