Crunchy Snacks

Mewsette is with me on the crunchy snacks, especially during a busy workday.

No, not cat treats! People snacks!

I’m not big on snacking, but if I’m having a busy day sometimes I need something to crunch on, something I can get a lot of mileage out of, like one of those big hard pretzels. Sometimes it saves me from saying something I shouldn’t, the food equivalent of “biting my lip”, and sometimes I just need something to literally chew on when I’m metaphorically “chewing on” an idea. Of course, I’ve been known to eat potato chips and cheese crackers and other kinds of pretzels, and my big jar of dry-roasted edamame beans, but just one of these big pretzels can go a long way so I rarely overdo it with them. And it’s just the act of crunching, not even the food part that’s necessary.

And as soon as she hears me crunch, Mewsette is right there! I may give her one chip or one cheese cracker—of course, it’s because the color looks so lovely against her black fur. No edamame beans or anything like that. I used to keep my favorite trail mix at my desk, the one with craisins (but no raisins), pumpkin seeds and, among other things, macadamia nuts…mmmm good. Mewsette was barely more than a kitten when I opened the bag while working, and she charged over, looked in the bag, reached in and brought out a macadamia nut. I had raised these kittens entirely away from human food and was surprised at Mewsette’s reaction—how did she even know it was food, especially since it bore no resemblance to or content of cat food—and I let her go because I wanted to see what she’d do. She was so deliberate! And I had no idea at the time a macadamia nut could be a problem.

But I have since learned that they are toxic to dogs, and while the jury is out on toxicity to cats it’s advised to keep them away from all pets.

But apparently my big crunchy pretzels are no problem. Mewsette’s not too fond of them either but she still runs over and looks in the box, and likes when I give her a little piece of one.