Sadly, most of us have no idea what goes into our cats' diets. We trust the cat food manufacturers to produce a healthy and nutritionally balanced product, and that's precisely what they print on the bags. "Nutritionally Complete!" "Nutritionally Balanced for Your Cat!"
Oh really? Do you know what goes into this stuff?
It's horrendous, and is an atrocity to the trusting, pet-owning public. It's anything but healthy, and whatever their definition of "nutritionally complete" is defies the truth.
If something is not fit for human consumption, why does anyone feel it's OK to feed it to their pets?
OK, first thing to do is to read the ingredients on the bag or the can. If corn is listed first, in any form (meal, mash, etc.), then corn is the primary ingredient. Since when did cats become grain-eaters? Cats are CARNIVORES, not CORNivores.
Next, watch for "meat byproducts." Do you know what a byproduct is? It can be anything... anything at all... EXCEPT good meat. Mostly, it's "floor sweepings" from the processing plants (feces, urine, feathers, feet, plus scraps of whatever). Or, it's the mixed, mashed and cooked collection of dead animals collected from some very unsavory sources: veterinary offices (euthanized animals), restaurants (spoiled, discarded foods - not always meat), road kill, etc. Many are mixed in and cooked with their flea collars and tags still on!
Is this what you want to feed YOUR loveable cat?
I was first outraged when I discovered that the "filler" often added to pet foods (for weight) was plastic beads, ground into powder, from the recycling of milk jugs, for example. It's basically an inert ingredient and simply passes on through the animal's digestive tract. It has no nutrition in it whatsoever, and only temporarily satisfies their hunger. While it's not full of toxic chemicals, like those found in flea collars or euthanized pets full of the chemical used to kill them, it's atrocious that it's in there at all. (Would you feed your family shredded cardboard just to fill them up, while saving money on groceries?)
If your cat regularly vomits after eating, it's time to re-evaluate his diet, because he's being poisoned. This will shorten his life. More pets are turning up at veterinary offices with cancers and dying much younger, like 7 or 8 years old. The lifespan of a HEALTHY cat is closer to 20.
Concerned pet owners who learn of this have been switching to either premium products with guaranteed ingredients, or, as I am doing, preparing my own pet foods.
I used to think it was too expensive to buy the premium products. But you can look at this like this: a longer and healthier life for your cat, with fewer visits to the vet (which are expensive). I also learned that while it's more work to make it yourself, it's often less expensive than even the cheapie foods found at the store.
Now, I cut up a whole chicken every day. I found a source of antibiotic-free chicken for 43 cents a pound. Some of the supermarket brands of dry kibble, which are usually crap, can be as much as two bucks a pound, but the cheapest of them is still close to a dollar a pound.
Search around for pet food recipes online and investigate the costs and convenience of buying a good product that will keep your cats healthy. Aren't they worth it?
Pick up my free petfood recipe collections here:
The Problem Cat.
(Scroll down the center column of "Free Reports.")
Also, go to Amazon.com and look for the book, Food Pets Die For, by Ann Martin. Much of this information has been researched and documented in there, in case you want some proof.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Do you need to find your cat a new home?
If you find it necessary to help your kitty find a new home, say, for instance, when you have to move and cannot take the cat, there are precautions to take to ensure a best outcome for Miss Kitty or Mr. Cat.
Avoid placing "Free to Good Home" ads anywhere, as this can attract unsavory types to come get the cat and subject the poor thing to a life of horrors, or death. There ARE people who pretend to be nice in order to gather as many unwanted pets as possible in order to sell them to research companies, or their agents. These people are called "bunchers," and usually earn about 20 bucks per pet. The agents get much more from the labs, but the unhappy outcome is that Miss Kitty ends up in a lab being tortured in the name of "science."
You really need to screen people who ask about your pet. And you need to get references, and then CHECK them! Of course, those can be faked, too.
If you can, visit the home and see for yourself if you want your cat to go there.
