Archive for the ‘Cat Care’ Category
Coal Ash: One More Reason To Go Organic
Coal-fired power plants produce more than 100 million tons of the toxic-waste byproduct sulfur dioxide, the stuff that causes acid rain.
Called FGD gypsum, this synthetic powder is produced when coal plant “scrubbers” remove sulfur dioxide from plant emissions. 
Last year, a coal ash pond just outside of Knoxville, Tennessee, spilled and flooded about 300 acres of land with ash, killing many fish in the area. The spill damaged many homes as well, and cleanup costs are expected to be upwards of $1 billion. This catastrophe has prompted the EPA to draft regulations on how to handle toxic coal waste safely. Guess what they came up with?
In 2001, the USDA together with the EPA began to promote FGD gypsum use in agriculture. Since that time, the amount of coal ash used by farmers on their fields has tripled. According to the American Coal Ash Association (ACAA), nearly 280,000 tons of the byproduct was spread on fields last year.
FGD gypsum contains toxic heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and arsenic, but according to the EPA, “the mercury contained in FGD gypsum does not affect plants and runoff into water supplies at significant levels.” Guess they never heard of PHYTOREMEDIATION, a technology which uses plants to absorb heavy metals from the soil.
If the waste from coal plants is toxic and must be dealt with in a manner that keeps it contained, I’m just wondering why the EPA would promote the same waste for use on FOOD crops. Perhaps it’s just more cost-effective to sell toxic waste to farmers than to stop producing it in the first place.
Food that’s USDA-certified organic cannot be grown with coal ash. I’m sticking with organic for my family, and that includes my cats.
Nature’s Variety Raw Food Diets Organic Chicken Patties 6 lbs.
Recall Alert On Anesthetic: Is Your Cat Scheduled for Surgery?
If your cat is having surgery, including nuetering or spaying, make sure the veterinarian is aware of the recall of Ketamine Hydrochloride Injection, USP CIII 100mg/mL in 10mL vials. 
Veterinarians who have this product, made by Teva Animal Health, Inc, are instructed to cease using the product immediately and return it to their distributor.
This latest recall stems from the reported death of five cats, inconclusively linked to the drug’s use. But troubles within Teva Animal Health surfaced last July, when the FDA shut down the company via a permanent injunction and filed a lawsuit, alleging that regulatory inspectors had uncovered adulterated animal drugs at Teva’s main facilities in St. Joseph, Mo. Click here for the full article.
Photo Hunt Saturday: Undesirable
Cats, as much as we all adore them, have some rather UNDESIRABLE habits. Here is Taco’s favorite:
Looks content, doesn’t he? Of course we can remove him from the table 100 times, and he’ll happily return as soon as nobody’s looking. Sometimes even when we are looking. Just for the fun of it. No, squirting him with water doesn’t help, he loves water.
Mango has an undesirable habit of napping on the clothes that I set out to wear. Being very organized, I set my clothes out a few hours before I’m due to leave. Mango does a great job of warming them up for me. Unfortunately he also does a great job of sharing his mounds of poofy orange fur.
How Cigarette Smoke Affects Your Cat And Other Pets
I don’t smoke, in fact nobody is allowed to smoke in or near my house, or car. I guess I’m a bit obsessive about it, but then I’ve learned long ago that it’s way more fun being healthy than being sick. Still, a lot of people smoke, some of my friends also, and I’ve found that often the biggest incentive to quitting is to protect those we love. Here is another reason: your love for your pet!
A 2007 University of Minnesota study showed that cats who live with smokers have nicotine and other toxins in their urine.
A 2002 Tufts University study linked second-hand smoke to cancer in cats. The study found that cats living with smokers are twice as likely to develop malignant lymphoma—the most common feline cancer–as those in non-smoking households. Lymphoma kills 3 out of 4 afflicted cats within 12 months.
A 2007 Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine study linked second-hand smoke to oral cancer in cats (squamous cell carcinoma.) Cats living with more than one smoker and cats exposed to environmental tobacco smoke for longer than five years had even higher rates of this cancer.
