A Purrfect Thanksgiving Dinner for #TeamAllie

It's just days away from Thanksgiving, and Allie's totally into the holiday this year.

She's put in her order for Thanksgiving Day Dinner... quite literally, as you can see!
But then she heard Merrick had Turducken in their Purrfect Bistro line.

Since we've never bothered to serve this delectable dish at any of our Thanksgiving dinners prior to today, well...she insisted on taste-testing this as well.

Faraday: So Allie, uh...can I try it too?

Allie: Honestly, Faraday. Do you think just anycat can select the best foods to offer our guests? This calls for a sophisticated palate. Anycat that still plays "pull my paw" is automatically disqualified.

Faraday: *grumbles* But Mommy says it's polite to share.

Allie: Tell you what, Brat. I'll share this dish with you.

Faraday: Uhm, Allie. Cats don't eat cranberry sauce. Even if it is homemade.

Allie: Well, she garnished it with catnip. Then said something about it "adding color" to the photos, so deal with it.

Faraday: Catnip?!? Why didn't you say so??? **faceplant**

Allie: While Mother's busy hiding the pumpkin pie from a certain Tonkinese Terror, baking her fresh challah and 'from-scratch' stuffing, I'll be digging into some delish entrees from Merrick! Won't you join me?

This season we're very thankful that Allie is well on her way to her ideal weight, with her pounds lost in a slow and safe manner while eating a food she loves.

We three kitties are also very thankful to have a warm and loving home, and we wish the same for the many homeless pets across the world who are not so fortunate this holiday.

May they soon enjoy warmth and safety all their own.

***

FTC Disclosure: 

Our Extreme Feline Makeover series is sponsored by Merrick Pet Care, and we have received both food and a small fee to compensate us for each post. This covers the time it takes to take photos and write our progress reports.
Every sponsored post on A Tonk's Tail will always reflect our honest and unbiased opinions. Merrick Pet Care is not responsible for the content of this article, and Purrfect Bistro flavors are not specifically formulated for weight management.
This effort is part of an overall health and wellness regime for Allie. 

 ***

 You have until 11:59 PM, Dec 2nd to enter. 

We have a winnah!

'Toon Tuesdays will return next week!

We want to thank you all for being a part of Allie's birthday commentathon. We loved seeing how many comments you left!

The commentathon had ended and we've tallied up the results. Your comments will donate three dozen large cans of Merrick Purrfect Bistro to the cats at Great Plains - that's $60 worth!

We know the kitties at Great Plains SPCA will love having all this yummy food to try out!

And thanks again to Merrick Pet Care for so generously offering one lucky reader the chance to sample a case of Purrfect Bistro for themselves.

And the winner is...

We hope Princeton, Precious, Prudence and Preslee love it as much as we do!

As you can see, somekitty takes his paté very seriously.

Yes, Faraday, I'll go out and buy you some more tomorrow morning.
You didn't completely run out while I was away.

Enough already with the accusing look. Sheesh.

***

Birthday Commentathon...and Giveaway!

Today's the big day: we're celebrating Allie's 7th birthday.
As you can see, she's out on the deck, supervising as dad fires up the grill.

Won't you join us? We're hosting a Kansas City-style barbecue, with all the fixin's.

Lovely fall-like weather - are the leaves turning in your neck of the woods, too?

In lieu of a birthday gift, Allie has asked this year for a donation to Great Plains SPCA in honor of her special day.

Now, as you know, that's not her Alma Mater. But we know the folks at Wayside Waifs will understand, given that they currently only have 30 available cats and Great Plains has over 400.

We're going to be donating cans of Merrick grain-free cat food
that we purchased from our local Petco!

So we're holding a commentathon all weekend, and the funds we raise will go toward purchasing loads of yummy cat food for the kitties.

Sweet Surprise!

We were surprised and thrilled when Merrick contacted us a few days ago and asked if they could join in the celebration, too.

