I hope this doesn't make me sick!

I know my mom wouldn't give me anything toxic.

This morning while at the vet I met Genghis, a handsome Burmese cat. He had been vomiting for several days, according to his owner, who had just found the information on the Internet today about the Nature’s Variety recall. Genghis has been eating Nature’s Variety with a use-by date slightly earlier than is included in the recall. It was a good reminder that although the notice has been all over the Internet for the past couple of days, not everyone has come across it yet, so I’ll add the Nature’s Variety press release about it here.

Nature’s Variety News – March 8, 2010

Dear Friends,

Today Nature’s Variety is announcing that out of an abundance of caution, we are voluntarily recalling all Chicken formula and Organic Chicken Formula products with a “Best If Used By” date on or before 2/5/11.

Nature’s Variety has received new test results from an outside facility that indicate that Chicken Formula Raw Frozen Diet with the “Best If Used By” date of 10/29/10 and Chicken Formula Raw Frozen Diet with the “Best If Used By” date of 11/9/10 may be contaminated with Salmonella. Therefore, we are voluntarily recalling these date codes of product from the marketplace.

Also, out of an abundance of caution, we are expanding our voluntary recall to include all Chicken Formula and
Organic Chicken Formula Raw Frozen Diets for dogs and cats with any “Best If Used By” date on or before 2/5/11. We
believe taking this action is an important and responsible step in order to reinforce your confidence and trust.

No other Raw Frozen Diets are involved in this expansion other than chicken, and no other Nature’s Variety products are involved. The products included in this expanded recall are any Chicken Formula or Organic Chicken Formula Raw Frozen Diet with a “Best If Used By” date on or before 2/5/11, including:

. UPC#7 69949 60130 2 – Chicken Formula 3 lb medallions

. UPC#7 69949 60120 3 – Chicken Formula 6 lb patties

. UPC#7 69949 60121 0 – Chicken Formula 2 lb single chubs

. UPC#7 69949 50121 3 – Chicken Formula 12 lb retail display case of chubs

. UPC#7 69949 60137 1 – Organic Chicken Formula 3 lb medallions

. UPC#7 69949 60127 2 – Organic Chicken Formula 6 lb patties

The “Best If Used By” date is located on the back of the package above the safe handling instructions.

If you have purchased one of the affected products, please return the unopened product to your local retail store to receive a complete refund, or to exchange it for another variety. If your package has been opened, please dispose of the raw food in a safe manner by securing it in a covered trash receptacle. Then, bring your receipt (or the empty package in a sealed bag) to your local retailer for a complete refund or replacement.

More info:  http://www.naturesvariety.com/news/33

Technorati Tags: cat food recall, dog food recall, Nature’s Variety recall

This week I’m going to take on introducing a cat into a dog household, or vice versa. How you handle the first days and weeks can set a lifelong friendship or rivalry. It takes knowledge and patience to do it right. If you don’t take the time to do it right, you could end up with serious risk to the cat, or pets marking the house inappropriately to express their distress over the alien in their midst.

Safety First

First and foremost, you must keep cats and dogs separate in the beginning to keep them safe, and take the introductions slow. Here are a few pointers:

• Put the dogs outside or send them for a walk with your pet sitter while you bring the cat in so that they don’t have to confront each other immediately.
• Give the cat a secure space of her own right away, a spare room with all the things she needs for comfort — her water and food bowls, toys, bed, and litter box. Close the door, but be sure to give her regular attention. The cat may need to be sequestered for for several days or even weeks. Be patient and don’t rush it.
• When you bring the dogs in, let them smell the cat’s scent on your clothes and hands.  Keep them leashed and calm while they sniff at the door of the cat’s room. Reward good behavior.
• Rub towels on the animals and then exchange them and rub them on the other so they can get used to each other’s scent. Leave the dogs’ towels in the cat’s bed and the cat’s towel in the dog’s bed.
• The next step is to start carefully exposing the dogs and cat to each other. The dogs should be leashed or crated or behind a gate. Continue to reward calm behavior.
• Gradually, as the animals remain calm, allow them to approach each other, with the dogs on leash.  Keep rewarding them for behaving well.
• Always be sure the cat has an escape route or an easy way to jump out of reach once you start removing the leash.
• If the dogs continue to get overly excited or act predatory toward the cat, you might need to muzzle them until you’re sure they won’t hurt the cat.
• Even after they seem to be getting along, eating or sleeping in each other’s presence, wandering casually past each other, be cautious about leaving them alone. Build up the time they spend alone gradually.
• Never let the dogs chase the cat, even in play.  It is ok for the cat to take a swat at the dogs to show them she can hold her own, as long as the dogs don’t react aggressively.
• This introduction process will take as long as the animals need. Rarely, they will never accept each other and they will have to remain separated, but most animals will get along over time.

