Cat Lovers Digest, Issue #006

April 19, 2011

Welcome to the April issue of Cat Lovers Digest.

Thank you for being a subscriber and thank you to everyone who has contributed to the site so far. The site continues to grow and improve as we tap into the collective wisdom of the many thousands of cat lovers who visit each month.

If you have any input on these two cases below, please add your comments. Thank you!

We're looking for more opinions on Sam and his litter box.

Opinions on these two kittens would be helpful as well. Fred has fixed their litter box problem but now has a new problem.

In This Issue

1. Helping Feral Cats
2. Random Cat Facts
3. Cat Food Polls
4. Do You Do Video?
5. Favorites

Helping Feral Cats

You may have noticed that David Lemke has been adding his contributions to the site, which come from his considerable experience living with and rescuing cats. David is the founder of Spots and Stripes, Inc., a non-profit based in the state of Washington. Spots and Stripes cares for and protects wild and feral cats, including big cats around the world.

Feral cats made NBC Nightly News, but most people are still not aware of the huge population of these cats, the public health impact, and the plight of these largely ignored creatures. These animals were meant to be house cats, yet many are too wild and not adoptable, at least not without a lot of effort that most people are unwilling or unable to put forth.

David's organization works to improve the lives of these cats while reducing the spread of disease and the impact on the environment feral cat colonies can have. By humanely reducing the population of these cats through spay/neuter, Spots and Stripes officers and volunteers (none of whom take any salary) are creating a better world for the cats, and for us.

Spots and Stripes performs what's known as Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) or Capture-Neuter-Release (CNR). In TNR/CNR, the animals are humanely trapped, given health checks, and spayed or neutered, then returned to their colonies. Without the ability to breed, populations are reduced over time.

All of this, of course, requires money, and donations are slim in the bad economy. I'm raising money for Spots and Stripes and I'd like to ask that if a cat has touched your life, and if you can spare $1, that you please donate. To get things started, I've donated the first dollar.

Donate to Spots and Stripes

I know times are very tough for many people, and if you can't donate, I understand. Instead, please pass this newsletter on to someone else so that we can reach more people with our message. Thank you!

Not So Random Cat Facts

Speaking of spots... African leopards are said to hunt about 90 different animal species, and can carry prey twice their weight up into a tree, where it's safe from other predators. Think of a 160 pound human being carrying a 320 pound carcass with their teeth.

They're also agile tree climbers and have been caught on camera snatching baboons out of trees. Yes, I watch too much Discovery channel.

Unfortunately, some species of leopard are reportedly near extinction, such as the Persian leopard.

Cat Food Polls

We're in search of the best cat food, so add your experience please and take our polls:

Best dry cat food poll

Best canned cat food poll

Here are the updated results so far:

Best Canned Cat Food Poll

One reader said:

"I prefer Evo 95% Meat but since they recently got bought out by P&G I'll prolly go back to using Wellness grain-free."

1 Avoderm
2 Blue Buffalo
1 Fancy Feast
3 Friskies Pouch or Canned
1 Royal Canin
4 Wellness Core
1 Weruva

2 I don't feed canned/wet food

Reader Suggestions:

Any brand: Tuna in water
GO! Natural Canned Feline Formula
Innova EVO
Merrick
Soltice
Taste of the Wild -- One reader wrote: "The best, you can get meat only varieties as well. Not sloppy looking but looks like real food (tuna looks like tuna etc)"

Best Dry Cat Food Poll

One reader suggested this:

"They won't always eat the best food. If they don't like it, who cares how good it is?"

1 9 Lives
1 Authority
2 Avoderm
4 Blue Buffalo
1 Eukanuba
2 Friskies
1 Halo
5 Hill's or Science Diet
4 Iams
4 Meow Mix
4 Nutro Max Cat
1 Nutro Natural Choice
2 Orijen
6 Purina One
2 Purina Cat Chow
5 Royal Canin
4 Wellness Core
2 Whiskas
1 Wysong

8 I don't feed dry food

Reader suggestions:

1 Holistic Select by Eagle
3 Innova EVO
1 Kit 'n Kaboodle
1 Organipets
1 Raw Diet
1 Purina One Select
1 Vets Choice Health Extension

Do You Do Video?

Veterinarian Dr. Patrick Mahaney is doing Vets Abroad trips like this one to the Amazon.

If you are available (or someone you know) and can film his future trips, I think it would make an excellent piece as a documentary, news story, or video blog. Get in touch with him at his blog if you can help. Please tell him I sent you! Thank you!

Favorites

Some recent favorites...

Favorite cat videos:

Harely's Purring Can Heal You

See Why do cats purr and see this page for more about cat sounds.

A cougar purring

Yes, cougars purr, and quite loudly!

If you stumbled upon this newsletter by accident, you can subscribe here.

Until next time, have a furry nice day!

Kurt

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