If you’re just like me, and you prefer drinking in good company, you can now share a bottle of wine with your furry friend! Cat wine is on the market.
I’m a dogs-girl and sometimes I wonder “Who’s the pet?” Does this happen to you too? I remember attending a sort of dinner party once, in a winery, with one of my dogs sitting on my lap. I was done eating and I left some food on the plate. At a certain point, the gentleman on my right side started talking to me and I turned my head towards him for 2 seconds. When I turned my head back, I saw my pooch munching on a shrimp – stolen from my plate!!! 😱 Fortunately, nothing happened to him and I don’t feed him human food. But if you have a cat, you can share a bottle of “wine” with him/her without any worry.
Apollo Peak’s cat wine
That’s possible thanks to a Colorado-based (USA) company named Apollo Peak, which started producing a non-alcoholic cat wine in 2015.
The concept of cat wine emerged as a delightful way to foster social connection between humans and their beloved pets. The idea struck the creators with a simple question: “Why not share a drink with our canine and feline friends? We spend so much time with them that they are slowly becoming humans too, right?” This led to the development of a unique product crafted from entirely organic and natural ingredients, reflecting their commitment to providing a high-quality and enjoyable experience for pets. The company is also committed to making “a quality and fun product” that they would feed their own pets.
THE RECIPE
Apollo Peak’s CEO, Brand Zavala, came up with the recipe that uses only organic ingredients, such as water, organic catnip, organic beets (golden or red, for the colour) and sea salt, thus resulting harmless to cats, dogs and humans.
*** ATTENTION: please mind you that it’s not real wine. The term “wine” is used to allure the cat owners only. Alcohol is extremely dangerous to animals! Don’t give them any alcoholic beverage! *** Vets have given Apollo Peak’s “wines” the green light, as beets are considered non-toxic to pets. Either way, you might want to consult your vet before giving it to your kitten pal.
Mr. Zavala has told The Huffington Post that:
IT’S MADE LIKE A TEA, BUT SINCE WE GOT IT TO LOOK SO MUCH LIKE A WINE, WE WANT IT TO BE PERCEIVED AS A WINE BY THE CONSUMER – THAT WAY THEY CAN FEEL AS THOUGH THEY ARE HAVING A GLASS OF WINE WITH THEIR PET.
And it might indeed have a similar effect after all, as it’s made from catnip. This ingredient, a member of the mint family with around 250 species, holds the key to an extraordinary experience for cats. The essential oil in catnip, nepetalactone, can trigger a powerful response in sensitive felines, transforming even the laziest cat into an exuberant bundle of joy.
The catnip experience is primarily olfactory – when a cat catches a whiff of the herb, they go into a state of pure excitement. While the neurological explanation remains a mystery, experts speculate that catnip may mimic feline “happy” pheromones, activating receptors in the brain associated with those pheromones. Surprisingly, when ingested, catnip tends to have the opposite effect, inducing a sense of calmness that may lead the cat to enjoy a peaceful nap, perhaps on a caring human’s lap.
In addition to that, beets are used to lend the wine its rich color, reminiscent of a common human wine. The combination of catnip and beets creates a uniquely delightful product that bridges the gap between feline joy and human wine aesthetics.
CAT WINE VERSIONS
The cat wine is available in ten versions, in 1.6 fl oz./47.3 ml bottles (or 8 fl oz./236 ml bottle for Purrsecco):
- Pinot Meow
- MosCATo
- White Kittendel
- Catbernet
- Meowlot
- Meowgarita
- Meowmosa
- Meowtini
- Bloody Meowy
- Purrsecco
There’s a mix of wine and cocktail inspired names, but ok! 😅 I love the names and the labels, though! 😻
If you live in the USA, you can buy them on the company’s website (priced at $10 – except for Purrsecco, which goes for $15 a pop). However, they do ship internationally to several countries, including Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia.
The labels are cute, but the real boss and company’s spokes-cat, Apollo, is even cuter!!!
Nyan Nyan Nouveau
It’s not the first time we see a cat wine on the market, as the Nyan Nyan Nouveau (nyan nyan = meow meow in Japanese) made an appearance on the market prior to Apollo Peak’s. It was a beverage aimed at the Japanese feline market, made from Cabernet Sauvignon grape juice, vitamin C and catnip. Although it was alcohol free, I’m not sure if it was a safe product, due to the fact that grapes are toxic for cats (and dogs), so…maybe not a good idea?
My dog already curls up on my bed…on the couch…now he’ll demand wine too! 🤦♀️
Would you buy cat wine to your kitties?
