Necropsy would help solve the mysterious deaths of up to 10 cats

NEWS AND VIEWS. MANSFIELD, NOTTS, UK: This is the kind of story that I see a lot in news media online. It concerns the death of at least five cats (perhaps as many as ten) and the poisoning of a dog. They are described as mystery deaths because at the moment nobody has got to the bottom of them. An investigation has been launched by the RSPCA and council officials. But nobody has reported, it seems to me, that they necropsy has been carried out (an autopsy in human terms).

I'll explain. Where the cats are dying there is the beginnings of a development of a housing estate and the area is fenced off for ecological work before the 169 homes are built.

Nick Brooks' dog, a Patterdale terrier called Rocco suffered poisoning symptoms after walking on the site referred to. He went downhill very quickly and a veterinarian diagnosed poisoning. He recovered. Mr Brooks knew about the cats dying in the area and put two and two together and thought that the same cause of the poisoning of his dog had killed these cats.

Jasper was poisoned. Image: Facebook.

Joe Manning, and his partner Charlan Hopkin live close to the development site. They let their Bengal cat out unsupervised. They know that he went on to the site. They said that "He came back and wasn't well but he went out again on August 29 and we never saw him again."

We are told that an ecologist on the site saw Jasper, unable to walk. He was able to move his head and was clearly in great distress. The ecologist went to fetch a blanket to recover him but when he returned Jasper has disappeared.

It's believed a fox took Jasper but there's no evidence for that. Comment: why did the ecologist want to pick Jasper up with a blanket? He must have believed that Jasper was toxic in some way. Was the ecologist putting down poison to kill rats?

And according to a Facebook group 10 cats have gone missing in the area. One cat was found "on the top of bushes upside down". Many other cats have turned up dead. Cat owners are beginning to keep their cats inside.

Comment: the point I want to make is that the Daily Mail report does not tell us that one of these recovered cats has been taken to a veterinarian for a necropsy. If that had been carried out they'd be able to discover the nature of the poison which killed the cat.

And knowing the type of poison which killed the cat the RSPCA would be better able to decide the origin of that poison. Suggestion: it could be that the developer has put down rodenticides to kill rats in the area before they start work on the development of the site. They might have done this to protect workers who are about to enter the site in large numbers.

If they did that, rats would have been killed. Outdoor, wondering cats will find these rats and probably nibble them instinctively. The cats would have been poisoned by the rodenticide. That's a possible scenario.

Another possible scenario is that there is a sadistic, cat poisoner in the area killing cats because they don't like them. This is possible but I would argue much less likely than my suggestion.

I think my suggestion is credibility because these deaths are linked to this development site which points to the cause of deaths being linked to the development and not to a random individual who doesn't like cats.

It's clear to me that a necropsy needs to be carried out and then the RSPCA will be better able to confirm if my suggestion is a good one.

Also the construction company needs to be interviewed and asked if they are putting down poison. That, at a stroke, would solve the matter in my opinion.

Necropsy

Necropsy and autopsy both refer to the examination of a body after death to determine the cause of death or the nature of any disease or injury. 

• Autopsy is typically used when referring to the post-mortem examination of human bodies.
• Necropsy is more commonly used when referring to animals, although it can also be used for humans in some contexts.

In summary, both terms mean the same procedure but are often used in different contexts.

-------------

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. And, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable. Finally, (!) I often express an OPINION on the news. Please share yours in a comment.

Landlord used antifreeze to poison cats being rescued

Blaine, Minnesota, USA: It has been a long time since I wrote about cats being poisoned. I don't like doing it. It's unpleasant but it has happened many thousands of times over many years and not just in America. And the most often used poison to kill stray cats is antifreeze which causes chronic kidney damage and the cats die quite quickly. Remarkably the cats like the taste of it which makes it very effective as a cat killer. The manufacturers of antifreeze can fix this problem by adding a bittering agent but they don't bother which is a great shame.

In this instance the landlord of some flats decided he didn't want cats around his property. His name is Kevin Michael Halverson and he has allegedly been poisoning these cats with antifreeze. He's been charged with cruelty to animals and animal torture by the local police.

At his properties which he lets out, there is a tenant who was looking after the stray cats living around the property. He had been feeding the cats and taken some of them to a shelter and others were being spayed and neutered. In essence he was conducting his own personal TNR program to look after the cats and gradually diminish their numbers but the landlord intervened.

The tenant telephoned the police and notified them that he had noticed a decline in the cats' health and believed that there had been poisoned. The tenant had spoken to his landlord about the cats and the landlord had told him that he wasn't happy that he was feeding them.

Apparently the tenant told police that he had witnessed Halverson putting down antifreeze in a trailer that the cats would crawl into. He confronted Halverson about this who told him that he "did not want the cats on the property."

Comment: the report comes from Yahoo News. It's so typical. It's so unwelcome. It is the usual competition between polarised attitudes about how to deal with stray cats. On the one hand, this kind tenant, wanted to help them and reduce the numbers humanely. On the other hand, we have a landlord in this instance who wanted an instant fix and he didn't mind how it happened. He didn't mind if he caused pain and distress in a sentient being. He just looked up on the Internet about how to poison stray cats and immediately, I would argue, found the answer: antifreeze. Antifreeze has been used as a cat poison for very many years. It's ideal and it is about time the manufacturers did something about it. At a stroke they could save thousands of cats from this type of poisoning by altering the formulation of their product.

