Hello Cat Friend,
Today's subjects include:
The plot thins and thickens on the pet food recall...
Summertime precautions for our pets...
New web site...
A reader shares a story about her cat...
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PET FOOD RECALL UPDATE
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As you may remember, the pet food recall primarily
involved the pet food industry's major ingredient
provider, Menu Foods.
Now that the emergency appears to be over, many
companies are mopping up the mess with public
relations campaigns and better manufacturing
practices.
However, Menu Foods is a supplier to the major
companies and was not known by the consumer public.
Therefore, they do not have an image to protect
or polish, and no brand name associated with
them to fall back on.
This means that, as a company, they have lost
the trust of the companies they were supplying,
and thus, their stock shares have dropped about
25% in value. (According to the magazine, Petfood
Industry, June 2007)
Despite the fact that they were not found to
be responsible for the tragedy, they will
nevertheless suffer consequences they may not
be able to recover from, as pet food companies
switch to other suppliers.
Critics, however, still feel it serves them
right, as they could have averted much of the
tragedy by alerting the public sooner. But they
did not. Just when did they know the Chinese
suppliers were sending them contaminated
product?
Meanwhile, the plants in China are reported to
be closed while the investigation continues.
An interesting statistic I found revealed that
only about 50% of pet owners are concerned about
finding new sources or means of feeding their
pets.
That piece of data can't be analyzed on its
own, because it can be interpreted a number of
ways. It could indicate that people believe
that their pet food is fine now, now that the
problem has been fixed, or it could mean that
some owners aren't too worried about it, no
matter what. (An acquaintance of mine may be
representative of that group. She said, "Oh
well, they're just animals.")
But it should concern us all, because it points
to the larger issue of food supply safety for
everyone. The FDA (Food & Drug Adminstration)
admits they only have the means to inspect about
1% of all food ingredient shipments into this
country.
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TIP OF THE MONTH
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Depending on where you live, summertime is now
officially here and it's getting hot. Some parts
of the planet are entering winter and it's cold,
so winter care for pets applies.
But for those of us dealing with our pets in the
heat, here are some basic tips I'm sure everyone
is aware of. Feel free to pass these along to
anyone who may need a reminder... such as that
certain neighbor who doesn't seem to remember
that heat can be deadly to pets. Or, go to the
HSUS web site to order posters or reminder cards
to pass around your area.
1. Never leave a pet in a closed vehicle.
Temperatures can easily and quickly exceed 120
degrees.
2. Always provide plenty of fresh water.
3. Animals are like people when it comes to
doing too much in the heat and usually prefer
to lie around. Be sure to provide a shady area
whenever they are outdoors.
4. Use extreme caution with garden and yard
chemicals, for obvious reasons. Use the same
precautions as you would for children. Remember,
cats are especially curious... a lot like the
kids!
5. Fleas and ticks are more numerous during
the hot months. Check with your vet for the
best pest control for your pet. Don't buy over
the counter remedies without asking your vet
about them first. Some are extremely toxic.
And others may not do the job.
6. If your pet becomes overheated, cool him
down as quickly as possible. Spray cool (not
cold) water on his body, apply cold packs to his
head and neck, let him lick ice cubes, call
the vet for further advice. If he has passed
out, run to the vet immediately.
6. If traveling with your pets, be sure they
are wearing collars and ID tags!
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WEB SITES
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I am putting the finishing touches on my new
web site, www.catmassagesecrets.com...
let me know if you have any questions or
comments.
Thanks!
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A SMILE FOR YOU ;-)
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Danni Phillips of Australia has graciously allowed
me to share an especially heartwarming story
about how she and her cat enjoy traveling together.
I put it on my website, here:
http://www.theproblemcat.com/articles/cat-travel-story.html
Thanks, Danni!
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Do you have any fun 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 site. Or, anonymous is OK, too. It's
up to you.)
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