Miracle Pets
Have you all watched the show Miracle Pets? I just love that show and the wonderful things that pets do for humans.
Here is a little story that, while not a "miracle" pet story, is still, in my eyes, a sort of miracle:
My neighbors are retired and travel a lot. One day, a stray male gray cat, not neutered showed up at their house. Even though they didn't want a pet, they started to feed it. When I met him, I was amazed, because he was the most LOVING cat I ever met, even more so than Yogi. I was a stranger, but he jumped on my lap and leaned against my shoulder and purred and did the kneading bread thing.
I fed him when they traveled and enjoyed him so much. The husband built a little cat house for him and kept it on their patio. However, they didn't want to claim him as far as taking him to the vet or anything. Since I am not shy about such things, I kept harping to the wife (who is a friend) that they needed to get him neutered. Finally she said okay and I took him to the vet.
One day, she called and said they'd have to find a home for "Frank." Why? Because the husband was mad he scratched on their window screen! I was upset, as I loved him and loved taking care of him when they traveled, which was a lot. I told them I'd put him up on Petfinder. They were in no rush and normally I would have taken my time about it. I figured with so many cats needing homes, he'd be up there quite a while.
But for some reason, that very day, I sent out an email about him to two friends. I didn't email the Humane Society and everyone else on my pet-friend list, just these two, because both had lots of space and lots of pets. I can't tell you to this day why I did this that same day.
I heard back right away from one, who asked if he was good with dogs. I said I didn't know, but that being such a lover, I'm sure he would. This woman has a HUGE house, lots of land and is very well off. She ended up taking Frank. A few days later she called me and said he wasn't using the litter box. She had him confined to a bedroom to introduce him gradually to the family. We discussed several reasons why this happened, and it ended up he didn't like a covered box. She removed the lid and he was fine. However, she said she kept a close watch on the box, just to make sure.
A few days after this, she noticed that their was no urine in the box. Being an experienced cat owner, she knew something was wrong. She took him to the vet, and here he had a severe blockage and would have died if she didn't act quickly. He was in the clinic for several days and she had $700 worth of bills. Now he's fine, on a special diet, spoiled rotten and living literally in the lap of luxury. They love him to death.
Here is the miracle: If I hadn't had that urge to email that same day, and took my time because there was no rush to place him (and I loved him) he would have died, because at the neighbors he was outside and not using a box. My friend said she doesn't know why she agreed to take him when she already had several cats and dogs. It's like the whole series of events was fate, karma: that he scratched the screen pissing off the husband, that I sent the email to this one person on a whim, that she agreed, that he didn't use the litter box, which made her watch closely, that made her notice something wrong, that she was experienced and that she was someone who could easily afford his expensive care.
Yes, there is a higher power that sets things in motion for all of us souls, animal souls as well.
I don't have a picture of Frank, so the pic today is one Pam sent me. Pam, please fill in on who they are! I know you told me in the email, but I can't find it! Sorry!
posted by Sandy at 4/20/2007 10:15:00 AM
Pet People
34 Comments:
Kinda scary, isn't it. Hubby told me about a cat that lives in the parking lot at Convergys. He said the little cat was abandoned by his mother but seems well-fed. A lady there feeds him but they are unable to nab him. Hubby says he really feels the call to rescue the cat. He's a small, black kitty under a year old. Hubby says he wanders the parking lot like he owns it, yelling and chasing bugs. Hubby says he feels so attached to this kitty, it makes his heart ache for him. The people there call him Little Boy even though they are not sure he is a boy. I told hubby about the humane cages at Cat R Us. I told him he would be perfect for Scootie. I have never seen hubby so eager to help a kitty before. Fate? Perhaps. he is going to try to get help in capturing Little Boy. Fingers crossed!
Oh Alice, I hope he can capture little boy! It's funny, we run into so many needy pets and situations, but there are some that just touch are heart and call us in a specail way. Please keep us posted about this. Suzanne at Cats Are Us can give you a lot of advice, as she has tons of experience in trapping cats. My Catfish was one such cat. He lived in a drain pipe by the RiverWalk. People called her all the time about him, because he had a fishhook stuck in his mouth. I guess people tried to nab him, but he ran. It took her several tries, but she finally trapped him. She can be reached at the shelter between 9 and noon, M-Sat
Here are some links to the recall stuff:
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/petfoodrecall/
http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/60483.html
http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272612827.shtml
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18210224/
Oh Sandy I loved your story about Frank! Is that still his name or did his new Mommy rename him?