To add insult to injury, it is highly likely that this individual will receive a slap on the wrist for his animal cruelty exploits. Stray cats are seen as low value animals and by many people as pests or vermin. The police are not often sympathetic towards them. This landlord will probably receive a fine if the matter goes to trial and if he's convicted.

---------------

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.

--------

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.

Dogs eating cannabis edibles on the increase in the UK

Dogs eating cannabis edibles has hit a new high in the UK according to the Mail on Sunday. Of the cannabis edibles available to dogs, it appears that gummies, cannabis-infused sweets are increasingly popular and are thought to have contributed to a rise in the number of dogs poisoned by dope recently.

A fictional image 😉🐶.

The Poisons Information Service reported that more than 450 dogs have been treated in the past four years including 119 in 2023 compared to 82 in 2020. These figures are probably quite substantially underreported because Nicola Robinson, the head of service of the above-mentioned agency said that, "Not all animal poisoning cases are reported to us, so these are not a completely accurate representation of numbers."

The poisonings are taking place at home or perhaps while the dog is out on a walk.

The dangers to dogs eating cannabis gummies are quite substantial and variable. The RSPCA say that the symptoms include overstimulation and a high temperature. A dog might need intravenous fluids.

Other symptoms include wobbliness, agitation, incontinence, hyper-salivation, a change in heart rate, vomiting, seizure and possible coma according to Dr. Glassman, writing in Dogs Today.

The symptoms can develop quickly within 30 minutes but sometimes after about three hours. Dog owners should contact their veterinarian quickly if they see these symptoms and if they fear that the dog has eaten a cannabis gummy or other edible. 

Or, the owner can administer an oral detoxifier containing advanced activated charcoal. Vomiting should not be induced. Veterinarians can treat dogs at a cost of £800.

Cannabis gummies contain THC which is the primary proactive compound in cannabis. They are illegal in the UK as a class B drug. Although, on a practical basis, I don't think the police ever get involved with cannabis use in the UK. By default and through police inactivity, cannabis in any form is legal in the UK.

In the US cannabis gummies and other edibles are legal for recreational purposes and for medicinal use in more than 20 states. Cannabis edibles poisonings of dogs in the states amount to around 6000 over 5 years.

Some dog owners give their dogs CBD oil which is legal. This does not contain THC and is purely medicinal. It can be used to treat allergies, anxiety and pain.

Around 38% of Danish dog owners regularly give their pets some form of medicinal cannabis i.e. CBD oil with positive effect.

CBD can reduce stress in dogs and treat pain which is useful for those suffering from osteoarthritis. In Britain a vet has to prescribe human CBD oil preparations for a pet.

----------------

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.

Well known American animal advocate is conned into believing that the Greeks are kind to their street cats

Nathan Winograd and his wife went on holiday in Greece. He is a great American animal advocate and an expert on no-kill animal shelters. I can visualise his visit now. The warm balmy evenings, the white buildings and the deep blue sky reflected in the sea. And in Greece there are lots of street cats. 

It seems that all the domestic cats are on the street joining with the stray cats and the feral cats. I guess we call them community cats. But in Greece the domestic cats live outside which contrasts with the 50% in the US who live inside 24/7. But there are too many stray and feral cats in Greece.

Nathan Winograd in Greece interacting with a dark tortoiseshell street cat and enjoying himself. Perhaps this little fella will be poisoned like many thousands of others in October. Picture by Nathan Winograd's wife (believed).

The feral cats are quite friendly because the meet with the tourists who like to have them around. Just like Nathan Winograd they enjoy interacting with the street cats of Greece. He wanted to help them, to feed them but was told that they are fed and well looked after.

He asked a restaurant owner to give him some food to feed the cats but he insisted there was no need. He was told not to worry. They are taken care of.

The street cats of Greece are tourist attractions which brings me to the next point. When the holiday season is over in Greece sometime in October, the local people poison the street cats. They put down poison in water or in food. It might be weedkiller it might be antifreeze. You name it they use it.

They rely on the dustbin men to pick up the dead bodies and throw them away. It's as simple as that and its mass cruelty. It is mass animal cruelty and, in the UK, and in America I suspect there would be mass prosecutions of these friendly Greek locals who think nothing of poisoning the charming street cats of mainland Greece and the Greek islands. But not in Greece. It is simply accepted as normal.

You don't have to research very hard to find out that what I have said is true. It appears that the Greeks don't like to neuter their animals which is why there are hundreds of thousands of them in the street. And it also appears that they don't like to operate TNR programs. This implies to me that they are lazy about looking after these cats. They say it's easier just to put down poison and kill them at the end of the season.

It doesn't seem to be a very good relationship between humans and cats, does it? It is not the way it is meant to be. It's not part of the unwritten contract between cat and person.

The Daily Mail online recites an interview between a visitor to Greece and a local. And the visitor asked why aren't the cat poisoners caught? He said no one's bothered. They aren't bothered about catching the poisoners. They know who they are but nothing is done. "It's just the way of things here".

It's the attitude and the attitude is that the cats are expendable. They have zero value. It almost seems that they believe that the street cats of Greece are not sentient beings; just decorative objects to add a bit of colour to the streets for the enjoyment of the tourists.

I'm afraid that Nathan Winograd, the great man he is, was conned mercilessly by the locals when he was told that they looked after the cats. I guess that was partly true because during the summer months they are looked after by the residents and by the tourists but come October, the cats that Nathan Winograd saw and interacted with will be dead, in a landfill site, out of the way.