The ASPCA, one of the largest animal rights groups in the U.S., lists tobacco smoke as a toxin that is dangerous to pets. Dr. Sharon Gwaltney-Brant, medical director of the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center says:
“Nicotine from secondhand smoke can have effects to the nervous systems of cats and dogs. Environmental tobacco smoke has been shown to contain numerous cancer-causing compounds, making it hazardous for animals as well as humans.”
A recent study from Harvard Medical School, published in the January 2009 Journal of Pediatrics, found additional health risks associated with what they termed “third-hand smoke,” describing the invisible yet toxic gases and particles clinging to smokers’ hair and clothing, cars, and carpeting that lingers long after the second-hand smoke has cleared the room.
One reason cats are so vulnerable to the carcinogens in tobacco smoke is they are meticulous groomers. Daily grooming over a long period of time can expose their delicate oral tissues to hazardous amounts of carcinogens.
Birds who sit on a smoker’s nicotine-coated hand often develop dermatitis and end up pulling out their own feathers.
Another study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that dogs in smoking households have a 60 percent greater risk of lung cancer.
Keep Your Cat Away From These Top Ten Poisons
The Top 10 Poisons of 2008
1. Human Medications: 50,000 cases
It’s easy for pets to snatch pills from counters and bed-side tables, or quickly eat them if you’ve dropped a couple on the floor. Both over-the-counter and prescription medications and even dietary supplements can be make your cat sick.
2. Insecticides: 31,000 cases
One of the most common exposures involves using chemical flea and tick products incorrectly, such as applying a topical product for dogs on a cat.
3. People Food: 15,000 cases
Grapes, raisins, avocado and citrus fruits can all be dangerous for pets, but one of the worst offenders is chocolate, which contains large amounts of methylxanthines. If eaten it can cause vomiting, diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst, urination and hyperactivity, and in severe cases abnormal heart rhythm, tremors and seizures.
4. Rodenticides: 8,000 cases
Rat and mouse poison can contain inactive ingredients that are attractive to pets. Aside from eating the poison itself, cats can also become sick from eating a rodent that’s ingested poison. Exposure to rat and mouse poison can cause bleeding, seizures and kidney damage.
5. Veterinary Medications: 8,000 cases
Drugs meant for animals can still cause side effects, especially when they are misapplied or improperly dispensed. Some of the most common toxic exposures involved non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, heartworm preventatives, de-wormers, antibiotics, vaccines and nutritional supplements.
6. Plants: 8,000 cases
Azaleas, rododendrons, sago palms, lilies, kalanchoe, and schefflera are common houseplants that can be toxic to pets. Lilies are especially toxic to cats and can cause kidney failure even in small amounts.
7. Chemical Hazards: 5,500 cases
Many chemicals around your home can cause symptoms ranging from gastrointestinal upset and respiratory difficulties to depression and chemical burns in your pets. Examples include antifreeze, paint thinner, drain cleaners and pool/spa chemicals.
8. Household Cleaners: 3,200 cases
Bleaches, detergents and disinfectants contain chemicals that can cause serious gastrointestinal distress and irritation to the respiratory tract in your cat.
9. Heavy Metals: 3,000 cases
Metals such as lead, zinc and mercury can all poison your cat. Lead is especially widespread and pets can be exposed via paint chips, linoleum and lead dust that’s produced when surfaces in old homes are scraped and sanded.
10. Fertilizer: 2,000 cases
If your lawn has been sprayed with a chemical fertilizer it’s essential to keep your cat off of it. Prevention is the best way to avoid accidental exposure to these potentially toxic chemicals.
Dr. Karen Becker On Feeding Your Cat Or Dog “People Food”
This is a video by Dr. Karen Becker, a proactive and integrative wellness veterinarian.
Dr. Becker is passionate about educating people about natural health. She often speaks at public seminars and has appeared on Animal Planet. She was also named one of Chicago’s Top Ten Vets, according to Chicago Magazine.
Six Tips To Lower Your Cats’ Exposure To Industrial Chemicals
1) Remove your shoes in the house. Removing shoes has been scientifically proven to reduce contaminants in the home.
A new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency study shows that people track in weed killers and other pesticides commonly applied to lawns during the spring and summer. The study, conducted by the Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio, is among a series being funded by the EPA to assess how small children are exposed to pesticides around the home. Scientists think that “track-in” exposures may exceed those from the best-known source: pesticide residues on fresh fruits and vegetables.
