Cats and Kittens

Face it, you like toys. So does your pet. That’s because toys are a fun source of amusement for your pets when you’re busy living the part of your life that doesn’t involve leashes and plastic bowls with the name “Killer” across the side of it. Plus proper use of toys can keep your pet healthy (and you thought they were just good for making fun of Bower when he spins out chasing it across the linoleum). Toys put your pets in the habit of regular exercise as well as building a sense of enjoyment that will keep them young. After all, a playful pet is a healthy pet.

In fact, toys play a major and important role in emotional and mental development of your pet (they may not have the same effect for you, sorry). They offer a great solution for boredom, inappropriate chewing and anxiety (and you thought you had problems).

Now keep in mind that just like the multitude of mood swings your furry friend can have, there are a multitude of toys to choose from, but hey, variety is the spice of life, and don’t worry, when it comes to picking the toy that’s right for your pet you just need the right information from your pet. To start with, let’s say your cat is touchy and demands a smorgasbord of play things, the message in those creepy green cat eyes is simple, buy cat toy. Dog owners don’t worry because dog’s always have the same idea on this as the cats and it’s just as simple; buy dog toy.

So just where do you do that? You will find that smorgasbord of pet toys at any pet store, and they come in affordable prices. But before you walk in like a cat-eye hypnotized zombie chanting “buy cat toy” or “buy cat toy”, put some thought into what to look for in a cat or dog toy (after all, let’s be honest, you’re going to play with it just as much as they are). Also, don’t forget to buy dog toy while you’re there.

So, to get you started here are a few tips to keep in mind while purchasing;

1. Try to buy a toy that matches your pet’s size, not your size.

2. Make sure that there are no dangerous small pieces, as your pet could try to swallow it leading to choking, whereas if you tried to swallow it you just might feel really weird for the next three days.

3. Bones and sticks can splinter and cause choking and vomiting. Actually, they can even perforate your pet’s mouth and throat (for those of you not in the know, perforating your throat is bad) so use non-splinter chew toys such as Nylabone Edible Bones, to allow your pet to gnaw with no fear.

4. Bells can be problematic for birds, besides just being really annoying. Use a treat dispensing roll toy instead, after all, food equals fun. On that note do not offer any leather toy (if not specially tanned), paint or any wood preservatives to your feathered friend for they can be toxic. So to recap, food equals fun, toxic equals not fun.

5. Cats often enjoy hiding out in plastic bags, and while you are unlikely to go to the pet store for the sole purpose of buying a plastic bag it is important to know because doing so can get their head stuck in it’s handle, leading to choking and suffocation, so you’re better off with a treat dispensing roll toy which will not choke or suffocate them.

6. When purchasing toys online, make sure to do a price comparison before ordering because many online shops will offer seasonal discounts that you can cash in on.

And lastly, make sure to supervise your pet while they play with their toy, this will minimize any accidents and then maybe later, if you ask nicely, they may even supervise you while you play with it too. Enjoy the toy.

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I used to feed Hill’s Science Diet cat food to my two kitties, Cassie and Garth. After all, the breeder where I got them fed Science Diet, and I wanted to continue with a food that they were used to eating and seemed to enjoy. Then, we had the major pet food recall of 2007, and Science Diet canned cat food was on the recall list. Very concerned and quickly losing confidence in the quality of the food I was giving my two cats and dog, I began to do a lot of research on pet foods.

Because they are carnivorous animals, both cats and dogs have similar, though not identical, nutritional requirements. According to the experts at “The Dog Food Project” (www.dogfoodproject.com), the most important ingredient in a good wet or dry food is meat. “Protein, in the form of quality meat ingredients, is the most important component…Ideally, the first ingredient of a food should be either a specified meat meal, or a specified fresh meat type followed by a meal.”

Cats have an even greater need for a meat based diet than dogs because they are obligate carnivores. While they can and do eat vegetables and grains, cats must get their most of their protein and other nutrients from meat, poultry or fish sources in order for them to thrive. Like their cousins in the wild, their bodies are just not designed by nature to easily digest carbohydrates like ground corn and extract nutrients from them.

Yet, when I checked the list of ingredients which make up Hill’s Science Diet dry cat foods, most of these foods include ground corn as one of the major ingredients, in some cases as the first ingredient. It is even included in many of their canned cat foods. While ground corn may be necessary as part of the process of forming the dry kibble, there is absolutely no need for this to be in canned cat food, except as a filler, because it has little nutritional value for cats.

