It was my fault when Dolores became a fussy eater. For years she was happy with the cheapest kitty gruel on supermarket shelves, living a life in ignorance of the luxurious animal derivatives she could be feasting on.

All of that changed when I brought home a small tester sachet of premium cat food. Then it was game over for my bank balance. Where once she chowed down on cheap meat every meal time, now she saunters away from a full plate if it doesn't meet her lofty standards.

As we're discussing Dolores, and since the internet loves a cute cat picture, here she is in all her glory.

Isn't she a delight?

Anyway, as a result of Dolores's picky taste buds, much of my time online is spent tracking down variants of high-end food, finding that sweet spot between quality and value for money.

Enter Republic Of Cats, a premium wet and dry cat food subscription service that tailors your order to suit the needs of your feline pal. I was recently sent a 14-day taster pack of their wet wares to see how Dolores would take to it. Did it make her purr? Or was it like an unsightly hairball on the carpet? Let's find out.

Signing up

On signing up to Republic Of Cats, you'll be asked a series of questions about your pet – its weight, age, activity level, and any 'health goals' you'd like it to hit. Dolores's goals were to help with hairballs (a common problem amongst long-haired cats), to maintain her current weight, and to alleviate shedding.

As far as signing-up processes go it's impressively thorough, and lends authenticity to the idea that this is a bespoke service for your cat. We're off to a good start.

What's in the box?

My cat food arrived two days later in a box specially marked with Dolores's name on the side. I wasn't expecting much beyond a collection of tins, but to my surprise the cat food came with a wealth of documents explaining how the food chosen can help improve my cat's health and energy levels, based on the goals I selected online.

Dolores was similarly chuffed with the order.

It also informed me of a WhatsApp number for the company specially designed to give advice if you're struggling to stoke your cat's interest in the food. It wasn't a feature I had any need for, but it's a helpful touch nonetheless. The variety on offer was similarly welcome, with pate, shredded pieces, and gravies and stews in a selection of different flavours.

Included alongside the food tins was a sample of their dry food in fully recyclable packaging, and a charming set of cat-themed stickers. I tried to put a sticker on Dolores so we could have yet another cute photo for this article but, quite rightly, she was having none of it.

It's a great wee package. It doesn't only feel like a delivery, but an event.

Day one and beyond

Dolores's palate is refined by nature, so it was no surprise when she didn't take a shine to her first Republic helping. In this instance, I chose a pate from the selection. She sniffed it a few times, licked her lips then wandered off as though I had grievously insulted her.

Her response was to be expected. The documents that come with your order recommend that you get your cat excited for their first meal, but that was a tall order after Dolores had woken me up at six in the morning by patting me repeatedly on the face. I grumbled my way through her first meal, watched her reject it then swiftly headed back to bed.

Dinner time was far more successful, partly because I was in a less grumpy mood at five in the afternoon. I waggled the tin in front of her and received a series of excitable meows before she ran to her bowl. This time I chose from the Republic's selection of shredded pieces, and Dolores wolfed it down.

By day two I had hit pay-dirt. Now that Dolores was used to the idea that these mysterious tins were food she was overjoyed whenever they were pulled from the cupboard. She meowed and sniffed at the tins as they were opened and spooned into her bowl, and finished with barely a morsel left of the mixture. It was a response that she hasn't wavered from 10 days into my 14 day trial.

Yet she remains unconvinced by the pate in her selection. So for her next order I've simply gone into the Republic's online member's area and deselected the pates in the 'build your own order' menu, giving us more of what she likes and none of what she doesn't.

The verdict

As far as food goes, then, it's received plenty of praise from my pet cat, and it's given me the flexibility I need to alter my order whenever I need to, all without having to nip to the shops. Even once this trial has ended I'll be continuing my subscription. If Dolores could talk, I'm sure she'd agree with my decision.