​​ANYONE who lives with a cat knows that they are creatures of comfort. They also love to be in a snug place that's high above with a good view.

A window-mounted cat bed like the one from Oster offers your cat all these kitty comforts; you only need to provide a big glass window to hang it from.

​This no-frills cat bed doesn't take up much space at 12”x22”. Inside the box you will find four heavy-duty suction cups, a durable canvas cover and reversible comfy pad (both machine washable) and a four-piece plastic frame set. A pair of strong plastic strings attached to two of the suction cups help hold the cat bed in place.

​The Oster Sunny Seat is a no-brainer to assemble and install. It requires no tools and it took us probably 20 minutes tops to put it together, hang it up and invite a cat to try it. Soon, we have a snoozing cat on it who obviously felt very much at home in his new soft cradle by the window. 

​At least two adult cats can sleep comfortably together in the Oster cat bed which can hold up to 50lbs. It also offers indoor cats a perfect place to watch birds or to wait for you. It is designed to give cats maximum comfort where they could see a slice of nature or the outdoors. 

For our review, we decided not to line the canvas with the reversible comfy pad because it doesn't stay in place, especially when a big cat jumps on the bed.

​One true test of a good cat product is how quickly a cat enjoys or warms up to it. In this case, our subject, a cat named Chong, immediately fell sound asleep on his brand new Oster Sunny Seat. Chong weighs about 6 kilos. He has since made the Oster Sunny Seat part of his expanded territory.

The Oster Sunny Seat is distributed locally by Pet Discount, Inc. and being retailed in pet shops that may have priced it differently. 

By ALMA J. BUELVA

​FOR one, you will never find Special Cat anywhere else in the world but in the Philippines.

That's right, Special Cat is a fairly new premium dry cat food that is being manufactured exclusively for the Philippine market.

Back in 2014 when the United States experienced crippling port congestion that delayed the shipment of goods, including pet foods, Manila-based businesses were affected.

Pet Discount, Inc., which imports dog food from the US, had to look for an alternative source. They found Monge, a leading Italian pet food manufacturer, and ordered a shipment of their premium dry dog food called Special Dog. Then it occurred to Jehan Teng Sy, owner of Pet Discount, to ask Monge for a companion product for cats. From that simple question, a new product was born: Special Cat.

“If there's a Special Dog there should be a Special Cat – it's like a couple. So, we asked Monge if they could make a Special Cat for us and they agreed,” Sy told MetroPets.

To serve the Philippine market, Monge designed all-new packaging for Special Dog and Special Cat in English. They also made smaller bags to suit the local market's preference.

Sy said Special Cat is a premium yet affordable cat food. Pet shops retail the 7kg bag of Special Cat for P700 while online pet shops sell it for P795.

“We don't sell in groceries. We sacrifice our cost so it can reach consumers at a lower price. We are very confident about its quality because it's made in Europe, which has set higher standards for their pet food industry than elsewhere,” said Sy.

​Available only in chicken and turkey flavor, the kibbles of Special Cat look like small florets or stars in dark brown color.

“Cats don't need kibbles in shapes that are not practical like the round ones with holes, or kibbles in different colors as they can't really see too many colors,” Sy said.

Special Cat is developed to be good for cats' at “All Life Stages” so its small pellets are particularly appropriate for kittens.

So, what else makes Special Cat special? Here's what the packaging says:

* Special Cat contains 32 percent protein and 13 percent fat.

* Its ingredients include cereals, meat and meat by-products (chicken and turkey), oils and fats (salmon oil), vegetables, fish and fish-by-product, minerals, yeasts and Yucca plant extract (reduces stool odor).

* Has probiotics Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) + Mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS) which regulate gastrointestinal micro flora, and aids in absorption of calcium and other minerals.

* Has low magnesium content to protect the kidneys

* Has Omega-3 & Omega-6 fatty acids for healthy and shiny coat

* Enriched with Taurine, Calcium and Phosphorus for strong bones and teeth

Since Special Cat's launch last year, Pet Discount says it has done much better than expected. The owners forecast that the brand will steadily gain a better foothold on the market as it matures. After all it's not everyday that an Italian company goes out of its way to produce something unique for cats here, giving our resident cats one good reason to meow out loud: “It's more special in the Philippines!”

By ALMA J. BUELVA

PET owners can now avail of health insurance plans for their four-legged friends from Cebu-based Embrace Animal Care Insurance.

The insurance company is rolling out several types of health plans beginning March 18 for pet cats and dogs of any size and breed that will pass the screening process.

The first in the country to offer health insurance for pets, Embrace is banking on the fact that more Filipinos are now willing to spend for their pets' needs.

​In an exclusive interview with MetroPets, Anastacio Muntuerto lll, CEO of Embrace Animal Care Insurance, said he believes pet owners in the country will be excited and willing to insure their pets for their own peace of mind.

“As the first pet care insurance the country, we researched what are the most common illnesses or diseases in dogs and cats, how to prevent those and the costs. To capture the class A to D, we created Bronze, Silver Gold and Platinum plans with payment schemes to make sure these are affordable for every type of client we have,” Muntuerto said.

