The other night my finace and I came home to the usual Screaming Cat Greeting and proceeded directly to the fridge. I pulled out a lovely, manicured turkey breast and placed it lovingly in the oven on a low temp. The roasting turkey created a delicious aroma that spread through the house. My finace and I started to get hungry.
We went to the fridge and failed to procure any items suitable for dinner. We checked the freezer. Frozen pizza. Microwave frozen pizza (the oven was in use). We cooked it and sat gobbling down the disgusting lot.
Ding! The oven timer went off. The turkey was roasted perfectly, the skin crispy and juicy. Since my cats cannot easily eat the skin, we removed it, sprinkled it with salt and savored every last bit while the cats feasted on turkey breast right out of the oven. Do I sound jealous?
This may be the main reason I switched the cats to a mostly-raw diet, because I was sick and tired of them eating this delicious food while I was starving and eating fast food!
Okay, next post.. back to normal :)
Friday, February 29, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Cats Need Bull
Don't forget when you're happily stuffing raw turkey (or cooked turkey for that matter) in your cat's bowl that all kitties need taurine, the amino acid obviously named after Taurus (bull), in order to survive because they do not manufacture taurine in their bodies. In fact, processed pet food makers add copious amounts of it to their recipes because some original catastrophes with original taurine-less foods caused heart failure in cats.
Buy a bottle of taurine in capsules (about $6) and open the capsule to sprinkle on the food. Add about 100mg everyday.
Buy a bottle of taurine in capsules (about $6) and open the capsule to sprinkle on the food. Add about 100mg everyday.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Miss Margene Flips You Off:
Ears and Their Problems
Miss Margene tends to flip her ear inside out when she's playing. I've never had a cat with this habit but it does not seem to bother her whatsoever.
It is a good opportunity for me to check out her ears and make sure things are looking healthy and normal. Whenever I see redness, swelling, dark crusty crumbs, or lots of waxy mess, I make my way to the light to take a better look.
If your cat's ear appears to be irritated, look for scratches and wounds that need to be cleaned and watched. Never forget that infections in the ear are near the brain and should they show signs of worsening, or if the cat seems feverish, thirsty, or lethargic, you should make your way quickly to a vet.
Swelling, pain, pus, and oozing are symptoms for the vet. Use hydrogen peroxide, or soap and water if possible, to clean lesser wounds. You may dress an ear wound with a natural herbal salve to speed healing and reduce infection. Look for salves that contain goldenseal, myrrh, and other mild antimicrobial herbs since the cat may consume small amounts of this salve, don't use tea tree oil or strong oils. Do not use bandages or wraps on the ear unless your vet recommends it.
I have also used low-dosage colloidal silver with great results. Try to warm it up by resting the bottle inside a mug of hot water before applying to sensitive ears.
Tomorrow: crusty, yeasty, waxy ears...
Vegetarian Dogs
I used to date a guy that grew up in Hungary. He would always remark about how weird he thought "pet food" was since in Hungary they would feed the dogs the leftovers of the family meals. Granted, his family's meals were probably fresh and fairly simple.
American families eat as much processed foods as our dogs do. High salt, high fat, high-preservative foods do not make a good foundation for humans or canines as far as I know. However, it does bring us to today's topic - can dogs be vegetarian? My experience tells me that yes, many dogs can be vegetarians, unlike their feline friends. It is important to monitor the protein and fat intake of your pet and help make sure they are getting a good, balanced food supply.
If your family does eat meat, I recommend that your try to eat organic, fresh meats as much as possible, and its a good idea to hand some raw bones over to your dog now and then and let them chew, chew away. This will help scrape plaque from their teeth as well as get them the nuggets of hidden minerals and cartilage that can keep their joints and bones strong as they age.
Don't forget that fresh veggies and fruits contain antioxidants and vitamins that will benefit the health of your dog, so toss a few those in the old bowl as well. Steaming is the best way to make the veggies more palatable. Bon Appetit!
American families eat as much processed foods as our dogs do. High salt, high fat, high-preservative foods do not make a good foundation for humans or canines as far as I know. However, it does bring us to today's topic - can dogs be vegetarian? My experience tells me that yes, many dogs can be vegetarians, unlike their feline friends. It is important to monitor the protein and fat intake of your pet and help make sure they are getting a good, balanced food supply.
