Cat Blogosphere

Don’t furget that Buzzerbee is very ill… pleeze stop by ‘n gives him ‘n hims fambly some support, a prayer, a purr or two!

Parker wrote: Please send out Purrs and Prayer to TeaCup, now it’s Gangrene and sounds serious for our boy. We need to support Megan and her sweet TeaCup!

More PetsMart Cat Food Recalls: See article and list here.

Menu Foods Recalls MORE Pet Foods due to cross-contamination! Please read the list and info here. New brands are involved. Itchmo and PetsitUSA and PetFoodTracker are doing a fantastic job of keeping up on it, so visit them to see the new brands. The list and info link will get you there.Schnuck’s Cat and Dog Recall Expanded. More here. 

A huge big thanks to the folks at Itchmo, PetsitUSA and Pet Food Tracker for working around the clock to get this news to us. You guys are the best! 

From Ali’s Alerts via Karen C: ANYONE WITH ‘BOTTLE BABIES’ BEWARE. KITTEN MILK REPLACEMENTS (KMR exempt) ARE BEING RECALLED DUE TO RICE PROTEIN CONCENTRATE.  PLS FWD THIS TO EVERYONE SO IT MAY LAND IN THE HANDS OF THOSE WHO ARE USING THESE PRODUCTS.

Cat Blogosphere Blog Tip Update by Sanjee: The Zoo said they were having trouble seeing the blogosphere comments.  Well, Mommy just hadta obsess a little and see if she could figure that out. She I wented into Internet Explorer, which we almost nefur use, and discovered that they was all so tiny dat we couldn’t read them either! Updatin something like Yahoo Messenger or Yahoo Music had tiny-ized the text. (Or was it WMD? hehehe)  Reall lucky tho, that’s easy to fix.  If you uses Internet Explorer, you can go to View, Text Size, and choose Medium (or Larger or Largest), and that fixes it right up!  So if you’re using Internet Explorer, you might try that and see if it fixes tiny-ized comments on this bloggy or any bloggy.

…and it’s not just the pets… FDA: Millions have eaten chickens fed tainted pet food!

Jody needs some help naming the new Momma Cat and her five baby kittens.

CalicoMom Toni wrote: Update on food recall: This makes me sick!!! http://www.itchmo.com/read /melamine-spiking-in-food -widespread-for-years_20070429

[ It looks like China's normal fingy has been to spike our foods for a long time! ~~ Sanjee]

Fanks for the update Mom Toni! It makes all of us sick! Literally and figuratively.

So please cat moms and dads and staffs and such, don’t feed your pets anything except foods with no glutens or rice proteins unless you feel absolutely confident you know where they come from, and that somewhere isn’t China.

OPINION ALERT!
This is Robyn’s personal opinion here, so I’m sectioning it off.

Frankly, I have big concerns about Purina now that I know it’s run by Nestle. Remember the Nestles boycotts that it took to get them in line with healthy infant formula? Check into the World Health Organization and IBFAN.

I don’t want my kitties to get caught in another marketing scheme by anyone, and I’m not personally convinced that Nestle has learned its lesson.  Maybe I’ll become personally convinced, but I’m not at this point. 

In spite of my personal opinion, I listed Purina cat foods on the Cat Blogosphere list of no glutens / no grain foods (with the note that it does contain corn gluten) because I felt it’s up to each cat person to make their own decisions.

If you wants more  info on hopefully safer foods, check our list online. You can print it and give to vets, family, friends, whoever. Fax it. Hand it out in the streets. Whatever you want. We would love to see no more sick critters!

Don’t furrget to visit the Pet Prayer & Praise Blog, it’s updated effurry Sunday morning. there be a prayer list fur tha week, a list of recovering critters & beans, the Saturday Scripture by Casper’s Mom, and, of course, Beau’s grrrreat Sunday Sermon. If u’s know someone ta add to tha list, just leaf it in tha comments or send it to me — i’m KC!