Guess what?
They're offering one of you an entire case of delicious Purrfect Bistro canned food!

All you need to do to enter the drawing is comment below. Be sure to tell us if you have a preferred flavor, too.

Then scroll back up and hit the big green "I commented!" button in the Rafflecopter widget below.  You'll have until midnight Sunday evening, November 2, to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Allie: Thank you so much for coming to my birthday party!

Please enjoy delish grilled chicken and fish - prepared Kansas City-style, especially for you by our dad.

And don't forget to grab a few of these pawesome pink princess cookies too! Mother got them for me instead of a cake this year, and they're just too purrfect, don't you think?

Please, encourage friends to leave a comment, so our donation to Great Plains will be huuuuuge!

***

Many thanks to Merrick Pet Care for their unexpected partnership in this blog post. We were not compensated for this in any way, and the giveaway was entirely their idea. Cool, huh? 


Thank you! 

Allie received this lovely birthday card today from Truffles over at Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries & Meows - thank you so much for thinking of her!

#TeamAllie is Svelte & (almost) 7!

That's right, Allie's birthday is this Saturday, Oct 25, (it's her 7th!) and she's all excited about celebrating her big day with a figure she hasn't seen in years.

Allie's taken her Extreme Feline Makeover to heart, eating healthy portions of quality food like Purrfect Bistro grain free canned foods.

(She prefers the paté flavors, personally. Actually Maxwell & Faraday do, too. Which she finds a bit disturbing, as Faraday keeps trying to help himself to her dinner!)

Allie: Quick, Mother. Distract the Brat so I can eat in peace!

She's also a firm believer in the idea that a healthy lifestyle needs to include regular exercise.

Check out the laps she's doing around the monkey grass along the front sidewalk.
Leap...turn...leap...repeat!

When we asked Allie what she wanted for her birthday this Saturday, she asked if we'd host a Kansas City style barbecue on the deck, with a commentathon open all weekend.

So please come back and visit us then!

And in lieu of gifts, she wanted to donate some Merrick Purrfect Bistro cat food to the cats over at Great Plains SPCA in Independence. They're slowly finding their forever homes, but as of a few days ago, their numbers still topped 450 and rising.

We think that's an awfully generous thing for her to do. 

Uh, well most of us do, at any rate.

Help us raise funds for Great Plains SPCA - and tweak Faraday's nose a bit more - this Saturday at Allie's Birthday Bash!

***

FTC Disclosure: 

Our Extreme Feline Makeover series is sponsored by Merrick Pet Care, and we have received both food and a small fee to compensate us for each post. This covers the time it takes to take photos and write our progress reports.
Every sponsored post on A Tonk's Tail will always reflect our honest and unbiased opinions. Merrick Pet Care is not responsible for the content of this article, and Purrfect Bistro flavors are not specifically formulated for weight management.
This effort is part of an overall health and wellness regime for Allie. 

Svelte & looking mighty fine.

Hello there! Allie here, reporting in from high atop the cat tree.

I have news for you - big news!

Well, I suppose technically it would be called "smaller" news, being that this post is all about weight loss and promoting a healthy lifestyle!

That's right: I've been on a months-long journey to a skinnier me: #TeamAllie, working on my Extreme Feline Makeover!

And if I do say so myself, it's been a tasty journey, what with all the delish grain-free canned food my #TeamAllie sponsor, Merrick Purrfect Bistro, has provided.

You could say I've been "eating myself thin!"  *giggle!*

Mother believes strongly in feeding a species-appropriate diet, and for her that means grain-free goodness, with quality ingredients and appropriate portion sizes (I'm right there with her...except maybe on those portions. Let's talk, Mother, 'k?)

Of course, we all know that an important component to a healthy kitty's lifestyle is getting appropriate exercise, and I've been logging plenty of arm reaches by doing spider wand toy reps every day. Pardon my expression - I'm really intent on perfecting my form!

