Do you have a knack for arts and crafts? Do you enjoy making collages? For the months of May and June, your talent could not only help feed shelter cats, you could win a phonecall with Jackson Galaxy.

Jackson is spearheading a Pet Postcard Project campaign to benefit one of his favorite organizations, The Stray Cat Alliance in Los Angeles.  Freekibble.com has agreed to donate up to 15,000 meals of Halo Spot’s Stew, based on how many postcards the public sends in. For every additional one thousand postcards, Freekibble.com will donate an additional one thousand meals. That’s a lot of food for shelter cats!

Participating won’t cost you more than some paper, glue, and creativity. Simply create a postcard with a cat theme – it can be from photos, or hand drawn, or a collage.  Let your imagination go wild!

To celebrate his recent book release, Jackson will be giving away two signed copies of Cat Daddy: What The World’s Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean  to the two people who send in the most heartwarming handmade postcard of their own cat during this campaign. And one lucky winner will win a phonecall with Jackson!

The Pet Postcard Project was created by Nikki Moustaki, who started the project as a way to help raise awareness, funds and food for rescue animals. For more information, please visit the Pet Postcard Project.

Photo collage courtesy of moderncat.net

Congratulations, Brianne! You’re the winner of an Original Cat Pod!

Look for an e-mail from The Conscious Cat.

The recent Diamond Pet Food recall has left many pet parents wondering whether it’s safe to continue to feed commercial pet food. This particular recall was surprising topet owners who did not realize that Diamond manufacturers a large variety of different brands.  As of this writing, 11 brands are involved in the recall, due to possible salmonella contamination.

Sadly, recalls have become a fact of life, and they happen in all kinds of industries, not just for pet food. While recalls may not be completely unavoidable, this one is unsettling because it covers so many brands – and because it’s not always transparent who actually makes the brand you’re feeding your cats. In most cases, pet guardians also have no way of knowing where the ingredients in a particular brand come from. Multiple brands share the same supplier, as we saw in the horrific 2007 pet food recall, which caused the death of thousands of pets who had eaten food contaminated by melamine, which was traced back to a Chinese supplier.

As a result, pet parents are looking for alternatives. One such alternative may be to feed food from smaller, responsible companies who care about where they source their products, are directly involved in the manufacturing process, and care about the pets who will eat their products.

I had a chance to speak with Carole King, who, together with her husband Norm, owns Pawgevity, a small manufacturer and distributor of raw food based in The Plains, VA. I wanted to learn more about what goes into making pet food the responsible and safe way.

Raw feeding can be a viable alternative to commercial dry and canned cat food, and cats, being the obligate carnivores they are, thrive on a raw meat diet. Ironically, raw food is often labeled as “dangerous.” Pet owners are warned to wash their hands, wash dishes and utensils in hot water, and keep the food away from children. Ironically, in light of the recent recalls, which have all been for DRY pet food, these same warnings are now directed at pet owners when it comes to handling supposedly “safe” dry pet food.

Carole, why did you decide to start your own pet food company?

In 2001, our terrier mix, Russ, died from complications related to a rare form of anemia. The onset of symptoms was so rapid and his passing so quick, that it threw me into a state of shock. I wanted answers as to what went wrong and started devouring everything I could find on holistic care of animals – much of which pointed to nutrition based issues. I’d heard of raw feeding before but it took a fortuitous meeting with a knowledgeable holistic veterinarian to get us started on that path.

We transitioned all of our remaining animals – multiple cats and our other dog – and saw what a difference raw food made in their lives and how quickly they became vibrant and healthy. One of our cats, Woody, had lymphoma and lived two years beyond what the conventional vets predicted – with good quality of life and no invasive care.

Concurrently, I owned and operated a dog walking and pet sitting service which cared for hundreds of animals. First hand, I could see what they were eating and the problems the foods were causing. I went back to school and became certified as a veterinary assistant to better learn anatomy and physiology. After graduating, I began formulating individualized diets for clients. Without fail, they kept coming back and asking me to make the food for them.

