Archive for the ‘articles’ Category
Just One Way That Your Cat Controls You
Karen McComb 
is the lead author of a cat vocalization study performed at the University of Sussex. She got the idea of studying cat purrs while listening to her own cat purr, and noticing that cats seem to have a variety of purrs.
The University of Sussex study examined the acoustic structure of recorded cat purrs. The researchers decided that all purrs are not the same; some contain an “embedded, high-pitched cry.” Ten different cats purring were recorded and all human listeners in the study identified ‘solicitation purring’ sounds.
McComb explained that what cats seem to be doing for the special purr “is producing the low fundamental frequency and its harmonics by muscular activation” (that has been associated with typical purring) “but also voicing a cry, probably with the inner edges of the vocal folds, which is then superimposed on the sound’s frequency spectrum.”
Virtually all listeners, whether or not they owned a cat themselves, identified the solicitation purring sounds as being more urgent than others.
They believe that human sensitivity to this type of purring may be innate in humans, drawing from a primal drive to respond to crying babies. And you thought it was just purring…
If It Causes Cancer in Humans, Is It Safe For Your Cat?
About ninety percent of all cat litter sold is made from clay. Clay litter produces a lot of dust (although some brands claim that the type of clay they use produces a dust-free product), which contains silicon particles that have been established by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a known human carcinogen. 
A product made for humans called Moltan Absorbent is also made from the same ground clay as cat litter. It is manufactured for use in garages to absorb oil. This product must carry a warning label that reads, in part, “Aggregate contains crystalline silica. Crushing, grinding, or creating dust may cause exposure to a respiratory silicosis or cancer health hazard.”
Many brands of clay cat litter also include fragrance made from petrochemicals, also known to be carcinogenic.
Clay particles tend to cling to your cat’s fur and in-between their toes. In addition to leaving dusty cat prints on your floors, breathing these particles can cause respiratory infections.
A recent study actually found clay-based litter silica dust in cats’ lungs, and that cats with respiratory disease had up to six times the amount of silica in their lungs as healthy cats.
The clumping capability of sodum bentonite is due to its ability to swell to 15-18 times its dry size when exposed to liquids. This is great for absorbing cat urine. But when cats lick themselves clean and ingest the clay, it can prevent nutrient absorption and cause intestinal blockage as it swells when it gets exposed to intestinal liquids. Many veterinarians recommend not using clumping cat litter as the first litter for inexperienced young kittens, as they may experiment with the litter and eat it.
You can keep your cat safe by using natural cat litter made from corn or wheat. World’s Best Cat Litter is made from corn, it clumps well and is flushable, and contains no chemicals, perfumes, clays, silicas, bentonite, or any synthetic substances whatsoever.
Swheat Scoop is made from wheat, it is completely safe and non-toxic and the natural wheat enzymes work continuously to neutralize litter box odor, no matter how many cats you own.
Natural Pine Cat Litter is made of 100% pure, southern yellow pine pellets which instantly neutralizes ammonia odors and is safe and healthy for our cats and our planet.
Gorgeous Miss Gracie
My friend Becky over at Basically Becky sent me some pictures of her beautiful 5-month-old kitty, Gracie.
Becky has a really great blog that’s a mix of all kinds of interesting stuff, or as Becky puts it: “a general public record of my thoughts, opinions, ideas, useless bits of trivia, gossip and whatever else pops out of my head” Becky has also had a series of very sad and unfortunate events this past year so you may want to show some support by leaving a word of encouragement or a donation.
And without further ado, here’s Gracie!
Tired baby…
Gracie wants OUT!
You Can Win A Custom Watercolor Portrait of Your Cat!
My friend FISHER over at Ask Fisher is having a contest! And the prize is something amazing!
It is a real, hand-painted watercolor portrait of your cat, or pig or fish or whatever animal is high on your list of “adorable furry, finny or featherd friend”.
As if that’s not awesome enough, Fisher’s expertise is in giving advice on any issues or concerns that your beloved pet might be struggling with. The advice, by the way, is truly insightful and helpful. You can go on over to FISHER and read the rules of the contest right away because the winner will be notified on September 1, 2009 and that’s right around the corner.
