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Here's what's in this issue:
Declaw survey...
Notes from readers...
Cat litter review...
Cat food news...
Stuff for Cat lovers...
Web sites to explore...
A smile for you...
Take Action...
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NEWS FOR CAT LOVERS
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To declaw or not declaw? According to a recent online survey by the
Associated Press Petside, about 60% of American pet owners
(and 55% of cat owners) think it's OK to amputate a cat's toes.
By comparison, only 8% of pet owners felt it was OK to de-bark a dog.
There is a user poll you can take if you care to contribute your
opinion.
Here is the website:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/15/AR2011021500555.html
-------------------------From My Readers.................
I have a funny/cute story about my daughter's cat, Spartacus.
I was making acorn squash for dinner, and had just cut
open the squash. I was scooping the seeds out of one half, to
see the cat eating the raw squash half left on the counter.
He also loves cauliflower and avocado, and will beg for it!
Strange cat! :-)
Jean
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Best wishes to Henri, a gorgeous two-year-old kitty who
lives with Nancy. He had surgery two days ago to repair
a deep cut on his hind leg. He's a strictly indoors cat, so
we don't know how he got hurt. So far, his biggest annoyance
seems to be having to wear that darn E-collar!
Keep us posted on his progress, Nancy!
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Several of you have been sending me Friend requests from
Facebook. I appreciate that... I really do. And I try to accept
them. However, I do not know how to use Facebook correctly
yet, and some people who have tried to help me think my
account may be corrupted. So if I have not accepted your
Friend request, it's not because I didn't try. It's because there
is no link to click and the request does not show up on my
Facebook page, under "Friends" or anywhere else. I don't get it.
If you know how to Friend me from your end, go ahead and
do so. Or, email me and help me figure it out.
Thanks to all my Friends!
-----------------------CAT LITTER TESTS---------------------
Cat litter is always a big topic amongst cat lovers, so
here's some more notes on my latest trial and error tests
with different products:
Several months ago, I reviewed a product called Best Cob.
It's ground up corn cobs and is sold as animal bedding.
It's very absorbent and works well in the litter box, except
for one thing: no odor control.
It's less dusty than standard kitty litter, made of clay.
But nothing helps with the odor, so I used up what I had
and will not buy more. It's not that much cheaper anyway.
This month, on the advice of some friends, I bought something
very similar to Feline Pine. There is an Equine Pine on the
market that's pretty much the same thing but cheaper, but
no one here sells it. Nor does anyone carry Fresh & Cozy,
another pine bedding material that was recommended.
So I bought the only other product at the feed store that
is similar. It's called Superior Bedding. A 40 lb sack costs
7 bucks. It smells a lot like Feline Pine, so I figured I was in
luck. It may work for you if you like Feline Pine, and will save
you some bucks, too.
However, I probably won't buy any more. It's absorbent, but
again, the odor control is an issue. Once the pellets are soaked,
there is nothing to do but discard them immediately. And since
it doesn't clump at all, I have gone through this stuff faster than
the old sandy litter. Mixing it with sand helps a little.
One thing I totally advise against, though, is getting anything
in the wood shavings category. With cats using it, your house
will look like someone had a pillow fight in there. (Guess how
I learned that!)
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CAT FOOD NEWS
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Here is an interesting article about using caution so our kitties
don't get into things they shouldn't eat:
http://www.blogpaws.com/2011/02/curiosity-can-kill-the-catand-the-dog.html
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http://bit.ly/4E9bZj (How to report a petfood complaint)
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Here are two sites that provide the latest info on what's
being recalled:
1. http://www.avma.org/petfoodsafety/recalls/default.asp
(from the American Veterinary Medical Association -
a review of all the latest petfood recalls and alerts.)
2. http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/newpetfoodrecalls
(from the US Food and Drug Administration)
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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://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.)
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 (and cat lovers)
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NEW FROM Dr. JONES:
http://bit.ly/fvz5d7 Latest video on pet food and nutrition.
Also, read about his travails with his veterinary licensing
issues and why he closed his practice. It's all on his web
site.
BOOKS:
http://www.theproblemcat.com/misc/catscapades.html
http://www.theproblemcat.com/misc/petpoetry.html
http://www.theproblemcat.com/letsmove/ How to Move With Pets
http://bit.ly/daZr9h - Flea Control Secrets
FURNITURE:
http://www.thebestcatfurniture.com
(Because every cat deserves to be comfortable!)
INSURANCE:
http://www.everypetmatters.com
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WEB SITES to explore
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Try it out --- send a talking cat E-card!
You choose what to say and it either generates the
audio, or you can phone in your own voice.
http://petzume.com/Petzume/blog/73/
Helpful information if you're traveling with your pet:
http://www.GoPetFriendly.com
Video on pets choking
http://www.veterinarysecretsrevealed.com/choking/
Nationwide veterinarian directory:
http://www.healthcarehiring.com/veterinarians/
Flea Control Secrets http://bit.ly/daZr9h
Pet Poison Helpline (Note, this is a new URL. The one
I've listed in previous issues is no longer online.)
http://www.pacc911.org/Poison_Control.html
Keep this information "on top," that is, don't bury
it in a notebook or on your computer. When (if) you
should need it, you don't want to waste time looking for it.
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A SMILE FOR YOU
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This story has been shown on several TV shows!
You may have seen it already. Pretty funny...
Dusty the klepto kitty - http://bit.ly/gyMzu2
-------- LATEST VIDEO -----------
Check out the video on my website, at the bottom of the page.
http://www.theproblemcat.com
It's another Simon's Cat video. These are hilarious!
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TAKE ACTION TO HELP ANIMALS IN NEED
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These sites provide up to date information on how to help animals:
1. http://www.pet-abuse.org
If you're so inclined, it's a good resource to find petitions to
sign, letters to write, or other actions we can take to help pets in
abuse situations.
2. http://www.dosomething.org/whatsyourthing/Animal+Welfare
A good resource for helping people decide what kinds of help best
fit their own abilities and interests.
3. http://bit.ly/1YfBeo
Five quick, easy ways to help rescue pets NOW!
4. http://www.hipaws.com/help.html
Help feed the kitties that didn't get adopted. There is a secure
PayPal donation button at the bottom of the page.
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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.)
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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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Roberta, the Cat Lady
mskitty @ theproblemcat.com
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