Then, the massive recalls of 2007 hit. While attending a major pet food industry conference at that time I realized that no one – not the manufacturers, not the FDA – had known what to test for. And as long as ingredients were being outsourced, they never would. That propelled me into launching Pawgevity – Food for Pets (formerly Chow Now Pet Food) – so that there would be one pet food and treat line out there that people could feel confident feeding to their beloved animals.

Can you tell us a little about the manufacturing process?

We use the freshest ingredients from local farms here in Virginia – that’s where all of our ingredients come from so that we can ensure safety. Our certified organic produce is often picked the same day it’s washed and prepped for our blends. Our poultry is delivered via refrigerated truck and our lamb is delivered by the farmers that raise them.

We’ve partnered with a custom, small human foods facility with an onsite USDA inspector. We’re the only pet food made there because of the quality of our ingredients. On our production run days, we deliver the refrigerated produce ourselves. The production crew does the final mix and multiple grinds, to ensure that the bone is finely ground and all ingredients are easily digestible. We don’t mix runs, meaning chicken production is done on separate days from lamb production.

Our food is then hand packed and lids applied by hand, not machine, so it’s not only artisanal food, there are many safeguards in place at each step during manufacturing.

What does your safety and quality control process look like?

First, because we purchase only from small, pasture-based farms, the animals that go into our food are in the very top healthy condition. They haven’t received antibiotics, chemicals, or medicated feed, and haven’t been raised in crowded, indoor, unhygienic factory farm conditions. We’re proud to say that not one of our animals’ organs have ever been rejected by the USDA inspector – this is an indication of how healthy the animals are. The produce is certified organic and very high quality. One of our farms has provided fruit and veggies for the White House!

Our production crew and facility follow all HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points), GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) and USDA guidelines (and, as mentioned, there is an onsite USDA inspector), and the facility is certified Animal Welfare Approved. This means they’ve gone to great extent to ensure they they do their processing in the most humane manner possible, as well as the safest and most hygienic. They’ve been producing safe foods for humans for decades and handle our food in the exact same way. Everything is kept at low temperatures during processing and immediately fast frozen once packaged. We produce in smaller batches; therefore it’s easier to maintain the highest quality production. The crew chief personally signs off on every case of Pawgevity.

We do all of our own transport, in a freezer truck, from our production facility to our retail outlets. We’re involved from farm to bowl, and that’s the best way to ensure safety.

Have you ever had a problem during manufacturing? If so, how did you handle it?

We haven’t, thanks to our wonderful, caring, and hard working crew.

Are small indpendently owned pet food companies a safer choice for pet parents than corporate conglomerates?

I can only speak for Pawgevity. We truly care about changing the way the world feeds their pets. We don’t answer to a board of directors, investors, or shareholders – we answer to our own animals and our customers’ animals. It’s not about the bottom line for us. By producing in smaller batches and using only locally sourced ingredients, we’re able to monitor every step of the food production process, in infinite detail, by being directly connected with our farms and our production crew. We feed our food every day to our family.

For more information about Pawgevity, please visit their website.

Are you concerned about the safety of commercial pet food? Has the recent recall changed what you feed your pets?

Photo credit: Molly M. Peterson

Today, The Conscious Cat reached a milestone I never could have envisioned, not even in my wildest dreams. Today, one single blog post reached 10,000 comments.

It all began on August 17, 2009, when I wrote a post titled Tortitude – the Unique Personality of Tortoiseshell Cats. The post features one of my favorite photos of Amber and Buckley, and rapidly became one of the most popular posts on this blog.

Comments began pouring in almost immediately. Turns out there were a lot of people out there who loved these cats as much as I did, and who were sometimes delighted, sometimes puzzled, and occasionally frustrated, with their strong personalities. Within a few months, a Google search for “tortoiseshell cat” showed the post halfway down the first page of search results. A search for “tortoiseshell cat personality” returned the post as the first search result.