Ask them questions like, how many cats have they had? How do they feel about declawing, and will they be doing that to your cat? If your cat is an indoor cat, will they be letting her run loose? Do they have dogs? Do they live on a busy street?
It can be helpful to visit with their veterinarian as well to get some outside opinions as to whether they are responsible pet owners.
If you get a "funny feeling" about anything, just back off and tell them you need time to think about it and may not actually give up your cat as you are too attached, etc. Then keep looking.
Avoid placing "Free to Good Home" ads anywhere, as this can attract unsavory types to come get the cat and subject the poor thing to a life of horrors, or death. There ARE people who pretend to be nice in order to gather as many unwanted pets as possible in order to sell them to research companies, or their agents. These people are called "bunchers," and usually earn about 20 bucks per pet. The agents get much more from the labs, but the unhappy outcome is that Miss Kitty ends up in a lab being tortured in the name of "science."
You really need to screen people who ask about your pet. And you need to get references, and then CHECK them! Of course, those can be faked, too.
If you can, visit the home and see for yourself if you want your cat to go there.
Ask them questions like, how many cats have they had? How do they feel about declawing, and will they be doing that to your cat? If your cat is an indoor cat, will they be letting her run loose? Do they have dogs? Do they live on a busy street?
It can be helpful to visit with their veterinarian as well to get some outside opinions as to whether they are responsible pet owners.
If you get a "funny feeling" about anything, just back off and tell them you need time to think about it and may not actually give up your cat as you are too attached, etc. Then keep looking.
Monday, April 07, 2008
HappyCat... a Very Cool Cat!
HappyCat is one of the best cats I've ever had. Even though I haven't really treated him any differently than all the other cats around here... and I've had plenty... he just turned out fantastic. That's how he got his name, in fact. He was always just so happy! Nothing ever ruffled him, and he accepted all the other cats that came and went around here, in connection with my rescue work. He even "mothered" some of the kittens that needed some extra attention until they were old enough to be adopted.
HappyCat came in as a kitten himself, and was even adopted rather quickly. Even as a little guy, it was obvious he was going to be the best cat. But the family that took him didn't keep good track of him, and let him out a lot without supervision, along with a few other behaviors that were not part of the adoption contract they signed.
So when he disappeared from their home and turned up at someone else's, I answered the call to pick up a stray cat and waited to see if the first familiy cared enough to call. They didn't. While I waited, HappyCat just kept on growing up and became a close personal pet. No way to let go of him after that... He's much too special.
HappyCat came in as a kitten himself, and was even adopted rather quickly. Even as a little guy, it was obvious he was going to be the best cat. But the family that took him didn't keep good track of him, and let him out a lot without supervision, along with a few other behaviors that were not part of the adoption contract they signed.
So when he disappeared from their home and turned up at someone else's, I answered the call to pick up a stray cat and waited to see if the first familiy cared enough to call. They didn't. While I waited, HappyCat just kept on growing up and became a close personal pet. No way to let go of him after that... He's much too special.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Loveable Cat Plans to be Busy This Year!
Welcome to 2008! Here are a couple of interesting bits of information to start your year off with a smile:
The cat, Nin, has just retired from his post on a mountaintop:
Read about him here, but if you miss the story's expiration date (Jan. 26), you can still read about him here.
And, for a bigger smile, here is a fun game to play during a coffee break:
Don't let the cat escape!
See you later with more goodies.
The cat, Nin, has just retired from his post on a mountaintop:
Read about him here, but if you miss the story's expiration date (Jan. 26), you can still read about him here.
And, for a bigger smile, here is a fun game to play during a coffee break:
Don't let the cat escape!
See you later with more goodies.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Can a cat use the computer?
Do your cats “help” you on the computer? Mine do. Here are some things they have actually done when I wasn’t looking:
Performed a Shut Down
Restarted the computer
Sent folders to the Recycle Bin
Deleted files and folders, somehow bypassing the Recycle Bin
Turned on the Key Filter (hold down the Right Shift key for 8 seconds)
Locked the Desktop
Turned on the Caps Lock
Opened multiple windows
Sent an email before I was done with it.