Technorati Tags: merging pet families, introducing dogs and cats

I'm not sure I'm ready for this yet.

I get asked a lot how to introduce a new cat into the family, and it’s a challenge I haven’t done great with myself. So, when I saw Michele Hollow’s blog ‘Top 10 Tips for Getting Cats to Get Along’  I thought it worth sharing. Her approach is sound. Be sure not to ignore the last point, you must be patient, because it can take weeks or even months for a successful introduction.

Here is a link to her blog, Pet News and Views, http://petnewsandviews.com/2010/02/top-10-tips-for-getting-cats-to-get-along/

One additional aid would be to have an animal communicator explain to both cats the upcoming introductions.

Technorati Tags: introducing cats to each other, successful cat introductions using animal communication

If you were unhappy with the consequences Michael Vick paid for his dog fighting ring, wait until you see the sentencing for the peope responsible for the melamine-tainted pet food that killed thousands of pets. Therese Kopiwoda in her PetsitUSA blog wrote about it yesterday, and I couldn’t put it any better, so have copied most of her post here. Be sure to see her blog for the full post, www.petsitusa.com/blog.

Sally and Stephen Miller, owners of ChemNutra, Inc., the company that imported the  melamine-tainted product that killed thousands of pets in the 2007 pet food recall, are to be sentenced today. Christie Keith writes about it over on Pet Connection this morning, and sadly it looks like they’re going to get off with just a slap on the wrist. A memorandum from the government recommends giving them a light sentence:

Sentencing is scheduled for Friday, February 5, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. before United States Magistrate Judge John T. Maughmer. As more fully explained below, the Government recommends that the Court adopt the agreement of the parties and impose a sentence of three years probation on each defendant….

There’s more, so go read Christie’s post. Just be ready – it won’t put a smile on your face.

I just don’t get it. You kill pets – whether it’s by poisoning them with melamine or pitting them against each other in the dog-fighting ring and all you get is a slap on the wrist. There’s something terribly wrong when life is disregarded so easily. But, since the recommendation letters from the Miller’s Pastor and fellow church members say they’re good people, I suppose we should give them a break and overlook the fact that they were responsible for so much death.

Technorati Tags: tainted pet food, Chem Nutra, pet poisoning

February is just around the corner. Have you scheduled your pet’s dental yet? Each February I dust off my credit card and book all three animals for their dentals. It’s a big hit financially, but it’s one of those expenses that may be saving me a lot more in the future. I think of it something like an insurance policy. Hopefully my house will never  catch fire — and my cat will never suffer heart disease from infected teeth — but I can rest easier knowing I’ve taken precautions.

This morning I received the following reminder from my wonderful vet’s office, the North Seattle Veterinary Clinic:

• More than 8 out of 10 dogs and 7 out of 10 cats show signs of poor dental health by the age of three.
• Dental problems in pets – as in people – can lead to pain, tooth loss, periodontal disease, and increased bacteria in the bloodstream.
• Pets’ oral disease invariably progresses with time, as does people’s, and can result in damage to internal organs, including the heart, liver and kidneys.

Even if you brush your pets’ teeth regularly, a dental check up could save your pet serious illness in the future.

I don't feel like going to the gym today.

If the cat's not moving, neither am I.

Holding weight gain in check has been a life-long project for me, so is it any wonder that I would attract rescue dogs and cats who have spent a little too much time at the all-you-can-eat buffet? Who better than me, the master dieter, to help them reclaim the sleek lines of their youth.

Rico, The Boss Cat, did just fine as a feral cat lunching on roof rats and squirrels. It wasn’t until the hunt ended, and his life as an indoor cat began, with a steady supply of premium kibbles, that he began to beef up. He likes to call it buffed up, but most people would put him on the cusp of beefed and buffed.  Then there was Scooty who came to me morbidly obese, a 35 pound dog in a 68 pound body. Over our four years together and many pounds of Brussel’s sprout treats, she recovered her girlish figure. Now comes little Shaktipaw, carrying just two extra pounds, but on his tiny frame he’s 15% overweight.

Judging from the statistics at the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention website, overweight in our pets is a significant problem. Here are just a few facts from their website:

An estimated 14% of pets in the U.S. are obese, compared to 20% of adult humans. Add in the pets who are either overweight or obese, and the numbers jump to 50% of all pets. Just as in humans, obesity in pets leads to a variety of health conditions that compromise either quality of life or length of life  — high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and osteoarthritis.