Dr. Anne Scholl-Mealey: Helping the Homeless and Their Pets
The National Alliance to End Homelessness estimates Florida’s homeless population is about 25,000 to 65,000. 
About half of the nation’s homeless are unsheltered, and Feeding Pets of the Homeless estimates up to 24 percent of homeless people keep pets. That means as many as 162,000 pets are on the streets with their owners — about 68,000 of which are unsheltered. 
These homeless people are not only trying to take care of themselves, they are also trying to provide for the pets they love.
Dr. Anne Scholl-Mealey, a companion-animal practice owner and mother of two, has been volunteering her time and skills to care for pets of the homeless around greater Orlando for the last five years. 
According to Dr. Scholl-Mealey: “When you go out and you meet these people, they really are so grateful. I wish all my paying clients would show a little bit of thankfulness,” she says. “They really are grateful someone is coming out and helping them. They almost take better care of their pets than they do themselves.”
Maybe those of us who have so much to be thankful for could offer a simple prayer of gratitude and love to this wonderful woman.
High Levels of Flouride Found In Dog Food
Environmental Working Group (EWG) just released a new study that showed high levels of fluoride in eight of ten pet foods tested.
Eight major national brands of dog food marketed for both puppies and adults contained fluoride in amounts between 1.6 and 2.5 times higher than the EPA’s maximum legal dose in drinking water. These levels are higher than amounts associated with bone cancer in young boys in a 2006 study by Harvard scientists (Bassin 2006). All 8 brands contain bone meal and animal byproducts, the likely source of the fluoride contamination. So far, the names of the brands of dog food have not been disclosed! WHY?? It seems of course that sales are so much more important than the health of animals.
Food Pets Die For: Shocking Facts About Pet Food
Paw Naturaw Mixed Case of Organic Formulas for Cats and Dogs: 2-Count Organic Chicken Diets and 2-Count Organic Turkey Diets, 32-Ounce Bags (Pack of 4
Paw Naturaw Organic Chicken Formula for Cats and Dogs, 80-Ounce Bag
Is Flouride Safe For Cats?
Ninety percent of the fluoride added to our drinking water is hydrofluoric acid, a compound of fluorine that is a chemical byproduct of aluminum, steel, cement, phosphate, and nuclear weapons manufacturing. (Surprise!!)
Fluoride is also the active toxin in rat poisons and cockroach powder. Still thinking about giving you cat (or YOU) flouridated tap water? The National Research Council reported 84 percent of the population had dental fluorosis in areas where fluoride in the water exceeded 3.7 parts per million (ppm).
Flourosis is a systemic change, where excessive fluoride is incorporated into the structure of the teeth AND bones so it stimulates bone growth, but not NORMAL growth. Instead, it’s growth that damages cells at the ends of bones and causes osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer.
Fluoride is known to cause human cells to mutate. You can read The Fluoride Deception: An Interview with Christopher Bryson
The safest water for you and you cat is pure spring water bottled in glass, which is nearly impossible to find. The next best is water that is filtered with a high quality filter, such as the Berkey Light without LED w/ 2 Black Berkeys
Raw Cat Food !
Look at all the sources for raw cat food that I found!! I just ordered one bag of freeze-dried, and one bag of grain-free dry food. There are 244 different varieties of raw food at this site, check it out!
Nutro Cat Food Contains Lethal Amounts of Zinc
According to the National Research Council an adult cat needs 4.6 mg of zinc a day for optimal health.
A daily dose of Nutro cat food contains approximately 179 mg, depending on the particular batch of food that is tested. Nutro cat food tested at the Washington Diagnostic and Disease Lab show two of three Nutro samples contained zinc at levels that would be illegal for sale in the European Union, at 270 ppm and 380 ppm. The third Nutro sample came in at 230 ppm. 
