Great Cats! Should She Be Canned?

Shall I slag off the bravery and gumption of adventurous journalist Olga Afanaseva and ask, "What kind of a burning question is the quality of cat food?"

No, no I shan't, because on November 28, Afanaseva herself tested ten brands of feline vittles to determine which would best nourish our darling comrades for a report in Komsomolskaya Pravda.

The journalist chose to aid creatures who serve many not only as moral support, great entertainment, and part-time therapists, but also as independent and stubborn role models in a world hostile to those who are not afraid to turn up their tails and chase the fresh stink of the day.

The food ranged in price from 20 to 90 rubles (about $0.25 - $1.25 USD) and included brands such as Kitikat, Whiskas, Felix, Royal Canin, and Proplan. Gastroentologist Anna Mateevna assured Afanaseva that the cat food is prepared with meat, bones, and offal from the same farms that provide the fixings for human recipes. In the United States, she added, there is even a law that requires any cat food to prepared with ingredients that are suitable for human consumption. How is that for good stuff?

The journalist's explorations revealed that some brands were, truly, unpalatable for human sensibilities. One smelled appetizing but came away leaving her wanting for taste; another was like "cheap dumplings with soy," and the fancier brands tended to be more neutral in flavor. Others, however, were just as delicious as the meat pâté you might find in a more refined grocery aisle.

Veterinarian Alexander Samsonov gave an expert opinion on why much of the food came off as so tasteless, even if the aroma might be appealing. "The [meals] are not salted, no spices are added. We can say that food for cats is made of better quality, nothing is masking the taste of meat... Economy class pouches (food bags) add a lot of flavors... The food smells more appetizing, but cats often give off an allergic reaction to this and the treatment costs a pretty penny. Premium food will be almost tasteless, and there is a lot of protein. But they still try to make the aroma attractive to the animal - hence the various sauces."

Afanaseva's conclusion?

Her cats eat better than she does.

Perhaps this is deserved! We mustn't forget that, as divisive in today's society as the creatures might be, they do know how to sniff out a good rat.