And then in the spring of next year more kittens will arrive to live their short lives as entertainers to the unknowing tourists.

What is the toxic compound in lilies that poisons cats?

Conclusion: We don't know.

I've been searching high and low for an answer to the question in the title. I've visited numerous studies on the Internet and websites. I've come up with a blank because in a study called Specific Syndromes Causing Acute Intrinsic Renal Failure, the author Dennis J. Chew DVM and colleagues, states: "Ingestion of lilies is highly toxic to cats. The specific toxic principle is unknown but all parts of the lily are toxic to cats".

RELATED: The top 10 cat poisons in the USA and lilies are in the number 1 spot.

Lily Pollen Kills Cats. Photo by wlcutler

And in another study call Blood Purification for Intoxications and Drug Overdose concerning lily ingestion the scientists state that "The main toxin responsible for acute tubular necrosis in cats is still unknown".

Lilies cause acute kidney injury in cats.

It is worth noting perhaps that lily of the valley does not contain a nephrotoxin (a toxin which damages kidneys) but does contain a digitalis-like toxin: cardiac glycosides.

Finally, another study dated 2004 by Konnie H Plumlee DVM states in respect of the poisoning of cats by lilies: "Because the toxins of these lily species has not been identified, true toxicokinetic data is not available".

The answer to the question in the title is that we don't know the answer! Unless somebody can come forward and leave a valuably informative comment which I would be greatly indebted! 

Please remember though that every part of the lily is toxic to cats even the pollen. However, the picture is very complicated because there are some lilies which are not toxic to cats. And there are many species of lily as I recall including hybrids.

RELATED: Which lilies are not poisonous to cats?

The overriding message must be to be abundantly cautious and not to have any lilies of any species in the home if you are the caregiver of a domestic cat or cats. They are just too dangerous.

Feral cat eats a small Australian native mammal and is poisoned by a PPI

The Aussies have created another novel way of killing feral cats. They spend many thousands of hours dreaming up new ways and this is the latest. They inject into a native small mammal such as a bilby, a rice-sized implant. They call them population protecting implants or PPIs. They are placed under the skin of the animal. These small mammals are dinner-sized creatures for the feral cats of the Australian continent.

Note: this is me reporting and commenting on the news. Journos call them op-eds.

Bilby - Credit: UniSA.

When inside the prey animal nothing happens. The pellet is covered by a protective coating. It contains a toxin derived from a natural poison in native plants. PPIs are harmless to tolerant native mammals they say.

However, once the mammal is eaten by a feral cat they become a deadly toxin as the implant is activated in the predator's stomach. They don't tell me how that transformation from a passive object under the skin becomes a deadly poison in a cat's stomach. I guess it must be the stomach acid of the feral cat which breaks down the coating.

Neither am I told whether the poisoned cat dies an agonising death or quietly. I'll presume it is the former but who cares 😕.

Thought: when my cat eats a mouse he leaves the gall bladder as it contains bile. Will feral cats learn to leave behind the PPI when they eat the bilby? They might. If so the project would be an expensive washout.

The technology has been developed by the University of South Australia. The objective: to curb feral cat predatory behaviour. It is the small ground dwelling mammals who are most at threat and it seems to me which most concern Australia's conservationists. It seems that the ulterior or higher objective is to teach feral cats that these small mammals are poisonous and therefore to be avoided.

Feral cat Australia. Photo: Pixabay.

Two other native species in this bracket are the bettong and quoll. They've been forced to think about alternative methods of controlling feral cats because current schemes to remove them from the landscape have had limited success. This is despite throwing frozen sausages containing 1080 poison from helicopters. This particular poison causes a painful death. That doesn't concern the scientists of Australia.

The University has collaborated with researchers from local ecology groups, Ecological Horizons and Peacock Biosciences and the University of Adelaide.

At present 30 bilbies have been implanted with PPIs at the Arid Recovery. This is a 123 km² wildlife reserve in the north of South Australia. This is a trial. The results will hopefully prove the effectiveness of this technology.

Comment: it seems to me that they have to trap these small mammals to implant the PPI. That is going to take a lot of effort and money. Will the reward i.e. the killing of a single feral cat each time be commensurate with the financial and manpower cost? My prediction is that this is cost ineffective and it is a project that will fizzle out. Unless feral cats, as mentioned, learn that these mammals are poisonous and avoid them. That would be a major success but it will take a long time.

4 scientists deserve praise for saying the truth about feral cat predation in Australia

This band of four scientists deserve praise for pushing back against the doctrine as disseminated by the Australian local governments and the federal government, which is that feral cats on the continent are decimating native species and killing wildlife in the billions. These four scientists have written an article for the website The Conversation which I think puts the record straight. I've been writing about this for years and it almost seems that they have got some ideas for me but I am being big headed. These are the four I'd like to praise.

• Arian Wallach, Lecturer, Centre for Compassionate Conservation, University of Technology Sydney;
• William S. Lynn, Research Scientist, Clark University;
• Francisco J. Santiago-Ávila, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Wisconsin-Madison and;
• Joann Lindenmayer, DVM, MPH is an associate professor in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University

Their article is titled: Don't blame cats for destroying wildlife-shaky logic is leading to moral panic. The moral panic aspect of the title is interesting. It implies that shooting, trapping and poisoning feral cats in Australia is morally unjustifiable. It certainly is. And they mention, as I have, that Australia has declared war on cats, particularly the feral cat. 

