Feline Wellness Magazine

Purrfect Products

Weather wise
Want to know if the weather is suitable for your
kitty? The new Personal Petcast at weather.com
puts your worries to rest when determining how
your cat or dog will fare in today’s weather. Simply
input your city or zip code and the size, age, and
coat length of your companion. Personal Petcast
features include cat and dog comfort indexes based
on the weather, hourly flea and mosquito activity,
and more.

Recall controversy
When Shelby Gomas of Feline’s Pride approached the FDA to register his product and manufacturing facility this past summer, he never dreamed it would result in a recall of the company’s frozen raw chicken diets due to evidence of salmonella poisoning. However, there’s more to this story than meets the eye.

“Our product should be kept frozen until it is ready for use,” says Shelby. But when he received the report back from the FDA testing lab in Jamaica, New York, it was clear the samples had not been kept cold during shipping. “The report indicated the color of the samples they received was brown, indicating exposure to heat which would contribute to deterioration and lead to positive testing for salmonella. We feel the investigators did not provide sufficient refrigeration to allow the samples to be properly shipped and maintained safely.”

Shelby asked for a FDA hearing and a re-test of the meat, but his requests were declined. “We have been unjustifiably held accountable for governmental error in administration.”

He has subsequently sent samples of his cat food to New Jersey Feed Lab, at his company’s expense, and all tested negative for salmonella. Find out more at felinespride.com.

Don’t let the bedbugs bite

The bedbug epidemic has many people concerned about the health of their families, homes and animals. “Perhaps the biggest danger pets could face from bedbugs is the use of pesticides to exterminate them,” says Dr. Tina Wismer, the ASPCA’s Senior Director of Veterinary Outreach and Education. “However, the chemical pyrethrin, which is often used in eradicating bedbugs, can be safe if used correctly around pets. Pet owners should discuss safety precautions with their exterminator or their vet before beginning the treatment process.”

The ASPCA suggests contacting a professional exterminator to eliminate bedbugs. For those who decide to do it themselves, carefully follow all directions and precautions outlined on pesticide product labels. Typically this involves keeping cats and dogs out of treated areas until the insecticide product is dry and the area well ventilated. aspca.org

Virtual playtime
Here’s something different – playing with kitties by remote control. Data transfer protocol company Apriori Control has teamed up with the Idaho and Oregon Humane Societies to create iPet Companion, two web pages where you can play with shelter cats by controlling robotic toys over the internet. The application requires a free download. You’ll then be placed in a queue and when it’s your turn you’ll get two minutes of playtime with a cat. Though the idea is still in its infancy, it has already helped increase traffic to the two Humane Society websites. aprioricontrol.com/ihs or oregonhumane.com/playroom

Saved by the bell?
Cats allowed to roam are going to hunt, and unfortunately wild birds are often the prey of choice. According to a study from the University of Otago in New Zealand, the number of birds killed by cats could be cut in half if roaming felines were wearing collars with bells.

The study involved 37 cats that wore a belled collar for a six-week period, and compared the results with another six weeks during which the cats wandered without bells. The researchers found the cats only caught 41 birds when wearing bells, as opposed to 82 birds without. Since bells can pose a safety risk if the cat catches them on something, perhaps the best solution is to keep kitty indoors!

Toronto going catty
Most cities have a feral cat issue, but Toronto’s wild feline population seems to be increasing exponentially. The Toronto Humane Society recently reported that there are some 100,000 homeless cats in the metropolitan area, adding that 400 kittens are born every day during the spring and summer. The THS is working at educating people about the humane control of feral cats through TNR, and is looking for volunteers to help with the program. torontohumanesociety.com

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