Erased an email while I was still writing it!
It finally dawned on me that I have one very easy option to protect myself, other than doing a Shut Down every time I need to walk away from my desk. And it was one of the things they had done to ME. Other than Logging Off, you can also do a much faster function: Lock the Desktop. Just press the Windows function key plus the letter L. When you get back, just mouse click the user button. It’s much like logging on, but it’s faster, because there is no actual login (because you didn’t log off), which can take a few minutes.
Performed a Shut Down
Restarted the computer
Sent folders to the Recycle Bin
Deleted files and folders, somehow bypassing the Recycle Bin
Turned on the Key Filter (hold down the Right Shift key for 8 seconds)
Locked the Desktop
Turned on the Caps Lock
Opened multiple windows
Sent an email before I was done with it.
Erased an email while I was still writing it!
It finally dawned on me that I have one very easy option to protect myself, other than doing a Shut Down every time I need to walk away from my desk. And it was one of the things they had done to ME. Other than Logging Off, you can also do a much faster function: Lock the Desktop. Just press the Windows function key plus the letter L. When you get back, just mouse click the user button. It’s much like logging on, but it’s faster, because there is no actual login (because you didn’t log off), which can take a few minutes.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Cats 'n' Clutter
Cats sure are helpful in dealing with clutter. One of my worst faults is collecting things. No, nothing as interesting as stamps or rocks or antique salt shakers. More like stacks of magazines I think I will get around to reading "some day." Of course, magazines aren't the only thing in these stacks. I also "collect" newspapers, some of the more interesting junk mail (to study, of course), and letters from friends who don't do email.
After a week or so, the pile gets a little high... not bad... but annoying.
So where do the cats come in? Well, they like to jump onto the table where this teetering pile rests, landing on the top magazine, sending themselves, along with several of the slippery publications, off on a slide adventure right back onto the floor.
If I'm not home for a few hours, I find quite a mess when I get back. Oh, not just a scatter of papers all over the floor... it's worse than that. Much worse. There is something about loose paper that attracts many cats. It's a mystery to me, but for some reason, they simply must urinate on it.
I don't get it. But that's OK. At this point, I have no choice but to throw the wet ones away. It's too late to care about reading them now, I'm sure you'll agree.
Although the lesson seems to be, don't let these things pile up, I still do it. I'll never learn, but at least the cats help keep the pile down.
After a week or so, the pile gets a little high... not bad... but annoying.
So where do the cats come in? Well, they like to jump onto the table where this teetering pile rests, landing on the top magazine, sending themselves, along with several of the slippery publications, off on a slide adventure right back onto the floor.
If I'm not home for a few hours, I find quite a mess when I get back. Oh, not just a scatter of papers all over the floor... it's worse than that. Much worse. There is something about loose paper that attracts many cats. It's a mystery to me, but for some reason, they simply must urinate on it.
I don't get it. But that's OK. At this point, I have no choice but to throw the wet ones away. It's too late to care about reading them now, I'm sure you'll agree.
Although the lesson seems to be, don't let these things pile up, I still do it. I'll never learn, but at least the cats help keep the pile down.
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Tips For Cats Looking For a New Home
So many cats are abandoned or given up at shelters. It is a multi-million dollar problem, as well as multi-million cat problem. So, to help all those unwanted cats, this little report aims to teach cats how to find new homes so their owners won't dump them, and so local animal control officials won't want to kill them.
When Radar got dumped, he managed to survive on the streets of his small town for several years, no small thanks to his amazing intelligence and street smarts. As a former house cat, he had no fear of humans, yet he sensed that humans could mean trouble, too. As a result, he remained wary and could only be approached by someone with a sincere concern.
He was eventually removed from the streets and alleys by a concerned neighbor who had heard that the animal control officer intended to do away with him as a pest. That's how he came to live at the shelter in another town. And that's where he met the kind lady in charge. They struck up a friendship, due primarily to Radar's efforts to win her heart, and within the year, he found himself living at her house.