Thank you for posting the phots of Callie and Gracie. They are my daughters cats. Callie of course is named because she is a calico and Gracie because she is gray.They have middle names too, they are Callie May and Gracie Louise so ahve several nicknames. Callie is Callie kitty, Callie cat, Cal Cal, Gracie is Gray kitty,Gracie Lou and Lulu. Poor Gracie is having some problems now, started pooping and peeing in the floor. She is on steroids and has started a new food. I sure hope it helps.
pearcehart, bless your hubby's heart! Sure hope he can capture Little Boy soon so you can find out if he is a boy or not and give hime a good home. I got one of Suzanne's traps for a friend before so know she will be more thatn happy to loan you one.
Hope you get the kitty soon since that is such a busy area of town with so much traffic!
Melissa,thanks for the recall sites!
Did anyone hear that the pet food was tainted on purpose to increase the protein. This really pisses me off! It makes me feel like I can't feed my pets anything unless I make it myself. I was talking with my mom and she was telling me about a raw food diet for pets. I'm thinking about looking into it more. Has anyone else ever heard of it or tried it? It's supposed to be the best way to feed your pets. I let you all know what I find out.
Well Pam, I'm glad I'm not the only one with these nicknames. My dog (who has since gone to doggie heaven) was named Daisy Lou and I also called her LuLu. I hope your LuLu Gracie gets over her problems!!
I personally would never give a raw food diet to a pet. I have also read several articles that say that making your own food can be done, but it's very hard to get what a pet needs vitamin wise in such a diet. Before doing any drastic changes, I would talk to a good vet about it and do a lot of research at reputable sites
We have to be realistic about this situation. Look at human food scares over the years. We don't live in a perfect world and things like this happen, sadly and disgustingly. Product recalls, food contaminations--living "globally" means we are open to global dangers.
But when things like this happens, it in turn makes companies take additional safeguards for the future, which is a good thing. Look what happened in the Tylenol scare a long time ago. It was that intentional tampering that gave us tamper proof prodcuts and packaging.
Thanks for the links Melissa!! How's the new job going?
I just adore pictures of snuggle bunnies!
What love and contentment they exhibit!
If the raw food diet was so great, more people would be doing it and vets would be recommending it. We have been feeding our kids Alpo, Mighty Dog (canned) and Kibbles & Bits canned. None of these products were named in the recall. We look at the labels and also the company who makes it.
Our visit to Cats R Us led us to Thumper. The ladies said he was going to get another visit to the vet to see if they can figure out what's wrong with his back leg and if it checks out, Thumper will be coming home with us. Say a little prayer and cross your fingers!
What astonishes me is how much of the pet food in this country is made by so few manufacturers. I hope this will indeed spur legislation to require better inspections and force leading brand makers to choose their manufacturing partners better. The Alpo and Mighty Dog canned food we buy is not the chunky kind with gravy. We get the loaf kind.
I use Pedigree in the pouches and also their dry. The cats eat Fancy Feast can and Purina dry. All are ok so far. I do have to agree with my sister on this one, that we have to keep it in perspective globally. The media loves to hype things up, when they say in fact contamination has been happening for years, both in manufacturing plants and in our own homes!! When you consider how many millions of pets are out there, what are the odds? Unfortuantley, you can't protect against every single thing that life can throw at us.
Hey, I'm having a lasp of memory here after being off for those 36 hours or so. Pearcehart, you are formaly known as Alice, right?
ANy luck with Little Boy? Hope to hear good news on that.
Shannon, how about the little kitty that you've been looking for? Did it come back? I've been so worried aout it as well as the one in the Convergy's parking lot!
pearcehart,Lots of people ARE doing the raw diet. I cannot tell you how many people have gotten sick from eating it too, especially things like raw fish and steak tar tar. They show up in the emergency room and doctor's offices on a regular basis. Personally it is disgusting to me as I have a very sensitive taste and smell. When meat is cooked rare and even medium rare I can taste blood. That is not what I want on my plate! If you've even had to get medication ( especially a injection from food poisening you will want to be careful what you eat from then on!
I came across a web site today that is very reputable. It lists who the main companies that produce dog food and also lists the ingrediants. It will make you think twice about what you are feeding your pets. Alpo, Mighty Dog and even Pedigree are some of the worst things you can feed you pets. Dogs are carnivores and need meat. Real meat, not meat bi- products. I am not saying that I want to go on a raw food diet and the chances of getting salmanella (SP) and other things are pretty low in the whole scheme of things. And you are supposed to give your pet supplements and enzymes to help them get what they need. I'm still reading about it and haven't decieded to change yet, but it makes you think about what you are feeding your pets.