While there were always new tortie lovers either sharing stories about their beloved cats, or asking advice, some kept coming back again and again. Before long, a lively dialogue had erupted among a small group of regulars. They came from all walks of life. Their ages ranged from a senior in high school to a grandmother in her seventies, their occupations from artist to attorney.

This incredibly diverse group of people came back to the blog, day after day, to share stories of their torties. As we all got to know each other better, what began as an online forum for cat lovers turned into online friendships. We shared joys, and we shared heart break. Some of us met in person at a very special book signing last year, and found that the friendships born online as a result of our torties translated to real life friendships.

I can’t wait to see where this post is going to take all of us. We love it when new tortie lovers find the post and join the discussion. We’re particularly delighted at the romance that is brewing between two of our members who met through this blog post. Who knew torties could be matchmakers?

The story of the tortitude family is an evolving story, and it’s being written one comment at a time.

Special thanks go out to Bernie, Steeler, Jay, Stirfry, Glen, Kasey, Harry, Julie, Rachel, Brooke, Bernadette, Cookie, Kelly, Lynn, Monkey, Sue, Nikita, Luna, Betty, Columbia, Sharon, Doodlebug, Shannah and Emma. You, and all the others who commented on this post over the past three years, turned an ordinary blog post into an extraordinary community.

Nobody wants to think about the unthinkable: something happens to us, and our cat won’t be taken care of. As responsible cat parents, we owe it to our cats to think ahead and make arrangments for our cats care in case of an emergency or death.

I am currently going through the process of updating my will, which includes a pet trust. A pet trust allows you to control how your cat will be cared for in the event of your death. You can name a guardian for your cat so she won’t end up at a shelter, and leave money for her care. Laws for pet trusts vary from state to state. As of 2012, 46 states have enacted pet trust laws. Be sure to consult with an attorney in your state once you’ve finalized arrangements.

In a recent article on Vetstreet, attorney Rachel Hirschfeld, a pet trust expert and author of Petriarch: The Complete Guide to Financial and Legal Planning for a Pet’s Continued Care, suggests thinking of the trust as a docment of affection and protection. “You’re really writing a love letter to your animal,” she emphasizes.

Unless your designated guardian already knows your cat’s routine extremely well, consider putting details such as your cat’s daily routine, specific foods and treats, and your expectations for medical care into the trust. Spell out even mundane details. For more suggestions, please read Five Innovative Ideas for Owners Who Want to Set Up Pet Trusts.

I am fortunate that my designated guardian knows my girls really well. My pet trust has provisions that won’t allow my house to be sold until my guardian has found a new home for my cats. Ideally, I’d like my guardian to move into my home during the transition period, but that may not be practical.

This is the kind of thing that none of us want to deal with, but the discomfort of dealing with putting these legal arrangements into place is outweighed by the peace of mind of knowing that you won’t have to worry about your cats ending up at a shelter, or worse, euthanized, because there were no other options.

Have you made arrangements for someone to care for your cat if you can’t?

Photo ©Bernadette Kazmarski, used with permission. To see more of Bernadette’s photos and art, please visit The Creative Cat.

While cancer in cats is not as common as it in dogs, it is still one of the leading causes of death in older cats. According to the Animal Cancer Foundation, 6 million cats will be diagnosed with cancer in the United States along. And because cats are masters at masking illness, it is often harder to detect.

Cancer used to be a death sentence for cats, but recent advances in feline cancer research have made treatment possible in many cases. Just like with human cancers, early detection is key to successful treatment. Depending on the type of cancer, treatment options may include sugery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

How and whether to treat cancer can be a big decision for cat parents, and factors such as the cat’s age, general health status, temperament all come into play. So do finances: cancer therapies can be expensive.

Sometimes, the right answer may be no treatment, and keeping the cat comfortable with good quality of life for as long as possible may be an appropriate choice.

This is where palliative care comes in. The World Health Organization defines palliative care as “an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial, and spiritual.”

