Hi Cat Lover!
I hope you had a fun Fourth of July if you're in the U.S. and
a Happy Canada Day if you're in Canada. Everyone else,
I hope you've had a good time, too!
Here's what's in this issue:
Cat litter linked to suicide risk?
What to do about a pet locked inside a car...
Cat food news...
My search for the right food...
Recalls...
Shelter feed links...
Web sites to explore...
A smile for you...a new video on my web page!
Take action...
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NEWS FOR CAT LOVERS
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Study Links Cat Litter Box to Increased Suicide Risk
http://news.yahoo.com/study-links-cat-litter-box-increased-suicide-risk-194116398--abc-news-health.html
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What would you do if you saw a pet locked inside
a car on a hot day?
This is not a cat story, but it could be. And it is
true. It just happened a few days ago.
My daughter was visiting me when her cell phone
rang and she noticed it was from a friend who was
traveling and was 3 states away. She wouldn't have
called if it weren't important. She wanted to know
what to do about a dog that was locked inside the
car next to hers in a big parking lot.
Curled up on the floor in what had to be 120 degrees,
he wasn't moving. She waited 15 minutes for the owner
to return. No one did. So she called for advice.
Luckily, I had just seen this article on the Internet:
http://www.care2.com/causes/what-to-do-when-you-see-a-dog-in-a-hot-car.html
So we gave her this advice:
1. Call local police or 911 first, then...
2. Go into the store or restaurant that is the most
likely to be where the owner is. Have them announce
the situation on their public address system. Be sure
to get the license number, make or type of vehicle,
and color.
3. Some states allow you to break a window, but be
careful with that. In most cases, you could be in
trouble for damages. (You could ask the operator when
you call 911 if it's OK in that state.)
4. Be prepared to get yelled at. People who are dumb
enough to leave an animal in a hot car are not the
type to be grateful that you made an issue of it, even
if it saves their pet's life.
My daughter's friend called back to let us know
how it went.
The dog's owner finally came out to her car and
immediately started yelling at this "meddler."
She said the dog was fine and then blamed the dog
for causing the problem because he had knocked the
sun shade out of the window. (As if that could cool
the interior of the car! Maybe he was just looking
for a way out!)
Next, the police arrived, at which point she left
because she feared getting yelled at again. But
she can feel good that she did the right thing.
Has anything like this happened to you?
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CAT FOOD NEWS
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It is becoming more and more difficult to find some
decent food for these cats!
As you know, if you've been with me a while, I have
been through several different brands of cat food
this past year, searching for the one we can live with.
Last year, we switched to Taste of the Wild, and once
the cats were used to it, we were all thrilled. It was
affordable, though not cheap, and the cats learned to like
it. There was less vomit and litter box messes. The
chubby cats regained a normal weight. In the end, the cost
of this product equalled what we were paying for Purina.
And then there was the recall. So I switched to Evanger's.
But it took hours of searching to find another brand that wasn't
on a recall list or too expensive to consider.
But the cats didn't like it. They ate it, but they weren't
happy. And while it was not recalled, we discovered
it wasn't what we expected. The company was in trouble with
the FDA on production procedures. The ingredient list was
dishonest! The product didn't contain what they said it did.
So I went back to searching and found Meow Organic.
Very expensive, but it seemed OK: Small family-owned company,
personalized attention, a little room for negotiation.
However, it's been a month since I ordered and only 4 sample
bags have been delivered. The rest of my 75 pound order is still
"on its way." I had to run to the store for an emergency
bag of Purina. It's all I could do, and the cats had to eat
that for 3 days until the samples even got here.
They like it, of course, but I was suddenly back to cleaning up more
messes.
Meanwhile, I went ahead and ordered more Taste of the Wild.
It's off the recalls now, so I decided to go ahead. We must
have some food here!
As for the Meow Organic, I'm not sure what to do when the
rest of my order arrives. The cats are NOT happy with the
samples. I have to say, it's weird stuff. The kibbles are
light weight and round, slightly larger than what the cats
are used to. It almost reminds me of corn puffs cereal. (Do
they still make that stuff?)
I now wish I had just gotten their samples first to see
if it was going to work for us. What a waste of time and
money.
So, with that in mind, I just ordered a collection of cat
foods that are not on any recall lists and are within the price
range of what we're used to. The new order should be here in
a week or so and I'll do some taste tests and report back to
you. Here is what I just ordered (all small bags):
Felidae Chicken Meal and Rice Formula
Earthborn Holistic Wild Sea Catch Grain Free
Nutri Source Cat and Kitten Chicken Salmon and Liver
AvoDerm Natural Chicken and Herring Meal Formula
If you have used any of these, drop me a line and tell us
about it. Also tell me what petfood you're using and how
your cat likes it.
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If you want to keep up with the recalls, here are
some sites to watch:
1. http://www.avma.org/petfoodsafety/recalls/default.asp
(This site is current as of May, 2012. It will not be updated
until August, 2012, as they are redesigning their website.)
2. http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/newpetfoodrecalls
3. http://diamondpetrecall.com/
4. http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm255000.htm
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Help Feed Shelter Animals
Don't forget to visit these sites as often as you can and
click on the shelter-feed links. There is no cost to you
to do this.
http://clicktogive.com/Animal-Care.aspx
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/
http://pets.care2.com/i?p=868775137
http://www.freekibblekat.com/ (Answer a trivia question...
even a wrong answer gives a donation.)
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WEB SITES to explore
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http://www.cedarcidestore.com/best_yet_cats.html
-----------------------------------
Here's a neat site with some great products for
anyone who's traveling with their pets this summer:
http://www.dryfur.com/affiliates/a-35
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A SMILE FOR YOU
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From Mary B, who bought my Fiverr gig and made a video.
"Don't forget the noms, hoomin!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t83q8Ya_ek
Nice job, Mary!
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Check out the video on my website, at the top of
the page. (Kitty in slow motion)
http://www.theproblemcat.com
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TAKE ACTION TO HELP ANIMALS IN NEED
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How to help animals:
1. http://www.hipaws.com/help.html
Help feed the ones that never got adopted.
2. Always remember to check with your local shelter
to see what they need. Your donation will go directly
to the animals, in sharp contrast to some of the large
national groups, whose donation income goes toward
large administrative salaries and other expenses, not
necessarily for animals. The only large rescue I endorse
is http://www.deltarescue.org.
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Watch for your next issue of The Kitty Times in 2 weeks!
Purrs and nosetaps,
Roberta, the Cat Lady
mskitty @ theproblemcat.com
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