But most cats are not that savvy and take the wrong approach. They hiss or growl - which puts a lot of humans off - or they hide in corners or under furniture. In this article, Radar will try to explain the right approach so other cats can find themselves in happy new homes, instead of consigned to a cage for many months, with no prospects in sight, leading ultimately, unfortunately, to that final trip to the back room and the big needle.
Making Friends With Humans
Cats are considered mysterious by most humans, so if you want a person to care about you, you must find a way to show that person you are not like other cats. That YOU can be trusted, and most importantly, that YOU will forever appreciate being saved.
Be Trustworthy
Being trustworthy can include many things. What most humans are looking for, though, is some assurance that you can be trusted NOT to do these things:
* bite the hand that feeds you
* pee in the corners
* scratch the furniture
* steal food off the kitchen counters
* climb the drapes
* poop outside your box
* howl all night
* play all night, knocking stuff over
* try to climb your human's leg when they are wearing shorts
* chew up the morning paper
* unroll the toilet paper
* bring nasty critters into the house as "gifts"
Being Affectionate
Humans love to be loved. Sure, you do, too, but since they are in charge, you must be the one to start it. It will make them want to keep you, because no one else ever did that before.
Snuggle up to them when they sit or lie down. Purr a lot. And I mean a LOT. This impresses humans. They take it as a sign of your undying love and devotion and pure contentment and joy at being in their presence. This is a valuable trait to develop, as most humans usually don't get this kind of attention from their other human contacts.
Stare lovingly and adoringly at them when they are watching TV. But don't do it when they are busy with something. They may misinterpret it as you being nosy, and some might even take it as you planning some nasty surprise. This is typical, as most humans are paranoid anyway. Just try to work around that and find their most vulnerable times to display your devoted attention.
Some humans hate being licked, so if you feel the urge to do so, try a few tentative licks now and then on their hand or arm, never on their face. If they like the brief hand-lick, you can proceed to a longer session. You might even find that special person who actually enjoys being licked on the face. But you have to work up to it. And don't forget, you have a sandpaper tongue, so keep these sessions short so you don't irritate them. They don't have fur, so it hurts after a while.
It's OK to follow your person around the house, as this shows you are interested in what they are doing, but avoid walking too closely to their feet. Humans are very clumsy beings and are easily tripped. If you trip one, you may find yourself outside again very quickly. And permanently. You do NOT want that to happen, because you may not get a second chance.
Be Clean
Humans have a different view of the world from cats, and you must learn that they do not appreciate certain things, such as bad smells, stains, and shredded things or fur scattered around their houses.
The best things you can do are to always use the litter box, don't shred anything unless they ask you to, and lick yourself to keep your coat shiny and smooth.
One last thing: Please try to refrain from vomiting on their carpets or furniture. Please try to do that, if you must, on a smooth floor, like the kitchen or bathroom, laundry room, or garage, or even better: the litter box. I've never met a cat yet that could do that, so if you could, you would be considered a unique and desirable cat above all others.
In conclusion, if you follow these brief and simple concepts, you should find yourself in a permanent new home with a great future!
If you want to learn more, just sign up for my person's newsletter. She's very nice to me and would be to you, too. I guarantee it! She loves answering questions, so be sure to send those in also.
From the happiest cat in the world,
Radar
I live with Dr. R.J. Peters in Nebraska
My advice:
Find a human to help you get to her web site, at
http://www.theproblemcat.com
Don't forget, her book, How to Make Cats Adore You, is written for the humans in your life, so try to get your person to buy it:
You can find it at http://www.theproblemcat.com/makecatsadoreyou.html
Good Luck!
When Radar got dumped, he managed to survive on the streets of his small town for several years, no small thanks to his amazing intelligence and street smarts. As a former house cat, he had no fear of humans, yet he sensed that humans could mean trouble, too. As a result, he remained wary and could only be approached by someone with a sincere concern.