I particularly like the emphasis on psychological and spiritual care for the entire family: when a cat becomes terminally ill, it doesn’t just affect the cat, it also affects the cat’s guardians and other family members, both human and feline.

Palliative care is an interdisciplinary approach to caring for the feline cancer patient that involves your cat’s veterinarian and staff, the cat’s guardian, and, if needed, a social worker or bereavement counselor.

Palliative care is chosen when

• cat guardians make the decision not to pursue treatment.
• a terminal illness with no cure is diagnosed.
• curative treatment failed.
• long-term care is required.
• symptoms of the illness interfere with the daily routine of the cat or guardian.

Palliative care can include traditional medications such as pain relief, steroids, and fluids, or alternative modalities such as acupuncture, Reiki, homeopathy, and herbal therapy.

Education about the specific cancer your cat is facing is critical. Discuss with your veterinarian what a typical progression of the disease looks like, how to recognize symptoms and manage them, and what kind of medical and nutritional support may be required. Be open about your limitations. Will you be able to provide the level of care your cat may need? Can you monitor vital functions, administer fluids, and give medications?

Quality of life will be your most important consideration. You will want to monitor pain, hydration status, hygiene, mobility and overall happiness of your cat. The Quality of Life Scale developed by Alice Villalobos, DVM, the founder of Pawspice™, is often used to help cat guardians determine whether it may be time to stop treatment.

As your cat’s illness progresses, and if your desire is to avoid hospitalizing your cat, you may need to set up an “at home clinic.” Soft bedding, easy access to litter boxes, clean water, and food in your cat’s favorite part of your home can make this time as comfortable as possible for your cat.

If you make the decision for palliative care, be aware of something often called “caregiver aversion.” Depending on your cat’s temperament, giving frequent or long term medications can cause anxiety for both cat and human. You will need to decide whether risking breaking the bond you share with your cat is worth the additional time the medications may give you.

It is also important to discuss your personal views about death and euthanasia with your cat’s veterinarian. Even though euthanasia in veterinary medicine is widely accepted as a gentle way to put an end to potential pain and indignity for dying patients, some cat guardians may prefer a natural to an assisted death. You’ll want to work with a veterinarian who respects your personal beliefs.

If and when the time comes that you will need to choose euthanasia, consider asking your vet to come to your home, rather than taking your cat to the clinic. Even though few vets advertise this service, many will perform it when requested. You can find veterinarians who perform in home euthanasias through the In Home Pet Euthanasia Directory or the American Association of Housecall Veterinarians.

Despite the logistic and emotional challenges palliative care may present for cats and their humans, it can also be a time of great peace and increased bonding with your beloved feline companion.  It allows for a gentle preparation for the impending loss for both cat and human.

A cancer diagnosis does not have to be the end – it can be the beginning of a deepening, peaceful, final phase of life for both cat and human.

Palliative care is not just for cancer patients; it can apply to any terminal illness. I chose palliative care for Buckley’s heart disease when she stopped responding to treatment. The photo above was taken three weeks before she passed away. 

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there!

Wishing you purrs,
Allegra, Ruby and Ingrid

If you’re fortunate enough to still have your mother in your life, be sure to tell her that you love her today and every day. My mom passed away 18 years ago, and I still miss her. Even after all these years, I still feel a pang when I see Mother’s Day cards appear in stores.

Even though we never had cats when I was growing up, my mom was a cat lover. The apartment building we lived in did not allow pets, but luckily, whenever we went on vacation, somehow, every bed-and-breakfasts or rented vacation condo we stayed at would always have a resident cat or two, or there would be a number of stray cats hanging around the property. My mom and I both loved spending time with those cats.

The only one of my cats my mom ever met was Feebee. While my parents were still healthy enough to travel, they would make the trip from Germany to the US once a year. The photo below was taken during their first visit, when Feebee was about a year old. You can see that it didn’t take him long to wrap my mom around his little paws. She adored him, and at the end of each visit, most of the photos she took were of Feebee rather than the many famous tourist sights around the Washington, DC area.

