Cats are amazing - they DO have 9 lives!

updated 8:33 a.m. CT, Thurs., Sept . 10, 2009

A woman's pet cat has been found alive, buried beneath debris 26 days after an Ohio fire.

Sandy LaPierre says she assumed 1-year-old Smoka had died from the Aug. 10 fire in Franklin, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Cincinnati. The blaze broke out in a building housing a flower shop and LaPierre's second-floor apartment.

A demolition company moved in to tear down what was left of the building the day after the fire. A crew from Stark Wrecking Co. came back Sept. 4 to clear away the rubble and found Smoka's head sticking out from under 16 feet (nearly 5 meters) of debris.

LaPierre says her female cat lost a lot of weight and has been gobbling down food to make up for it. She says Smoka has some difficulty walking but otherwise seems OK.

Cat spends 26 days trapped in rubble
Sept. 9: "I was stunned, shocked," the cat's owner said. "She is a miracle after staying there almost a month in the rubble." WLWT-TV's Karin Johnson reports.

NBC News Channel

H1N1 flu confirmed in Iowa cat

Just released from the American Veterinary Medical Association!

A cat in Iowa has tested positive for the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, state officials confirmed this morning, marking the first time a cat has been diagnosed with this strain of influenza.

The cat, which has recovered, is believed to have caught the virus from someone in the household who was sick with H1N1. There are no indications that the cat passed the virus on to any other animals or people.

Prior to this diagnosis, the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus had been found in humans, pigs, birds and ferrets.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) are reminding pet owners that some viruses can pass between people and animals, so this was not an altogether unexpected event. Pet owners should monitor their pets' health very closely, no matter what type of animal, and visit a veterinarian if there are any signs of illness.

The AVMA is actively tracking all instances of H1N1 in animals and posting updates on our Web site at www.avma.org/public_health/influenza/new_virus.

Halloween safety tips for pets!

Pet Poison Helpline Offers Halloween Safety Tips for Pets
Advice on “treats” that pets should avoid and other Halloween hazards

Minneapolis (October 14, 2009) – Holidays can bring unique foods and materials into the house that pose special threats to animals. Halloween, with its costumes and candy, can be a dangerous and stressful time for a pet.

The following tips showcase what pet owners should watch out for around Halloween.

· Tricks, not treats! Some human treats can be deadly for pets

o Chocolate: Make sure your kids know to hide their Halloween stash from food-seeking dogs. Ninety-five percent of Pet Poison Helpline’s chocolate calls involve dogs getting into chocolate candy. Keep in mind, the less sweet and the darker the chocolate, the more toxic it is to your pet. Baker’s chocolate and dark chocolate pose the biggest problem.

o Other candy: Remember when you felt ill after gorging on too much candy? The same thing can happen to pets. Large ingestions of high-fat, high-sugar foods may lead to a condition called pancreatitis — a painful and potentially fatal inflammation of the pancreas. Signs of pancreatitis typically show up two to four days after ingesting a large high-fat meal. Monitor your pet for a decreased appetite, vomiting, lethargy, diarrhea and other odd behavior.

o Raisins/grapes: While small boxes of raisins are popular and healthy treats for people, keep them away from dogs. Even small numbers of raisins or grapes can cause kidney failure in dogs (and possibly cats). Never offer grapes or raisins as snacks for your pets. Choose carrots, peas, green beans or apples instead.

o Candy wrappers: Not only is candy toxic to pets, but so are the wrappers. Few animals will bother to unwrap Halloween treats before eating them. Ingestion of foil and cellophane wrappers may cause a bowel obstruction when ingested in large quantities.

· Halloween hazards

o Glow sticks/jewelry: Pets, especially cats, love to chew on these colorful toys. Though not highly poisonous, the glowing contents can cause pain and irritation in the mouth as well as profuse drooling, nausea and vomiting.

o Costumes: While dressing up our pets can be entertaining, keep in mind that your pet may not enjoy it. Make sure the costume does not impair their vision or movement. Also, beware of costumes containing metallic beads, snaps or other small pieces. If ingested, some metals (especially zinc and lead) can result in serious poisoning. Never dye or apply coloring to your pets’ fur. Even if the dye is labeled non-toxic, many are not meant to be ingested and can potentially cause harm.

