This is my fourth review.
I ordered Fresh Chicken from PledgeCare and it came within 15 minutes, packaged in an insulated bag, which I appreciate very much. I’ve had frozen foods delivered to me without any insulation before and some packs had already defrosted, which was terrible.
Fully frozen, no signs of defrosting at all.
It took me two whole days to defrost it in the fridge, which was okay for me.
Sous vide cooking means:
Sous vide cooking is a method of cooking food in a vacuum-sealed bag in a water bath at a precise temperature. The French term sous vide translates to “under vacuum”.
Something like slow-cooking or Chinese double-boiling, though not the same.
The texture is a bit dry, but that’s okay. I added water to it.
Tabs was the first to try it.
And I’d like to give another review on PledgeCare’s Meat Toppers. They are really so, so useful for fussy cats. Initially, our cats weren’t crazy about it, but now, I cannot live without it! It works very well for our fussy females! Just sprinkle some on top of their food and instead of walking away with their noses turned up, they go for the food!
Their meat toppers are great for this purpose.
As with all new foods, always give it in small amounts first, mixed with the old food. So for Juno, I had to mix it with some canned tuna and her kibble. Juno has learnt how to be fussy with food now since she is greatly influenced by Riley and the Blondies. Sigh…oh well.
They probably told her, “You can be fussy, Juno, just walk away and she will give you some other food, just do it.”
Yes, spot on! We are cat slaves, aren’t we?
As always, buffet for the fussy Blondies. But Samantha and Indra decided to try the new food. That’s a good start, since they are so, so incredibly fussy.
But for the Monsters, as expected, there were no issues at all.
Lynx jumped onto the table before I could even serve them! He went for the new food.
Everyone went for it. The Monsters are just so easy to feed.
The fussiest is Robin, and even he tried some, but did not finish it. He wanted his raw cut chicken. That’s his favourite and un-dethroned.
Not too bad for a first try. Later, the food was all finished!
This morning, I gave Tabs her Hill’s KD (wet food) again and I used the meat toppers. She ate it! If without toppers, she would walk away.
So yes, we cannot live without PledgeCare’s meat toppers anymore, especially when we have fussy cats or special needs cats with a waning appetite (like Tabs).
After two days, I tried PledgeCare’s Fresh Chicken for all our cats again. This time, it wasn’t as popular as the first time. Again, maybe they just need time to acquire the taste, just like the meat toppers.
Now, here are some questions I posed to Julius about their Fresh Chicken:
The ingredients list and nutritional information can be found here: https://pledgecare.org/cat-food/
2. The cod liver oil – would it be oxidised already?
Ans: Regarding product stability, we have conducted multiple oxidation tests, all of which have returned negative results—so that’s good. There has been no sign of oxidation.
3. The turmeric – would it require black pepper to enhance the bioavailability or is black pepper risky for cats?
Ans: As for turmeric and black pepper, while they offer health benefits for humans, various sources don’t recommend combining them for cats due to their unique metabolism. Their bodies process these compounds differently, which could lead to unintended effects.
Note: My previous senior vet had cautioned me about using black pepper in turmeric for cats. It might have unpleasant consequences on their intestines. That is why there is actually a special turmeric product for cats now and some clinics carry it. I think it has enhanced turmeric where the bioavailability is good without the need for pepperine.
4. There is no 5% vegetable component, I noticed – is this because cats do not need any vegetables? I noticed that some cat food includes 5% vegetables for fibre.
Ans: On the topic of fiber, while cats – being obligate carnivores – in theory don’t have a biological requirement for it, small amounts can support digestion, gut health, and hairball control. Our home-cooked meal contains around 2% fiber, which is on the lower end compared to commercial foods but still within the acceptable range. Additionally, vegetables are generally not ideal for cats, so we decided not to include it.
Ans: For now, we don’t have plans to introduce new flavors in the home-cooked line, as it remains a specialized option for select customers who prefer to mix our air-dried food with cooked meals.
Leave a Reply