Check it out and make up your own mind.
www.api4animals.org
Yes, pearcehart is Alice. I don't know why I am showing up as pearcehart instead of Alice.
My mother was Japanese and I grew up eating raw fish. It is freshly caught and prepared very specifically.
Cats like to eat mice but you won't find them in a can. My pets eat food in a can from manufacturers I trust. My dogs do not eat raw meat nor do I. The food meets Animal Science Nutrition guidelines and I am satisfied with that. By all means, go out and kill a deer and feed it to you pets. I, and I am sure that you, do what we feel is best for our pets. Is this a great country or what?
We are hoping to adopt Thumper from Cats R Us, and Little Boy seems to be a lost cause for us.
According to the USFDA the allowable amount of insect parts and rodent hair in HUMAN food:
"MACARONI AND NOODLE PRODUCTS Insect filth
(AOAC 969.41) Average of 225 insect fragments or more per 225 grams in 6 or more subsamples
Rodent filth
(AOAC 969.41) Average of 4.5 rodent hairs or more per 225 grams in 6 or more subsamples"
and the list is HUGE for all types of foods and food products. Our food is not 100% pure either.
Website: http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/dalbook.html
Alice
Pam,
Just finished visiting with my little stray friend. He(it?) is somewhat reliable. He seems to show up now between 10:30 -11 pm, grabs a bite to eat and runs. The foot is still hurt-which is my biggest worry. He doesn't interact with me at all what-so-ever. He will let me pet him while he eats- but is very nervous and pre-occupied while eating. Constantly stopping to listen and look. He only stays for about 5 minutes tops-then he is off into the darkness again. I tried getting him into the carrier by putting some ham in it- didn't work. I don't want to scare him off so I didn't force the issue tonight. Also, not sure of its temperment and I would like to keep the skin on my hands haha. Sandy mentioned humane traps that I might could get from Cats r Us. I think I will call them tomorrow and see if they have one I can use. I can't keep the kitty myself but I am really concerned about its foot.
I am interested in the raw diet ya'll are talking about. I did a little research on this when my Cody had cancer but decided on a different diet due to his circumstances. He was on a diet of sardines and eggs(can you say smelly breath?)due to his cancer. He LOVED this stuff. Sounds disgusting but you would hear his nails hit the hardwood floor(rolling off the couch from his sleeping position) when I popped the top on the sardines. The cashiers at Walmart always had a comment for me when I checked out with my 30 cans of sardines. I will have to do more research and read more on it. All this recall stuff really has me wanting to know for sure whats in the food I am feeding my babies.
Monday will be here before I am ready for it. Hope everyone has had a great weekend!
More info about the "raw food" diet.
http://dogs.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&sdn=dogs&cdn=homegarden&tm=22&f=10&tt=14&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http3A//www.petplace.com/articles/artShow.asp%3FartID%3D3723
Quoting here:
An article in the March 2001 issue of JAVMA (Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association) compared raw meat diets with high-quality commercial diets. The raw meat diets used in the comparison were well researched and carefully balanced – a big assumption because many people do not have the nutritional experience to formulate such diets.
Even so, the comparison showed that raw meat had significant risks: “The results of the small number of diets analyzed here indicated that there are clearly nutritional and health risks associated with feeding raw food diets. All the diets tested had nutrient deficiencies or excesses that could cause serious health problems when used in a long-term feeding program.”
Remillard hopes the raw meat issue is just a passing fad. “There's a general distrust of big business, and the pet food industry is big business,” she said. “Add to that, food labels are not understandable and scary. But the risks of raw meat are there. Is the risk worthwhile? No, it isn't.”
I don't believe I ever said anything about going out and killing a deer to feed my dogs. That's a little extreme! There are risks with anything you feed and eat. What I'm saying is that I would rather know what I'm putting into my pet’s food than trusting some corporation who is only out to make a buck. We put all our trust in them, that they are providing quality food for our pets and obviously they are not.
If you want to feed your pets ground chicken beaks and feet and feathers, that's your choice. It's not something I would eat, so there for I will not continue to feed it to my pets.
Shannon, my friend doesn't think that's the cat she cared for, as hers had long hair. But she still wanted me to forward her the picture, which I did. I won't see her until tomorrow.
The injury could be an old one from any number of things, but maybe in the future if you can nab it, we'll take it to Cats Are Us vet and check it out and maybe see if the cat would be adoptable.
When a wild dog or cat eats a bird, they eat the entire bird, including the feathers, beaks and feet. How more natural can you get?