In 1991 the EPA conducted a study called the “Door Mat Study” that measured the amount of lead dust that was in homes. The study found that in homes where there was a doormat at the entrance and where shoes were NOT worn, there was a marked reduction (about 60%) of lead dust and other chemicals in the home.
2) Go organic: According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 60% of herbicides, 90 % of fungicides and 30% of insecticides are known to be carcinogenic. Alarmingly, pesticide residues have been detected in 50% - 95% of U.S. foods. Pet food fare even worse, especially those containing by-products and “meal” (chicken meal, fish meal etc.)
3) Avoid plastics: use a glass bowl for food, all plastic is synthetic and made from petrochemicals, it neither photo-degrades nor bio-degrades, it just breaks down into ever smaller toxins such as Phthalates and BPA. Phthalates chemically mimic hormones and are particularly dangerous to children and pets.
4) Use safe, natural or organic cleaners. Paints, deodorants, cleaning fluids, varnishes, cosmetics, dry cleaned clothing, moth repellents, air fresheners all contain dozens of chemicals.
5) Avoid using artificial air fresheners, dryer sheets, fabric softeners or other synthetic fragrances as they pollute the air you are breathing.
6) Never feed your cat fish, especially tuna! All fish is contaminated with PCBs and mercury, although wild caught salmon and sardines both have lower amounts.
Advantages of a Grain-Free Raw Diet For Your Cat
I was sick for most of my life. I had Crohn’s Disease and all the crap that goes along with bleeding, inflamed guts…anemia, arthritis, kidney stones…the list goes on and on. Today, I am fairly healthy, minus a few feet of intestines here and there. Along the journey, I learned that a good diet of whole unprocessed foods is one of the many pieces of the puzzle of good health. This applies to our pets as well, and as I learned about the utter garbage that goes into pet food, I changed my cats’ food to the best organic food I could find. 
They were healthy for sure, but it wasn’t until I eliminated the grains and cooked food that I noticed some really amazing changes. The two most surprising ones are: Mango used to barf once or twice a day, now he barfs maybe once a month and I really think that’s just for fun. And my friends who are allergic to cats don’t seem to be allergic to mine!!
This is amazing considering there are three cats in this little house.
A few other observations that may be relevant: they simply don’t get sick at all, Taco’s pudge pouch has diminished dramatically, (Sumari is rail-thin and Mango never had pudge), They have tons of energy and play a lot, even old Mango. They have no discernable odor, no flaky skin, and the litter box has almost no odor at all. They shed very little, except Mango still leaves behind some of his mass of orange fluff wherever he goes. It’s decreased though. Their furs are incredibly soft and silky, they seem happier, they don’t have fleas (but I do sprinkle a bit of Diatomaceous Earth on them when I remember), and they recover from injuries quickly and without intervention on my part. In case you’re wondering what injuries, Taco and Sumari got stung by yellowjackets, Sumari enjoys jumping from roofs and other high places and recently hurt her shoulder, and Taco has been known to get into a fight or two. 
I’ve been feeding them Real Pet Food from Slanker’s Grass-Fed, and the following from Only Natural Pet Store
Only Natural Pet Chicken & Veggies Patties 6 oz. Freeze-Dried Dog & Cat Food
Grasslands Cat Food Grain-Free Dry 15.4 lb. for Felines
Pacifica Grain-Free Dry Cat Food 5.5 lb. for Felines
ZiwiPeak Daily Cat Dry Cuisine Pouches Venison 14 oz. Bag
ZiwiPeak Daily Cat Cuisine Canned Food Fish & Venison 6.5 oz. Can - Case of 12
Primal Pet Foods Raw Cat Food Beef & Salmon Nuggets 4 lbs.
Honest Kitchen Dehydrated Cat Food Prowl 4 lb. Bag
This stuff is all incredibly convenient, the Prowl cat food is a powder that you add water to and it looks like canned food. Slanker’s is frozen, you need to thaw it a little (it’s very bloody so don’t thaw it much) then cut it into slices, then re-freeze. My cats all love everything they’ve tried. It’s less expensive to make your own raw food, but I don’t have the time or freezer space.
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.
Completely Non-Toxic Flea and Tic Control Lasts Two Years!