I also consider the company’s widespread use of unnamed meat by-products and animal fats in both their canned and dry cat foods as another sign of a less than quality food. We all know what chicken fat or beef fat is, but what makes up animal fat? And, unnamed meat by-products could be almost anything. If your cat has a problem digesting, or is allergic to, a particular meat source, not knowing what the meat by-product consists of could add to an existing health problem, or even cause one. If their meat by-products are good quality, why don’t they just state what they are?

Hill’s Science Diet’s use of meat by-products as one of their main ingredients may also explain why one bag or can of food may be delicious to your cat, while she turns up her nose at the second one with the same flavor and refuses to eat it. There may be a completely different meat source for the meat by-products, thus giving the food a completely different taste.

Sure, some cats may like Science Diet cat food and eagerly eat it, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for them in the long term. People can’t live on a diet of corn chips and other junk food, and neither can cats. So, until Hill’s Science Diet improves its cat food to include more real meat, no unnamed meat by-products or animal fats, and a lot less ground corn, it’s not one I would feed to my cats.

The California Spangled cat is another breed that was bred with the intention to create a wild looking cat (in this case one that resembles the leopard) with the domestic house cat personality.

This breed was started in the early 1980’s by Paul Casey, a California breeder. He chose the Siamese as his domestic cat and after breeding it with six different breeds of wild cats such as the Lynx and Serval he was successful.

The cat looks like a wild cat mainly an Ocelot which is the look he was hoping for but with different color and pattern variations. The cats have beautiful blue eyes, round ears the colors vary from white, silver, black, brown and blue. The spots are unique and come in all shapes from circles to triangles and the color of the spots vary from cat to another depending on their dominate fur color.

They are large muscular cats the adult male weights between twenty and twenty-five pounds and the female are only slightly smaller.

The only possible negative side of this breed is there instinct to stalk and hunt prey. Which is common in all cats however the California Spangled cat has a bit more determination than most domestic cats? Ideally it is not a good idea to have pet birds, small reptiles, hamsters or any other small pet as the cat will most likely enjoy the chase and the capture!

However the cat is great with people, children also and other cats and dogs. It is not demanding and can be left alone for extended periods of time. It does not need to be entertained and is fairly active. Although if given the choice it would prefer to play with someone than alone.

It does enjoy the company of a “special person” but will give and take affection from all members of the family.

It is not very vocal however it will meow when it’s unhappy or wants something like any cat does.

The California Spangled cat is considered a rare breed as the breeding process is said to be very complex taking at least ten generations to achieve the look and temperament the California Spangled cat currently has.

Which in return makes this an expensive cat prices start at $1,000 and go up to $3,000? This may not seem like a large price tag compared to other breeds but taking in to consideration this breed is not used for show or as a breeding cat it is very expensive but beautiful and if you have the cash it makes a great pet!

Sources

www.http://cats.about.com/od/b reedprofiles/p/caspangle.htm

http://pets.iloveindia.com/cat s/cat-breed/california-spangle d-cat.html

The Iams company is known for using healthy cats and dogs in laboratory experiments in the name of nutrition research. Animals in their Ohio laboratory have been used for years in painful procedures. Iams does not deny this practice, but claims that it is necessary to provide our pets with nutritious food. However, pet food companies such as Halo do not use animals in research experiments, and their food is nutritious and healthy for all animals! This is why I do not feed my cat Iams products because I do not want to support Iams in their unethical treatment of animals.

Having said that, I will say that Iams complete cat food has just as many fillers as other cat foods on the market. They create higher prices for their food, suggesting somehow that their line of products is better than the other brands. If one looks at the ingredients list on the back of the bag or can, one will be able to see that they are just as guilty of “filling” their pet food as some of the most inexpensive lines on the market today.

Their complete line of food consists of cat food for those with urinary tract infections, hairball issues, and weight management. There are other lines of pet products who sell these special brands as well. One of the positive things about Iams is that they do support rescue groups that find homes for animals across the country. Sometimes you can find their advertisements in Petco or Petsmart regarding their adoption days.

My cat has tried many different cat foods, including Iams, and is sticking with a different brand. This is not to say that Iams is harmful to animals. It is just to say that it is my personal preference to go with another brand of food for obvious reasons. I have a friend who uses Iams exclusively, and she has had no problems with it. Her cat is healthy, happy and eats very well. One day, when Iams decides to not use animals in experiments, I may try their brand again. It is unlikely, but I am not ruling anything out.

The Iams cat food company website also provides information about their products, and their services. Iams Healthy Natural Weight Control cat food is one of their most popular sellers. It provides organic ingredients, with the taste that cats love, while helping them lose weight naturally by giving them more energy to exercise. This is one of the positive things about this company. They do recognize the cat owner’s needs and try to make products designed for them.