I have a lot of photos of my mom, and I’m not sure she’d be all that happy with me sharing this particular one, but of all the photos I have, this slightly blurry one, caught in a moment when she thought noone was paying attention, is one of my favorites.

Whether you’re the mom of human or feline children, enjoy your special day!

Conscious Cat Sunday will return next week.

Photo: istockphoto

Meow, the 39-pound cat who was relinquished to a Santa Fe shelter because his elderly owner could no longer care for him, has died of lung failure. The LA Times reported that the shelter placed Meow in a foster home and put him on a strict, high-protein diet intended to knock off some weight before he could be adopted by a new owner. When Meow began wheezing last Thursday, vets initially suspected asthma or allergies. Meow’s condition worsened, and even though four veterinarians tried to save him, he died last Saturday afternoon. Read the full story on the LA Times website.

Hopefully, Meow’s brief media fame will help raise awareness that feline obesity is a serious problem. Lorie Huston, DVM, a Rhode Island veterinarian and publisher of the Pet Health Care Gazette, put it perfectly in her post titled A Sad Farewell to Meow, Killed by Kindness and Obesity: “Though Meow’s plight is tragic, perhaps we can all learn a lesson from his situation. I know that Meow’s elderly owner probably never meant to do him any harm. In fact, it’s likely she thought she was doing right by him. But if a creature can be killed with kindness, Meow is one of the best examples.”

In happier news, another fat cat is doing well. Tiny Tim, a tabby who was rescued from the streets of Houston just before Christmas, is down to 32.2 pounds from his original weight of almost 36 pounds. The Houston Chronicle reports that Tiny Tim has been cared for  at Southside Place Animal Hospital by clinic owner Dr. Alice Frei, staff members and various volunteers. Many people have called to inquire about adopting him but most wanted assurance he wouldn’t develop serious medical problems. “I can’t assure that,” Frei said. “He’s likely to develop diabetes or heart problems. Losing weight doesn’t alter the fact that he spent five years way overweight.” Tiny  has done so well in his new environment that he will probably be kept on as the official clinic cat. Read the full story on the Houston Chronicle website.

Fios was named by Verizon workers after they rescued the malnourished cat in Queens, NY. “We were walking on the sidewalk and we heard a meowing,” said Vinny Cassidy, a Verizon field technician. “I thought it was under a car, but it was up in a tree.” The cat was grasping onto a tree branch with one leg, with what appeared to be a cable cord tied around its neck. Vinny’s coworker Robert Munday used the bucket on their truck to reach the choking cat, and then snipped off the cable with a pair of shears. According to the New York Daily News, Fios has been adopted and will be moving to the Long Island suburbs. Read the full story on Verizon’s blog.

Today’s video shows three bobcat kittens who were rescued and “adopted” by a domestic feline mom. Prepare for some major “awww” moments!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ejotVabHpM

Have a great weekend!

Photo sources: photo of Meow from Santa Fe Humane Society Facebook page, photo of Tiny Tim from the Houston Chronicle website, photo of Fios from Verizon website

Nestle Purina PetCare is recalling one specific lot of its Purina Veterinary Diets® OM Overweight Management canned cat food, available through veterinarians in the U.S. and Canada.  Analytical testing of the product sample by FDA indicated a low level of thiamine (Vitamin B1).

Only cans with the following “Best By” date and production code shown are included in this voluntary recall:

*”Best By” Date and Production Code are found on the bottom of the can.

Cats fed this affected lot exclusively for several weeks may be at risk for developing a thiamine deficiency.  Thiamine is essential for cats.  Symptoms of deficiency displayed by an affected cat can be gastrointestinal or neurological in nature.  Early signs of thiamine deficiency may include decreased appetite, salivation, vomiting and weight loss.  In advanced cases, neurological signs can develop, which may include ventriflexion (bending towards the floor) of the neck, wobbly walking, falling, circling and seizures.  Contact your veterinarian immediately if your cat is displaying any of these signs.  If treated promptly, thiamine deficiency is typically reversible.

