There are many wonderful things about Ted and Al. One of them is that they are picky eaters – they pick the cheapest dry cat food in the grocery store. Well, almost. They won't eat food from a plain white bag, but whatever's on sale is their favorite, whether it's Friskies, Meow Mix or Kibbles 'n Bits.

On their first Thanksgiving, I treated Ted and Al to canned Fancy Feast, and they wouldn't touch it. They had to have their dry food. Bless their hearts.

They also don't steal food off of dinner plates – human food is apparently second-rate. They will beg for peanuts when they see the Planters jar, but mostly they like to bat the nuts around the floor.

I once had two cats who had been born in the wild and tamed as kittens. The woman who trapped Slash and Ollie lured them with canned cat food. These boys not only turned up their noses at dry food, but they also were picky about the brand and flavor of their canned food. Friskies, no. Whiskas, yes. Turkey, no. Tuna, yes. And on and on.

So here I am ecstatic that Ted and Al are easy and cheap to feed when I come upon some Web sites that make me feel as if I should surrender to Animal Care & Control as a pet abuser. I read that kibble is full of starch that acts as "cement" to keep the poultry by-products in cute little shapes. Plus, those happy colors can't be good.

I did some more research and discovered I could be a really good cat owner and shell out $18 for a 6-ounce bag of premium food. Why not just feed them lobster and caviar?

Oh, yeah. Because Ted and Al wouldn't touch it.