The right treat for your pet — and you
Hawaiian Humane Society
What the cat bags
"Survivor" aside, most of us have no interest in eating a crunchy cockroach or a plump mouse. But watch your cat with such a critter and you'd think they were savoring a rare delicacy. Trying to determine exactly what tastes good to cats has kept scientists and veterinarians busy for years.
Cats are twice as sensitive to smells as the average human. With a sandpaper texture, the cat's tongue is also different from yours.
While it's hard to stop the average Fluffy or Popoki from going after lizards and even the occasional garden bird, you can avoid kitty indigestion and allergic reactions by finding and sticking to a quality, nutritionally balanced cat food for your pet, one that's appropriate to the animal's age and activity level. When a treat is called for, choose one made especially for cats and dole the treats out sparingly. And no chocolate. It's poisonous to cats.
Tail-waggin' treats for dogs
In the pet store and supermarket, the selection of canine treats goes on and on. Happy Snacks, Purr-fect Paws and Hawaii Doggie Bakery are three of O'ahu's dog treat specialty shops.
How do you know what your dog will enjoy? Start by determining what ingredients to avoid. Ask your veterinarian if your dog has allergies and what you should look for. If you see dog treats that look like chocolate, that ingredient is either carob or white chocolate.
Animal behaviorist Wendy Mah of Sirius Puppy Training uses tiny bits of freeze-dried liver to inspire cooperation in her canine students. "The liver has no fillers and dogs find the aroma enticing. Use the treats to reward behavior that you're trying to encourage," said Mah. Other healthy treats include small pieces of fruits or vegetables. But again, no chocolate!
In hand for the bird
Pet stores offer many seed treats for birds. Most birds also love soft, juicy chunks of fruits and berries, the same ones that appeal to you. It's mango season so share the wealth. Don't give your bird avocado, holly berry, thorn apple or wisteria seeds, and many tropical plants and branches should be avoided. Rhododendrons are poisonous to parrots and parakeets.
Small mammals rejoice
Beware of the processed rabbit treats sold in pet stores. "Most so-called rabbit treats provide unnutritious junk that can cause potential harm to your rabbit," according to the House Rabbit Society. Best for your rabbit and guinea pig is a diet of fresh vegetables, restricted high-fiber pellets and unlimited hay. Satisfy the chewing urge by providing the animals with baskets, untreated wood and cardboard boxes on which to gnaw. Avoid sugary treats except perhaps the occasional raisin or bit of banana.
A zucchini feast for fish?
Feed your fish a steady diet of the food appropriate for their species. Using precise pinches, place only enough food in the aquarium that the fish can eat in a few minutes. Don't overfeed or the aquarium water will become polluted. Herbivores might enjoy occasional vegetables from your table, especially zucchini, spinach and romaine lettuce. Leave the treats in the water only as long as they remain fresh and of interest to the fish.
Human treats
Give yourself a treat 1-3 p.m. Oct. 6 at the annual Hawaiian Humane Society Fantasies in Chocolate fund-raiser at the Renaissance Ilikai Waikiki Hotel.
Island chefs provide the treats and $30 in advance or $35 at the door allows you to wander from table to table indulging your chocolate fantasy. A $65 Fantasy Brunch precedes the event at 10:30 a.m. and brunch attendees get advance access to the chocolate buffet.
Tickets: Hawaiian Humane Society, 946-2187, ext. 217.
Hawaiian Humane Society hours: noon-8 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekends. To report a lost or found animal: 946-2187, ext. 285.