This product was distributed to veterinary clinics between June, 2011 and May, 2012 throughout the U.S. and Canada.  The product is not sold in retail stores.

No additional Purina cat or dog products are involved in this voluntary recall.  No other Purina Veterinary Diets® products are involved, and only Purina Veterinary Diets® OM canned cat food which match the “Best By” dates and production code above are included in this recall.

Consumers who have purchased Purina Veterinary Diets® OM canned cat food cans with these specific “Best By” Date and Production Codes should discontinue feeding the product, and discard it.

For further information or to obtain a product refund, please contact Nestle Purina as follows:

U.S. Consumers & Veterinarians: Call toll-free 1-800-982-8837 Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central Time, or visit www.purinaveterinarydiets.com.

Canadian Consumers & Veterinarians: Call toll-free 1-866-884-8387 Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time, or visit www.purina.ca.

SOURCE  Nestle Purina PetCare

Liz Eastwood is a writer, certified nutritionist, and the publisher of the Natural Cat Care Blog. Liz and I share the same views on a lot of things when it comes to cat care, which is why I was delighted when she told me that she had put together a small e-book titled Natural Flea Control for Cats Made Simple. I expected it to contain solid, well-researched information, and I wasn’t disappointed.

If you’re still using chemical flea products on your cat, please educate yourself about the dangers of these products, and about how to control fleas without chemicals.

Liz’s book offers a simple and safe method to keep these pesky parasites away from your cat. In her book, Liz will tell you how to

• Get rid of and prevent fleas with clear, simple steps
• Avoid natural flea products that are toxic to cats and hazardous to eyes and lungs
• Save the money you would have spent on chemical products
• Do it all without fighting with your cat over things like flea dips

Topics include:

• How to get rid of fleas naturally
• Easy year-round flea prevention plan
• Flea control checklist
• Problem solving
• Natural flea control methods to avoid
• The trouble with chemical products
• Resource list

Even though I (thankfully) can’t speak from personal experience, I feel comfortable recommending Liz’s approach. I especially like that she states at the beginning of the book that essential oils are not safe for cats. This is a controversial topic, and many aromatherapists and manufacturers of essential oils claim that their products are safe to use around cats. Like Liz, I’m not convinced that this is true. I wouldn’t trust a manufacturer’s claims unless an independent source verifies them. Many of the natural flea control products on the market contain essential oils, which makes them unsafe for use around cats. Liz also mentions safety concerns with some other natural remedies such as garlic and diatomaceous earth.

The book is available on Amazon for Kindle or download to your PC. This may be the best $1.99 you’ll ever spend to keep your cat flea free withour risking her health.

I received a review copy of this book from the author. The complimentary copy did not influence my review.

Today is the day! Jackson Galaxy’s long awaited  first book, Cat Daddy: What The World’s Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean, is finally available for purchase! And to celebrate release day with Jackson, we’re giving away a copy of the audiobook version, read by Jackson himself.

The photo below shows Jackson during the recording of the book.

If you’ve read my review of Cat Daddy, you already know how much I loved the book. The story of Jackson and Benny touched my heart. The cats of the world, and those of us who love them, owe a debt of gratitude to Benny for saving Jackson’s life and for being his teacher so Jackson, in turn, could go on to help save the lives of countless cats through his work.

This book deserves to be a bestseller – not just because it’s a great book, but because it will help cats everywhere. Pre-orders and first week book sales are important when it comes to getting a book on the major bestseller lists, so if you haven’t already pre-ordered your copy, please buy the book now. Your purchase can help make this book a bestseller.

Here’s how you can win a copy of Cat Daddy, the audiobook.

To enter the giveaway, tell me in a comment why you would like to win the Cat Daddy audiobook. For an additional chance to win, tweet about this giveaway or share on Facebook, and post the link in a separate comment. This giveaway ends Thursday, May 17.