Enter the Critics: My cats take on the "kittycake" at Kickass Cupcakes!

It is either genius or folly to include cupcakes for animals (the "pupcake" and the "kittycake") at a bakery, so you have to credit the folks at Kickass Cupcakes for having the nerve. And while I continue on with my week's "work" of sampling the Kickass Cupcakes for humans, I decided last night to test the kittycake on my cats. It's advertised as a cheesy cupcake sprinkled with catnip and topped with a goldfish cracker. For cutes alone, it scores off the chart.

Now, enter the critics: Miss Pickles and Esme Applebutter, criminal geniuses with MFAs in food critique. Miss Pickles, the panther of the pair, was first up to inspect the kittycake, circling and sniffing in a way that seemed to indicate interest.

Perhaps it was the fact that I was photographing her every move or maybe the stern lecture I'd given her to be fair in her review; Miss Pickles spun on a dime and abandoned the cupcake to its fate. I broke it up into bits, thinking that might seem more familiar to the kitty palate. But after Esme Applebutter had one sniff, she turned on her fluffy haunches and sashayed to the end of the table, holding her tail up in a definitive gesture of flipping the bird.

So, there I was, alone at the table with a crumbled kittycake, thinking maybe I had a defective cake, or worse, defective cats. What does a cheesy catnip cupcake taste like anyway? I picked up a bit and before I could weigh the ramifications of my actions, I popped it in my mouth. Now, keep in mind, there are many human foods that cats and dogs simply can't eat. So I wasn't expecting a huge burst of flavor. But it seemed to me that there ought to have been at least a hint of cheese or the aroma of catnip. But no, it was just a very plain cake with the texture of sourdough and a hint of honey. Had I just paid 2 bucks for a bit of bread that my cats would never eat?

Not in my America! After some soul searching, I did what any determined cat owner would: I followed my cats around the apartment with the cupcake and pleaded with them to eat it. Pickles practically sprained her neck looking in the other direction when I put the plate in front of her again.

This from a cat that has tried in her day to steal bites of chimichangas, seasoned curly fries, olives, and even pieces of lettuce! On the brink of admitting defeat, I tried one last time, extending a piece to the minxy queen bee. And, Hallelujah! The cat had a little nibble. And a little nibble turned into a moderate nibble. And pretty soon, she was having a bit of a go at it.

Esme, on the other hand, continued to recoil as if I was putting a live cobra in her face.

I guess it goes to show that you can't please all the puddies all the time. Cats simply aren't as eager as dogs to try food that they're unfamiliar with. But in the end, Pickles was very happy with her share of the kittycake, and continued snacking on it throughout the evening. I have to interpret this as two paws up for the kittycake!  

Reminder: Do NOT feed your cat or dog chocolate. It will make them sick! The "pupcake" at Kickass Cupcakes is made of carob, which dogs can tolerate.

www.kickasscupcakes.com