If your family does eat meat, I recommend that your try to eat organic, fresh meats as much as possible, and its a good idea to hand some raw bones over to your dog now and then and let them chew, chew away. This will help scrape plaque from their teeth as well as get them the nuggets of hidden minerals and cartilage that can keep their joints and bones strong as they age.
Don't forget that fresh veggies and fruits contain antioxidants and vitamins that will benefit the health of your dog, so toss a few those in the old bowl as well. Steaming is the best way to make the veggies more palatable. Bon Appetit!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show
So, a beagle has taken the crown. I don't know what anyone else is thinking, but I'm thinking that beagle is pretty adorable. Do you think the dogs know when they are winning, or are they just having fun in general?
I would love to know.
I would love to know.
Vegetarian Cats
My understanding of cats brings me to the reality that cats do not make good vegetarians. Cats need more protein and fat than other pets. It may be that there are very skilled vegetarian owners out there that manage to balance these components and still feed only a vegetarian diet. I've never really heard of someone accomplishing this and raising a totally healthy cat, so I apologize if I'm overlooking someone.
In fact, my own experience leads me to believe that cats need very little besides meat, organs, and bones to survive healthily. Carbohydrates or greens of any sort make my male cat immediately sick, and my female kitten stinks up the whole house when she consumes carbs and vegs. In nature, cats may chew on grass, and they certainly eat the contents of the stomach & intestines of their prey, which would account for a small amount of predigested vegetable matter.
Don't forget that most commercial dry pet foods are mostly carbs which makes for an unhealthy balance for a cat. Commonly, this is apparent in the urinary health or skin & coat of the animal, and sometimes in other ways like obesity or smelly breath. Some cats remain largely unaffected by a dry diet for years, but kidney issues do seem to creep up later on.
If you are currently giving your cat a dry-only diet, consider adding a couple spoons of natural canned food per day, and cut back slightly on the dry. It may just be a small step in the right direction.
In fact, my own experience leads me to believe that cats need very little besides meat, organs, and bones to survive healthily. Carbohydrates or greens of any sort make my male cat immediately sick, and my female kitten stinks up the whole house when she consumes carbs and vegs. In nature, cats may chew on grass, and they certainly eat the contents of the stomach & intestines of their prey, which would account for a small amount of predigested vegetable matter.
Don't forget that most commercial dry pet foods are mostly carbs which makes for an unhealthy balance for a cat. Commonly, this is apparent in the urinary health or skin & coat of the animal, and sometimes in other ways like obesity or smelly breath. Some cats remain largely unaffected by a dry diet for years, but kidney issues do seem to creep up later on.
If you are currently giving your cat a dry-only diet, consider adding a couple spoons of natural canned food per day, and cut back slightly on the dry. It may just be a small step in the right direction.
Cats on Raw Food
Cats are natural predators. We forget that from time to time. If you're like me, your cat represents a member of the family. .. well, one that purrs, but still... and its hard to imagine that they could harm another helpless living animal. One hour outside in the yard is all it takes to turn your sweet snuggle-bunny into an intestine-ripping, beak-chewing terrorist to wildlife. I'll never forget the image of my childhood cat batting a bloody baby mouse body around the driveway, trying to get it to get up and run again so he could play some more. I should have known then that dried up little chunks of cat food pellets isn't an appropriate diet for such an animal.
Now, I'm not saying I'm going to set up a caged hunt with some pigeons or mice just to satiate the evil needs of my house cat, but there must be some better answer than commercial cat foods, which I've read are mostly made of by-products of the meat industries, like tumors, deformed limbs, and even euthanized cattle. Dry foods have no where near the high moisture (water and oil) level that cats need to consume in their food since drinking water is not sufficient for them. Wet foods tend to have moisture, but the fat-to-water balance is off.
Our pets manifest the effects of such deficient food sources differently over time, some with food allergies, skin reactions, diarrhea, premature aging, obesity, kidney strain, dental cavities, urinary tract problems, and the more important and common effect may be that the cat's general immune system may be compromised and left vulnerable to all disease.