PET CARE PLANS
Cats and dogs up to 5 years old can be insured for P20,000 (Bronze plan), P25,000 (Silver plan), P30,000 (Gold plan) and P50,000 (Platinum plan). These prices may still be subject to change.

Bronze and Silver offer basic medical coverage while Gold gives medical coverage for illnesses including cancer as well as accidents and medical emergencies. The Platinum policy is Embrace's most comprehensive pet health care plan. 

Embrace has identified at least 50 leading medical conditions each for cats and dogs. Aside from coverage from these conditions, Embrace's health care plans include free grooming and anti-rabies shots once a year.

However, Muntuerto said they will have a different pricing plan for some breeds that are very large or prone to sickness. In addition, premiums would vary based on the age of the pet from 6 years or older.

“Some breeds, especially mix breed, can be sickly so we have categorized every breed with the help of our veterinary team for us to compute the premium cost,” he explained.
​
“We made sure these plans are affordable for the type of clients we (will) have. We created payments schemes for our clients' convenience,” he added.

Embrace offers its health plans to dogs and cats only. To avail of their policies, Embrace requires the submission of the following:
* Pet's microchip record (brand, chip number, date of implant, clinic)
* Vaccination record (signed by client's veterinarian)
* Medical history record (verified by client's veterinarian
* Current anti-rabies certificate (date administered, expiry date, clinic)

“We require our pet clients to be microchipped before they can avail of our plans. This is for their identification and for tracking purposes in case they get stolen or lost. If we are unable to recover our pet clients, it will be classified as accident,” said Muntuerto.

Tampering a pet's microchip will automatically void its health care coverage. 

Muntuerto also said that their veterinarians will assess the pets' health conditions by doing laboratory tests so Embrace can offer the best plan possible. 

At present, Embrace has accredited only members of Cebu Companion Animal Practitioners Association (CCAPA), but “are still hoping for more invitations from other group of veterinarians to expand our services in the country,” Muntuerto said. 

Expanding its operations nationwide, particularly in Metro Manila, is definitely part of the plan. Muntuerto said they are currently looking for partner veterinary hospitals in Luzon and Mindanao. 

He explained that their Cebu clients only need to coordinate with accredited veterinary hospitals in the province. In the meantime, for clients outside Cebu, he said Embrace must make special arrangements with veterinary hospitals and clinics to accommodate them.

Aside from pet owners, Embrace is also keen on signing up breeders and importers of pets. 

“We can offer them special arrangements so they can offer Embrace pet care to their retail clients. We will make sure it's a win-win situation for us and for our partners to earn using our services,” Muntuerto said.

Embrace plans to slowly roll out nationwide its pioneering pet insurance in the next six months. 

“We made sure that this product will work to serve pet lovers nationwide. I'm now confident to say that we are ready," Muntuerto said.

By JIM ALABASTRO

CAT lovers will naturally gravitate toward Neko Atsume, an addictive game available free for Android and IOS devices.

The object of the game is simple enough: get cats to visit your home by setting out food and toys for them. In this strange universe, the cats say thanks by leaving you silver or gold sardines, with which you can buy more food and toys for them.

​When you’re starting out, it’s easy enough. Just offer some free cat food (Thrifty Bitz) and photograph the felines that visit. In this way, you’ll gradually fill up your cat album. But there are almost 50 cats to collect, and some of them are choosy in terms of what they will eat and the toys they like. Once you’ve accumulated enough sardines, you can buy the fancier foods (Frisky Bitz, Ritzy Bitz, Bonito Bitz, Deluxe Tuna Bitz, and Sashimi) to attract the rare cats. You can also buy toys that appeal to them. For example, Conductor Whiskers obviously goes for the Cardboard Choo-choo.

If you’d like to speed up your quest for those rare cats, here is what we know about their toy preferences. Generally, all of them like the more expensive foods.

​* Joe DiMeowgio likes the Baseball.
* Senor Don Gato likes the Mister Mouse.
* Xerexes IX will only go on the Zanzibar Cushion. Hang on to the cushion even after you’ve taken his photo. He’s a big tipper.
* Chairman Meow likes the Earthenware Pot.
* Saint Purtrick likes the Silk Crepe Pillow.
* Ms. Fortune likes the Cardboard House.
* Bob the Cat will go to the top of a Cat Metropolis.
* Conductor Whiskers needs the Cardboard Choo-choo to be happy.
* Mr. Meowgi loves the Scratching Log.
* Lady Meow-Meow gravitates towards the Luxurious Hammock
* Guy Furry loves the Heating Stove.
* Kathmandu likes the Lacquered Bowl.
* Ramses the Great likes the Tent (Pyramid). Strangely enough, he is said to like anything but sashimi.
* Sassy Fran likes to occupy the Cardboard Cafe.
* Billy the Kitten, of course, needs his Cowboy Hat.
* Frosty likes any of the cushions or the Bureau with Pot.

That’s about it. Good luck with your cat collecting!