Mad bad and sick as far as I am concerned. Man carries tabby feral cat back to where? He's just shot it at night. He's having great fun saving Australia from native species Armageddon at the hands of feral cats. He is a member of the Sporting Shooters’ Association of Australia with a cat he shot. Photo: Adam Ferguson for The New York Times

This has been going on for donkeys' years. It is almost as if the governments of the various states of Australia are minded to indoctrinate their citizens into believing that the feral cat is their enemy. I had the pleasure of interviewing an Australian on the topic of feral cats and she almost recited like a mantra what she's been taught by these governments. Although I respect her point of view.

But the experts that I mention on this page say that they have a shaky case against cats. They said the claim that feral cats kill billions of animals causing a catastrophe in conservation does not stand up to scrutiny. Feral cats fit into the ecology of the Australian continent and it is complex. For example, when humans denude places of its vegetation small animals are more at risk of predation by cats because they can't hide. That is a single example.

And they say the small animals are vulnerable when people kill apex predators such as the feral cat. There is a knock-on effect. In Australia dingoes hunt feral cats which relieves pressure on native small animals, they say. If you got rid of the cats would the dingoes hunt small animals? And cats can contribute to the conservation of endangered birds by killing rats and mice. Rats are very efficient predators themselves and they prey on birds.

They say that cats play different roles in different environments and you can't assume that because feral cats are a problem in one place that they are a problem in all places on the Australian continent.

And you can't extrapolate from one small study about feral cat predation on native species and say that that happens across the entire country. In the words of the experts that I want to praise, they say that "many scientists take specific, local studies and over-generalise those findings to the world at large."

They state that there should be a far more rigorous approach to the study of feral and domestic cats and such studies should be "mindful of the importance of ecological context and avoid the pitfalls of faulty reasoning".

These guys deserve praise because they're pushing back against the conventional mantra of these governments which, as mentioned, is indoctrinating the citizens. It is time that this stops and a far more nuanced approach is taken which is also ethical. Almost everything that these governments are doing in relationship to feral cats are unethical and cruel. Their slogan is to kill them anyway possible. Crude and stupid, I'd say.

Mycotoxins in extruded (dry) commercial cat food

There is a fairly recent study called: Occurrence of Mycotoxins in Extruded Commercial Cat Food, which supports the news media story of 28 dogs in the US dying of aflatoxin poisoning (late Dec 2020). Aflatoxins fall under the umbrella term 'mycotoxins'. 

Fungal spores. This is to illustrate the page only. Image: in the public domain.

Both highlight a hidden danger in dry cat food which is rarely discussed: the presence of this fungal (mould) toxin produced by the Aspergillus flavus mould. There are other species of mould which also metabolise into mycotoxins.

The underlying point is that extruded dry cat food has grain in it. The mould referred to feeds on these grains which is why it ends up in cat and dog food. Why is grain in cat food? Because it is cheaper despite cats being obligate carnivores. 

It seems that poor quality grain is sometimes bought by the smaller pet food manufacturers which perhaps increases the risk. 

Two scientific studies that I have read indicate to me that there can be worrying levels of these toxins in dry cat food. One study analysed foods from Poland, Italy, Brazil, Poland, South Africa and Austria. Not the USA. 

But they concluded the following:

The results from the present study showed that mycotoxin contamination represents a critical point for pet food safety. Certainly, given the high stability of mycotoxins through the cooking process used to produce dry pet food, scrupulous monitoring of incoming ingredients undoubtedly represents the most effective strategy to prevent mycotoxin contamination.

AND

Pets are traditionally fed with the same type of diet for long periods of their life. Therefore, the scientific community should be aware of the potential chronic exposure of dogs and cats to relatively low levels of different mycotoxins and the consequential detrimental risks to their health.

The toxin is very dangerous. It seems that there is an ever-present possibility that they will be present in dry cat and dog food. It is simply a question on the level of contamination. If it is low there is low-level poisoning which would go unnoticed.

When the contamination is high it can kill as evidenced in the Sportmix dog food recall scandal in which 28 dogs have died. This figure may climb. 

The purpose of this post? To educated cat owners about a hidden potential danger.

The toxin damages the liver causing jaundice, lethargy, vomiting and loss of appetite. It can kill.

Prevention? Buy the best quality food that you can. Avoid the smaller manufacturers. I buy Hills Oral Care as the kibble pellets are larger which helps with teeth cleaning and it makes him chew the things. Cats sometimes swallow small pellets whole. Not good for digestion.

The study referred to is published on the US National Library of Medicine - National Institutes of Health website.

Dog Food Recall:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is cooperating in the recall. Sportmix is based in Evansville, USA, as I understand it.

Recalled lot codes are as follows:

50# Sportmix Energy Plus Lots Exp 03/02/22/05/L2, 03/02/22/05/L3, 03/03/22/05/L2
44# Sportmix Energy Plus Lots 03/02/22/05/L3
50# Sportmix Premium High Energy Lots 03/03/22/05/L3
44# Sportmix Premium High Energy Lots 03/03/22/05/L3
31# Sportmix Original Cat Lots 03/03/22/05/L3
15# Sportmix Original Cat Lots 03/03/22/05/L2, 03/03/22/05/L3

Heavy Metals in Pet Food

I'm not going to go over this in detail because I have recently written about heavy metals in pet food on the main website. You can read that article by clicking on this link.