This is amazing! The Anibio Tic-Clip offers a revolutionary approach to protecting your pet from ticks and fleas, without pesticides, squeeze-ons, sprays, or topical application of any kind! 
The Tic-Clip uses the power of the bioenergetic field around your pet to create an energy barrier that repels insect pests for two years. Tic-Clip tag is imprinted with an electromagnetic charge bearing a polarized energy signature. This energetic charge adapts to your companion’s unique bioenergy frequency and produces a vibrational field around the animal that repels ticks and fleas. Ticks and fleas simply do not react to the pet anymore. 
This insect repellent collar tag was created in Germany and has been a huge success with pets throughout Europe.
Best Guide Ever For Pet Health
For around $10, the Real Safety Guide to Pet Health gives you the strategies you need to help your pet live a long and happy life.
“Ninety percent of all pet health problems are caused by pet food and preventable health hazards”
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!
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)
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:
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.
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.
Book Review: Outwitting Cats
The title says it all:
Outwitting Cats: Tips, Tricks and Techniques for Persuading the Felines in Your Life That What YOU Want Is Also What THEY Want
By: Wendy Christensen
Well we have the “Horse Whisperer” and the “Dog Whisperer” so I think this woman could be considered the “Cat Whisperer”. She really understands cats and how they think 
A review by Sy Montgomery states: “Here’s a book your cat would have written for you. Anyone who has a cat, wants a cat or wants to know a cat should read this loving, lucid, comprehensive handbook. It’s a gem.”
It’s a fantastic book and only about $10.
Homeopathy For Cats And Other Animals (Including People)
Homeopathy has been around since the ancients Greeks, so it’s a very well-established system of healing.
The modern system of homeopathy was introduced by a German physician, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, in the nineteenth century.
Homeopathy uses extremely diluted natural substances that are derived from mineral, plant, or animal sources.
The Law of Similars (”like cures like”) is the basic principal of homeopathy. Whatever substance produces adverse symptoms in a healthy animal, will actually cure those same symptoms in a sick individual.
As far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t make the least bit of sense, but, from personal experience, I know it works, and it’s not the “placebo” effect either. Let me explain:
About twenty years ago I had a friend who swore by Homeopathy, she just thought it was great. Well, my friend was a bit on the looney side anyway, so I pretty much ignored her on this subject. That is until I came down with The Sore Throat From Hell. It wouldn’t go away so finally, after two weeks or so she talked me into going to see her “Naturpathic” physician who would prescribe the exact remedy that I needed.
I ended up with this vial of little white pills that were to be placed under the tongue, they tasted sweet. I KNEW they would NOT work. The whole idea was ridiculous. The doctor (slim, trim and incredibly healthy-looking) couldn’t possibly believe in this stuff, it defies logic. Fully expecting to have to end up taking antibiotics I slipped those silly little white pills under my tongue.
A few hours later, the pain eased up. The next day it was almost gone, and two days later it was gone completely. I still wasn’t a believer though, it took awhile. Since that time I’ve found that Homeopathic remedies worked very well on my kids, and usually but not always for me. The thing is, they have to be matched EXACTLY to your symptoms. Yellow mucous would require a different remedy than greenish mucous for example, so store-bought remedies might not be exactly what you need.
I’ve never used Homeopathy for the cats, they’ve never been sick except for the time that Sumari ate the bee and her throat swelled up, I didn’t know at the time that it was OK to use Homeopathic remedies on animals, but you can go to this site The Academy Of Veterinary Homeopathy to learn more. Here is an excellent book on the subject:
Homeopathy for Your Cat: Remedies for Common Feline Ailments
It makes far more sense to stay healthy in the first place by living in a healthy environment and having healthy thoughts and beliefs. That means cats should be eating their natural diet of raw critters, not processed, refined chemically-laden grain-based kibble. They need fresh filtered water, not tap water with chlorine, flouride and some 50 other toxic chemicals. Artificial chemicals and processed foods destroy the health of people, pets and the Earth.
Homeopathic Panleuk-Free - Homeopathic remedy for immune support in cats
Homeopathic LiverAid - Natural remedy supports liver, pancreas, and gallbladder health in pets
Bach Rescue Remedy for Pets - 10ml
Anxiety By HomeoPet [15 ml. dropper bottle]