Eric & Flynn are hafin a 100th Post contest!
Eric and Flynn wrote: We are coming up to our 100th Post, so effurrycat is invitid to guess when it will be to try and win a purrize. Theer is one guess per cat. Purrleez leave yer guesses by 0.00am on Sunday May 6th BST which will be Saturday May 5th furr all yoo US kitties, 4pm Pacific coast and 7pm East coast. We don’t know all the uvver time diffrunces.Good luck to effurrycat. 
(World Time Converter is here.)

Cat Blogosphere No Glutens / Grains Info is Updated!

Update from Mom Robyn: You can now find it on Google Docs now here at http://tinyurl.com/22o3a3 where anyone can view it. By moving it there, I can update it only and within 5 minutes, anyone can see it.  My veterinarian’s office jumped on getting a copy, so you might even ask your vet if they’d like one, or the link to it. It’s free for anyone to copy or link. If you’d like to be added as a contributor so you can update it online, just let me know.

Lilly Lu wrote: we looked at your cat food chart we talked to the vet and she recmened one to us caled "wellness" — http://www.omhpet.com/wellness/cat_index.html it pretty tasty and has no grains no gultin.

Updated 3:02pm EDT by Sanjee 

STILL MORE Pet Food Recalls coming in today.

This is 6 new recalls in 24 hours!!! NOT the kind of record we want to go for. Plus, at least one of the recalls is due to the manufacturer not telling the brand that they were putting things in the food. How skeery!

New Recalls in the Last 24 hours More info below and at Itchmo’s blog, plus at the links in the sidebar here, below the announcements.

• Blue Buffalo recalls: all canned dog and cat food, plus treats (See below)
• Natural Balance recalls more foods:Chicken Formula Canned Dog Food, Lamb Formula Canned Dog Food, Beef Formula Canned Dog Food, Ocean Fish Formula Canned Cat Food
• Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soup recalled in the last 24 hours: Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Kitten Formula cans,Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Puppy Formula cans, 
• Diamond Pet Food Recalled: All Diamond Lamb & Rice Formula cans
• Costco’s Kirkland brand: All canned cat and dog foods
• And this one I just found out about: ALL Harmony Foods canned dog and cat foods and health bar biscuits (Their press release.) 
• And WHILE MOMMY WAS TYPING for ME, 4 more "recalls" came in!!! Mulligan Stew and Canine Caviar recalls.

I gotsta say, we’s furry glad the bloggers round the werld are stayin on top of this!!! 

BIG FANKS to Dragonheart for gettin info out to us early in the mornins too.

Purrrrrrrrs,
Sanjee

Blue Buffalo:

Blue Buffalo Recalls Can and Biscuit Products Due To Tampering By American Nutrition Inc.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—Wilton, Connecticut, April 26, 2007.

We at the Blue Buffalo Company have just learned that American Nutrition Inc. (ANI), the manufacturer of all our cans and biscuits, has been adding rice protein concentrate to our can formulas without our knowledge and without our approval. This is product tampering, and it apparently has been going on for some time. The can formulas that we developed, and trusted them to produce, never contained any rice protein concentrate. It appears that only an FDA investigation of ANI’s rice protein concentrate supplies forced them to reveal this product tampering to us.

While this activity by ANI is in itself unlawful, the situation is further clouded by the fact that ANI has been receiving rice protein concentrate from Wilber-Ellis, some of which the FDA has determined to be contaminated with melamine.

So while no BLUE or Spa Select canned product has tested positive for the presence of melamine, and there has been no reported illness due to any of our canned products, we simply cannot be sure of what ANI has been including in our formulas. For this reason, we have decided to remove all of our canned and biscuit products from retail distribution. While this may seem to many to be a major over-reaction, as other ANI customers will probably only recall the products that tested positive for melamine, we see this as a matter of integrity.

In the end, this all comes down to an issue of integrity, and ANI has not been honest with us and with the pet parents who buy our products. We will not put any product made by ANI on the shelf, and are temporarily withdrawing an important part of our business in order to be true to our pet parents.