I am simply spreading the word. But because the required standards are much lower for pet food it allows pet food manufacturers to produce food which is arguably unhealthy under the cover of the regulations which protects them. I'm talking about the USA by the way but I am not saying the UK is better. I will check that out later.



All that the pet manufacturers have to say is that they are complying with regulations and that the FDA says that their food is safe and they are home and dry. But a study recently discussed online concludes that heavy metals in pet food is between 8 and 670 times higher than in human food. The food would be considered unsafe for humans but under the regulations it is considered to be safe for cats and dogs.

I don't see how that argument stacks up. Anything which is poisonous or detrimental to the health of a human will also be poisonous to a cat or dog. Their anatomy is very similar.

A respected veterinarian, Karen Becker, says that almost all pet food is unacceptable. She cannot recommend almost all the pet food on the market because the standard is too low. She says that one in two dogs die of cancer and one in three cats die of cancer because she believes of the food that they eat.

The heavy metals that I am referring to are such as arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury. These metals are linked to cancer, respiratory disorders and neurological disorders.

Please read the main article where there's more detail. The point is this: there needs to be a tightening up of standards and regulations and to maintain those standards in respect of pet food in America. The pet is a second-class citizen to put it bluntly. It is acceptable to feed them unacceptable food in terms of human standards. Surely this is incorrect.

If you were a conspiracy theorist you would argue that the food is deliberately of unsatisfactory quality and potentially poisonous to cats and dogs because it helps to supply a continual stream of health complaints to veterinarians. Therefore, you could argue that veterinarians are in league with pet food manufacturers. This is not a crazy thought because Hills prescription diet foods are heavily sold by veterinarians and they work in conjunction with veterinarians. As I recall, they get at veterinarians early in their careers and supply funding with respect to training et cetera. This pet food manufacturer is heavily embedded into the veterinary system in America. It's a two-way trade. The veterinarians get more business and the pet food manufacturers are able to make cheaper pet food and therefore increase their profit margins.

The FDA is silent about this as far as I know. It dismays a lot of people. Regrettably, however, the vast majority of cat and dog owners in America are unaware of these sorts of problems. I'm not criticizing anybody. There is a general apathy about the quality of cat and dog food. If it on the shelves is good enough to buy. They think that it is controlled adequately and the standards are high enough. They don't ask questions. Some people do ask questions and when they do they come up with these sorts of answers. Susan Thixon has a great website about pet food quality. Some of the articles that she writes are frankly shocking. The high levels of heavy metals in pet food is also shocking.

Very few people make their own pet food. Making raw cat food is quite difficult or people are put off doing it because they're uncertain about it. If they did it would certainly get around these health problems. People who make their own pet food swear by it. They say that their cats are healthier, their coats shinier and their poo less smelly!

Plastic in the Oceans Affects Us All Including Cats

The Mediterranean Sea is the worst of them all in terms of the amount of plastic floating around in it. There are 900,000 pieces of plastic per square kilometre in the Mediterranean Sea. Most oceans had up to hundred thousand pieces per square kilometre. Overall, there are 5.2 trillion pieces of plastic in the seas and oceans of the world which weighs a quarter of 1 million tonnes.

These are estimates but they are based on what I consider to be a fairly sound basis. There were 24 expeditions to all oceans and two forms of counting plastic. Plastics were collected in fine nets. The larger pieces of plastic were counted at sea. The observations were conducted at more than 1,500 locations over a six-year period. The results are published in the online journal, Plos One.

What is disturbing is that a lot of the plastic in the seas and oceans is going missing and the conclusion that the scientists have tentatively come to is that the fish and sea birds are eating it. For example, the study stated that 288 million tonnes of plastic was produced in 2012 whereas the estimated weight of the plastic in the oceans was only 0.1% of that total.

A Japanese study conducted in 2012 found that the compounds in plastic had entered the tissue of seabirds. There is a lot of plastic in the sea and it appears to be entering the food chain. If that is the case then both humans and cats may very well be affected by this.

After the Mediterranean Sea the most polluted oceans are in this order: North Pacific (700,000 pieces per square kilometre), North Atlantic (680,000), South Atlantic (481,000), South Pacific (396,000), and the Indian Ocean which had an estimated hundred 161,000 pieces of plastic unit per square kilometre.

The final worrying bit of information in this article is that it takes 450 years for a plastic bottle to break down!

Source: Plus One via The Times

Dublin Ireland: Poisoned Stray and Feral Cats

This is rather typical story of feral cat poisoning.  I hate to say it but the poison is antifreeze and it seems that somebody is putting down food laced with antifreeze which kills cats by destroying kidney function.  There's lots of this sort of thing about anywhere in the world. Note: the manufacturers are remise in not making antifreeze cat safe. It is possible.

The headline to the news story in the media is “people are devastated".  The people referred to in the headline are those engaged in feeding, trapping and neutering the feral cats who inhabit the Richmond Road area of Dublin.

Richmond Road, Dublin, Ireland

The headline is actually incorrect because some residents don't give a damn and some residents are probably quietly pleased judging by the comments.  The comments are very typical as well as the poisoning.  Whenever you have cat poisoning articles you can bet your bottom dollar that about 50% of the comments are for the poisoning while 50% are against it.

