It had been unseasonably warm here recently, and when I got home from work one night, the park next door looked like this:
All I could think of was that old Stephen King story, "The Mist". *shudder*
Tinks says, "Hey, thanks, laydee, you got me a car for Christmas!":
Tinks LOVES to lie on the car when it's in the garage - probably because the hood is warm when I first pull it in. He'll climb up on the roof, then slide down the windshield, leaving little smeared pawprints behind. It's adorable. He doesn't pay any attention at all to the car when it's in the driveway.
Tinks also likes to sprawl at my feet in the morning when I'm getting ready for work:
It's funny how much darker his coat as gotten as he's grown older.
Foster Camper Rowena says, "Hey! No pics of my bare belleh!"
Yep, all the Foster Campers, and a bunch of the shelter cats (27 in all!) went and got tutored on Christmas Eve. And in case you ever wonder why shelters are asking for money all the time, if the shelter had had to pay for all those operations (13 spays, 14 neuters), even at the cheapest vet's "rescue rate" it would have cost TWO GRAND. Luckily, this round was covered under a grant offered by a local vet school, but most of the time, that money comes right out of the shelter's pocket.
*end of lecture, and THANK YOU to all the readers here who so generously contributed to the shelter this year!*
Oh! But I do have a question! When these fosters came back to me after spending a week in another foster home prior to their spay/neuter appointments, Sam Winchester had quite a severe case of diarrhea. They actually couldn't neuter him with the other rescue cats because they said he was too dehydrated. I had a stool sample tested and he was negative for all the usual culprits - worms, coccidia, etc. The rescue suggested I try a grain-free diet for him, which I started on Friday, and since then the situation has been improving. Now I'm wondering if grain-free food truly is better, and whether I should switch the perma-cats to grain-free. Anybody have any experience in this area? I'd appreciate your input.
Meanwhile, Permacat Sodapop insists that "I'M DA BAYBEE! I'M DA ONLY BAYBEE CAT IN DIS HOUSE!":
Okay, Soda. You're da baybee.
And finally, I was finally able to get some cleaning done in the Foster Room the other day, and when I moved a dresser away from the wall, look what I found!:
Man, those cats really need to improve their ping-pong game.
6 comments:
IDK, I think in the world of kittens if you get a ping pong ball behind something you score a point.. so it looks like you have a real bunch of winners there :)
Grain free: since you asked..
Yes, foods that don't contain grain in theory are better than those that do. Cats are obligate carnivores and as such lack the digestive enzymes to properly break down grains and extract the nutrients from them that humans can. Their bodies are primed to eat small animals and are specialized in extracting what they need from them. Sadly because of the whole 'grain free' movement in pet food, most 'grain free' foods have substituted grains with other starches such as potatoes and peas. Cats really can't deal with those either. So instead of looking for a "grain free" food the better option is to look for one with as few plant based ingredients as possible. I know by-products and meals have a pretty bad rap when it comes to pet foods, but I strongly prefer those to grains, potatoes, peas, carrots, spinach, and whatever else the pet food companies stick in foods to try to convince you they are healthy because they know that humans recognize these foods as healthy.. despite the fact that they are being fed to a body that can't digest them.
which is why a cat being fed a species appropriate diet has poop that doesn't smell, because there is so little left behind from the digestion process.. the more (in volume and in smell) stool you have, the worse the digestion is.
Tails, I was hoping you would comment, because I know you've addressed this issue on your blog! Thank you!
Now, if "grain-free" ain't necessarily so great (and I did wonder, looking at the stuff at the store, why they all had peas and carrots and other stuff cats don't eat in the wild), are there any brands in particular that you recommend?
I have a little experience with this, having gone from Friskies canned to a brand called Weruva (it's only sold in small stores, not the big box ones). The first time I opened a can of "Paw Lickin' Chicken", I was surprised to see that it did indeed look like just white chicken in broth. One variety is called Mediterranean Harvest. Dylan loves it, but eats around the peas, potatoes, and carrots. I feel better giving them this instead of brown glop.
Also, it didn't take long for everyone's coats to get softer and shinier.
Thanks for the recommend, Becs!
I don't know how you keep from STEPPING on Tinks when he spreads himself under your feet (probably to convince you not to leave AGAIN). Some part of him blends in with colors of any background of floor or carpet.
I've come to the conclusion that he's trying to trip me up and kill me, Ginny. Unfortunately, he has failed to think through his evil plot - without me, who's going to open the cans of cat food? THINK ABOUT IT, TINKS.
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