We have already started the process of identifying a can and biscuit manufacturer with whom we can build a partnership based on trust. Once we have accomplished this, BLUE and Spa Select cans and BLUE Health Bars will be reintroduced with the high quality and superior nutrition that our brand stands for and that dogs and cats deserve.

We have informed our retail partners and the FDA about this action and will be cooperating with them to complete this recall quickly. The specific product involved includes all “BLUE” brand can dog foods, all “Spa Select” brand can cat foods and all “BLUE Health Bar” treats.

Consumers who have unused or partially used packages of any of these products should return them to their place of purchase for a complete refund.

All “BLUE” dry natural food for dogs and “Spa Select” dry natural foods for cats are not affected by this recall and are safe for consumption. Should consumers have a specific question, they can call the Company at 1-800-919-2833, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT, to receive more information.

You can view the full announcement by following this link:

http://thepetfoodlist.com /forums/index.php?topic=234.0
 

Chicken Soup for the Pet Lovers Soul:

A new recall from Diamond Pet Foods, manufacturer of Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul…

Diamond Pet Foods has announced it is withdrawing a limited number of canned products manufactured by American Nutrition. This action is limited to three specific canned products: Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Kitten Formula 5.5 oz. cans, and Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Puppy Formula 13 oz. cans, and Diamond Lamb & Rice Formula for Dogs 13 oz. cans.

Diamond Pet Foods has not received any indication of quality or safety issues, including pet illness, with the three withdrawn products. However, because American Nutrition informed the company that these three specific products may include rice protein concentrate, Diamond Pet Foods felt this action was necessary for the protection of its customers and their pets.

Customers with these products should stop feeding them immediately and return them to their retailer for a full refund.

Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul dry pet food and dog treats ARE NOT part of any pet food or treat recall.

The announcement can be found on the Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul website.

You can view the full announcement by following this link:

http://thepetfoodlist.com /forums/index.php?topic=222.0

Natural Balance:

NATURAL BALANCE RECALL EXPANDS

Breaking Recall News: Thursday, April 26th, 2007

Our canned manufacturer, American Nutrition, from Ogden Utah just informed us that they are recalling all canned products made in their plant that contain rice protein concentrate. American Nutrition continued by telling us that they added this ingredient  to four of our canned products without informing us.

   The four products involved are:

•   Chicken Formula Canned Dog Food 13 oz
•   Lamb Formula Canned Dog Food 13 oz
•   Beef Formula Canned Dog Food 13 oz
•   Ocean Fish Formula Canned Cat Food 3 oz & 6 oz

The release can be found on the Natural Balance website.

You can view the full announcement by following this link:

http://thepetfoodlist.com /forums/index.php?topic=226.0

Drs. Foster & Smith Adult Dry Lite Cat Food

Drs. Foster & Smith Adult Dry Lite Cat Food has been recalled due to potentially tainted rice protein concentrate from  Wilbur-Ellis, along with Drs. Foster & Smith Adult Dry Lite Dog Food. For more information, see here. 

*sigh* This is nutz. And skeery.

Hat tip to Itchmo for keeping the alerts coming in regularly.

Lotsa us are furry sad cuz our mommies founded out that ALL types of Temptations (includin Dentabites) has corn gluten in them and they won’t give us them any more.  So I made my Mommy go look NOW for treatsies wifout the glutens and rice proteins that are showin up contaminated different places.  Here’s some she founded, wif links to their pages she founded so’s yoo can look up al lthe info if yoo wants.

No Glutens / Rice Proteins or No Grains Cat Treats!