We'll just concede to disagree on the proper nutrition for pets.
For those who are concerned about what your pets eat make some your own treats. It’s very simple and will give you that warm fuzzy feeling. Here is one recipe.
Beefy Biscuits
2 cups whole wheat or all purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/4cup wheat germ
2 teaspoon beef bouillon powder
1/2 teaspoon yeast extract (adds additional meaty flavour)
Mix above ingredients in a medium bowl.
Add: 1 large egg, 1 tablespoon cooking oil and 1 cup hot water.
Stir well. Roll out on a well-floured surface to 1/2 inch thickness. Place on ungreased cooking sheet. Bake on center rack, (275 F.) for about 2 hours until dry and very hard. Let stand overnight to dry thoroughly. Makes 10 big bones and 14 puppy bones.
Wow Dragon,
...you continue to impress me with your wide range of skills. You even cook for the dogs! What hidden talent will you reveal to us next? Guinivere (sp?) is a very lucky lady to have you around. Thanks for sharing your recipe. This sounds very yummy for the poochies!
Okay Dragon, you have the recipe now let’s get the animal crackers with Dragon Enterprise up and going!!!
If y'all want to see something neat for the true pampered pet, go to this web site. www.petiblespetbakery.com They are a local bakery here in Martinez, GA. They also have a store in FL. It is the neatest place you ever saw! You walk into the door to a smell out of this world and it looks like a regular bakery except for one thing, everything is made for dogs and cats! They do not have much for cats but Sheba does go a bit nuts for the Kitty Kaviar! The foods are a bit pricy but the owner does a great business to be able to open up her second store here in GA…
Dragon, my brother, I am thinking how those Beefy Biscuits sound like something I want to make and serve to my family and friends as well as to my girls! Good one for sure!
Alice, what is going on with Little Boy? You said it isn't working out, Please let us know.
The consensus is that it would be nearly impossible to trap Little Boy. The ladies at Cat R Us talked it over with hubby and the idea has gone flat. There are other feral cats and they could be trapped and there is nowhere for them to go. So, Little Boy will continued to get food from hubby and other employees and hopefully be all right.
I'm sad Little Boy won't be trapped but glad he will still be taken care of. My biggest concrn is the location is so busy! I'm afraid he will ger run over by the terrible traffic. I know it's hard to get one of those wild little guys though.
Eventually, Little Boy might let your husband pet him and then pick him up. Catfish, who is still a scaredy cat, lived a life like that before being rescued--they had to trap him because of the fish hook in his mouth. They never thought he'd be "friendly" enough for adoption, but it just took time.
Same with Tarzan who lived here in the wild. He'd let us feed him and then get closer, but we couldn't touch him for months and months. Cats sometimes take a long time to warm up, especially if they've lived a hard life.
All he can do is feed him and who knows what will happen? What's meant to be is meant to be, and often that's what we never thing could be!
Alice, keep us posted on Thumper and when and if you bring him home, send pictures and tell us all about him and I'll post it!
Oprah's vet while he was on the show.
Dr. Marty Goldstein, author of The Nature of Animal Healing, is an expert on holistic pet medicine and the veterinarian caring for Oprah's dog Sophie, who is suffering from kidney failure. Based on Dr. Marty's advice, Oprah says she now feeds her dogs a mixed diet of chicken, beef, lamb, brown rice, potatoes and carrots.
Dr. Marty says most people feed their dogs diets that go against their animal nature. He says a dog that eats only dry food is like a person who eats nothing but carbs!
Dr. Marty says the best thing for a dog to eat is raw meat. Dr. Marty says his own dog, Danny, ate this diet and lived to be 19! "Danny lived on fresh cooked meat and brown rice and carrots, peas, lamb, potatoes. You know, real food. What did they eat in nature? They ate real food."
To get Dr. Marty's advice on what to feed your pet, visit www.drmarty.com.
I'm with Sandy, Little Boy could probably be caught and tamed with patience. I've read a lot about that happening with the Feral cat programs. Some become totally domesticated with time and are great pets! It can't hurt to keep trying to catch the kitty with one of Suzannes traps, especially if you use tuna or sardines.
My problem with raw meat is that today we have factory farms and uncooked meat can carry all kinds of bacteria. Yes, a dog's natural diet throughout history has been raw meat caught on the hunt, but they aren't getting it that way if you give them store bought meat.
If one has the time to fix their own food, I'm all for it. One just has to make sure that the pet is getting the right amount of vitamins and things they need.
If you don't know what you are doing, it could cause problems.
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