Hello fellow cat lover,
Here's what's in this issue:
More cats with the flu...
Declawing law in California...
Travel newsletter for pets...
Cat care DVD...
Pet food info...
Make your own cat toy...
Web sites to explore...
A smile for you...
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NEWS FOR CAT LOVERS
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Remember that poor cat in Iowa a couple weeks ago?
The first cat to be confirmed with the swine flu?
The news media went nuts covering that bit of news.
But now there are two more. One in Utah, and one in
Oregon. However, the one in Utah recovered, and the
one in Oregon did not. Sadly, he died Nov. 7. However,
that cat was not confirmed to have had the H1N1 flu. So
far, it's only presumed to be the "swine" flu.
Read more here, and note that health officials would
like us to call it the North American flu now, not Swine flu.
http://www.avma.org/public_health/influenza/new_virus/
Thanks to Diana for sending this in.
--------------------
California rushes to pass anti-declawing laws.
http://tr.im/F73X
---------------------------
Do you like to travel with your cat? We took our cat,
Twister, with us to Alaska in 1995, a one month trip.
There were challenges, of course, and I wish there had
been a newsletter to help, like this one:
takeyourpet.com - Pet Travel Newsletter
Thanks to Bob for this info!
---------------------------
Make some holiday cash + help cats. I just set up an affiliate
program for my cat book, How to Make Your Cat Adore You,
here - http://bit.ly/helpcats
You probably already have this book, so you know what the
advice can do for you and your kitty. Help others with their cats, too,
plus make a 50% commission when you sell them.
We won't get rich doing this, but it could raise a few bucks
for holiday shopping, plus help others learn how to get along
with their cats.
------------------------
In case you did not get my email about the cat care DVD
I'm trying to give out, you can still get one, here:
http://www.hipaws.com/DVDoffer.html
They're in the way, but I'm not going to throw them
out. I've tried giving them away at garage sales, and no one
here wants one. If you knew this area, it wouldn't surprise you,
either.
Anyway, it costs more than I have to mail out more than a
couple, so if you'd like one, just go to that web site and follow
the link to the shipping page. THANKS.
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CAT FOOD NEWS
===================================
According to Petfood Industry.com, the magazine for petfood
manufacturers and distributors, the trend to humanize our pets
is gathering momentum and will likely continue to be the driving
force for industry growth in 2010.
One of the most interesting things that's happening with petfood
now is the use of exotic ingredients.
I'm talking about unusual things like beaver meat, possum, sea
cucumber, wild boar, and eel, plus weird veggies and fruits, like
chia, bok choy, yumberries, goji berries, and amaranth. Hailed
as antioxidants, you'll also see herbs such as milk thistle, boswellia
serrata, wild yam, slippery elm, astragulus, angelica root and
many others seen in health food stores for people.
Why all this new ingredient frenzy? Pure marketing. With so much
competition for consumers to buy products, some companies feel
they need to get crazy to get our attention.
These unusual ingredients are probably safe, even though they
aren't really part of a "natural" diet. But companies tend to think of
us as getting bored with the same old stuff, so some of them do everything
they can to get us to buy from them. Cat food is sold to the owner, not
the cat. So it is WE who must be impressed, apparently.
The problems with exotic ingredients include cost, of course, as well as
the unproven nutritional status of basically unknown items that haven't
been used for pets. According to the article, the new ingredient
marketing push is the fastest growing segment of the petfood industry
right now.
As for me and my cats, I think we'll stick to the foods they are
familiar with. They aren't complaining!
------------------
If you ever need to report a petfood problem, here's a website
to help you do that:
http://bit.ly/4E9bZj
-------------------
Help Feed Shelter Animals
Don't forget to visit these sites as often as you can
to click on the shelter-feed links. There is no cost to you
to do this, but it can only be done once per day.
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/ (Just click to donate)
http://pets.care2.com/i?p=868775137 (click to donate)
http://www.freekibblekat.com/ (Answer a trivia question...
even a wrong answer gives a donation.)
