Thanks, Garfield: How to get free Chewy ‘lasagna’ for your cat (or dog)
Free lasagna! For cats, that is.
Fans of movie star and comic-strip character Garfield the cat know that he loves lasagna.
But the recipe creators at Chewy, the Plantation-based online pet retailer, don’t want cats to eat the real saucy and spicy Italian dish. So they have concocted a feline-friendly combo made with cinnamon, flour, honey, applesauce and eggs.
Chewy reps will be giving out free samples on Tuesday, May 21, while supplies last, at the Good Luck Cat Cafe in Fort Lauderdale. The event marks the release of “The Garfield Movie,” which opens in theaters on Friday, May 24.
“The most beloved cat character is known as a lasagna lover, and we thought there was no better way to pay homage to the new movie than by bringing his favorite dish to cats in Chewy’s own backyard, especially those living in shelters and rescues waiting on their forever homes,” said Diane Pelkey, Chewy’s vice president of communications and public relations.
Chewy will offer the first taste of lasagna to cats that are available for adoption at the Good Luck Cat Cafe, which is run by Lady Luck Animal Rescue Inc. As the cafe is the domain of shelter cats only, patrons seeking free samples are asked not to bring their pets. (And for the dog owners out there, this lasagna is safe for canines to eat, too.)
The cafe is a small, bare-bones fundraising office for the rescue, with a few tables and snacks for sale.
“We’re not like a Starbucks where people come to work, it’s much more informal,” said Laura Summers, rescue vice president and manager of the volunteer-staffed cafe. “We do have Wi-Fi and bottled drinks and packaged snacks for donations. Some people come by for an hour to play with the cats.”
There are currently 10 cats on-site at the cafe and 60 in foster homes around South Florida, Summers said.
Open since 2016, the cafe has developed a long-term relationship with Chewy, with the retailer and other donors supplying the cats’ foster homes with everything they need, including food and veterinary care, Summers said.
Chewy is donating $250 worth of food, litter and treats to the cafe from its online wish list as part of the lasagna giveaway, Summers said. Chewy is also delivering free lasagna to Cats Exclusive Inc., a shelter and veterinary clinic in Margate.
“Lady Luck Animal Shelter and Cats Exclusive Inc. are part of our Chewy Gives Back network and frequently use our Chewy Wish List feature to ask community members for essentials for their cats,” Pelkey said. “In addition to providing lasagnas for both shelters, we’re donating items off their Wish Lists, such as food and litter.”
Chewy says this promotion likely will mark the end of the line for cat lasagna, as the company is not planning to sell it on its website. Unless, of course, there is enormous demand from cat-lovers, a spokeswoman said.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Free Chewy “lasagna” samples for pets
WHEN: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, while supplies last
WHERE: Good Luck Cat Cafe, 901 Progresso Drive, No. 202, Fort Lauderdale
INFORMATION: Call or text 754-216-3240.