From the Pet Foods Products Safety Alliance:
“Using this food by Nutro recommended feeding guidelines, a pet eating this food would receive over 38 times the amount of zinc recommended by the National Research Council, or 175 mg. zinc a day. Using the most frequently cited median lethal dose for zinc of 100 mg. per kilogram of body weight, a 4 kilogram cat (9 pounds) would be exposed to the median lethal dose of zinc in slightly over 2 days. It is highly unlikely a pet exposed to this food would survive after being exposed to it for more than a few days to a week. Clinical symptoms consistent with pancreatitis would be the most likely outward signs of exposure to this food, with possible liver and kidney damage.”
What do you think they’ll come up with if they test other brands of cat food?
Clinical signs of zinc toxicity are vomiting, diarrhea, red urine, icterus (yellow mucous membranes) liver failure, kidney failure, and anemia. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=565&S=2
CLICK HERE: Natural Organic Raw Pet Food for Dogs & Cats at Only Natural Pet Store
Acupuncture For Cats
Although acupuncture has been used on hundreds of millions of people for thousands of years, it has only been used on domestic pets in the USA since the 1970’s
When a patient receives acupuncture treatments, the needles are inserted at specific longitudinal points on the patient’s body. Four-legged patients, such as cats, have such points, or meridians, at approximately the same locations as the corresponding points on the human body. According to acupuncture theory, each point controls a specific region of the body. 
The aim of acupuncture is to treat the root of the illness, not just the symptoms. A short list of the conditions and illnesses in cats that respond well to acupuncture include kidney failure, liver problems, arthritis, musculoskeletal problems, vomiting, asthma, and a multitude of geriatric problems.
Generally, acupuncture is really not painful, except for a patient who is extremely underweight. The needles used are many times smaller than a normal hypodermic needle, generally only 0.02mm wide
For cats who are truly intolerant of needles, there are modern methods of needleless acupuncture.
Because acupuncture stimulates the body to heal itself, it doesn’t work overnight. A course of treatment usually requires six to eight visits to an acupuncturist. 
To find a qualified veterinary acupuncturist in your area, visit the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society’s web site or its American affiliate, the American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture.
Severe Reactions To Flea Treatments
ABC News, in a recent story on flea and tick treatments, stated in 2008 more than 44,000 severe reactions and 1,200 deaths were reported from the use of spot on flea treatments.
The website HartzVictims has stories from more than 2000 victims of Hartz flea and tick treatments.
This is a very sad video, but this is what can happen if you use poisons on your cat.
Here is a link to an ABC video on reactions to flea treatments: http://abcnews.go.com/WN/Story?id=7702101&page=1
There is no need to use poison on your cat or any animal, diatomaceous earth is cheap, safe and effective, just rub it in to your cat’s fur. Make sure you use ONLY FOOD GRADE diatomaceous earth!
Alternative Health & Herbs Remedies Diatomaceous Earth 12 Ounces (Pack of 3)
How To Have A Beautiful Custom Watercolor Portrait of Your Cat
Artist Sinclair Stratton creates stunning watercolor portraits of animals, capturing the essence of its’ energy and personality with vivid color. Here are just a few of these amazing portraits: 
Your purchase of a pet portrait will also support Art Supporting Animals
an organization dedicated to helping animals and raising awareness for artists. Here is a look at a yoga mat available at ART SUPPORTING ANIMALS
What Are By-Products?
Read the ingredients on you cat’s food bag or can. If you see “by-products” of any kind listed, watch the following two videos:
Kerosene and Crankcase Oil in Pet Food and Treats
Pet food and pet treat ingredients which include animal fat, meat meal, meat and bone meal, by-product meal, and animal digest commonly contain kerosene, fuel oil and/or used crankcase oil.
This is because these ingredients are derived from 4-D animals. Typically, these 4-D animals are denatured with approved agents such as “kerosene, fuel oil, or used crankcase oil”.
Wondering what 4-D meat is? The big D stands for DEAD, DYING, DISEASED, and DISABLED cattle and horses.
The Obama Administration has pledged to create an unprecedented level of openness and public participation in government. The FDA, in an attempt to abide by the Administration, has formed a ‘FDA Transparency Task Force.’ CLICK HERE to read an initial transparency guideline recommendation to the FDA regarding pet food. Please add your signature.