You can sign up for their daily reminders, too, if you need
a little nudge, like I do.
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STUFF FOR CATS
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Thanks to Lee for sending this in! I've made a few of
these myself, and my cats just love them!
10 Steps to a Fun Homemade Catnip Toy
Help your kitties avoid boredom and get some exercise too,
with this fun toy:
Here is what you'll need to make one:
1. Two pieces of felt or flannel, about 4 inches round or square
2. Cotton batting for fill (polyester fiberfill works, too)
3. Sewing supplies, such as needle and thread, scissors,
(try pinking shears for a fun edge effect), and a thimble if you
are like me and need to protect your fingers or thumb.
4. Some catnip
Here's how to put it together:
5. Cut the material into circles or squares (or even a triangle),
using straight scissors (or the pinking shears). Use your
imagination for colors.
6. Cut or form the batting into the same shape as the
material you just cut, only a little smaller.
7. Start sewing the edges down, leaving a small opening
to close last. You can either sew this with the filler in place,
or stuff it in with the next step.
8. Sprinkle some catnip into the opening. Be generous.
9. Now sew the remaining edges together to close the toy.
(You can either hand stitch this toy, or use a sewing
machine, using a zig zag stitch.)
10. If you choose to decorate it, be careful not to use
string, ribbon, buttons or lace. It's best to embellish the
toy with a child safe marker pen, for example. But this
is probably more for the human than for the cat. Mine
don't seem to care how it looks... only how it smells and
bounces or flies through the air!
You can also attach this toy to a string on a "fishing" pole to
create an interactive toy that you can enjoy with your kitty.
They are so easy and quick to make, why not make several?
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WEB SITES to explore
===================================
Veterinarian writes new book on cat care:
http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20090923-BIZ-909230311
Nationwide veterinarian directory:
http://www.healthcarehiring.com/veterinarians/
Flea Control Secrets
http://451f4xodu61fjns0ucg0iydp7l.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=FLEAS
Pet Poison Helpline
http://urbanpawsmagazine.com/archives/1137
How to Move When You Have Pets
http://www.theproblemcat.com/letsmove/
Information about pet insurance
http://www.everypetmatters.com
http://www.thebestcatfurniture.com
(Because every cat deserves to be comfortable!)
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A SMILE FOR YOU
===================================
Play with these virtual pets on your computer:
http://www.foopets.com
Jilted cat... hilarious video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih6W19KTlZo&feature=related
Thanks to Al for sending this one!
-------- LATEST VIDEO -----------
Check out the video on my website, at the bottom of the page.
http://www.theproblemcat.com
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TAKE ACTION TO HELP ANIMALS IN NEED
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This shelter in Texas lost 115 animals, mostly cats, due to
a fire that destroyed their facility last month.
One thing we can do to help them is to send donations to them
at their web site to help them rebuild. What a tragedy!
Cen-Tex Humane Society - budurl.com/kltx
-----------------------------
The following links are to sites of a more general nature and
involve action steps we can take, such as signing petitions, or
donating to a local shelter, etc.
http://www.dosomething.org/whatsyourthing/Animal+Welfare
5 quick, easy ways to help rescue pets NOW! http://bit.ly/1YfBeo
====================================
Do you have any interesting stories to share about your
cats? Send them in and I'll put them here in
this newsletter. (Include your name and website
if you have one, and I'll give you a "plug" for
your website. Or, anonymous is OK, too. It's
up to you.)
===================================
Are you on Twitter yet? Anyone want to "follow" me?
Just go here, get an account (free, easy, fast), then
click on the Follow button under my picture!
http://twitter.com/drbert
PS - I'm still trying to figure out how Facebook works...
In other words, if you send (or sent) me a Friend request
and I haven't responded, it isn't because I haven't tried.
There does seem to be something wrong with my account
as there is no way for me to accept Friend requests.
You could email me and I'll send a Friend invitation and
see if it works from my end.... just an idea...
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If you ever want to review past issues, here is where
they are stored:
https://www.ymlp.com/pubarchive.php?catsgalore
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