Those that are for the poisoning are, of course, people who don't like cats but more importantly they are people who don't like cats wandering around particularly into their gardens.  They consider the feral and stray cat dirty and disease ridden and a hazard to human health.

These people criticise cat owners who don't take responsibility for their cats by ensuring that they are neutered or ensuring that they are kept in; whatever it takes to avoid a cat colony in a public place.

This is the first time that I have read a story about a cat colony in Ireland being poisoned en masse. The stories that are in the news media on this subject often relate to the USA simply because most stories about cats on the internet emanate from the USA.

The truth of the matter is that the people who are sympathetic towards the poisoner do have a point and I hate to say that.  People who do not approach cat caretaking responsibly and allow them to wander are doing the cat a great disservice. They taint the image of the cat in the eyes of the public and give an opportunity to immoral people who don't like cats the chance and the reason to kill them in a horrible way.

There's no excuse or justification for poisoning community cats.  However, the world is very imperfect and although poisoning cats is a criminal offence there is almost a zero chance of the person being caught and a pragmatic approach is called for namely to tackle the root cause of the problem in the long-term which, as you know, is poor cat caretaking.

Second-hand Vaping: Heinz Body Anemia

Second-hand Vaping: Heinz Body Anemia

"Vaping",  means smoking electronic cigarettes which give off an odourless vapour.  They are meant to be much safer than tobacco cigarettes in terms of passive smoking and for the health of the smoker.

In general a companion animal is much safer in a house where a person smokes electronic cigarettes than in a house where the person smokes conventional cigarettes.  Apparently, however, dogs may try to eat the actual electronic cigarette if it is lying around which can poison them with nicotine.  People should beware of that.

As for this very rare disease called Heinz body anemia; it can be caused by the chemical commonly used in many electronic cigarettes which is propylene glycol.  I don't know how much of a risk it is but as far as I am aware it is very low risk and I'm sure your veterinarian will be all to discuss this if you are concerned. There are alternative chemicals such as vegetable glycerin, which are safer.

The signs of anaemia in a cat are well documented.  The propylene glycol apparently kills off red blood cells causing the anaemia.

I'll leave it there.  The link at the top of this page will tell you more about it if you wish to pursue that avenue.

The FDA and Chinese Dog Treats

This is a bit smelly. It is a bit bizarre. If you are an old geezer like me you tend to become a bit cynical when you think what might be behind stories such as the FDA and Chinese dog treats.

Elisa wrote about Purina Pet Treats Made In China Killing Dogs. This is a short follow up after I read a bit of material about it. There is a lot of information (too much) on the internet about this.

The major interest in this story is that the FDA today, 3rd June 2012, some 5 years after this problem first appeared, are still doing tests on the product to try and discover the contaminant that is causing dogs to fall ill and some to die after eating these treats.

Despite lots of reports of dogs dying shortly after eating the product, the FDA decided that the product can remain on the shelves. They have a bland notice on their website which cannot satisfy a concerned dog caretaker. In fact it makes me positively suspicious and dog owners angry. There are similar stories coming out of Australia about the same product.

They have taken the view that there is no hard evidence that chicken jerky products made in China kills dogs. Maybe something else is causing these deaths? I understand their caution but judging by the ton of anecdotal evidence the product should be withdrawn.

The cause of death would appear to be kidney failure. Kidney failure in dogs can be caused by high levels of vitamin D in a diet. Or by heavy metals or rodent killer. Any of these might apply in this case.

Like many others I feel that if after about 5 years the FDA can't discover the cause of the toxicity in Chinese made dog treats they are unlikely to ever find it. This can only mean that the food is not toxic which flies in the face of all the stories and complaints from dog owners. Or it is toxic but the FDA have a vested interest in not declaring it toxic.

Vested interests are usually of a monetary kind. We know that the Chinese government has openly admitted that there is far to much corruption in China. It permeates all aspects of business and regulation of business.

Is there something smelly going on the corridors and laboratories of the FDA? And why is Nestlé Purina®/Friskies sourcing pet food China with the horrible history that country has with respect to pet food quality and toxicity. See for example the classic: Melamin in Cat Food. And this article by VG. They are too concerned with profit and not enough with animal welfare.

Also, Purina are involved with animal testing. Or they were and I see no reason to believe that they have stopped. I don't see any redeeming feature with Purina.

Cat poison

Note: this page was written around 13 years ago. I have just added a few more lines (April 29th 2023) and there have been many other updates. I could add some more as cat poison is a very big topic. It is still valid and it contains over 300 comments. At the time it was controversial and provocative.

The page is a little haphazard but I believe useful but don't come here to figure out how to poison cats. If you do that, you'll be an AH and possibly a criminal.

Aussie authorities are poisoners

The Australian authorities are the planet's biggest cat poisoners bar none. Yes, they like to poison feral cats with sausages chucked out of helicopters laced with 1080 poison (Sodium fluoroacetate) which kills slowly as I recall. And they've built a device which chucks poison over a feral cat or any animal that walks by. It is motion sensor activated. The cat licks their coat and bingo they're dead after a while. Highly immoral. But they don't mind. And they don't mind destroying the habitat of their small native marsupials and mammals despite the fact that they kill feral cats to try and protect them. Hypocritical comes to mind and thoughtless. 

As I said below it is normally a crime to poison cats but not in Aussie land when it comes to feral cats which they detest. It is the same in Kiwi land.

