In Memorium April 30, 2007

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Keep Our Pets Safe Nationwide March April 27, 2007

On March 16, 2007 Menu Foods began a unprecedented recall of pet foods that included 91 brands of pet food and led to the removal of over 60 million cans of pet food from store shelves. The food at first thought tainted with rat poison, was in fact tainted deliberately by the manufacturers in a practice called protein spiking with melamine, a plastic, to boost the supposed nutrient content of low quality wheat gluten.

The Menu Foods recall was just the tip of the iceberg. For the last few weeks, other pet foods have been added to the list, including brands that we once trusted, Natural Balance and Royal Canin, both of which I was feeding to my pets. Two more ingredients, also cheap protein sources, rice protein concentrate and corn gluten, have been tainted, leading to more recalls. Everyday the recall lists at Howl911.com grows.  

All of us pet owners, who have been following the story over the past weeks have been mystified and apalled by what we have been learning of the pet food business.  Naively, we believed that pet food companies had our pets interests at heart.  That bubble has been burst.  We also believed our government was protecting us and our pets from contaminated products.  We were wrong.  Very, very wrong. 

• Ingredient spiking is a widely accepted and recognized practice.  Howl911 Headlines, scroll to headline PROTEIN SPIKING OF FOOD IS NOT A NEW TRICK 04/23/07
• Pet food manufacturers routinely test contaminated substances on animals.
• The FDA has failed to protect us.

While all this has been going on, news alerts, governmental subcommittee hearings and blogging, around the country pets have been dying unreported.  The news media still holds to the “16 total deaths”.  However, according to Pet Connection.com over 4,400 pets have died.  To our government and pet food manufacturers, these deaths mean nothing.  To the pet owners, life will never be the same.  These dear ones, our kitties and woofies, are gone, silenced by a preventable tragedy.  Our dear ones are gone because of greed.  Our dear ones were sacrificed for the bottom line.

Please join me in a cybermarch April 28th.  Please help us raise awareness of this tragedy and hopefully to save other lives.  And remember, tell your loved ones, children, husbands, wives, mothers, fathers and your dear pets how much you love them.

 

It’s Called ‘Paying the Rent’ April 23, 2007

You kitties and doggies of the Cat Blogosphere must admit that you lead a pretty cushie life.  We pet-parents, guardians…beans are totally kitty-whipped!  I know you think this is how is should be.  Humans scurrying around trying the keep the fur-kids happy.  We jump through hoops to get you the right food, the right litter, the right toys.  You turn up your nose at the stinky goodness you were dying to have yesterday and we merely open another can, wondering what we did wrong.  We just laugh indulgently when you play with a twisty tie off a tortilla bag or a milk jug ring and totally ignore the fevver toy we paid $7.99 for.  You miss the litter box?  We must have bought the wrong litter or moved the box two inches too far to the left.

 Well, kitties it is time to give something back.  It is time to pay the rent.  Paying the rent includes:

• post-it notes placed between your ears or another inaccessible place. 
• pinching cheeks, both ends.
• squishing the jelly roll around your middle
• weighing you just for laughs…..Tucker
• hair scrunchies around your tail, loosely of course.
• taking pictures while you are bathing or napping.  Tongue out is mandatory.
• taking pictures while you are high on kitty krack and….putting them on the net
• fingers in your sides where they pooch out.
• Saying “must be jelly cuz jam don’t shake like that” when you run.
• holding you like a baby.
• a friendly kick in the bum when you are taking you time walking to the food dish.

Now you kitties can get all hissy and cop an attitude when we humans require you to pay the rent, but remember the more offended you kitties get, the more we humans enjoy it.

Pee ess: Thanks to all who wished Daisy a get well soon.  She is doing much better.

Daisy is Sick April 20, 2007

I am keeping an eye on her.  In my panic over this recall tragedy, I have been switching her diet around a lot in the last few days. 

I dumped her Natural Balance Wednesday night but the dog food place was closed by the time we got there so she didn’t get any new dog food.  I thought she would be okay snacking on cat food until Thursday, cuz she snacks on it anyways.  The food I bought for her yesterday is called Timberwolf.  She thought it might make her tough. LOL! 

Well, between the catfood for a day and a new dog food, I think her little tummy is upset.  She had to potty so bad this morning she didn’t even say good morning when I let her out of crate.  She made a beeline straight for the front door.  She had the runs real bad.  When, she was done with her ‘business’ we snuggled for a bit.  Her tummy was really rumbling!  Poor Babe. 

Her energy levels and mood were the same as usual though.  I figure if she was seriously ill she wouldn’t be bouncing around the room.  But, I am keeping an eye on her.  I took all the food away and she will fast until tomorrow.  Then it is bland chicken and rice until our recipe books come from Amazon.com.

Apologies April 19, 2007

We apologize for not posting regularly.  We have just been overwhelmed by everything that has been happening.  First with the pet food recalls, and then the shootings on Monday, we have been more brooding lately than usual.  Plus the Mother has been hoggin’ the machine looking up pet foods and reading about the recalls.

When our Mother broods, we brood.

Funny Furriday – Bunny Agility! April 13, 2007

Watch these super talented buns!

Thursday Thirteen #9 April 12, 2007

Thirteen Reasons Why We Need Internet Access at Home

1. We don’t need to worry about teleporting to the Mother’s work everyday.  We have watched Star Trek and know all about molecular degradation.
2. The Mother won’t get busted all the time for looking at Kitty Porn.
3. We won’t have to teleport in and out every time a co-worker walks by (see #1).
4. We can buy cat supplies all the time without listening to the Mother grumble about how expensive everything is.
5. We don’t have to watch the Mother spending our hard earned money on dumb things like dog beds.
6. No complaints about our getting cat hair on the Mother’s cubicle walls.
7. No complaints about our sharpening our claws on the Mother’s cubicle walls.
8. We don’t get our bums tapped when we politely chew on her plants.
9. We can surf the Net while still laying on the bed!!!! Very important.
10. Surf, eat, nap, surf, nap, nap, nap, surf, eat, nap, potty, nap, nap.
11. Alright, alright……the dog can surf too.  ::::shudder::::
12. Cat/dog politics much easier to negotiate than office politics.
13. No more reminders from the Mother that our surfing is keeping her from earning our kibble.

A Fur-Mom’s Pledge April 11, 2007

I pledge to always feed my fur-kids only tasty, nutritious and safe food, treats and stinky goodness.  It shall all be human grade ingredients and organic.  The meat shall be from happy cows, fish, chickens, turkeys, rabbits, etc.  The vegetables shall all be from happy farms.  I will also boycott any brand of pet food that engages in animal testing.   I will thoroughly research each and every product before placing it down for my fur-family to eat.

The proper care of my fur-family is my number one priority with heathy food and adequate healthcare being of prime importance.

– The Mother