Amazing

Via CNN - For China the stowaway cat, nine lives were enough

China the cat had chewed through one of the boxes before it left Shanghai, China, on April 3 and spent at least 35 days on a ship inside the container filled with motorcycle gear.

[. . .]

"Usually, we say that animals can only survive a few weeks without food and only a few days without water," said Michelle Misavage, a veterinarian in Raleigh, North Carolina. "The theory is that cats have such good kidneys, their bodies adjust to the lack of water, and somehow they received small amounts of moisture from condensation."

That is truly amazing. And I suppose that means that I can stop feeling guilty if I ignore my cats when they meow at me wanting to be fed twenty times a day.

Intentional contamination?

Via MSNBC - FDA: Pet food tainting might be intentional

Imported ingredients used in recalled pet food may have been intentionally spiked with an industrial chemical to boost their apparent protein content, federal officials said Thursday.

[. . .]

Chinese authorities have told the FDA that the wheat gluten was an industrial product not meant for pet food, Sundlof said.

One has to wonder who was actually in the wrong here or if both the producer of the wheat gluten and the makers of the pet food are at fault. I just hope this gets straightened out soon, because I really just don't know what to feed my dog anymore.

Lost and Found

CNN - Lost dog found four years later, 1,100 miles from home

A Boston terrier named Mickey who disappeared four years ago from his suburban Kansas City backyard was found in Montana and reunited with his owners this week.

Cher Jarosz and her daughter Kari Mitchell thought they had lost Mickey forever -- until they received a call from an animal shelter last week 1,100 miles away in Billings, Montana.

A microchip on Mickey helped the Billings Animal Shelter return him.

That makes for a nice story and all, but I thought the whole idea of those chips was to make it easier for them to find the dog quickly if it got lost. I don't think of 4 years and a quick turn around time. At least they got him back, but still.

Speaking of Poison. . .

MSNBC - Rat poison found in deadly pet food

Rat poison was found in the pet food suspected of causing kidney failure that killed at least 16 cats and dogs, but scientists still don’t know how it got there, state officials said Friday.

The toxin was identified as aminopterin, which is used to kill rats in some countries, state Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker said.

The poison may have been used on wheat imported from China, NBC News correspondent Tom Costello told MSNBC TV.

[. . .]

There have been several reports of kidney failure in pets that ate the recalled brands, and the company has confirmed the deaths of 15 cats and one dog.

At least they are getting to the bottom of the story.

I like my cat, but this is ridiculous

CNN - Pet owners file class-action suit over tainted food

Jacqueline Johnson of Madison, Wisconsin, filed the suit Tuesday. The complaint contends her gray tabby, Gumbie, became ill after eating food from an Iams Select Bites pouch in early February. Gumbie became lethargic, refused food and lost weight, she said, and a veterinarian diagnosed acute renal failure. The cat was "pet-hospitalized" and prescribed intravenous fluids.

[. . .]

Since coming home, Gumbie has required a great deal of care. "It is stressful to have to stick a needle in the cat every day," said Johnson, who has had to administer daily subcutaneous fluid-and-drip injections since bringing Gumbie home.

Gumbie is likely to require medical tests and monitoring every few months, and Johnson expects this will increase her expenses considerably. She said she already has paid more than $3,000 in veterinary bills.

I like my cats, 2 out of 3 of them anyway, but I'm not gonna spend $3,000 in vet bills or sue the catfood company over it. Wow!

Pet Food Recall

MSNBC - 60 million containers of pet food recalled

Eukanuba, Iams and store brands tied to kidney failure, deaths

A major manufacturer of dog and cat food sold under Wal-Mart, Safeway, Kroger and other store brands recalled 60 million containers of wet pet food Friday after reports of kidney failure and deaths.

[. . .]

Menu Foods did not immediately provide a full list of brand names and lot numbers covered by the recall, saying they would be posted on its Web site — www.menufoods.com/recall — early Saturday. Consumers with questions can call (866) 463-6738.

My cats don't eat wet food, but my dog does eat Wal-Mart wet dog food in the foil pouches. She doesn't seem to be showing any of the symptoms they mention, but she has been eating less lately. I hope she is okay.