Can a cat eat raw meat and not get sick? Yes. I have always heard that cats have acidic saliva and stomach fluids that allow it to neutralize more bacteria during digestion. Maybe that is true: I'm not a veterinarian but my cat has been eating raw, organic turkey and chicken for over a year and he gets much less sick than when he eats processed foods, even the natural ones.
It took him a while to figure out how to eat raw meat but he mows through it now like its caviar on Fancy Feast. I can throw a small chicken wing or drum down and he will start at one end and eat the whole thing, bone and all, right down to the tip. [I don't think you're supposed to feed cats cooked bones because they can splinter and be dangerous in the throat but raw bones are supposed to be okay. I have to confess, I supervise him every time, just in case!]
Anyway, he is a happier, more fit, more handsome cat now at 7 1/2 years old than he's been since he was one year old. He is a poster child for a raw diet! I'll be posting more tips on how to start your raw diet for cats or dogs (plus resources for birds and horse diets) and some time- and money-saving tricks to help you get through it. Please comment and share your experiences anytime. I'll try to help answer questions you may have or help you find the resources. Long live the pets.
Now, I'm not saying I'm going to set up a caged hunt with some pigeons or mice just to satiate the evil needs of my house cat, but there must be some better answer than commercial cat foods, which I've read are mostly made of by-products of the meat industries, like tumors, deformed limbs, and even euthanized cattle. Dry foods have no where near the high moisture (water and oil) level that cats need to consume in their food since drinking water is not sufficient for them. Wet foods tend to have moisture, but the fat-to-water balance is off.
Our pets manifest the effects of such deficient food sources differently over time, some with food allergies, skin reactions, diarrhea, premature aging, obesity, kidney strain, dental cavities, urinary tract problems, and the more important and common effect may be that the cat's general immune system may be compromised and left vulnerable to all disease.
Can a cat eat raw meat and not get sick? Yes. I have always heard that cats have acidic saliva and stomach fluids that allow it to neutralize more bacteria during digestion. Maybe that is true: I'm not a veterinarian but my cat has been eating raw, organic turkey and chicken for over a year and he gets much less sick than when he eats processed foods, even the natural ones.
It took him a while to figure out how to eat raw meat but he mows through it now like its caviar on Fancy Feast. I can throw a small chicken wing or drum down and he will start at one end and eat the whole thing, bone and all, right down to the tip. [I don't think you're supposed to feed cats cooked bones because they can splinter and be dangerous in the throat but raw bones are supposed to be okay. I have to confess, I supervise him every time, just in case!]
Anyway, he is a happier, more fit, more handsome cat now at 7 1/2 years old than he's been since he was one year old. He is a poster child for a raw diet! I'll be posting more tips on how to start your raw diet for cats or dogs (plus resources for birds and horse diets) and some time- and money-saving tricks to help you get through it. Please comment and share your experiences anytime. I'll try to help answer questions you may have or help you find the resources. Long live the pets.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Help for Pet Owners
I have created this blog to help share and receive info on natural health care for pets like dogs, cats, birds, and horses. Many owners spend years and tons of money at the vet or on conventional medications for their animals but never see the benefit in the health of the animal. Often times, there is no resource that can point out some simple and time-tested regimens that can curb the effects of the pet's chronic disease and symptoms.
It is important, as loving pet owners, that we recognize the needs of the animal and address basic supportive lifestyle requirements for the pet. For instance, a hyper beagle may need more rigorous walks and sniffing/searching games more than sedating drugs, to correct the hyperactivity. Another commonly overlooked need might be for replenishment of beneficial bacteria in the gut of a cat with chronic diarrhea.
Hopefully, we can use this blog to share helpful information about natural remedies and regimens that can support our pets (and us!) in happier lives.
It is important, as loving pet owners, that we recognize the needs of the animal and address basic supportive lifestyle requirements for the pet. For instance, a hyper beagle may need more rigorous walks and sniffing/searching games more than sedating drugs, to correct the hyperactivity. Another commonly overlooked need might be for replenishment of beneficial bacteria in the gut of a cat with chronic diarrhea.
Hopefully, we can use this blog to share helpful information about natural remedies and regimens that can support our pets (and us!) in happier lives.
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