Awesome Organization Helps Out Hungry Animals
AniMeals is a no-kill adoption center and animal food bank located in Missoula, MT.
They are one of only two animal food banks in the country, and cover 50,000 square miles to deliver food to hungry animals, shelters and rescue groups across the state.
AniMeals also act as a cat rescue and currently houses nearly 40 cats.
You can also go to the AniMeals Blog to learn more, please consider donating to help feed hungry animals.
Safe, Non-Toxic and Effective Flea and Tick Killer
Diatomaceous Earth is a 
naturally occurring mineral compound from microscopic skeletal remains of algae-like plants called diatoms. These plants have been part of the earth’s ecology since prehistoric times. 30 million years ago the diatoms built up into deep, chalky deposits of diatomite. The diatoms are mined and ground up to render a powder that looks and feels like talcum powder to us.
Diatomaceous earth is used in cattle feed to kill parasites, funguses and bacteria. It will kill whipworms, roundworms, pinworms and hookworms in cats and other animals, and will kill fleas and ticks if rubbed into the fur. It works by drying out and “cutting” the worms and insects and has NO chemical action. It is excreted by the body after absorbing toxins and poses no harm to people or animals.
The dosage for people can vary from one teaspoon in four ounces of water for anyone 100 pounds and under, two teaspoons if the body weight is 100 to 150 pounds, and one tablespoon for more than 150 pounds, however some reccomendations are for 2 or more tablespoons for an adul.
It is extremely important that you use ONLY FOOD GRADE Diatomaceaus Earth as the kind used for swimming pools has been heat-treated and can be toxic.
Here is an excellent website from WolfCreekRanch, they use DE for all their animals everyday. They use 1/2 tsp per day for kittens and 1 tsp per day for cats, which is put in the food.
Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth Powder 8 Oz.
Should Cats Eat Fruit And Veggies?
It seems like most cats like fruits and vegetables to some extent. Since they are carnivores, we have to wonder if they actually need the nutrients in plants, just like the taste, don’t really know what’s good for them, or just eat what they see their humans eating.
First of all, extracting nutrients from plant-based foods requires bacterial fermentation of the cellulose based plant structure. The cat has a very simple digestive tract insufficient for bacterial fermentation. Food entering the cat’s stomach is broken down by acids and enzymes produced by the cat, and the nutrients are absorbed in the small intestine, so it seems that cats don’t require any added nutrition from plants since they can’t digest the plants. That’s why they eat grass, so they can barf it up.
The tongues of cats do not have receptors for sweets, so unlike other mammals, they cannot taste the sweetness of fruits. It’s a mystery why some cats really go for sweet fruits like bananas and cantaloupe if they can’t taste the best part, the sweetness!
Most people know that grapes and raisins can cause renal failure, but eating plant matter of any type also alters the body chemistry and causes urine pH to be alkaline. Naturally occurring minerals in the urine form solids when the urine’s pH is above neutral, causing urinary crystals – an epidemic disease of nutritional origin which causes the cat great pain, and can lead to death.
Fruits and vegetables can putrefy in the cat’s digestive tract due to the cat’s inability to efficiently break down the cellulose in plants. This can cause vomiting, gas, and/or diarrhea.
Plant matter in the cat’s diet can also interfere with the proper absorption of nutrients from animal source, and the overall amount of plant matter in the diet can displace much-needed animal based food. Diets containing plant matter are much less dense in nutritional and caloric value.
How about the food in the digestive tract of the mice and other animals that are a cat’s natural diet?
An adult cat needs to eat an average of five mice or 140g of mouse per day to meet its daily caloric requirement. Dissections of wild mice have revealed that a single mouse stomach – always found to be full - weighs 2 grams. The contents varied seasonally from blackberries, to nuts, to greens. Therefore, the cat would end up eating about 10 grams (or 2 teaspoons) of plant matter as part of her daily meal of mice, but that’s if the cat actually ate the stomach and intestines, which in most cases they don’t.
So, in the long run, it’s probably best not to let your cat eat fruit and vegetables, or only a tiny bit once in a while.