Castor & Pollux Organic Cat Treats – All flavors – No glutens, no rice proteins (does contain other grains) – Cost avg $3-$4 for a 2 oz pouch

Catswell – Vita Kitty and Happy Hips – All Flavors – No grains at all – Cost avg $3-4 for a 2 oz bag

Halo Liv-A-Littles Dog & Cat Treats  – All Flavors – No grains, freeze dried meats or fev-vers – Cost avg $11 for 1.2 to 4 oz

Ifex SnackTreats – No grains at all – Cost avg $3 for 2 oz bag

Kitty Kaviar – No grains – Cost avg $7 for 1 oz can

Kookamunga Cat Treats – No glutens/rice protein, does contain rice flour – Cost avg $2 – 3 for 5 oz can

Old West Freeze-Dried Cat Treats – SHRIMPIES! (This is what Mommy gotted us!) – No grains, just shrimpies. – Cost avg $3 for a tube of ‘em

Zuke’s Purrz – Chicken or Salmon – No glutens, no rice proteins (does contain barley and rice floud and barley) – Cost Avg $3 for a 3 oz bag

Zuke’s Hip Action – Chicken or Salmon – No glutens, no rice proteins (does contain barley and rice floud and barley) – Cost Avg $4+ for a 3 oz bag

US Grain/Gluten Source Cat Treats

If you likes these treatsies, the folks who makes them says their grains n glutens are from the US and not China, so they’s even more likely to be ok.  

Feline Greenies, All Varieties contain corn gluten meal but The Greenies website says that all their grains come from US sources, though, so if you’s just avoiding maybe contaminated stuff, they’s prolly ok. Note to Fat Eric – Check the UK version maybe to see where they gets their UK stuff from! – Cost avg $1 to $4 for 1 to 3 oz bag

Pill Pockets, All Varieties contain corn gluten meal but The Greenies website says that all their grains come from US sources, and not China, though, so if you’s just avoiding maybe contaminated stuff, they’s prolly ok. - Cost avg $1 to $4 for 1 to 3 oz bag

Mommy will get all this  on the no glutens page later. But we didn’t want kitties cryin or starvin from lack of treatsies until then!

Pee Ess. Most of the linkies are from online stores that list the ingredients cuz that was the fastest way for Mommy to find them. No affiliate stuff tho. We’s not earning moneys offa this. 

More Royal Canin Canada Recalls repurrted yesterday. We are furry worried cuz this one is cuz of anofur type of contaminant. SeeSunday’s post below or go straitght to here fore more info. 

Updated Cat Blogosphere "No Glutens / Grains" List

Updated Info Includes: More foods added. No grains info has been added. XLS spreadsheet is also available for download. The updated list is here at http://www.catblogosphere.com/cbnoglutensinfo.html 

Thanks to the cats who has sent info for tha list!

The bengal Brats wrote: Oscar (Tiggers) bengal friend is being rushed to Tampa, Fl now.The local vet said Oscar needs a cardio- heart specialist vet. Oscar’s momma is very very scared. Please send some purrs and prayers their way. Update 12:41pm EDT: Oscar had severe congestive heart failure and has to be put down. No hope of improvement, likely to throw more clots, most likely cause HCM but no one knows. Nothing was ever noted by the cat vet. He never showed symptoms.Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. He should be at the rainbow bridge by now.

MORE Pet food Recalled

Kudos to Royal Canin Canada for working on the weekend, though!!! And thank you to Itchmo Safety Alerts for working the weekend too! The scary part is that it’s been recalled for a NEW contaminant: cyanuric acid, not melamine.

More info on the recall here.

Royal Canin Canada Recalls Additional Cat and Dog Food April 22nd, 2007

Due to contaminated rice protein concentrate, Royal Canin has recalled the following cat and dog products from Canada on Friday:
* Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine EARLY CARDIAC
* Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine SENSITIVITY RC (Rice and Catfish)
* Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine SKIN SUPPORT
* Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Feline HYPOALLERGENIC HP
* Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Feline SENSITIVITY RD (Rice and Duck)

These differ from the products pulled from the US. Two products, Feline Sensitivity RD and Canine Sensitivity RC are not currently recalled in the US.

Happy Earth Day!

[Be sure to scroll down to the ofur posts for today. There's lotsa fings goin on round the bloggysphere!] 

Today is Lilly Lu’s Gotcha Day!