Additionally, pets may be afraid of people dressed in costumes and may not even recognize those they typically know. Fear can cause animals to act aggressively or in an unpredictable manner. If your pet seems nervous or afraid, make sure to have a safe area for them to hide or take a “time out.”

o Candles: Wagging tails and curious noses do not mix with candles. Keep candles well out of reach of four-legged friends and, when possible, use safe, electric lights in jack-o-lanterns.

The best thing any pet owner can do is to be educated about the common foods and items that are potentially toxic to pets. Make sure to avoid accidentally feeding your pets human foods that may be dangerous for them and keep poisonous products out of your pet’s reach. When in doubt or if you think your pet has been poisoned, contact your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline immediately at 1-800-213-6680 with any questions or concerns.

Nutro puppy food recall - spread the word!

I know, I know - it's a cat blog and I'm posting information about dogs here... but for you well-diversified pet owners who have both species, here's some info to know about! Remember, Nutro also recently had a cat recall a while back... stay tuned! Q: I heard that there may be plastic in some NUTRO® products. Is this true? A: Small pieces of melted plastic were recently found in the production line of select varieties of NUTRO® dry dog and cat food products. We immediately retrieved the affected pet food from our distributors, and only three sku’s reached retail stores. These were delivered to a small number of PetSmart and Petco stores. The specific products are listed below. Upon discovery of the melted plastic, we immediately halted manufacturing and performed a thorough search of all equipment. We identified the source as a worker’s “bump cap,” similar to a hard hat, which inadvertently made its way into our manufacturing process. Based on our extensive review, it is highly unlikely that any pieces of plastic made it into finished product. However, upon learning of the incident, we voluntarily retrieved all potentially affected products. We strive to produce pet food of the highest quality and safety standards. Consumers who believe they have purchased potentially affected product should return it to their retailer for a full refund or exchange for another NUTRO® product, or contact the Nutro Products Consumer Care team at 1-800-833-5330. Thank you for your continued loyalty and support for Nutro Products. PRODUCT THAT MADE IT TO SELECT PETSMART STORES IN CA, AZ, CO, TX and NM ONLY Product Name UPC Size Best by Date NUTRO® ULTRA™ Puppy food for dogs 79105 51313 4.5 LB 09/10/10 NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® Chicken Meal, Rice and Oatmeal Formula Small Bites Puppy 79105 23050 5 LB 09/10/10 PRODUCT THAT MADE IT TO SELECT PETCO STORES IN CA, NV, HI and UT ONLY Product Name UPC Size Best by Date NUTRO® ULTRA™ Puppy food for dogs 79105 51315 30 LB 09/10/10

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Diamond Dry Cat food recall!

Yet another recall by Diamond! Two brands of dry cat food from Rochester, NY were recalled recently due to severe deficiencies in thiamine (Vitamin B). This was first discovered by pet owners and veterinarians in the Rochester area when their cats showed neurologic problems, and Pet Poison Helpline was consulting with some of these calls.

The affected products are Premium Edge Finicky Adult Cat and Premium Edge Hairball Cat with the following date codes: RAF0501A22X 18-lb. bag, RAF0501A2X 6-lb. bag, RAH0501A22X 18-lb. bag, RAH0501A2X 6-lb. bag.

Please check your bags of food at home, and make sure that they don't have those date codes! If you do have this in your clinic or home, please return it immediately to the retailer. Pets that consumed the recalled products should be immediately taken to a veterinarian for a thorough physical examination, baseline blood work, and possibly a Vitamin B injection!

Thankfully, this hasn't affected any other foods produced by Diamond. Based on thorough testing, other batches of Premium Edge cat foods were not affected. FYI: Diamond Pet Foods also had to settle a class action lawsuit due to aflatoxin (a mold) contaminated dog food in 2005 for $3.1 million. While the manufacturer refunded money to affected consumers who bought Diamond-brand products tainted with the mold aflatoxin and covered veterinary bills, some dogs were severely affected and did die from this!

Stamp out pet obesity... or pay for it in the end!

The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) recently released scary stats: 1/2 of the dogs and cats in the United States are overweight or obese (that's > 20% over ideal body weight). That’s 33 million dogs and 51 million cats, folks!

While being obese may not sound like a lot of weight, it is. A 10 lb cat that weighs an extra 2 lbs (12 lbs) is morbidly obese - that's the equivalent to a 150 lb human female that carries around an extra 30 lbs (180 lbs). A 70 lb ideal Labrador retriever is obese at 84 lbs... and keep in mind most Labradors should be 70 lbs! That's the equivalent of a 200 lb human male carrying around an extra 40 lbs (240 lbs). Yikes!

The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention is trying to raise awareness by hosting the 3rd annual: National Pet Obesity Awareness Day. This is important, because obesity is expensive for your pet's life and your pocketbook! That extra weight results in strain to the heart, lungs, trachea, and musculoskeletal system. I've had a lot of Labrador retriever owners bring in their dogs for expensive ACL knee surgery due to obesity... only to have to pay $1500-$3500 to fix one knee. This could have been totally prevented by weight loss!

Start by committing to exercising your cat - using that laser pointer for 5-10 minutes a day to get your cat to run around. Reduce the amount you're feeding your cat by 30% right now! Also, talk to your vet about gradually switching your dog to a low-calorie, senior cat food.
When in doubt, keep those cats trim. Studies have proven it - the skinnier the dog, the longer they live. While they haven't proven this in cats yet, it's likely to be also true! Don't use all 9 of your cat's lives by keeping him obese, and start trimming off that weight now!

Those Crazy Cats

What's behind your feline's maddening antics, and how to break her of some of her peskier habits...

Cats have all the luck. Because they've earned a reputation as difficult to train, we're willing to make excuses for even the most inexcusable behavior. But just how much should we cat owners put up with?

As a no-nonsense vet, I know cats are teachable. Your pet's bad manners don't have to drive you bonkers. Here are the three habits you only think can't be broken--and how to get your cats to believe the change was her idea.

Cruising your kitchen counter
Curiosity drives your cats to jump onto counters and tables. Instinct tells her the view will be better from up high. (The promise of a houseplant to munch or a stack of mail to bat around doesn't hurt, either!) But the dusty footprints she leaves behind should be a reminder to get out the disinfectant. Your cat's feet can carry bacteria from the litter box to your food, spreading nasty diseases like toxoplasmosis, which can be dangerous or even fatal in people with suppressed immune systems.

To put a stop to counter surfing, start by clearing away all your knickknacks. Next, put down some strips of double-sided tape--cats hate the sticky sensation on their paws when they step on it. You can also set some empty aluminum cans along the counter's edge, ideally with a few coins inside; these noisemakers will startle your cat when she knocks them over.

Be prepared: After you remove the tape, your pet may head right back to your counters. In that case, bring out a spray bottle or water gun for a little negative reinforcement: If you catch her in the act (and only then), give her a quick squirt to let her know that behavior is a bad idea. One or two squirts should do the trick--as we all know, a wet cat is a cranky cat.

Attacking your ankles
By the time cats grow out of the ball-of-fur stage and into adolescence, he's feeling the full force of his predatory instincts--and without a rodent to chase, he's likely to pounce on your ankles instead. Make sure he gets plenty of exercise (20 to 30 minutes per day), and he'll be too tuckered out to attack you. (You may have heard that other owners exercise their cats by letting them chase a piece of string tied to their ankles, but this sends exactly the wrong message--you don't want your cat to associate playtime with any of your body parts.) A couple of squirts from your spray bottle can do wonders here, too. If all else fails, you may need to add to your menagerie: A second house cat and sparring partner may be just what he needs.

Scratching your furniture
News flash: Your cat doesn't scratch your sofa legs to be obnoxious but because it feels good. Scratching is his way of marking territory with his scent glands (which are under his paw pads)--and, equally important, it helps him wear down his nails. You can minimize his desire to scratch by trimming his nails at least once a month. If the thought of a kitty manicure makes you nervous, ask your groomer or vet to teach you how.

Next, make your furniture feel unpleasant while providing an attractive alternative. Splurge on a good scratching post--one covered with feel-good material like twine, coarse rope, carpet, or sisal, rather than cardboard--and put it right in front of your cat's favorite couch leg, which you should wrap with double-sided tape or aluminum foil. Entice your cats into making the switch to the scratching post by sprinkling catnip around it or placing treats or toys on it.

If nothing else works to change the behavior, it's time to go disco with a product called Soft Paws--soft vinyl caps that come in every shade of the rainbow, which you glue over your cat's nails. They're relatively painless, but you (or your vet) will have to replace them after they've fallen off, probably every 4 to 6 weeks. In return, they'll almost certainly provide you with a good laugh at your cat's expense--and keep your prized living room set intact at the same time.

Justine Lee, DVM, DACVECC, is a veterinary emergency critical-care specialist and the associate director of veterinary services at Pet Poison Helpline. She is the author of the book It's a Cat's World...You Just Live in It.

Copyright 2009, Prevention