AN ENLIGHTENED FELINE IN KING GEORGE'S COURT

I am still experimenting with replacing canned foods with the deluxe version of complete home cooking. That takes time to implement, time for Mack and other wise beings, to educate me what works, when, how, why, where etc. In the mean time, we must rely - very, very carefully on wet cat foods. I should be able to bring myself to taste it, but I can't and that is the key test: when humans are used to test cat food at well as cats. Our dietary needs differ greatly from a cat's, but it would help us understand what works for them if we engage our knowledge base using all 5 senses, instead of relying on a machine.

When the tainted pet food was finally revealed, I realized Mack was spared because he was healthy, his keen instincts and food choices were never "re-programmed", forced out of him by human regimentation, whim, fad, or low-functioning owners ("he's just a cat, he'll eat whatever"). Because his daily food choices were so diverse the risk was diminished.

I think I've shown I pay close attention to him, and what he says to me. Yet I missed integrating all his warning signs into one big red flag. I noted the warning signs as single events, but I did not add them up to the picture of the straight through hit on his life they were.

Tinkle changes, even once he missed the box, the vomiting of non-hairballs, the weakness, the soft stools... these did not happen all at once in one day, but over a few days... and I was busy. But, Each time he threw up in February, I threw out the can, and tried another formulation. I knew from the time he threw up the first time - red and frothy - something was wrong, for sure the formula didn't agree with him... But not RAT POISON wrong.

That's why criminal negligence law suits should fly.

Additionally, the CEO's in hiding should have been made to eat the poisoned food as a test, instead of the lab animals they use - why did they need to deliberately kill 16 test animals to figure this out? That's a bigger crime. Yet, it must be considered, we live in a country that would not hesitate to use prison inmates to test tainted pet food the next time around.

The Pet Food industry is realizing that people are responding the same way as if RAT POISON got into baby food, and the food companies knew but failed to warn consumers.

The Pet Food Industry is still trying have it both ways: they are still saying, "we know your pets are family, and we care". In reality, they continue to fail - this being the middle of April - to respond the way a human food company would have to respond if rat poison got into their products.

I think we are going to see huge prices increases. This is because "having to alerting you tiresome lot properly in case we accidentally put rat poison in your pet food" means - to Corporate Greedsters - they get a free pass to triple pet food prices. Where this does happen, consumers should put them out of business with prejudice.

Mack has been on 70% home cooked 30% commercial for over a year now. It took a while to get him to 50-50, and a year to 70-30. The first 8 years of his life at another household he was on a pure dry kibble diet, poor guy, dutifully selected as per their vet instructions. I changed that right away, also switched the kibble brand, and he went from being Mr. Wide Body, to slimming down a bit. His old kibble formula by the way was just recalled after pet deaths.

Mackie's latest blood tests are on the money, though his urine tests are a bit off so he still has to be watched and tested for potential long term kidney damage... this is not acceptable to any "parent", less one who is aware of the critical importance of healthy organs to long life. I don't believe in treating blood tests, but the whole animal. My assessment is he had a huge insult to his system, and has used up one of his nine lives. He's no stabilized and a happy kitty.

I believe the problems that caused the tainted wheat gluten to get into the pet food chain is symptomatic of apocalyptic issues brewing with our own human food and water chain. Our pets - including Mack - took the hit for us this time, warning us Mommies and Daddies to wake up and smell the coffee, rather, "smell the rat poison". This is my Mackie these days, he is stressed, not feeling well.

I have expedited the process of weaning him off nutritionally requiring canned foods to round out his diet. I'm have the same questions everyone else does:

• How to make sense of the myriad conflicting advice, most of which violently contradicts each other,
  
• How to take back control of your pet's health without going broke?
• How to reduce the risks?
• How to establish a relationship with a vet?
• How to CHOOSE a vet?
• Why is most animal care knowledge appallingly medieval?
  

I know how to answer each one: Mack decides. Mack has the first and last word on which vet, how the relationship proceeds, what diet, and he had repeatedly "told me" he ain't going anywhere near a BARF diet or BARF vets - he can smell them a mile off. And his new excellent vet told me about the cases of perforated intestines of cats put on raw bones of the BARF diet, which they had treated.

I found some shining examples of great vet advice e.g., this book offers a middle way:

Veterinarians Guide to Natural Remedies for Cats : Safe and Effective Alternative Treatments and Healing Techniques from the Nations Top Holistic Veterinarians by Martin Zucker

Zucker related a vet colleague of his asked a great Medicine man about urinary tracts, who made the vet rephrase the question. He did rephrase as "making water" - but he missed what the healer was asking, so he was asked to rephrase again: "whose water, mine? yours? a cat's? WHICH CAT?" The vet said in that instant he "got it" about individual treatment.

To me, this is so obvious - including exaclyy why you don't treat a blood test, a blood test is not "individual treatment" - it's an attempt to standardize statistically biochemical indicators that the West still knows little about. What does it really mean that Mackie's BUN is right in the safe middle when he has eaten rat poison a month ago? Does it mean he is OK? Then what does OK mean?

Zucker vet is a rare exception in the West -- he got it that all medical systems should be based on healing not just disease, and he especially understands Ayurveda, a key principle that each BEING must be treated INDIVIDUALLY.

What works for your cat may not work for mine. The "vets" who proselytized to me about their canned version of pet food, calling it raw never answered the question "how does your canned meat become the same as the BARF raw diet you are touting". Their vet practice, in my opinion, and the opinion of those who witnessed, was based on intellectual and ethical fraud.

So, beware there are some who will take advantage of this tainted pet food crisis who are cut from the same cloth the Menu Foods CEO, financially exploiting your love for your pet. In the end, eat locally, and find a way to prepare all your foods needs. Including your pets. If I can do it, so can anyone.