Stop by her brofur Mu Shue’s bloggy to see a Gotcha Day post and get an update on how Lilly Lu’s doin. We’s furry sad she’s so sick. But we’s glad she get to spend her Gotcha Day wif Mamma Laura, so that is a happy fing at least for her Gotcha Day. And we’s purrrin and purrayin hard fur her to get well soon!

Peace Globes

We’s got owr Summer 2007 Peace Globe done fur the Cat Blogosphere. Yay!  If yoo wants to use the one in the sidebar or the bigger one heer, yoo can. Just go ‘head and use it. If yoo wants to learn more bout Peace Globes and how to get a blank one to sign yerself, we’s got a page on it, fanks to KC.

Cat Food Concerns

Mommy (Mom Robyn) has got a lot more info to get togefur. Nise kitties has sent lotsa more info bout what they fink is good. And ofur info on feedin kitties, not just about contammynated foods. She’s gonna werk on all that sum more toonite and will post it when she’s got more for us. Rite now, if you just wants to avoid glutens and proteins, we’s got the first version of the info at  http://www.catblogosphere.com/cbnoglutensinfo.html.

Healing Prayer Circles / Vigils & Memorials

We’s had lotsa deafs and sickness in owr group of furriends this past week or so we’s doing anofur speshuls Purrayer Circle / Vigil (fur furriends hoo needs help or are sicky) and Memorial (fur owr furriends hoo has gone to the Rainbow Bridge reecently). We are also doin the reggylar monfly  one this comin Thursday, April 26 too. So dat way more cats can get to one or bof of them. Sum furriends lives in far time zones from eastern daylite time, so fur them or them who’s typists are reel reel bizzy, we’ll have a place to leeve notes n comments n lite candles too.
 

When:
SUNDAY, April 21, 2007 and
THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2007
9pm Eastern Daylight Time (8pm central, 7pm mountain, 6pm pacific) Both Nights
World Time Converter Here

We will have a place at the Pet Prayer & Praise Blog
to light a candle and leave a message or prayer for those who aren’t able to attend cuz of ofur commitments or nasty ole time zones.

Where: Pet Prayer & Praise Blog

Who’s Invited: Efurrybody — ALL Cats & Friends

Purrrrrrrrrrs, Sanjee 

[scroll wayyyy down to get to KC's post for today, lots of stuff happening in the Cat Blogosphere!]

Mommy’s been doin lotsa reesearch and readin and stuff bout the pet foods problems. So I’s gonna let her tell you bout what she finks about it all and her thoughts n suggestshuns bout it.  Ok Mommy, yoo can go now! 

Mom Robyn here.   While I’ve been "taking a break" I’ve also been doing extensive research on the contaminated pet food issues. I thought I’d share my take on it. 

Observations

1. Tainted and/or recalled pet foods (and now pig feed) apparently is coming from China in tainted grain protein meals and glutens.
   1. Wheat gluten was the first to be recalled.
   2. Rice protein are being recalled just the last few days.
   3. Corn gluten / corn gluten meal has been linked to deaths of pets in SA and again, the source of the corn gluten was China.
2. I have personally spoken at length with a business man friend two days ago, who has been to China in the past 6 months, and been inside 3 of their wheat processing factories and one rice processessing factory. He said that his experience was that the factories were so "filthy" and "disgusting" that he won’t eat anything made in a Chinese processing factory any more. He was not surprised at all to find that items coming from these factories might be unhealthy for pets or humans.
3. The FDA, the pet food manufacturers, pet food vendors, and veterinarians in many cases are far behind the bloggers in general in getting and distributing information about potentially hazardous pet foods.
   1. I’d cite sources, but you’ve probably already seen them and there are too many for me to grab quickly. Itchmo.com has references to many, if you’d like to see those.
   2. My veterinarian’s office as of 4:15pm yesterday DID NOT KNOW that there may be a problem with corn gluten from China. I was the one who reported it to him.
      