Of course, since I've started down the Road to Svelte, a certain bratty brother has decided he, too, loves taste sensations like Turkey Pate and Beef Wellington.

I've had to hire Maxwell as my very own personal Brinks' Security Guard, so Faraday stays away from my food!

Faraday: yeah, yeah, blah blah blah. 

Let's get down to brass tacks, here, sis. Did you or did you not lose weight this month? 

The scales don't lie!

***drum roll*** 

This month's weigh-in?  12.2 pounds, down more than a half pound in the past 4 weeks!

This glam girl's looking good, and she knows it. Betcha couldn't tell, could you?

Allie: Oh Mother-r-r-r... my driver's license is now wrong. Can I get a new one?

***

FTC Disclosure: 

Our Extreme Feline Makeover series is sponsored by Merrick Pet Care, and we have received both food and a small fee to compensate us for each post. This covers the time it takes to take photos and write our progress reports.
Every sponsored post on A Tonk's Tail will always reflect our honest and unbiased opinions. Merrick Pet Care is not responsible for the content of this article, and Purrfect Bistro flavors are not specifically formulated for weight management.
This effort is part of an overall health and wellness regime for Allie. 

Time for an Extreme (feline) Makeover Check-in!

Hello, feline weight-loss followers!

It's time for another look at our very own...

Since we last visited, our #TeamAllie girlcat has kept her game face on. She's stepped up her workouts -- always a good thing to include in any weight-loss program!

Check it out - our girl knows how to bust a move!

We've been keeping a Diet Diary - and Mom's even offered to keep her company:

 

And Allie's been enjoying a new taste sensation every day in the form of Merrick Purrfect Bistro Grain Free canned food. Yum-OLA!

Well, actually, Allie's been enjoying Purrfect Bistro, but Mom's had a bit of a problem.
Until now, she's never had to deal with plate poaching.

Impasse! Who will get the Duck Paté - Maxwell or Faraday?

 Until now.

Nah, we didn't think you'd be surprised, either.
Mister Pushy might have won dominance over that dish...

...but Maxwell scored one of his own!

Let's just say Allie's keeping a weather eye out for any theft:

Allie: "I'm watching you, boys!"

Weigh-in Time!

So how is Allie doing in the weight department? She's down another half-pound, at an even 13! We wouldn't exactly call her svelte yet, but she's getting there. 
(woo-hoo, get that pink bikini ready!!)

  Allie: Thank you, Merrick, for making my weight loss journey a delicious experience!

 News Flash!

We were very excited to learn that Merrick has teamed up with one of our fave shelters in the Midwest: Tree House Humane in Chicago. The kitties at Tree House are now eating Merrick branded pet foods, exclusively.

Merrick told us, "As Tree House’s exclusive feeding partner, Merrick will provide all of the meals to each resident cat, including Merrick Purrfect Bistro."

"From their first meal at both of Tree House’s Chicago Adoption Centers (Uptown and Bucktown) until adoption day, each Tree House cat will enjoy healthy, recipes made in Merrick’s kitchens with locally sourced USDA-inspected deboned meat, fresh produce and high-quality protein.

"Merrick uses no ingredients from China – all of the ingredients are fresh, regionally sourced in the United States and made in Merrick’s own kitchen."

Have you heard about Tree House Humane?

The first thing we love about Tree House is that their focus is on the care and placement of stray cats with special physical and emotional needs. Second, they strive to educate the public about proper and responsible animal care, and are committed to finding every healthy and treatable animal a home and they believe wholeheartedly in a No-Kill nation.

We thank Merrick for their kind donation, which goes a long way toward helping cats find their forever homes in the Chicago area.

