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.

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.

Cats reach for the treats

Nice video. A clowder of ginger tabby cats desperate to get their chops around a tasty treat. Eager, determined and successful.

Cats reach for the treats. Screenshot.

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Note: This is a video from another website. 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.

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Fat cat obsesses over the sight of a grilled cheese sandwich

This cute but obese tabby cat who dearly loves his food is obsessing over the grilled cheese sandwich that is female human companion is deliberately eating in front of him. She is teasing him with it and he has fallen for the bait. You can see his head tilt to the right and in his mind he is eating it as his mouth opens and closes. He would give his right arm to get his chops around a piece of that grilled cheese.

Fat cat obsesses over a grilled cheese sandwich. Screenshot.

And I don't want to spoil the fun but you can see why he has this reaction. In the past, on numerous occasions I suspect, he has got the cheese. He has got what he wants because his owner loves him and can't resist his charming demands. And so over a period of time he has got into the habit of eating human snacks which is why he expects it to happen this time on camera.

Note: This is a video from another website. 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.

I'm pretty sure that he got some of it after the filming was completed! A bit of cheese is fine, of course. They love the fat in it. But you know what the veterinarians say about obese cats? They say that there is an epidemic and that about 40% of domestic cats are overweight. One reason is because they are given too many treats. In fact, that is probably the main reason and the reason behind that reason is because their owners love them and they want to do something for them which pleases them. And many cat owners have normalised obesity. They can no longer recognise what normal weight looks like! I wonder if she realises it.

Unfortunately, you have to be cruel to be kind sometimes because, as is the case for humans, feline obesity leads to secondary health problems such as feline diabetes.

You know that if a diabetic person loses even a relatively small amount weight, on the basis that their diabetes is caused by being overweight, then they will go into remission very often. This is a well tried and tested process. You don't want to look after diabetic cat because there is quite a lot of extra work to do. In fact, I have a page on that by a person who did look after a diabetic cat and he wrote about his experiences.

Seraquin for cat arthritis

Seraquin is a cat treat containing glucosamine and some potent anti-oxidants called curcuminoids which have proved successful to a very credible associate of mine, Ruth aka Kattaddorra, in treating one of her cats, Walter. You can buy them online and there are no side effects as far as I am aware.



Ruth's Walter loves 'em. And the positive effect has been very noticeable. This is a cross-post so I won't go on about this joint supplement but refer you to the page on the main website: What medicine is good for cats with arthritis. Try Seraquin.

You Might Not Know That Your Cat Has Arthritis

Cat owners should be open to the possibility that their cat has arthritis. This is particularly so if their cat is elderly and/or overweight. We know that in people arthritis causes a lot of discomfort and it severely affects the lives of people. We also know that domestic cat hide their discomfort and their pain. The masking of the discomfort and pain of arthritis makes it difficult to diagnose.

 He has arthritis of the elbow and is on medication.

Veterinarians will admit that diagnosis of feline arthritis is underreported. Not enough vets are diagnosing arthritis. One reason why feline arthritis may be more prevalent than people think it is, is because the cat companion is becoming ever more overweight. We know that the extra burden of weight on joints can lead to arthritis.

The pet market place is very valuable to manufacturers and they are forever trying to sell more products to pet owners including cat and dog food that looks attractive to people. The cat treats are a modern phenomenon and cat owners who want to please their cat will tend to buy a packet of cat treats. Treats are packaged in a way that makes them look like sweets for people. That is the way I view them anyway.

People like to keep their cat happy and feeding them quality human food and cat treats will make a cat happy but it may also make a cat fat and flatness equates to arthritis and sometimes diabetes.

People should be aware of the possibility of arthritis in cats. When it is bad you will notice it in a cat. I remember a very old ginger tabby cat who lived outside for a very long time and he came into my mother's house for some warmth. His gait strongly indicated arthritis. It was as if he was walking sideways almost. If a cat is less mobile and has difficulty jumping up and perhaps is irritable, then he or she may have arthritis particularly if he is elderly or overweight.

If the cat does have arthritis who will be in discomfort and a good cat caretaker will not wish their cat to be in discomfort and they will want to do something about it. Perhaps a cat owner  should raise the possibility of arthritis with her veterinarian if she thinks that her cat has it. The vet can then do proper diagnosis such as x-rays.

A vet will advise on treatments, of course and there are home treatments that you can read about on the Internet. As far as I am aware, there's not much you can do though and I'm sure that part of the treatment is painkillers.

The photo is by Rocky Mountain Feline Rescue on Flickr