My Personal Summarization and Thoughts

My summary and thoughts here are geared towards helping my cats, and maybe yours too, to be healthy and safe from this horrid mess. I’ll rant elsewhere. *grin* 

1. Wheat gluten and rice protein in pet food, whether currently recalled or not, may or may not be safe. The same goes for corn gluten, since the information about tainted corn gluten from China is so new.
2. The FDA, pet food manufacturers, vendors, and veterinarians in many cases, do not know what foods may be safe at this time.
3. Because information comes out so slowly from these sources, by the time the information does get it, it may be far too late for many pets.
4. Having worked in large corporations for many years in the past, I am intensely aware of the fact that the larger the corporation, the slower it will move. In addition to this, as a business owner myself, I know that the process may be slowed in both larger and smaller companies due to their need to earn a living. It’s a reality of doing business. So I expect that the process of getting all this straight will take months if not years.
5. I personally believe that until continuous and rigorous oversight of all pet food ingredients is well established, it may not be safe to feed cats any pet foods with (at the least): wheat gluten, rice protein, and corn gluten, including meals of these glutens.

An Abundance of Caution

I prefer to be overcautious in what I feed my cats, than wait for the FDA, the veterinarians, pet food vendors, or manufacturers to get the recalls and information out. While I applaud Royal Canin and Natural Balance for recalling suspected pet foods far more quickly than some others have, since I knew about the problems before the recall, I’m no longer willing to wait for recalls. As of today, the House of the (Mostly) Black Cats is going to avoid all cat foods and treats containing wheat gluten, rice protein, and corn gluten. And I’ll be paying approximately 5 times what I was paying before, but it’s what I feel I have to do. Since I don’t need the stress of worrying about it, they’re also going organic, although we’ll stick to dry foods for now so they don’t have issues with a switch to wet. But most sadly, it means no more tem-tay-shuns for the kitties, as all flavors of the moist temptations contain corn gluten. I cried when I read that on the labels today at PetSmart. It’s what I feel I need to do, though.

Please do what you feel is best for you and your cats. I understand that everyone will have different levels of concern about emerging news, for instance, as it may be inaccurate or limited. I support your choice to do what you feel is best.

Calls to Action 

Things I will do and I’d like to see all of us do together to help each other out. 

1. Let’s get together a list of pet foods without some or all of these glutens, rice proteins, and gluten meals, for the folks who feel more cautious. I’d like to see the Cat Blogosphere have this information handy so that not everyone has to spend the hours going over cat food bags and cans and websites too, that I’ve spent over the past few days. Recall information has been much easier to find than information on what is more likely to be ok. All those that have no wheat gluten and/or no rice protein and/or corn glutens could be listed so that people can make more informed choices. Please send any information you have on "without glutens" cat foods and treats to me at catsnmom AT houseofthemostlyblackcats DOT com or at the noos contact page.UPDATE: I’ll also be adding info from other cat moms and dads and not-moms as they come in. So send that on too. And I’ll peek at Chey’s site.
   First "No Glutens" list is here. Updated 4/20/07 9:06pm EDT And FYI The foods noted so far are available at PetSmart.
2. For folks who are less "abundently cautious" (read that as "paranoid"), I’m doing to do this: Cat Blogosphere Cats Food Database. I will be starting a database of what our cat friends eat and if you want, we’ll email you directly if we hear of something suspect about that particular food. To get on the database and email list for particular foods and treats, email me this information for each food and treat: Brand Name, Flavor, Style (Wet, Dry, Moist, Crunchy), and any other identifiers like that on the bag, box or other container, along with the email address(es) you’d like to get any notifications at. I can’t guarantee I won’t miss anything, but I will do my best, and if it helps one cat, it will have been worth it. And, of course, help with keeping the database up to date and notifying people is welcome.

Pride & Gratitude

Lastly, I’m proud of this group of cats and their people for supporting each other through all this chaos with the pet food recalls and news, as well as everything else. Thank you to all of you for being their for each other. It just blows me away and makes me grin. 

Love, Robyn

Dang, she goes on. Now where’s this noo organik stuff? I’m hungry!!!

Purrrrrrrrrs,
Sanjee