He was eventually removed from the streets and alleys by a concerned neighbor who had heard that the animal control officer intended to do away with him as a pest. That's how he came to live at the shelter in another town. And that's where he met the kind lady in charge. They struck up a friendship, due primarily to Radar's efforts to win her heart, and within the year, he found himself living at her house.
But most cats are not that savvy and take the wrong approach. They hiss or growl - which puts a lot of humans off - or they hide in corners or under furniture. In this article, Radar will try to explain the right approach so other cats can find themselves in happy new homes, instead of consigned to a cage for many months, with no prospects in sight, leading ultimately, unfortunately, to that final trip to the back room and the big needle.
Making Friends With Humans
Cats are considered mysterious by most humans, so if you want a person to care about you, you must find a way to show that person you are not like other cats. That YOU can be trusted, and most importantly, that YOU will forever appreciate being saved.
Be Trustworthy
Being trustworthy can include many things. What most humans are looking for, though, is some assurance that you can be trusted NOT to do these things:
* bite the hand that feeds you
* pee in the corners
* scratch the furniture
* steal food off the kitchen counters
* climb the drapes
* poop outside your box
* howl all night
* play all night, knocking stuff over
* try to climb your human's leg when they are wearing shorts
* chew up the morning paper
* unroll the toilet paper
* bring nasty critters into the house as "gifts"
Being Affectionate
Humans love to be loved. Sure, you do, too, but since they are in charge, you must be the one to start it. It will make them want to keep you, because no one else ever did that before.
Snuggle up to them when they sit or lie down. Purr a lot. And I mean a LOT. This impresses humans. They take it as a sign of your undying love and devotion and pure contentment and joy at being in their presence. This is a valuable trait to develop, as most humans usually don't get this kind of attention from their other human contacts.
Stare lovingly and adoringly at them when they are watching TV. But don't do it when they are busy with something. They may misinterpret it as you being nosy, and some might even take it as you planning some nasty surprise. This is typical, as most humans are paranoid anyway. Just try to work around that and find their most vulnerable times to display your devoted attention.
Some humans hate being licked, so if you feel the urge to do so, try a few tentative licks now and then on their hand or arm, never on their face. If they like the brief hand-lick, you can proceed to a longer session. You might even find that special person who actually enjoys being licked on the face. But you have to work up to it. And don't forget, you have a sandpaper tongue, so keep these sessions short so you don't irritate them. They don't have fur, so it hurts after a while.
It's OK to follow your person around the house, as this shows you are interested in what they are doing, but avoid walking too closely to their feet. Humans are very clumsy beings and are easily tripped. If you trip one, you may find yourself outside again very quickly. And permanently. You do NOT want that to happen, because you may not get a second chance.
Be Clean
Humans have a different view of the world from cats, and you must learn that they do not appreciate certain things, such as bad smells, stains, and shredded things or fur scattered around their houses.
The best things you can do are to always use the litter box, don't shred anything unless they ask you to, and lick yourself to keep your coat shiny and smooth.
One last thing: Please try to refrain from vomiting on their carpets or furniture. Please try to do that, if you must, on a smooth floor, like the kitchen or bathroom, laundry room, or garage, or even better: the litter box. I've never met a cat yet that could do that, so if you could, you would be considered a unique and desirable cat above all others.
In conclusion, if you follow these brief and simple concepts, you should find yourself in a permanent new home with a great future!
If you want to learn more, just sign up for my person's newsletter. She's very nice to me and would be to you, too. I guarantee it! She loves answering questions, so be sure to send those in also.
From the happiest cat in the world,
Radar
I live with Dr. R.J. Peters in Nebraska
My advice:
Find a human to help you get to her web site, at
http://www.theproblemcat.com
Don't forget, her book, How to Make Cats Adore You, is written for the humans in your life, so try to get your person to buy it:
You can find it at http://www.theproblemcat.com/makecatsadoreyou.html
Good Luck!
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