Flea treatments

Flea treatments not infrequently poison cats because for example a cat owner may use a dog flea treatment on their cat. Bingo, another cat accidentally poisoned to death by their owner. Or they want to help their cat by administering painkillers. Human painkillers are plain killers when used on cats. Another accidental way to poison a cat.

Commercial cat foods

Commercial foods can also poison cats:

Mycotoxins in dry cat food. 

If a pet food manufacturer poisons cats due to negligence the cat's owner should be able to claim damages up to $10,000. This is not the case at present as cats are seen as chattels - items to possess like televisions.

Carpets and sofas

Yes, carpet protecting chemicals impregnated in carpets and fire-retardant chemicals in some furniture are both potentially poisonous to cats. Beware of them. They are a hidden and insidious danger.

Antifreeze

Car antifreeze is a cat poison. It is probably one of the most common cat poisons. There is a spate of poisonings in Weston-super-Mare, UK, at the date of this post. All seem to have died from eating/drinking antifreeze. This has all the signs of being deliberate (but may be due to carelessness). Some people hate cats. A substantial number do in fact. A fair number of people search for the keyword "cat poison". That implies that some people are possibly thinking about poisoning cats. And some are trying to work out what might have poisoned their cat. Note: Go immediately to the vet if you suspect poisoning as speed can save lives.

Hydrogen peroxide can be used as instructed by your vet to make your cat vomit if she has been very recently poisoned by antifreeze.

This video no longer works and has been deleted...

---

Important: It is a crime to poison a cat deliberately. This is cruel indefensible behavior. In the UK, the Animal Welfare Act 2006 applies. It states that a person found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal shall face a maximum six-month prison sentence plus a £20,000 fine. My message to anyone contemplating it is to stop and think, why? There is no good reason to do. It is pure cruelty. Ask yourself what is driving you to think in that way. If you are able to do this honestly you will realise that the motivation to harm should be directed at someone else not the innocent cat. In which case help is needed. Please bear in mind that responsibly for a cat lies with a person. If you are incensed by a cat's behavior ask if the cause is an irresponsible cat owner. It will always prove to be the case. In which case leave the cat alone and talk with the person instead. The cat is a victim of our behavior.

To all those people in the USA thinking about poisoning a cat, the laws are often very similar to the UK and animal cruelty is a crime in the USA as well. Punishment varies from state to state but can be as severe as here in the UK. See Cat Cruelty Laws in the USA (this link opens in a new window).

---

Important: A visitor has left a comment saying he has killed 14 domestic cats (about 30 comments down). He lives in Australia (surprise). He is almost certainly committing serious crimes. Please read the comment and if you know who he is please tell me by leaving a comment. I will then inform the police and local RSPCA.

---

For those few who are planning poisoning: why do people plan malicious cruelty to cats? I seems that they are bored, unable to cope, angry, damaged individuals who strike out against the world and in doing so pick on a vulnerable creature, a companion animal that provides a lot of comfort and pleasure to a lot of people.

The poisoned cats are domestic cats. Yet a lot of cat keepers are irresponsible in letting their cats roam widely risking injury and yes poisoning by ill people.

It is a combination of events. Cat poison is used by ill and bad people against cats that are sometimes poorly looked after. The best immediate solution is to keep cats in or under control and supervision plus to find out where the anti-freeze is or was (if this is caused by anti-freeze) and do some work on investigating the matter ourselves. We cannot rely on the police in this country. They don't even bother to investigate many crimes against people (e.g. burglary) and those against cats are going to be low priority. Some plants are cat poison: see House Plants Poisonous to a Cat (which contains pictures) and/or Plants Poisonous to Cats for a fuller list.

Cat poison - Update 9th Oct 2008 on antifreeze poisoning: if this is not an act of maliciousness (and I shouldn't presume that it is) then it could be carelessness but I find this a little hard to believe but perhaps I am being cynical. Apparently this last spate of cat poisonings may be due to people topping up their cars with anti-freeze and spilling some. It also means that cats are drawn to antifeeze. The number of cats that have been poisoned indicates that this is deliberate, however, and that the anti-freeze was in more than one place. Also you don't need to put antifreeze in modern cars. The water coolant rarely if ever needs topping up and has antifreeze in it from purchase. Antifreeze is ethylene glycol and it causes acute kidney disease.

---

Other cat poisons and what to look out for and do

Cats are by nature curious and are liable, therefore, to ingest something poisonous and it is often not clear what it is as it might not be nearby. If the poison can be identified it will obviously help to decide treatment.

The first and most important step is most likely to be to make your cat vomit (although this is not always the case). How to make a cat vomit is mentioned below. What appears to be an excellent advice service in the United States called the Animal Poison Control Center(new window) run by ASPCA tel (888) 426-4435 that I would have thought would be the first thing to do after trying to make your cat vomit (if sure that this is the right thing).

Fungi

One fungi that is not that uncommonly seen in badly managed homes that are poorly ventilated and damp might be black mold or toxic black mold. This is: stachybottys chartarum (also known as S. atra) is known as "black mold" or "toxic black mold," and is frequently associated with poor indoor air quality that arises after fungal growth on water-damaged building materials. It is known to produce trichothecene mycotoxins including satratoxins.

Stachybotrys is a genus of molds, or asexually-reproducing, filamentous fungi. Closely related to the genus Memnoniella, most Stachybotrys species inhabit materials rich in cellulose. (Verbatim from Wikipedia as allowed under license).