______________

FTC Disclosure: Our Extreme Feline Makeover series is sponsored by Merrick Pet Care, and we have received both food and a small fee to compensate us for each post. This covers the time it takes to take photos and write our progress reports. Every sponsored post on A Tonk's Tail will always reflect our honest and unbiased opinions. Merrick Pet Care is not responsible for the content of this article, and Grammy’s Pot Pie is not specifically formulated for weight management. This effort is part of an overall health and wellness regime for Allie. And a totally surprising and unexpected bonus for us: for Maxwell's health and wellness too! SCORE!

Extreme Makeover Check-In!

You may have heard that Allie is on a diet. She's determined to shed the pounds, and she's doing it in a healthy way.

(Wait. Okay, truth in advertising here: we're determined she'll shed the pounds. Allie kinda thinks free-feeding 24/7 would totally rock, but that's not going to happen.)

Allie's diet regimen includes delicius grain-free entrees from Purrfect Bistro.

She's under the supervision of her veterinarian who has given us a daily calorie intake goal, and she's eating a quality wet, grain-free food: Merrick Purrfect Bistro. In fact, Allie's entire new health-kick is being sponsored by Merrick, and we are very appreciative.
 
Monthly Weigh-in Time

So how is Allie's weight-loss progressing?

Welll-l-l-l...

We've learned a lot in the past 4 weeks.

First, that Allie has her human brother wrapped around her paw, which means we suspect she got generous portions while we were in Texas!

Next, there are two different metabolism types to consider when a cat loses weight.

First, the cats who require maintenance calories. This is based on frame size - and what it takes to maintain an ideal weight for that frame. In Allie's case, 267 calories a day.

I thought that was a LOT -  in fact, I'm sure Allie's been eating less than this. But our vet wanted to begin here to get a baseline.

The result? As of July 1, Allie had gained 6/10 of a pound. Oops.

I did mention two metabolism types. The other: cats whose metabolisms are a bit slower. The ones our vet called (*delicate cough*) obese prone.

Yes, Allie's in that second group. So we switched her to 216 calories a day and may adjust downward, depending on how she does. Our vet ideally would like to see half a pound lost per week.

Hey, we're on track! Since we've been back from Texas, our girl has shed that 6/10 pound she's gained. Go #TeamAllie !!

...foreshadowing...? Allie looks a bit worried.

But wait! 
There's more!

With the inauguration of this new diet, we've taken pains to make sure Allie's meal time isn't crashed by a certain crazypants kitty. Faraday being, well, Faraday - you can understand our concern.

So when a few new flavors of Purrfect Bistro arrived on Saturday for Allie to try, I gave a bit to Faraday as a "stay out of the way" offering.

The Turkey Pate was a huge hit with both of them.
What I did not expect was what happened next:

Maxwell: Dood, whatcha eating?
Faraday: It's WET food, Maxie, so you won't LIKE it. Go 'way.

Is that a shocked look on Faraday's face?

Maxwell:  *nudge*shove*

Wait, maybe we should have said "disgusted."

Maxwell: *munch*nom*

This. Is. EPIC.

(Well,  okay, and a bit funny. Seriously? What a face, Maxie.)

Faraday: That's MY food, Maxie. Back OFF.

Faraday: That's IT. I'm going IN!

Maxwell: Wait....

I have been battling Maxwell's addiction to kibble for two years now. This was completely unexpected. And I'm almost giddy at the thought that FINALLY Max will eat wet food!!!

Allie:  "Should I hire a Brinks truck to guard my stash?"

Uh, yeah, Allie, you might.

______________

FTC Disclosure: Our Extreme Feline Makeover series is sponsored by Merrick Pet Care, and we have received both food and a small fee to compensate us for each post. This covers the time it takes to take photos and write our progress reports. Every sponsored post on A Tonk's Tail will always reflect our honest and unbiased opinions. Merrick Pet Care is not responsible for the content of this article, and Grammy’s Pot Pie is not specifically formulated for weight management. This effort is part of an overall health and wellness regime for Allie. And a totally surprising and unexpected bonus for us: for Maxwell's health and wellness too! SCORE!