Christmas is Coming Soon!

Christmas is approaching fast and after decorating the house last week, Smokey and Sunny both immediately started messing with the tree/ornaments. They've knocked one particular ornament (a fish of course!) down multiple times, but it's plastic so it won't break, thank goodness. If they don't watch out they might not get anything for Christmas since they're being naughty (though I think they might get some new toys anyway because overall they're good little kitties!)! But we haven't (yet) had any climbing the tree going on (Sunny used to do this when she was younger) so that's good.

Yesterday, while on a trip to Petsmart I got some new treats for the kitties to try. They are "Blue Buffalo Wilderness Chicken and Trout". I thought the "Trout" addition was interesting because there are only a few brands that include it in food/treats (it is in some of the Hill's Ideal Balance stuff). Smokey and Sunny both LOVE them (going to have to watch Sunny's treat intake though because I need her to lose weight since she weighs 12lbs and should weigh about 10lbs)! They've had the "Chicken and Turkey" ones (same brand) before and love those too. I'm not usually one to recommend a particular brand of cat food/treats and no others (because there are many good brands out there) but if you are looking for some healthy treat ideas, give these a try. They're moist, fairly low calorie, and the ingredients are simple (less chance for allergies) as well as being grain-free (my cats have been eating exclusively grain-free for quite a while now).

Lilly is doing well as is Seze (my leopard gecko). A while back I got Lilly some treats. They're Oxbow Timothy Treats and she loves them! The aquariums are both doing well also. The reef tank has some awesome corals and (now) a royal gramma (purple and yellow fish). The corals are growing rapidly and seem to be "happy."

Fall pictures!

So, I decided that today was as good a day as any to have a "photo shoot" with Smokey, Sunny and Lilly. Here are a few of them...
First, here is Smokey. She was very relaxed and comfy on the couch.

Next, Sunny. She refused to look at me for almost all her pictures (she is so funny that way!)

And finally, Lilly. I had some good ones of her but my favorite is this one of her face!

Meow Monday

So, Smokey and Sunny have been on an exclusively grain-free diet for a few months now (Blue Buffalo Wilderness dry and Sheba wet) and I must say, I'm very impressed. Sunny's "issues" of being sick (for whatever unknown reason) are gone and she is now very frisky (she was not before). Both Smokey and Sunny have very nice looking coats and they don't shed excessively. Sunny still needs to lose some weight but that is just because she and Smokey need differing amounts of food (Smokey is incredibly active and needs quite a lot more calories/food than Sunny). I attribute this seemingly better health to eating a diet that is meat-based instead of corn, wheat, soy, or rice based like some foods on the market. While some cats seem to be fine on the cheaper foods (Friskies, "Purina Be Happy", Deli-Cat, etc) I do believe that the reason certain medical problems (feline diabetes, feline obesity, hyperthyroidism due to too much salt in the food like many cheaper foods add, kidney problems, some types of cancer, etc) in cats have become more common is because of the food. Obviously not all cases of these diseases are because of the food but quite a few could very easily be traced back to improper nutrition (cats are meant to eat meat, they evolved to do it and we should, therefore, feed them appropriately).
I feed two different brands of food (the Blue Buffalo and the Sheba canned) simply because, if there is a recall of either one, I will have less trouble getting the cats to eat something that they are already used to (a big deal for Sunny who is quite picky and will go hungry instead of eat the new food).
If anyone has tips to get Sunny to lose weight (I know exercise is the key but am not sure how to get her to do it!), If anyone has an idea, leave a comment below!

Suggestions about Potential Problems with Pet Foods

In light of the various pet food recalls and what the FDA has come out with about the jerky treats, I just wanted to take a minute to tell everyone something you probably already know but is worth repeating: How to know if there is a problem with your pet's food and what to do about it.

Besides obvious visible problems such as mold/foreign matter in the food, here are some of the signs/symptoms that may be associated with problems related to your pet's food.
1. Vomiting/diarrhea (make sure your pet(s) didn't get into something toxic before you assume it's the food)
2. Using the bathroom more often than usual or avoiding using the bathroom (urinating more frequently/less frequently can be a sign of kidney issues that could be because of the food or some other reason)
3. Lethargy
4. Pain
5. Refusal to eat
6. Increased thirst/decreased thirst
Please note: your pet(s) may not experience all of these symptoms and this is not a complete list of all possible symptoms (just the most common ones). Depending on the problem with the food, symptoms may be different.

Here are a few tips of things to do if you suspect something is wrong with your pet's food.
1. Stop feeding the suspect food IMMEDIATELY. I know that you are supposed to change a pet's food slowly (over a week or more) but in the case of potential problems, it is more important to get the pet(s) off the suspect food.
2. Go to your veterinarian if your pet(s) is very sick or does not improve after removing the suspect food.
3. Submit a report through the FDA website/on the phone and give as much information as possible (lot numbers, dates, size of package, brand, flavor, best-by date, UPC, etc)
4. Alert the pet food manufacturer to your problem(s) if possible (give the same information that you gave the FDA).
5. Keep the food sealed up in an inaccessible area for a few weeks to see if the FDA wants/needs to test it for problems.

Hope these tips are helpful in the event that you have a problem in the future (I hope you don't). Feel free to share this with friends, family, etc.

Sunny's food issues finally over (hopefully!)

Well, it appears that the cat grass that I gave the kitties worked because while they had it, Sunny did not get sick (it has withered but I plan to get more and keep it on hand) at all. So, thankfully, it SEEMS Sunny is NOT allergic to fish after all (thank goodness!). My philosophy in regards to pet food is to feed the way that nature intended whatever animal to eat. We wouldn't think of feeding a guinea pig or rabbit meat so why do we feed our cats foods that are BASED in plant products (dry food HAS to have a carbohydrate/plant source in it but it shouldn't be the first ingredient and ideally shouldn't be a grain)? Cats naturally need meat so we should feed them meat. Same for other animals. My guinea pig Lilly gets pelleted food that has grass-based products in it (and no corn because it's not good for guinea pigs either interestingly enough) as well as timothy hay and veggies/fruits. Feeding animals in this way prevents health problems that they can get if they don't eat a species appropriate diet. And I'm all for feeding in a way to minimize potential health problems and, therefore, trips to the vet.

World Cat Day

So I thought I should blog today since it is World Cat Day! Smokey and Sunny have been pretty lazy today but that's OK with me! Sunny has not been sick for a while now so maybe she is not allergic and just was eating a bad houseplant. Anyway, Happy World Cat Day!

Something to think about

This is something that those of you who have corn in your pet's food might want to think about and be careful. http://truthaboutpetfood2.com/gosss-wilt This little part is the worst of it all. I am not a fan of genetically modified crops (because of what they can do to native species). "Besides the risk of aflatoxins with grain ingredients, there is another concern. In researching Goss’s wilt, the main chemical in Monsanto’s weed control product Roundup – glyphosate – kept being listed in Google searches for more information. Many experts around the world are linking glyphosate to plant diseases – including Goss’s wilt and serious health risks including birth defects, genetic damage, cancer, neurological and behavior changes, brain tumors and more." I'm glad I don't have corn (or any grain) in my cats' food! Sunny has presented me with a twist recently. I have not changed her food yet and I'm watching her closely because she has NOT been sick in over a week (great!). I got the cats some cat grass and I'm wondering if she is simply not eating the plant that was making her sick now that she has her own plant. If she is NOT allergic to fish, that makes me really happy because avoiding fish in cat food is very hard. So, once I finally figure out what's going on, I'll let all know. For now, I'm going to stick with the current food and see what happens before I change foods.