Preventing And Healing Cancer In Cats
Drugs do not cure cancer, neither does chemotherapy. They may kill cells, healthy cells and cancer cells alike, but they do not address the cause of the disease, nor do they give the body the nutrients it needs to heal.
Everyone, including animals, has cancer cells present at times in their bodies. If the immune system is working properly, these cells are killed or reabsorbed by the defense (immune) system before they begin to grow and threaten our health or the health of our pets.
Unfortunately, our immune systems, and especially those of a much smaller animal such as a cat, are under constant stress from the plethora of ARTIFICIAL SUBSTANCES in our food, water, and environment. All of these artificial substances (man-made chemicals, “vitamins”, pesticides, vaccines, plastics,fertilizers, etc etc) present as foreign invaders (TOXINS) to our bodies. It is very simple to understand that something that is not present in nature is artificial and therefore a foreign substance. Of course there are plenty of toxins in nature too, those that kill and those that give our immune system a workout. That’s enough. The additional toxins from man-made sources are proving to be overwhelming, just look at cancer statistics for both people and animals, cancer is now the number one killer of most domestic animals.
Shirley’s Wellness Cafe has reams of information on actually curing cancer, which seems preferable to putting aniumals through the torture of drugs and chemo only to have them eventually die of cancer, which is what happens if the underlying CAUSES of cancer are not addressed. Other resources include:
Why Is Cancer Killing Our Pets?: How You Can Protect and Treat Your Animal Companion
Speaking for Spot: Be the Advocate Your Dog Needs to Live a Happy, Healthy, Longer Life
The Natural Vet’s Guide to Preventing and Treating Cancer in Dogs (Natural Vets Guide)
The Natural Cat: The Comprehensive Guide to Optimum Care
Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats
Cats And Vitamin D
Most of us have been hearing a lot about Vitamin D lately and how essential it is for health. Most people in fact are quite deficient in Vitamin D also, especially anyone who is not exposing at least 40% of their skin to the noonday sun a minimum of three times a week.
Did you know that cats produce Vitamin D from exposure to the sun, just like us? No wonder they love to stretch out in the sun! 
Unfortunately, window glass absorbs UVB rays, and those are the kind we and our cats need to make Vitamin D. Cats can get some Vitamin D from liver and fish oils, but they need to get out in the sun also. Too much liver and fish oil can create Vitamin A toxicity.
Vitamin D plays a major role in skeletal growth, muscle control, and nerve functions, and deficiencies are fairly common.
Irradiated Food Makes Cats (And People) Sick
Food irradiation uses high-energy Gamma rays, electron beams, or X-rays (all of which are millions of times more powerful than standard medical X-rays) to break apart the bacteria and insects that can hide in meat, grains, and other foods. Radiation creates substances called “unique radiolytic products, that can cause gene mutations, polyploidy (an abnormal condition in which cells contain more than two sets of chromosomes), chromosome aberrations (often associated with cancerous cells), and dominant lethal mutations (a change in a cell that prevents it from reproducing) in human cells. Many mutagens are also carcinogens.
Research also shows that irradiation forms volatile toxic chemicals such as benzene and toluene, chemicals known or suspected to cause cancer and birth defects. Irradiation also causes stunted growth in lab animals fed irradiated foods. An important 2001 study linked colon tumor promotion in lab rats to 2-alkylcyclobutanones (2-ACB’s), a new chemical compound found only in irradiated foods.
Irradiation is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for many human as well as animal foods.
In a study just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) report on cats developing severe neurological symptoms due to a degradation of myelin, the fatty insulator of nerve fibers called axons. Because myelin helps the conduction of nerve signals, when it is lost or damaged there can be impairment of sensation, movement, thinking and other functions, depending on what particular nerves are affected.
When the cats were taken off the irradiated diet, their nervous systems began healing.
I think it’s pathetic that animals have to suffer like this so that inferior quality, processed pet food can be tested. Just feed your cats an organic, raw, whole-food diet and you will prevent needless suffering to lab animals and your pets alike. 
Is it worth it?
You can read more here:
