Whoopi Goldberg ate cat food in bed in the middle of the night

The video explains everything. In short, it would seem that Whoopi Goldberg simply - by mistake - in the middle of the night grabbed hold of some cat treats that were next to her usual pretzels which she loves. 

And because she was half asleep she didn't know that she was eating dry cat food treats. Initially she thought that the pretzels had gone a bit stale so she tried some more and then she suspected that her taste buds were a little bit wrong because it was two in the morning and she had barely woken up. All in all she ended up eating quite a few Temptations cat treats. The taste couldn't have been that bad because she grabbed at least two handfuls!

Separately, there have been reports of cat food manufacturers asking volunteers to taste their wet cat food. That's because some wet cat food is so refined it becomes attractive to people. It becomes very similar to human food because the ingredients are high quality. So there is an overlap here between cat food and human food. It's just about the quality! Cat food per se is not going to harm people on a one-off basis because it is designed to be eaten by carnivores. Humans are omnivores which means they both meet and nonmeat ingredients. Cat food is okay for people in essence but I wouldn't necessarily trust the additives.  And dry cat food is high in carbs.

I'm sure some people have eaten cat food and dog food because they were starving, were broke, and dog and cat food is normally cheaper than human food. And that brings me to another topic actually. Often cat food is more expensive than human food! It depends on what you're buying of course but high quality cat food on a weight-for-weight basis is sometimes more expensive than human food.

Which brings me to another point namely that if you are considering adopting a cat, make sure you can afford it! Do the maths. Work at the overall cost of cat food, cat litter, veterinary treatments, and in the case of purebred cats you'll probably need pet insurance. And pet insurance is notoriously expensive. Do some research on the inherited diseases of purebred cats before you adopt a purebred cat. It's important because you are going to need insurance for some of these fancy show cats. Believe me. And sometimes the insurance won't cover the veterinary treatment needed to fix problems like bilateral hip dysplasia in Maine Coon cats. That is just one example.

P.S. It is nice to know that she lives with at least one cat. She has my vote.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

Reasons why tuna treats for cats need to be limited

There are three main reasons why tuna treats for cats should be limited:

• Mercury poisoning and light lead poisoning
• Tuna is overfished. In the interests of conservation tuna needs to left alone to recover
• Tuna is an unbalanced food for cats

Would it be possible to slightly poison your cat if you fed them canned tuna all the time?

Canned tuna wouldn't cause lead poisoning in your cat, but there are other health concerns with feeding it all the time. Here's the breakdown:

• Lead: The amount of lead in canned tuna is very low and regulated for human consumption. It's unlikely to be enough to poison your cat.
• Mercury: Canned tuna, especially albacore, can be high in mercury. Frequent consumption can lead to mercury poisoning in cats, causing problems like loss of coordination and vision issues.
• Nutritional Imbalance: Canned tuna lacks essential nutrients cats need for a complete diet. Long-term feeding can lead to deficiencies and health problems.

Here's what to do instead:

• Treats: Offer canned tuna as an occasional treat, not a main food source. Opt for skipjack tuna due to lower mercury content.
• Cat Food: Feed your cat a high-quality, balanced cat food formulated to meet their nutritional needs.

If you're worried about your cat's diet, consult your veterinarian. They can recommend a healthy feeding plan and address any concerns about mercury or other potential issues

Why is canned tuna high in mercury?

Canned tuna can be high in mercury because tuna are high up the food chain. Here's the science behind it:

• Mercury's Origin: Mercury enters the oceans from natural sources like volcanoes and human activities like industrial pollution.
• Bioaccumulation: Bacteria convert mercury into methylmercury, a form absorbed by small fish.
• Predatory Cycle: Larger fish, like tuna, consume these smaller fish, inheriting their mercury. Unlike other toxins, mercury doesn't get flushed out, so it accumulates in the tuna's tissues over time.

Species Matters:

• High Mercury: Albacore tuna, a larger species, tends to have the highest mercury content.
• Lower Mercury: Skipjack tuna, a smaller variety, generally has lower mercury levels.

Safe Consumption:

• Variety is Key: Include various types of seafood in your diet to avoid exceeding recommended mercury limits.
• Government Resources: The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) https://www.fda.gov/ and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) https://www.epa.gov/ provide guidelines on safe fish consumption.

By understanding where mercury comes from and how it accumulates in tuna, you can make informed choices about incorporating this nutritious fish into your diet without exceeding safe mercury levels.

Is there lead inside tuna?

Yes, there can be trace amounts of lead in tuna. However, the levels are typically very low and well below the safety limits set by regulatory agencies.

Lead is a naturally occurring element that can also enter the environment through human activities such as pollution. Fish absorb lead from the water they live in and the food they eat. Larger, predatory fish like tuna tend to have higher levels of lead than smaller fish because they accumulate lead over time as they consume other fish.

According to a study published in the journal Food Chemistry, the lead content of tuna can vary depending on the species, with albacore tuna having the highest levels and skipjack tuna having the lowest levels. The study also found that the lead content of tuna was higher in canned tuna than in fresh tuna. This is likely because the canning process can concentrate lead from the bones of the fish.

While there is some lead in tuna, the levels are generally considered to be safe for human consumption. The FDA has set a maximum allowable level of lead in canned tuna of 0.3 parts per million (ppm). Studies have shown that consuming tuna at moderate levels (less than two cans per week) is not associated with any adverse health effects.

If you are concerned about your lead intake, you can limit your consumption of albacore tuna and choose skipjack tuna instead. You can also limit your overall intake of canned tuna and choose other types of seafood, such as salmon or shrimp, which are lower in lead.

Is tuna being overfished worldwide?

Yes, tuna is being overfished worldwide. Here's a breakdown of the situation:

• High Demand, Strained Stocks: The global demand for tuna, particularly bluefin tuna prized for sushi, has driven fishing pressure beyond sustainable levels for several species.
• Overfished Species: Pacific bluefin tuna is a prime example, once depleted to just 2.6% of its unfished level. Atlantic bigeye and Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna populations are also experiencing overfishing due to rising catch levels.
• Impact on Ecosystem: Overfishing disrupts the marine food chain as tuna are top predators. This can lead to population imbalances and harm the overall ocean ecosystem.
• Conservation Efforts: International organizations and some regional fisheries management bodies have implemented measures to control catches and rebuild populations. However, challenges remain in ensuring truly sustainable fishing practices.
• Skipjack Resilience: While currently abundant, skipjack tuna, the most common canned tuna variety, could become vulnerable if not managed properly.

Overall, tuna overfishing is a serious threat to the health of our oceans and these fish populations. Look for tuna products that are certified sustainable by organizations like the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) to support responsible fishing practices.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Auto repair shop in Tyler, Texas collects pet food donations for animal rescues

NEWS AND OPINION: This is a wonderful development. I hope that it trends and other commercial enterprises get involved. It's a wonderful act of altruism by Stewart's Donnybrook Automotive. And it is thanks, as I understand it, to the managing partner Gary Stewart who saw a problem with local animal rescues that needed help.

Thought: the scheme is a great way to promote the repair shop's business too 💕😊. It is a win-win.

Pet food piling up at  Stewart's Donnybrook Automotive. Image: KETK Tyler

Some of them are saying that there is an epidemic of unwanted cats in the area. I've heard this sort of thing before with animal rescue after the pandemic.

And so Gary Stewart decided to step in. He turned to the community for help in the form of cat food donations. Local residents are delivering cat food to his automotive repair shop and he takes them to one animal rescue in Henderson and another in Kilgore.

Stewart's Donnybrook Automotive. Image: Google search.

Of course, the animal rescues are delighted because with gifts of cat food it frees up their funding to pay for medical requirements.

Stuart said: "It just exploded, you know, and we have people bringing food, amazon shows up with food and people I don’t even know show up with food that just love animals, like we do."

Heather Payer-Smith the owner of Cat's Meow Rescue said: It’s really helpful, not just in the supplies, but it helps us be able to put our money towards the vet bills and other needs as well."

Stewart said that he will take donations for as long as he can and he wants to expand his assistance to help other animal rescues in the area.

Comment: it made me think if this idea could be expanded to other areas. There is no reason why commercial enterprises in any area can't act as agents (donation drop-off points) to help animal rescue organisations in the same area by receiving donations of cat and dog food. Just a thought. I think the idea is so good that it should be expanded.

Of course, it depends on the circumstances and the facilities available within the organisation as to whether they can take in donations but if it is possible I would love to see it expanded.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Do Muslims have to feed their cat with halal cat food?

The answer to the question in the title is probably the one you'd image: NO. As a Muslim there are no laws or rules to demand that you must feed your cat with halal pet food. The reason? All religions, including the Islamic faith, are human concepts. Animals don't worship a God. They have no knowledge whatsoever of any religion.

Not obligatory for Muslims. Image: DALLE

Non-halal meat is haram or forbidden. The only reason why is because of Islamic law. Making halal meat does not make it more acceptable in terms of taste etc. from a domestic cat's standpoint! In short halal meat is all about the Islamic faith which in turn is all about humans and a widespread belief by many hundreds of millions that there is a higher power.

You will find some Muslims in the UK running halal pet food businesses (such as Aihtsham Rashid in Leeds) and claiming that it is obligatory for Muslims to feed their cats and dogs with halal meat. I guess they would promote that idea but it is wrong. If you think I am wrong please comment and provide me with chapter and verse as to why. I need to see hard evidence please! 💕😎

What is halal meat?

Islamic Law (Sharia): Halal is an Arabic term that means “permissible.” Halal food adheres to Islamic law, as defined in the Quran. It encompasses various aspects of life, including dietary guidelines. Muslims believe in what they see as the ethical treatment of animals, and halal practices align with this philosophy by promoting kindness, compassion, and humane treatment throughout the entire lifecycle of the animal.

Method of Slaughter: The Islamic form of slaughtering animals or poultry is called dhabiha. It involves killing through a precise cut to the jugular vein, carotid artery, and windpipe. During this process animals must be alive and healthy at the time of slaughter. All blood is drained from the carcass. A Muslim recites a dedication known as tasmiya or shahada during the slaughter.

On this definition, halal meat is about promoting kindness to animals and yet British veterinarians say that conventional abattoir animal slaughter which starts by stunning the animal is more humane that slitting the animal's throat without stunning the animal first. 

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Are domestic cats genuinely picky about food?

I'm one of those cat caregivers who is unsure whether domestic cats are genuinely picky about their food. I think we can do a little test in our minds. We don't have to do it with our cat. We can just think about this. Let's say a domestic cat hasn't eaten all day for whatever reason. Perhaps for two days. You give them some lousy cat food and they gobble it up because they are starving. If a cat is hungry they will eat the decent food you give them. And leave the bowl empty.

If, by contrast, you give them a nice treat perhaps a little too often, they will be waiting for that treat the next time. If you give them some standard cat food in its place they might not be inclined to eat it but rather wait for the treat that they know is coming in the not too distant future, or so they think.

I have a feeling that many of us - and I am probably equally guilty on this - tend to give our cats too many treats because we love them so much. We want to please them. We might give them really high quality cat food which is expensive from time to time and they wait for that next high quality meal. They might turn up their noses at food which is of a lesser quality.

This is not being picky as such. It is simply being rational and sensible. To be "picky" is to be fussy and difficult to please. To be overly fussy. When a cat turns down food I don't believe they are being difficult to please or fussy. They simply believe that there's something better for them in the kitchen and, in addition, they aren't particularly hungry.

The key is probably to feed your cat a bit less. This would square up nicely with information that we know is true namely that there is pet obesity epidemic in America and the UK and perhaps other Western countries. Around 40% of cats and dogs are assessed as being obese by veterinarians. They are being fed too much. That's the simple cause so feeding less to make them a little hungrier will have two benefits (1) lose some weight (2) be less picky! No, they aren't picky, just sensible.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Is human-grade wet cat food healthier for your cat than standard cat food?

I am sceptical about an article in the Express newspaper which claims that human grade cat food completely changed the health and vitality of this woman's two cats. She claimed that her cats completely changed when they were fed on a human-grade meat diet. She did this deliberately to see if it made any difference to her cats. She said that she tried her favourite high quality, human-grade cat food: Untamed.

Image: MikeB

And here is the problem for me: the whole article in this online newspaper promotes and praises Untamed human-grade wet cat food. It seems to me like this is a promotional, paid piece and therefore I have difficulty in believing it. Although logically high-quality cat food at a human-grade level should be better for a cat than cheap cat food.

But is it better than standard high quality wet cat food? I would doubt it. The author of the article, Sophie Harris, said that "feeding both of them 2 to 3 times a day can be expensive but I believe investing in their food is the least I can do as an answer [to whether this food improved health]".

She said that the "food is quite pricey, with my two cats costing £100 a month ($121) to feed, not including the dry food they eat throughout the day." That means £50 per cat per month which is expensive. Not many people could justify that kind of expenditure.

Perhaps this is the weakness in this argument. You could argue all day long that human-grade wet cat food should be bought and provided by the cat owner, every time, all the time if the sole objective is to max out the health and welfare of your cat. But, 95% of cat owners can't afford that kind of expense so the discussion is academic.

And Sophie found that after a few days of feeding on the super high quality cat food her cats would not eat anything else but she says that she had the "satisfaction that it was providing him with all the nutrients he needed." How will she get them off it and go back to the standard stuff?

Untamed say that cats should have more energy because they will have been eating high-protein whole meats.

RELATED: Are plant proteins as good as animal proteins for cats?

Not long ago, I did some research on vegan dry cat food which I bought for my cat but he does not like it! My research using Google Scholar indicated to me that plant proteins are as good as animal proteins. So, the statement above that high-protein whole meats are better seems to be incorrect to me. Protein is protein. And cat food is artificial in any case. The manufacturers simply add all the nutrients needed to make it balanced.

Perhaps one factor with buying human-grade wet cat food is that it is probably prepared to a higher standard which may make it healthier. And there will be less additives I suspect. Of course, the basic ingredients are higher quality and they probably meet stricter standards. There will be less fillers and artificial ingredients. This would indicate that it provides better nutrition which may in turn lead to improved energy levels, a stronger immune system and healthier coat.

RELATED: No wet cat food waste (infographic).

Of course, that must be the common-sense conclusion but you might not see it actually in your cat. Also, not all human-grade cat foods are of equal quality. And also, cats may have specific dietary requirements and sensitivities. I don't think we can say with 100% certainty that providing your cat with human-grade cat food will improve their health and welfare over providing a good quality wet cat food. Notice I have referred to good wet food. Poor quality dry foods are liable, I believe to cause health issues if it is the sole source of nutrition.

You might like to consult with a veterinarian on this if you are considering it. Also, transitioning to a new diet should be done gradually as a sudden change can cause gastrointestinal issues.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Is there a high-quality cat food I can give my cat to reduce shedding?

Ragdoll groomed during the shedding season. Image in public domain.

Conventional response to the question

While there is no cat food that can completely eliminate shedding, you can choose high-quality cat foods that can help reduce excessive shedding and promote healthy skin and coat. Here are some factors to consider when selecting cat food to help with shedding:

1. Look for foods with a high-quality protein source: Cats are obligate carnivores, so their diet should primarily consist of animal-based protein. Foods with high-quality protein sources like chicken, turkey, or fish can promote healthy skin and coat.
2. Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids: These essential fatty acids are crucial for skin and coat health. Foods containing fish oil, flaxseed, or other sources of these fatty acids can help reduce shedding and improve coat quality.
3. Limited fillers and carbohydrates: Avoid cat foods that have excessive fillers and carbohydrates, as they may not provide the essential nutrients your cat needs for optimal coat health. Look for foods with a lower carbohydrate content.
4. Nutrient balance: Ensure that the cat food you choose is balanced and meets the nutritional needs of your cat. High-quality commercial cat foods are typically formulated to provide the right balance of vitamins and minerals.
5. Avoid artificial additives: Some artificial additives and preservatives may contribute to skin and coat issues. Opt for cat foods with natural ingredients and minimal additives.
6. Consult your veterinarian: If your cat's shedding is excessive or if you're concerned about their coat health, it's a good idea to consult your veterinarian. They can recommend specific cat foods or dietary supplements tailored to your cat's needs.

Remember that genetics, age, and environmental factors can also influence shedding, so even with the best diet, some shedding may still occur. Regular grooming, such as brushing your cat's fur, can also help reduce shedding by removing loose hair and preventing matting.

Comment on the above

I feel it necessary to comment on the above which, by the way, is a conventional answer taken from sources on the Internet. I think, to be fair, you will find some websites being a little overoptimistic about the prospect of a certain cat food reducing the shedding of fur from a domestic cat.

Why should I say this? Because it is entirely natural for a domestic cat to shed fur when there's more light not, by the way when it is warmer. It is light which dictates when and how much a domestic cat sheds.

Some people believe that seasonal temperature changes dictates when a domestic cat sheds but my reference book written by four distinguished veterinarians tell me that "shedding is influenced more by changes in ambient light. The more exposure to natural light, the greater the shedding. This applies to both neutered and intact cats."

I guess, on that basis, if you kept your cat in a darkened room they wouldn't shed! But that's entirely impractical and cruel. Cats kept indoors full-time exposed to constant light may shed lightly and grow a new coat year-round.

But the point here is that it is a natural process and so feeding high-quality cat food with the intention of reducing this natural process is not going to produce a dramatic change. There might be a slight improvement partly because good quality cat food would improve the overall condition of the cat including the condition of the skin and it makes the skin more supple and the hair strands softer and silkier.

Breeds

I have said it before but I will say again briefly. There are no cat breeds (except hairless!) or individual cats who don't shed fur. All domestic cats of whatever cat breed shed fur because, as stated, it is a natural process. I wouldn't believe what you read on the Internet about certain breeds not shedding fur. They are not really true.

The hairless cats don't shed hair because they don't have any real hair except for a downy coating and so you won't have the problems of shedding hair but you will have other problems of keeping the skin of the hairless cat clean and in good condition.

How do I turn my cat vegan? I don't want her to eat meat because it's not right.

Benevo wet and dry. Balanced?

Well, a lot of people would say that the person asking the question is mad. They remind us that cats are 'obligate carnivores'. Yep, we know that, thanks. But the point is this: it is possible to manufacture dry cat food from plant protein to which you can add nutrients to ensure that the final product is a dry cat food which contains the same nutrients and is as balanced as any other cat food. It comes down to the formula of the nutrients in the food and you can rely on plant protein to provide proteins.

Important: is absolutely impossible and dangerous to feed your cat a vegan or vegetarian diet similar to the diet that a human might eat. The diet will not contain the requisite nutrients for cat health. It will not sustain a cat. It should never be attempted. You will have to rely on a commercially prepared cat food to which has been added all the required nutrients. I believe the company mention on this page achieves that but please do your own research.

Benevo Adult dry

This is the fact sheet from the Pet Express website:

Benevo Adult Original Complete Vegetarian & Vegan Cat Food is a delicious meat free recipe that with provide your cat with all of the nutrients they require to thrive.

This tasty dish is complete and balanced, having been approved by the Vegetarian and Vegan Society. It contains taurine and spirulina to boost the immune system, without the addition of any GM ingredients. With 28% protein, this is a great vegetarian meal that your cat will love to savour.

• Nutritionally complete and balanced recipe
• 28% protein
• Not tested on animals
• With Prebiotic FOS to help digestion
• Added Yucca extract helps reduce toilet odour
• Contains Spirulina to boost immune system
• Omega 3 and 6 oils for healthy skin, fur, joints, vision and brain function
• Approved by the Vegetarian and Vegan Society
• Free from genetically modified ingredients

Ingredients: Soya, Wheat, Maize Gluten Meal, Maize, Rice, Sunflower Oil, Beet Pulp, Vitamins & Minerals, Brewers Yeast, Yeast Based Palatant, Linseed, Seaweed, Fructo-oliogosaccharides (0.09%), Spirulina, Yucca Schidigera Extract (0.01%.)

Analytical Constituents: Protein 28%, Fat Content 13%, Crude Fibre 3.0%, Ash 5.0%, Moisture 7%.

Study

A study conducted at the Vienna Institute for Food Nutrition and Functional Plant Compounds published in 2014 assessed the nutritional value of vegan cat and dog food, both wet and dry. The assessment included Benevo and another brand Yarrah. The focused on Benevo Duo.

Benevo Duo - for cats & dogs (same food)

Benevo Duo cats was found to meet most of the minimum fulfilment requirements the cats consuming this vegan pet food. They say that the majority of daily nutrient requirements were met with the exception of energy, kilocalories and crude protein. It is suggested to meet the total of these requirements to help with the vegan cat food supplements to ensure the health of their cat. 

This food is both a dog and cat food (hence 'duo') which is very strange because normally cat food is too rich for dogs and dog food is not rich enough cats. That's possibly why this study found that this particular version of vegan cat food was not quite up to scratch in terms of energy and crude protein. 

But the Benevo Adult Original Complete Vegetarian and Vegan Cat Food mentioned above appears to be as balanced as any other dry cat food.

Grandma walks miles to get a bag of food for her cat (Ukraine)

This is the tweet: Slava Babusya (grandma)! ---this Ukrainian woman walked a few miles amid the shelling this week to get a bag of food for her cat. Resilience. Photo: Natasha Mazur, Ukraine Animal Rescue.

When we feel like complaining because the price of cat food has increased rapidly, we should think of grandma. When we have a little problem with getting our cat's favorite cat food, we should think of grandma. It kind of puts things into perspective don't you think?

She must be in her 80s! It makes your shake your head in disbelief and admiration. Mind you, I'd do the same thing.

When you have to do something like that to feed your cat you do it if you have the right kind of relationship and the physical ability. And she has. I'd bet her cat is her closest friend and she'd do anything for him/her.

So many cats and dogs have lost their lives in this illegal war. We don't know how many animals have died because of the war but it is a huge number. And so many homeless, starving cats now when they were once living in caring homes.

There is a young girl in one city who now looks after the abandoned domestic cats turned feral including her own. 

Update the next day: Disappointment is how I feel about this post. It has received one view in 12 hours and I advertised it on social media. If I had published a nasty animal abuse video instead it would have received hundreds of views. What does that say about people? Think about it.

This is a really admirable women. And we need to support Ukraine.

Cat food which is "as good as it looks" designed to appeal to humans

This is a very short and perhaps obvious note but I don't think the point I am making is that obvious to many readers. Felix make a cat food which is proudly described on the box to be 'as good as it looks'.

Felix cat food as good as it looks. Image: Pet at Home.

Neither the manufacturers nor the cat owner have any idea what type of pet food cats find visually appealing. The registered strap line means that the food is as good as it looks to the purchaser of the food. The human cat caregiver. It is primarily designed to be attractive to the cat's owner not the cat.

If the cat is pleased with the way it looks so much the better but they are not the targeted audience. It is the caregiver. It doesn't really matter that much if the cat sees it as lip-smackingly good or not for the reasons provided in the last two paragraphs.

That said when you read the strap line you automatically infer that Felix cat food is 'as good as it looks' to cats! That's what we think. We become our cat and believe that the food will look appetizing to our beloved feline friend.

It is a psychological game that the manufacturers play with their customers. When you look at the food it does look a bit like human food. It has to because it has to look appetizing to humans.

So Felix have to make a cat food that looks appetizing to humans and is therefore somewhat like human food while also being good cat food.

The final point to note is that cats don't decide on whether a food is appetizing by its appearance but by its smell. Their nose is the adjudicator on the palatability of their food.

You will always see domestic cats smelling food before they eat it. If they don't, they must have got used to being given the same food daily and smelled it as they approached their bowl.

Does anybody use dehydrated wet cat food?

I have never considered it but there is an "intermediate" type of cat food which is dehydrated wet cat food. It is shipped in packets as a powder. You pour out the amount that you think your cat can eat at one sitting. You add some warm water and it becomes a pâté or a soup depending upon how much water you add.

The advantages are that you can control the portion size and of course the storage of the food is easier. It is very compact and very long lasting. It gives the cat owner better control over cat food storage and delivery.

How many people use dehydrated wet cat food to feed their cat? Image: The Honest Kitchen

I think this is important because often cats don't finish the portion provided because the sachet is too big or perhaps the owner gives them too much. I don't know how many millions of tonnes of wasted, smelly wet cat food is thrown away into garbage cans annually in any one country but I expect that it is a vast tonnage.

Anything to reduce cat food waste would be welcome. I think dehydrated wet cat food is a great way to control portion size as mentioned. There appear to be some downside. It is not that readily available it seems to me in the UK (for instance). It appears to be less common than conventional wet cat food and certainly much less common than dry cat food.

And of course, you've got to add warm water which means using the kettle. A small irritation but one nonetheless. And finally, it appears to be expensive. Some cat food nowadays is inordinately expensive. It looks more expensive than human food and cat owners don't have a bottomless pit of money.

There has to be a reasonable balance between the advantages of living with a cat and the expense of keeping a cat. Cat owners have a duty to provide high quality cat food and a lot of cat food is not of high quality particularly cheap dry cat food.

However, there is a limit and I suspect that the apparent lack of popularity of dehydrated wet cat food is due to its expense. Have you tried it?

If it is more expensive and it appears to be this may be due to the manufacturing process. It is dehydrated after all so all the moisture is taken out of wet cat food. That might be an expensive manufacturing process.

The point has to be made that it is impossible to try and make comparisons on price between the various types of cat food. It's far too complicated which is why I have questioned whether it is more expensive than conventional wet cat food.

If you have personal experiences of using dehydrated wet cat food then please share them in a comment. They would be most welcome.

3-hour old wet cat food in bowl? Your cat might prefer it.

My personal experience tells me that if you put down a sachet of wet cat food into a cat food bowl and your cat rejects it for whatever reason, you should cover it up with a plate (stop flies laying eggs) and wait at least a few hours depending upon the ambient temperature because your cat might come back and eat it. In fact, it can be left for much longer depending on the air temperature and your cat's preferences.

He might do this because (1) he is a little hungrier three hours later and (2) the food is a little smellier. And some cats are more dependent on others on the food being smelly. Some cats, also, are more naturally scavengers and they don't mind if the wet cat food smells a bit.

My cat eating 3-hour old wet cat food.

The advantage of using this method is that you throw away less cat food. Throwing away a full bowl of cat food or even a half full bowl is troublesome for two reasons (1) you are wasting money and in this era of cost-of-living crisis you don't want to waste money even pennies and (2) throwing away substantial amounts of wet cat food is problematic because it smells. 

You put it in the waste bin, but it smells and sometimes flies deposit their eggs on the food before you can throw it away which results in maggots crawling all over the place. You don't want to throw away wet cat food you can help it.

Wet cat food bowl used for 5 meals without washing it. Image: MikeB

And on occasions, when you put down just the right amount of wet cat food and your cat is nicely hungry, he will eat everything in the bowl, and you will not even need to clean the bowl in preparation for the next helping of wet cat food!

Fancy Feast cat food brand opens a New York City restaurant (for humans!)

NEWS AND COMMENT: Cat food brand Fancy Feast have opened a restaurant in New York City for humans! It is called Gatto Bianco which means white cat. It's an Italian restaurant with a medley of recipes and I've got to presume that the food looks like cat food! Wrong? But it is for humans. I don't really get it. The restaurant is located between Far West Village and the Meatpacking District in New York City. 

Gatto Bianco by Fancy Feast. Photo: Purina.

The chef is taking inspiration from Fancy Feast Medleys recipes while paying homage to traditional Italian cuisine according to Nestlé Purina the umbrella company which owns Fancy Feast.

The dishes have been developed by Fancy Feast's in-house chef, Amanda Hassner together with Italian chef a New York restauranteur Cesare Casella.

Hassner said:

"Food has the power to connect us to others in meaningful ways and take us to places we have never been. The same is true for our cats. The dishes at Gatto Bianco are prepared in ways that help cat owners understand how their cats experience food – from flavor, to texture, to form – in a way that only Fancy Feast can."

My personal viewpoint is that this is a ridiculous concept. I can't see the point of it. Is it meant to educate people on what it's like to be a cat eating cat food? If that is the objective it doesn't work. And is the food going to look like cat food? If so, it is not going to look great to a human. It just seems to be a muddled concept to me and pointless but perhaps I am being far too negative.

Is it going to look like this with a side salad?

2 ways to encourage your cat to eat if they are picky

Sometimes domestic cats can be picky about what they eat. Perhaps they are fed too much or they are just picky like some people. I know of two ways and there might be more of encouraging a domestic cat to eat. 

The first is to gently stroke your cat on their back when the food bowl is presented to them. If they didn't eat before, in my experience they will begin to eat if you do that. Why does this happen? It probably has something to do with newborns being licked by their mother and nursing. It is a throwback to those early weeks.

Stroking a cat can encourage eating. Image: Pixabay.

The second method is well known which is to gently heat the food in a microwave. It should be a matter of seconds only, perhaps about four seconds. Heated food will smell more strongly and as domestic cats rely on smell to identify food and its palatability, this should help.

My cat likes prawns which I keep in the fridge. If I want to make them particularly attractive to him, I break them open which helps the smell to come out more and I warm them with a 3-4 second microwave session at 100%. 

His behaviour indicates to me that this makes him more interested in the food. A counter argument to the above is that if your cat rejects the food that you give him, he is not hungry enough. On that basis you should do nothing and not try and encourage him to eat it. If a cat is genuinely hungry, they will eat what is placed before them.

I sense that there is a pattern of behaviour in some homes in which the cat, out of routine and to a certain extent boredom, meows for food but is not hungry. This is similar behaviour to people who eat out of habit at certain times of the day even if they aren't hungry.

Or when they settle down to watch some television, they like to eat at the same time. It's a double pleasure which is better than a single pleasure.

Domestic cats should only eat when they are hungry and the same goes for people! The feline obesity epidemic is partly due to eating were not hungry and for pleasure just as humans do.

Please read Sandi's comment below about adding warm water or broth to cat food to make it more palatable in lieu of warming it up in a microwave.

Commercial cat food does not need to be entirely grain-free

For years now there has been an ongoing discussion about the quality of commercially prepared cat food and how it is ostensibly stuffed with grains to pad it out and make it more profitable for the manufacturers. Cat lovers want to see their canned cat food to be 100% meat because domestic cats are 'obligate carnivores'. The phrase 'obligate carnivores' is constantly used and it conjures up an image of flesh-eating. Cats can only eat flesh and nothing else. This is a misconception.

It is a misconception because the paradigm prey animal for the domestic cat is the mouse. The mouse eats 10% of its weight every day and it feeds off grain, seeds and fruit. When a cat eats a mouse, they eat the whole animal in my experience. My cat can eat a mouse in about 60 seconds and he certainly eats the stomach contents. He therefore eats grains. Perhaps commercial cat food should contain 10% grains but no more. Perhaps they put more than 10% in.

It is actually more pronounced than that because in the video on this page, which is a YouTube short, he clearly likes to eat bird seed which is grain. The seed was put into a birdfeeder and chucked onto the grass by the birds. My cat wandered in and decided to eat it. Grain contains nutrients. It is a source of protein and carbohydrates. Perhaps there is roughage in there as well. The point that I am making laboriously is that domestic cats eat grain one way or the other and therefore it is not so bad that it is in commercially prepared cat food. It is normal.

RELATED: Reduce domestic cat hunting by feeding them grain-free food and playing with them.

It is an argument that cat food should not be entirely free of grain as it is part of their natural diet. "YouTube Shorts" are designed to be very short videos made with a smartphone and therefore they are in the vertical format. TikTok works on this format and method. YouTube reformat the embedded video to a horizontal format. I'm not sure why. I think the video makes the point.

I had to make the video because YouTube told me that unless I made some more videos, they would stop monetising them on YouTube. I have not made a video for about 10 years! At one time they were highly successful with one of my videos being viewed 11 million times. They made many thousands of pounds in advertising. Advertising is far more profitable on YouTube videos than it is on websites in my experience.

I do not expect the video to be in any way successful. If it achieves a thousand views over five years I will be delighted!

Multifaceted reason for cat food shortage in America

NEWS AND COMMENT: This is surprising. News media is reporting shortages of cat food. I don't see reports of shortages of dog food but that might just be me not searching properly. But it does seem strange that the headlines I've seen concerns cat food.

Some time ago I wrote about the shortage of wheat because of the Ukraine war impacting pet food and how it might push up prices. This is not mentioned in this current news media story but it may be a factor. What they are mentioning is that there is a shortage of aluminium to make the cans.

Canned cat food shortage in the USA. Pic in public domain.

Therefore, this shortage only applies to canned wet food. And as dry cat food is very prevalent in America and elsewhere, I don't see a huge problem. In any case, aluminium is in short supply as demand has increased. There has been a spike in demand aluminium around the world and in the United States.

Another factor is labour shortages. The pandemic has also created a post-pandemic rush it appears on goods. In other words, production isn't meeting current demand. There has also been a crackdown in pollution which has affected aluminium manufacturing in China. There has been a decrease in production of aluminium by 10-20% worldwide apparently.

I would like to expand a bit on the reason why there is a shortage of aluminium. One site tells me that the demand for aluminium cans has increased dramatically in recent years. One reason is the increase in popularity of beverages such as hard seltzer. More breweries use aluminium cans over glass alternatives because it's easier to produce and cheaper, I suspect. Supply of aluminium cans has not been able to keep up with the demand.

Bloomberg tells us that there have been supply-chain issues for months across the planet. The cost of transporting aluminium and copper has risen. At the moment the cost of transportation of aluminium accounts for 20% of the total market price of this metal.

It is also said that people are drinking at home and therefore buy cans and take them home. In the old days people would go to a public house or bar in the UK and drink out of a glass. That method of drinking uses fewer aluminium cans.

Also, the raw materials for producing aluminium are rising due in part to the higher energy prices such as gas and oil. Another website also says that China's decarbonisation policies have hit supplies of aluminium hard. China is the world's biggest aluminium producer and consumer. It is currently a metal importer.

In addition, there has been a pet adoption increase during the pandemic in order to keep people company. Some of these adoptions have been made carefully while others haven't. This has resulted in early relinquishment to shelters or other adopters.

Another factor in the shortage of cat food is that there are not enough meat products.

In Michigan, it is reported that animal shelters are having to come up with new ways to make sure that the animals in their care are fed. Food is becoming harder to find in some stores in mid-Michigan.

One woman, Jennifer Lothamer, who looks after 15 cats in Hillsdale Township said that, "It was just cat food was starting to vanish. Cats are kind of like my kids. All these cats are going to be here waiting for the food. I want to make sure they are going to have it. We are just trying to be the best that we can do. If you can't find it at Meijer, then you go to Walmart. If you can’t find it at Walmart, then you go to TSC and just kind of travel around."

It paints a picture of struggling to find cat food where she lives. This must feel very unusual because America is a land of plenty!

In Michigan, part of the problem is to do with demand because cat adoptions are up as elsewhere. And adoptions do not seem to be dropping down.

My conclusion on reading the story is that the major factor, despite being multifaceted, is a shortage in aluminium to make the cans.

Pet food prices are going to go up because the products contain wheat

This is a quick note to remind ourselves that cat and dog food prices are going to go up because both Russia and Ukraine produce a lot of wheat and Putin's invasion of Ukraine has disrupted production and exportation of wheat to the rest of the world, which will force up prices of wheat and therefore the prices of products containing wheat which includes cat and dog food.

Wheat is more expensive thanks to Putin's war. Image by FelixMittermeier from Pixabay

Did you know that cat food contains a product called wheat middlings? Wheat middlings are the product of the wheat milling process that is not flour. It's a source of protein which is used in pasta and breakfast cereals as well as fodder for livestock and pets.

Ukraine is known for its production of wheat. The country is being devastated by the invasion. The price of wheat has risen by almost 75% so far in 2022 and is now at its highest since 2008.

Ukraine and Russia are top exporters of wheat. Ukraine is described as the 'breadbasket of Europe'. The price of wheat is expected to rise by up to 20%. Covid has also forced prices up. This is in part due to supply chain costs.

Russia and Ukraine combined account for about 25% of global wheat exports.

Postscript: there's an interesting article on the Truth about Pet Food website concerning wheat middlings. Susan Thixton who runs that site has a colleague who is an expert on pet food. His name is Dr. Gary Pusillo. He said that he's been seeing ergot alkaloid problems in supplements and foods containing wheat middlings and other wheat products. What is this?

Susan Thixton tells us that ergot alkaloids are mycotoxins produced by fungi of the genus Claviceps. I take that to mean that they are toxins produced by a fungus on the wheat which finds its way into the food that people and pets eat.

There was a recent big pet food recall in the UK because of contamination by mycotoxins. A lot of pets died and the story fizzled out which is usually the case because the manufacturers like to dampen down publicity which harms them commercially. The link below discusses the story.

RELATED: Is there a cover-up over mycotoxins in cat food in the UK?

Ergot problems in dogs and cats might be misdiagnosed as a bacterial related problem. Cats and dogs become ill quickly. The mycotoxins can cause convulsions, diarrhoea, excessive salivation, breathing problems and ataxia. Sometimes cats detect the contamination and reject the food. But if the flavour masking agents are strong in the food, they prevent the cat from detecting this toxin.

Wheat in cat food can also cause allergies in cats. Marks & Spencer in the UK are promoting a gluten-free diet with gluten-free products. Why are they doing this? It's been done for health benefits because there's a long list of health benefits if you take up a gluten-free diet such as eliminating bloating, reducing the frequency of headaches, reducing lactose intolerance and reducing joint pain. The most common source of gluten is wheat. That's the connection in this story.

Wheat should not be in cat food. Cats don't eat wheat naturally. It's a cheap source of protein - a plant protein - to increase the profit margin for pet food manufacturers. It's unnatural in cat food and there are these potential health problems associated with it.

"Ocean fish" and "white bait" is shark meat in cat food. Do you care?

A research study tells us that endangered sharks are being used as "white bait" and "white fish" and "ocean fish" in cat and dog food. These are generic terms. There is no attempt to specify exactly what this food is. And the question is whether cat owners would stop buying cans of cat food if the products were properly labelled and shark meat specified in the labelling.

Blue shark. Photo: Joost van Uffelen / Getty Images

A lot of people nowadays are concerned about the environment. They are concerned about marine wildlife and overfishing. The argument is that the pet food manufacturers should be more transparent and honest.

This is particularly so since the shark populations have declined by more than 70% over the past 50 years. They found through DNA testing that some of the shark meat in cat food comes from sharks which are endangered. The sale of their bodies and body parts are under some degree of control in terms of their trade as specified under CITES or through classification by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The most common identified shark in cat and dog food was the blue shark. The species is not listed in CITES or classified as threatened by the IUCN but scientific research indicates that it is overexploited and the fishing of it should be regulated.

Another commonly encountered shark species in cat food is the silky shark. This species is listed under appendix 2 of CITES.

The fact that there is mislabelling on cat and dog food which misleads purchasers also leads to the unsatisfactory state of affairs that many environmentally conscious customers are contributing to the overfishing of endangered sharks.

The study that I am working off in writing this article suggests that many "pet owners and lovers would be alarmed to find out that they are likely contributing to the unsustainable fishing practices that have caused massive declines in global shark populations".

Overfishing of sharks has a negative impact on ecosystems' stability and function. Separately, a study found that the removal of sharks from the oceans has been linked to the "amplification of detrimental climate change effects".

In the United States, the most commonly encountered shark species in pet food was the short fin mako. In the current study all the pet food was produced, canned or packaged in Thailand.

In all, through DNA analysis, they found nine species of shark in pet food. One proposition is that the shark fin trade is contributing to this. Sharks are caught for their fins only and the bodies are thrown away as I understand it. Perhaps these bodies are being used in pet food. It is suggested that this might be beneficial because the bodies are being wasted. I would suggest that the better course of action would be to stop killing sharks for their fins.

Silky sharks are often caught as bycatch i.e. they are not targeted fish but they are caught in nets and killed when fishing for other species. This occurs during tuna fishing for example. Once their high-valued fins have been removed their carcasses make their way into the pet food industry chain which possibly account for the high prevalence of the meat from this shark species in pet food.

In conclusion, they state that "seafood fraud and the deliberate mislabelling or substitution of products is an increasingly recognise global problem".

Would you change your purchasing habits if they listed shark meat on cat food ingredients? Do you read the ingredient listings? Do you care? Are you concerned about the endangerment of many shark species? What do you think about killing sharks for their fins and throwing the rest of the shark away? Lots of questions. I would like you to comment on this if you have time.

The study referred to is: DNA Barcoding Identifies Endangered Sharks in Pet Food Sold in Singapore (04 March 2022 ).

Tampa, Florida: cat food shortage leads to empty shelves

The video explains it. I am in a bit of a rush so won't add many words 😉. Hope you don't mind. Heck of course you don't mind. Hardly anyone is reading the stuff anyway. This is an interesting Covid development. There is no doubt that the pandemic has distorted commerce. It has created pressures and pinch points. It has disrupted supply chains. And demand and supply has been altered. Demand post pandemic has significantly increased while supply has been disrupted due to employee absenteeism due to illness and isolations. And there have been shipping problems with increased container cost. All there has been a truck driver shortage. That certainly applies to the UK and I think to the USA as well.

Note: This is a video from another website which is embedded here. Sometimes they are deleted at source which stops them working on this site. If that has happened, I apologise but I have no control over it.

Microwave 4 king prawns for 5 seconds for a delicious cat treat

Each cat has their own individual preferences but I would be surprised if this treat fails to please your cat. It is my cat's favourite. He requests it when I come in from buying the newspaper. It is one of those routines we all set up when living with a domestic cat. Don't overdo treats. If you do, they are no longer treats and your cat will be less interested.

Microwave for 4 king prawns four 5 seconds for a cat treat. Pic in the public domain.

I use cooked king prawns bought from a local supermarket. You might think that the price is high but with the cost of high-quality cat food equalling on a pound-for-pound basis that of human food I don't think the cost of king prawns is particularly high particularly when it is used as a treat.

I take 3-4 out of the packet and spread them out on a plate. I put the plate into my microwave and microwave them for a maximum of five seconds. This warms them up nicely. It is not essential to warm up the prawns because cats love the taste of prawns normally. But if you do warm them up it's a bonus for your cat because they absolutely love the smell and taste.

Warming up any cat food is a good idea when feeding your cat particularly when they have lost their appetite. But in the case of prawns, it must be done very gently to an absolute minimum otherwise you destroy the product. 

I then break each prawn into two pieces leaving eight small pieces of prawn on the plate. I deliver these to my cat. The reason why I break them apart is because it lets out more of that aroma which he loves and which in turn encourages him to eat. It also makes them slightly easier to get into his mouth. I have watched him push around whole prawns trying to get a grip of them.

Shrimp is a healthy product that it is high in several vitamins and minerals and is a rich source of protein. It has a high content of omega-3 fatty acids and the antioxidant astaxanthin. Antioxidants are good for health as they mop up free radicals which can damage the cells of the body. 

Free radicals can contribute to health problems such as cardiovascular and inflammatory disease, cataracts and cancer. One website calls free radicals "unstable atoms that can damage cells, causing illness and ageing."

That's my personal tip for a treat for your beloved cat companion. What about the downside? You can't feed your cat prawns all the time. They must only be a treat because they are not a balanced diet. Your cat will miss essential nutrients such as taurine and arginine.

As for environmental issues, it is said that shrimp farms tend to occupy coastal land which used to be covered by mangroves. The mangroves are drained to make way for aquaculture. This is harmful to the atmosphere because the farmers destroy the trees and vegetation of the mangrove swamp. It is akin to clearing forest for cattle to provide meat for humans. This is an environmental downside of giving shrimp treat to your cat.