Vet check assuages guilt

I admit it. I’m a procrastinator. But I also have issues with money and was burned by the Recession. There was a load of household expenses and car repairs, adding to recuperation from bouts of unemployment.

So when I kept reading about cat owners being less likely to take their cats for regular check-ups, I raised my hand in guilt. But, I reasoned, I keep a sharp eye on them, feed them a high quality diet, maul them regularly in search of lumps or bumps, and keep them securely inside.

However the time had come. I bit the bullet and made an appointment for all three, stuffed them into their carriers, and made the three trips down to the car.

He’s Back! Jackson Galaxy Returns for 4th Season

The fourth season of “My Cat From Hell” starts April 6.

His magical touch with ferocious felines in his television series, “My Cat From Hell,” and the candidness found in his book “Cat Daddy” have endeared Jackson Galaxy to cat lovers everywhere.

On Saturday night, cat lovers around the country will turn off their phone, grab a glass of wine, snuggle up with their favorite feline, and tune into the fourth season of the wildly popular show.

What began as a three-part mini-series on Animal Planet has grown from three episodes, to six, then 10 and now 17. This season will include some 32 cases of problematic felines that drive their caregivers to total distraction.

Smithsonian/Wildlife cat study generates outrage

A feral kitty at a local trailer park. (Photo by Mary Johnson)

The rage is palpable among my cat colleagues in response to the recent Smithsonian/US Fish & Wildlife’s condemnation of community cats and their affect on the bird population.

It seems like an all-out war on cats.

My first thought was to look for statistics to refute their claims. How skewed are their numbers? What about the other factors that contribute to declining number of birds? Pollution. Eroding habitat. Glass buildings. Changing weather patterns.

But then no one really knows the extent of the community cat population. It’s been estimated at equal to the owned cat population. According to the American Pet Products Association, approximately 64 percent of owned cats are indoor/outdoor.

The comfort of animals

We come home from work after a tough day and take great comfort in the soft fur, purrs, and kisses of our pets. They seek us out at night and we willingly flip back the covers to accommodate them or scoot over a few inches on the bed.

Our pets are an integral part of providing comfort in our lives.

For many animals in their roles as service dogs and therapy cats, they go further than everyday comfort. They offer help and guidance with daily tasks, call attention to life-threatening situations, and access deeply hidden emotions.

And, in the past few days, they’ve come from as far as Chicago and as close as Newtown itself to offer comfort to anyone and everyone traumatized by the massacre of 20 children and six teachers on Friday.

Will these foods help your cat’s poop?

A Nestlé Purina-funded study found that its own therapeutic food was more effective, when compared with a Hill’s Science Diet food in feeding trials. Sixteen cats (15 completed the study) with chronic diarrhea were alternately fed the two foods for four weeks in a double-blind clinical trial. Surprised?

The study found that dietary fat did not affect the “output” so to speak; a low fat diet was originally thought to be important in managing feline GI issues. The Purina diet contains Omega 3 fatty acids, which have an anti-inflammatory effect.

The two foods used in the study were Hill’s Prescription i/d Feline and Purina Veterinary Diets EN Gastrointestinal Feline Formula.

Do we need to offer our opinions here? The ingredients speak for themselves.

Product review: Sleepypod

The Sleepypod is well made and attractive.

From time to time, we receive swell things to review, and our three product testers look forward to conducting their investigations.

The Sleepypod pet carrier arrived in a box that generated as much interest among the test kitties as the bed/carrier itself.

Our blue Sleepypod is nicely designed and made of luggage-grade materials. It’s sturdy, and very attractive. The bowl-shaped top of reinforced mesh is zipped into the round base, which can double as a snug bed. It zips opens conveniently across the top, making it easy to place the kitty inside the carrier. The top easily collapses, then pops up to zip her inside.

What is Purina thinking?

“The Scream” Edvard Munch

As a professional writer, I try to keep a lid on any really strong opinions and equally strong language. But a google alert I received just screams WTF!

Purina has just come out with a new Purina Be Happy Dog and Cat Food Brand.

Based on ingredients such as ground yellow corn, corn gluten meal, soybean meal, chicken by-product meal, meat and bone meal, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), animal liver flavor, phosphoric acid, calcium carbonate, turkey by-product meal, and salt (this is for the cat version), the food is “inspired by the enduring happiness pets share with owners.”