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Whiskas Cat Milk
by milmol7
I bought Whiskas cat milk when I was struggling to get my cats to drink when I had rehomed them. With Whiskas being a trusted and well-known brand, this milk was the first one I chose. Somehow it caught my eye immediately I started to look for cat milk, and I guess that's because it's packaging is distinctive and in keeping with Whiskas ... cat food.
It was slightly the most expensive of the options available, but at that time I was really worried about my girls not drinking anything so the cost was secondary to choosing this product because I assumed Whiskas would be the best I could offer them - again, based on my perception and the reputation of the brand.
I also liked the way it was packaged - a miniature plastic bottle with a substantial screw top lid, which looked easy to use. This was definitely the case. Under the cap is a silver freshness seal, which peeled easily away and left a pouring opening of a couple of centimetres across, so really easy to pour into their bowls. The plastic is really sturdy and so there's no problem with a flimsy bottle being knocked over or anything like that. It's also only about 7cm in height, so it fit on a shelf in the fridge once opened. The bottle and cap are fully recyclable.
I was surprised to see the milk when it came from the bottle, though - it was creamy in both colour and texture. One of my cats simply loved it, it was gone in a flash, but the other wasn't impressed at all. Still not having mastered the art of chatting with my cats, I can't say or even imagine why this was. ... All cats like cream, don't they??! The milk is formulated by Whiskas to be safe for them to drink (ie with the relevant lactose removed) as well as being well-stocked with the vitamins and goodness that the cats need. Again, just as you would expect from this trusted brand.
However, due to the fact I only had a 50% success rate from the girls with this milk I then started to try other brands. Reading the packaging, and trying the milk, the results were largely the same .... What I mean is, the other brands also had the same vitamins and minerals, and had a similar consistency and presumably a similar flavour judging by the identical reception from my cats - the same cat loved them, the other wouldn't touch them.
The big difference to be aware of though was that in the other brands that I tried - Asda and Morrisons, although they were only a few pence cheaper per carton, (your on-the-spot weighing up says to you "Whiskas is worth a few more pence"...) the own brand cartons contained 250ml whereas the Whiskas one is 200ml. This is something I didn't realise or spot until later, and when I would potentially have been feeding two cats with this for hopefully years to come, it would have made a big difference.
So my conclusion from this product was that (as is so often the case) the extra cost attributed to it is largely due to the brand and the name. When it comes to our pets we are so desperate to get it right, the known brands are always going to be our first port of call. In a way, the fact that one of mine didn't like this product did me a favour, and over the course of time, would have saved me a lot of money, because the 'own label' and other brands appear pretty much to be the same product for less cost.
PS - I did eventually score a hit for both of mine when I tried Pets at Home milk.
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Pets At Home Cat Milk
by milmol7
When I first had my cats and was desperate for them to settle in, I was really concerned that they wouldn't drink water. I was aware cows milk was bad for cats and despite being a fully paid up member of the "milk for cats? 79p for a tiny bottle?! what a rip off" brigade, I was soon in the cat milk section of the supermarket. ... The cost for the size of carton or bottle is really high so I was loathe to get it at first, but I was so desperate to see them drinking that I bought the Whiskas (most expensive!) one. One of them loved it, the other gave a sniff and walked off. I then tried Bob Martin, and Morrison's and Asda's own brand ... same result.
Then I had a leaflet from Pets at Home with a promotion on this product, and although you needed to buy in bulk to take advantage of the offer (12 at a time for £7 for 250ml cartons, so around 58p each) it worked out a lot cheaper than the others - so I took the plunge. Amazingly, and for reasons completely unknown to me, both cats took to this immediately. The normal cost of these cartons singly is currently 85p which is about the same as others, although per ml it is still cheaper than Whiskas and on a par with other own-brand individual cartons at the moment.
The consistency of the milk seems to be somewhere between normal milk and cream, but that seemed to be the same as the other brands, so I think it must also be something in the flavour that makes it apparently so appealing and delicious to cats. When I get their milk out its (almost!) on a par with getting their Temptations/Dreamies out. The packaging tells you its full of goodness, vitamins and minerals, so there's the added ego-boost that it feels like giving them a healthy treat! I need to pour the milk into their bowls on the worktops because if I try to fill their bowls whilst on the floor, their heads are in the bowls too soon, such is their passion for it!
The pack advises serving 45ml as often as you like. Good job it says as often as "I" like, and not the cats otherwise they would like 45ml on the hour, every hour! They come with a huge best-before range (12 months on average) and don't need to be stored in a fridge until opened, so there's no problem on stocking up. As my nearest Pets at Home is a special trip, I usually just clear their shelves of it when I'm passing. The offer I mentioned seems to be a long-running one, I have had my cats 5 months now and it has been on all that time. Not that the offer will be of long-term significance, however, as they are both now addicted to it! In store, the milk is usually on the shelf in a cardboard tray which holds 24 and the staff have no problem with me taking the tray, so they are easy to carry and store. Once you open the carton, the packet says you can store for up to 4 days in a refrigerator- again, if your cats will allow it to last that long.
The cartons themselves are about 3cm square and 10 cm tall, so they take up no space in the fridge and are sturdy so they don't fall over. The cartons are made of a cardboardy type material rather than plastic, and are recyclable. They are sealed with a foil-like tab over the hole which is always easy to remove without a problem. Occasionally some of the plastic seal is left behind so if that happens you do need to clear it away otherwise it becomes difficult to pour. In the main though there is never a problem and it pours easily and smoothly.
I get lots of therapeutic benefits from owning my cats, but seeing them loving their milk, hearing them frantically lapping it up, and seeing them with splashes of milk around their whiskers is one of my favourites! So for me, and the cats, Pets at Home Cat Milk is definitely a winner.
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Whiskas Temptations
by milmol7
I must be honest, I suspect like most cats, mine go crazy for *most* treats, and aren't especially picky for the brand. So in many ways, the choice of treats that I buy usually boils down to what's on offer at the supermarket, but there are a few things about these temptations that I would specifically comment on.
These ... Whiskas Temptations are available in a wide variety of flavours. As well as the usual meaty and fishy flavours they also do a "chicken and cheese" variety, which just send mine "over the edge". They really do send them into a frenzy!
The fact they come in a fairly substantial rigid tub with a clip-on plastic lid is THE major plus-point for me. So if they are accidentally dropped they don't spill on the floor, and more importantly I find the lid much easier to pop back on under siege from two treat-crazed cats when treat time is over, than the other pouch type packs (Dreamies) which you need to re-seal. I did once forget to put them away and I'm sure they must have tried, but the cats did not manage to get into the tub. I wouldn't feel so confident about leaving one of the resealable packet types out.
The treats themselves are little cube or pillow shaped crunchy parcels, and apparently the centres have a different texture. They seem to relish the initial 'bite' and these never go down without a chew unlike some others which get swallowed whole! I can only put that down to the cats enjoying the crunch sensation as well as the flavour.
Another side advantage about the tub that they come in is that it makes a great calling them home tool, because the treats inside give a really satisfying rattle noise when you give them a shake. My experimentation suggests this can be heard from several gardens away!
Finally, I'm not a great fan of cat food smells, and to me at least, Temptations don't smell particularly strongly of any flavours, but to the cats they really ignite their senses. They do adore the treats, but as I said initially they wouldn't care what brand they were getting, but for all-round satisfaction for me as well as the cats, Temptations is definitely the all round winner.
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