Hi Cat Lover!
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Here's what's in this issue:
Holiday gift page coming down...
Dog saves kitten from the trash...
World's longest cat!
Nebraska feral cat plan...
Cat food news... another recall
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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I hope you were able to download the gifts I put out
for you last month, on the Gift Page:
http://www.theproblemcat.com/giftpage/
If you haven't gotten those yet, better do it fast. I'm
taking the page down over the weekend now that the
holidays are over.
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New York__ A woman walking her dog down an alley
stopped when her dog showed extreme interest in a
box in a dumpster. She could hear a wee small voice
coming from the box, so she opened it up... to find a
tiny kitten! She took it to her vet, who said it should be
OK, but had suffered from exposure in this year's cold
weather. Story:
http://bit.ly/etyWK9
We occasionally get kittens that way here. Some "people"
think it's OK to throw away what they call "excess kittens"
in the trash.
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Stewie, the world's longest cat!
http://yhoo.it/axljxM
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LINCOLN, Neb. -- A report that recommends killing feral cats as a
way to control the animals, including a primer on how to shoot a
cat, is stirring emotions among bird and cat lovers.
A study at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln found that neutering
or spaying is ineffective at eliminating feral cat colonies, though
useful in reducing expansion of the colonies.
[If I remember correctly, trap-neuter-release was never about
ELIMINATING feral colonies, but about preventing expansion. In
that light, then, TNR still works.]
One official from the American Bird Conservancy calls the report
"a must read" for communities with a feral cat problem.
But critics note that wild cats help control rodent populations, and
say habitat destruction, herbicides and other issues are a bigger
threat to birds than the cats.
They also question the report's finding that feral cats' killing of
birds costs the U.S. $17 billion. They claim that bird watchers,
hunters and others spend that much on their hobbies.
Apparently, stray and feral cats do make an impact on bird
populations. So what happened to the balanced ecological
systems that allowed the existence of both species? And what
can be done?
Humans caused this imbalance and simply erasing all cats
from the outdoors will not fix it. When one species is "controlled"
by eliminating it, another species takes over and becomes the
next pest. [We had a lot of starlings on our property last summer,
and our cats would have nothing to do with them. Those birds
are the noisiest, nastiest, dirty birds ever, and I had to resort to
shotgun blasts to scare them away.]
For now, perhaps the best strategy, until a better one comes
along, is to stop abandoning cats. Many people still believe
that cats can easily "go wild" and so they dump them off in
rural areas, or just leave them in the back yard when they move.
Actually, feral cats CAN become great pets, with a little effort
(or a lot) - but first they need to be spayed, neutered, and adopted to
caring homes or farms.
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CAT FOOD NEWS
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Yet Another Petfood Recall
Just released, Jan. 4 - Investigators found high levels of aflatoxin,
a poisonous substance created by a fungus, in some of the corn
grains used to make petfood at the Delight Products plant in
Springfield, Tennessee.
Brands affected include Pet Pride, Old Yeller and Kroger Value.
The products were sold in 19 states before a recall was announced
in December.
The FDA is still looking into it and has not made their findings
public yet. The toxin can cause sluggishness, severe bloody diarrhea
and even death in some animals.
For more information on this recall, customers can call Kroger at
1-800-632-6900, or visit http://www.kroger.com/recalls
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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, but it can only be done once per day.
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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How to report a petfood complaint:
http://bit.ly/4E9bZj
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Here are two sites that provide the latest info on what's
being recalled:
1. www.avma.org/petfoodsafety/recalls/default.asp
(from the American Veterinary Medical Association -
a review of all the latest petfood recalls and alerts.)
2. www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/newpetfoodrecalls
(from the US Food and Drug Administration)
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STUFF FOR CATS (and cat lovers)
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Books:
http://www.theproblemcat.com/misc/catscapades.html
http://www.theproblemcat.com/misc/petpoetry.html
http://www.theproblemcat.com/makecatsadoreyou.html
Furniture:
http://www.thebestcatfurniture.com
Insurance:
1. http://www.everypetmatters.com
2. Call 1-866-861- 9092 to reach the ASPCA about their
new insurance plans. They're giving the first month free.
Then premiums start at 8.50 per month.
Toys:
http://www.moodypet.com/flingamastring.html
Thanks to Karen for this info!
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WEB SITES to explore
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List of free or low cost Spay/Neuter by State:
http://www.animalliberationfront.com/Practical/Pets/FreeNeuterByState.htm
http://www.GoPetFriendly.com
Resources for pets when you travel
Video on pets choking
http://www.veterinarysecretsrevealed.com/choking/
Pet Poison Helpline
http://urbanpawsmagazine.com/archives/1137
http://www.theproblemcat.com/letsmove/
How to move when you have pets
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A SMILE FOR YOU
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-------- LATEST VIDEO -----------
Check out the video on my website, at the bottom of the page.
http://www.theproblemcat.com
It shows a friend's cat playing with a toy on a string.
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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.
5. http://www.operationroger.rescuegroups.org/
A truck drivers' network that helps transport animals long
distances to their new homes.
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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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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 cat's picture!
http://twitter.com/drbert
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Roberta, the Cat Lady
mskitty @ theproblemcat.com
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