Rodent Poisons

Strychnine: Rat, mouse, mole poison and coyote bait contains strychnine. In America it can be bought as a purple, green or red dyed pellet. Symptoms appear within 2 hours:

• Agitation, apprehension
• seizures lasting about 60 seconds (in contrast, epileptic seizures last about 3 minutes)
  
• cat throws head back, turns blue because it can't breathe
• small stimulus such as noise causes a seizure
  

Inducing vomiting should not happen is breathing is laboured (src: Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook). Take cat (covered with coat to protect from stimulus) to vet immediately.

Sodium Fluoroacetate: It is mixed with rat feeds. Very poisonous. Signs are sudden and include vomiting, agitation, staggering walk, convulsions, collapse. Induce vomiting. Take to vet for antidote.

Zinc Phosphide: Signs are laboured breathing, vomiting (blood), convulsions. No antidote.

Cat poison - update 9th October 2008: looking back on the massive pet food recall in the USA in 2007 it seems that the cause was a chemical called melamine that was added to wheat gluten that in turn is added to cat food to thicken the gravy. China recently went through a scandal about baby milk poisoning babies because it contained melamine. Apparently it adds protein to the product. It is also a human and cat poison. The cats poisoned suffered acute kidney disease. The wheat gluten was imported from China but I don't know if it originated in China. As far as I am aware the baby food products and the added melamine originated in China.

Wheat gluten is a meat substitute as it looks like meat. It is meat for vegetarians. Cats are obligate carnivores so I have no idea why it is in cat food. But then again lots of cat food is not meat or anything remotely like meat. If it was it would make it too expensive. I think cat food is too cheap. If it was more expensive it would be genuine cat food and the price might deter irresponsible cat keepers. See a lot more on melamine in cat food.

Cat poison - Update 21st October: Regarding the pet food poisoning referred to above, it would seem that damages have been agreed at $24 million. I suppose the USA pet food suppliers paid this and will try and sue the China suppliers of the poisoned ingredient for indemnity. Anyway, what is interesting about this is that the damages are for economic loss only. That is compensation for veterinarian bills, time spent away from work and property damage. The average claim is worth $1,500. There is no compensation for the greatest loss, the loss of ones dearly loved cat. This is called pain and suffering and is part of a claim in an action for injury arising out of negligence, for example, if one is suing on behalf of a person.

As I understand it the damages are limited to economic loss because a cat is considered a "chattel", an object considered no different to, for example, a washing machine. The law needs updating. This happens.

Update 3rd April 2009: Another case of cat poison being either carelessly left about (highly unlikely) or put out deliberately (far more likely, in my view). This latest incident happened in north Wales and Shropshire, UK. Three cats have died. The generous RSPCA inspector said that he wasn't sure if it was malicious or deliberate. But how often do we see antifreeze left lying around these days? Modern cars do not need antifreeze to be changed or renewed. This has almost got to be deliberate and as usual I am concerned that not enough effort is being made to catch the perpetrator or to investigate the matter. I wonder how many criminals actually get caught for poisoning or injuring cats? Very very few, I am sure.

Cat Poison Update 8-07-09: This is an imaginative way to poison a cat and commit a crime, cover the cat in motor oil and grease and wait to see if the cat tries to lick it off. This happened to two cats in Mattapan, Boston, USA. Fortunately, someone saw and rescued them. They were taken to the local MSPCA in Boston and washed clean. Never consider using cat poison. It is morally very wrong and a serious crime. Here is a street view of Mattapan:

Map no longer works - sorry.

Something more positive for a change. The treatment for poisoning from antifreeze (ethylene glycol) is to induce vomiting and get to the vet as soon as possible. This has to be done quickly. The signs of toxicity, which happen suddenly are vomiting a walk that looks as if the cat is drunk, weakness, stupor and eventually coma. According to the Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook you can induce vomiting by giving "hydrogen peroxide 3 percent: one teaspoon per 5 pounds of body weight (up to 3 teaspoons per dose) every 10 minutes or until the cat vomits This can be repeated 3 only 3 times. I would ask you vet about this and keep some in safe storage as inducing vomiting is often (but not always) the first and immediate step.

Cat Poison Update 29-8-09: In Wales, UK (see map below) a person seems to be poisoning cats with antifreeze. 8 cats have been put down with kidney failure the sign of anti-freeze poisoning. As it is summer there is no need to be dealing with anti-freeze right now so this seems like deliberate poisoning but tests are still being carried out. Anyone in the area with suspicions should please contact the police and/or RSPCA as soon as possible.

Cat Poison update 9th May 2010: Someone or persons are poisoning cats with antifreeze in the north Sheffield suburb of Walkley. More than 11 cats have been poisoned. It is said that someone is putting down cheap dry food laced with antifreeze. The food is shaped as bite sized stars and fish.

You know that there are many poisons (more than 213) that a cat can encounter naturally by which I mean poisons not put down by humans with the deliberate intention of killing cats. I have a page on these poisons which you can read by clicking here. It is a list, no more.

The deliberate poisoning of outside cats proceeds unabated. It has done over many years. It is as if the perpetrators are untouchable as I never read about them being prosecuted and punished.

Antifreeze should and could be manufactured so that it is not poisonous. Read this article: Making Antifreeze Unpalatable to Cats.

• Cat poison to cat cruelty
• Cat poison to cat health problems

---