A few weeks ago, a wonderful surprise arrived at Paws and Effect HQ. The gang got a chance to review the latest and greatest of the mail-order pet gift packages: PetBox, which bills itself as the only monthly pet goody box where you get to pick what’s in the box.

The contents of my PetBox. As you can see, somebody’s already been into the catnip banana!

When I decided what I wanted to include in my box, I specified that any food or treats needed to be grain-free and low-carb, but beyond that, anything was fair game.

So, let’s see how the gang liked it.

Bella was the first to check out the box.

Naturally, Bella was also the first to explore the offerings.

Not to be outdone, here comes Thomas … “Hmm, I smell catnip!”

Thomas and Bella attempt to share.

The catnip banana was the first big hit: Thomas stole it out of the box before I could even set up the product shot.

Overall, the catnip was the huge hit of the day, and with good reason: The Yeowww! catnip toys sent in the PetBox are filled with super-fresh catnip that even made me feel a little giddy.

Thomas went crazy over the Yeowww! Catnip Treats

*mfff, snarf*

ERMAGERD KERTNERP!

Mine, mine mine — all mine!

Once Thomas and Bella got out of the way, Siouxsie decided she’d check out one of the Yeowww! toys.

Obviously Siouxsie found it quite satisfactory, too.

The only thing that disappointed me about the PetBox is that the treats I got really were not low in carbohydrates. They certainly are grain-free, but they contain “substitute carbs” and unfortunately some sugar, too, which means they’re a non-starter here at Paws and Effect HQ because Bella is diabetic and Thomas’s digestive system is highly intolerant to grains and carbs.

The Kong whitefish moist treats, for example, contain vegetable glycerin, cultured dextrose, blueberries and cranberries. The Buddy Biscuits contain chickpea flour, potato flour, maple syrup, tapioca starch and vegetable glycerin.

I don’t hold this against the PetBox people because the whole grain-free and low-carb thing is pretty new to many cat product manufacturers and retailers. I hope PetBox will consider searching out cat products that really are nothing but meat, such as freeze-dried chicken chunks and the like.

Ultimately, though, our PetBox got 3 Paws Up, and it would have gotten a full 4 if the gang could have enjoyed the treats they sent along!

Bonus: the PetBox makes a perfect kitty-sized bed!

Full disclosure: I received a free PetBox, but I have not received and will not receive any further compensation. The opinions expressed here are my own, and your results — along with your opinion of the product — may vary.