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I’ve seen the Dreamies and the damage done

This kitty came to us as a stray, you may recall. A tiny kitten walked into our livingroom one hot August night, squeaked and ran out again. I put out a squirrel trap baited with catfood, and here we are.

He was severely underweight. The lady at the shelter estimated that he was a month older than he looked because he’d been undernourished. About four months old.

He grew up fast when we stuffed him full of good supermarket kitty glop, but he remained skinny.

Until there were Dreamies.

Oh, did kitty love his Dreamies. In fact, it became an obsession. In fact, it began to make him a miserable boy.

Eventually, he refused any other food. You’d put stuff in his bowl and he’d hardly glance at it. He would stubbornly refuse to eat anything but Dreamies.

And he got fat.

Fat enough that it I had to fix it. He’d never had dried food before, so I took his big tin of Dreamies and added a handful of Iams. And every few days another. After a couple weeks, there weren’t any Dreamies in the mix at all.

He’s still fat, but he’s not gaining and the vet didn’t seem worried. Sometimes, though, he gets a sad, faraway look in his eye and I know he knows a wonderful light has gone out of his life.

So what do they put in them? Aside from something fatty, I think I know. If you have cats and Dreamies, give them a sniff and see what you think. *I* say they smell like parmesan.

In fact, I was so certain of it, when our elderly cat went off her feed, I bought some parm and sprinkled it over her food. It usually worked.

Right. Remember. Dead Pool Tomorrow. Be here, or be somewhere else!

Comments


Comment from OldFert
Time: December 10, 2020, 8:28 pm

So, adding parmesan makes kitty cheerfully obese, then.


Comment from Uncle Al
Time: December 11, 2020, 1:02 am

If cats get excited over Parmigiano-Reggiano, they’ll be bouncing off the walls over Pecorino Romano, the superior cheese.

@OldFert — I’m delighted by the whole concept of being “cheerfully obese” as the result of fine food indulgences. (I’ll have that rib eye Pittsburgh rare, please!)


Comment from durnedyankee
Time: December 11, 2020, 10:53 am

Parm! OMG!

It was discovered that freshly grated Parm, of either of Uncle Al’s varieties (though we do prefer the Pecorino if given the option) is FAR FAR FAR superior to the stuff of childhood that was dumped in lumps, clumps and snow out of the cardboard tube (then) or plastic bottle (now).

Especially appreciated grated over some lightly sautéed greens (NOT KALE! I don’t want to live forever!) with roasted pine nuts.

Sweasy – is there an American version of Dreamies?


Comment from Drew458
Time: December 11, 2020, 2:40 pm

Cheese? Amazing. At first perusal I thought you’d be writing about those secret chemical additives they put in low quality pet food that generates a pleasure lobe in their little brains , keeping them coming back for more and ignoring regular food. I think the additive is called addictium, or at least it ought to be.

Kitty treadmill as the next step? Cat aerobics?


Comment from MrKnowItAll
Time: December 11, 2020, 6:11 pm

The secret taste ingredient you seek is nutritional yeast. It tastes and smells like cheese, and cats go stupid for it. You might add it to kitty’s new chow as a treat from time to time. Give him something to look forward to!


Comment from S. Weasel
Time: December 11, 2020, 8:45 pm

No idea, Durned. I thought American Dreamies were Dreamies.

Thank you, MrKnowItAll. I shall try that. I assume nutritional yeast is okay to give to cats?


Comment from MrKnowItAll
Time: December 11, 2020, 10:08 pm

I will defer to the interwebs re: safety. Seems to be good stuff for cats in general.
https://upgradeyourcat.com/is-nutritional-yeast-good-for-cats/


Comment from BJM
Time: December 11, 2020, 11:06 pm

I’d guess that it’s dried whey from cheese making.

BTW- didja know that Kerry Gold buys rennet from Parmagiano-Regganio for their Dubliner cheddar? That’s why it has those little crystals of goodness like Parm.

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