Almost twice as many cats are obese as dogs.  Hmmm, we keep our cats indoors partly to keep them safe from the threats of wildlife, toxins, and traffic. But this obesity ratio between cats and dogs suggests that we are putting our cats at considerable risk indoors by either over-feeding or under-exercising them.

Here’s a link to some ideal weight ranges for cats and dogs. See if your furry friend needs to cut back on the chow or step up the play time.  http://petobesityprevention.com/weight_ranges.htm

Technorati Tags: health risks of pet obesity, overweight in dogs and cats

“I guess it’s my love of animals that always makes me think of them first whenever a natural disaster takes place.  So when I heard about the earthquake in Haiti last week my heart plummeted into my stomach.  It’s not that I don’t care about the people of Haiti, because I do.  It’s simply that I know the animals are not the priority for most people and they are also suffering great injury and loss.”  These words that express my own sentiments so well were written by Hope Schultz on WebVet.com’s blog.  

I’ve been watching various organizations to see who is mobilizing to help the animals in Haiti. According to Ms. Schultz, the Animal Humane Association has joined an international coalition of animal welfare agencies in preparing to aid the animals. As soon as they can gain access to Haiti, they will send a mobile clinic, staff, food, water and supplies to vaccinate against rabies.

Here is a link to the full article: http://blogs.webvet.com/main/2010/01/pets-in-haiti-whos-helping-them-.html. You will also find a link there to the Animal Humane Association’s donation site to help the animals in Haiti.

Technorati Tags: Animal Welfare, helping animals in Haiti earthquake

Shakti as a young man

The house has been quiet for the past month since Scooty left for the Rainbow Bridge. The competitive eating Ernie and Scooty used to enjoy– the Dinner Olympics — came to an abrupt end. In fact, Ernie has outright boycotted the premium kibble he used to race to eat, unless it is laced with a spoonful of cat food. Rico, The Boss Cat, lies around with his chin on his paws sleeping away his sadness.  I wasn’t planning to get another dog yet, but fate doesn’t always work on our schedule.

Two weeks ago I learned a woman named Theresa Marie Gandhi, former wife of the great-nephew of Mahatma Gandhi, was near death. The word that she would be leaving behind a 16 year old, slightly pudgy and arthritic, deaf miniature Poodle trickeled down to me through a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend. I have hip replacement surgery coming up in a couple of months, and this is not an ideal time for me to add a new dog who is going through his own grief at losing his life-long companion.

Never one to let reason stand in the way of compassion, I drove to Whidbey Island today and met Shakti Paw. His human had died, and the tear stains around his eyes spoke of his loss. He is a little old man with a shaggy haircut, lumps and bumps, no hearing, bad breath, and as  sweet a temperament as Scooty’s. To add to the mystique, his human mom was a woman who would probably have been a good friend if I had known her. She was an activist for environmental responsibility, she was a spiritual leader, and a writer. She rubbed elbows with world leaders, she met with Mother Theresa, she walked across the United States for peace. She was a woman of both global and local presence, and from all I can tell, she left the world a better place than she found it.  And she left behind a sweet little zen dog called Shakti Paw Love Monkey who has now joined my family. We are blessed.

Technorati Tags: adopting a senior pet, healing from pet loss, pet grief

Relief organizations around the world are rushing to help Haitiin the aftermath of a  devastating earthquake. Even the human death and injury toll is unknown so far, much less the count of domestic and farm animals.

Many animal lovers are eager to donate to the recovery efforts for Haiti’s animals, but the focus in the first few days will be on human survivors. Animal welfare organizations are standing by ready to help as needs are identified.  Here are some that are on high alert for opportunities to help; you may want to bookmark their websites to learn how best to contribute.

American Humane, www.AmericanHumane.org

Best Friends Animal Society, www.bestfriends.org

Humane Society of the United States, www.HumaneSociety.org

International Fund for Animal Welfare , www.IFAW.org

Technorati Tags: Haiti’s pets and farm animals, animals in earthquakes,  animal welfare

I sniffed out this amusing article from an OldCatsRule tweet. Who do you think is the winner?

OldCatsRule I demand a recount! http://www.wcbs880.com/Dogs-or-Cats–A-New-Poll-Answers-the-Question-/6060081

Let’s hear your comments…..are the poll results correct?

Technorati Tags: dogs vs. cats, pet popularity poll