24 Days till Christmas

24 Myths & Facts over 24 days
No ranking order.




Well that is a very scary thought.
Since 1905 felines have been blamed for laying on top of babies and causing their death.

“Cats, unlike dogs, evince a partiality for lying on the children’s chests in close proximity to their faces, and when that is the case there is a real danger of a fatal termination by suffocation.“
- British Journal of Children's Medicine 
Thanks.. you tool from 1905.

The unfortunate and very sad reality is this was the determination of what is now known as SIDS.
Though the cause of SIDS is still not fully understood - It is not the fault of cats. 


Actually these poor felines have been blamed since 1791!
Talk about a rumor that sticks.

The Annual Register wrote - “A child of eighteen months old was found dead near Plymouth; and it appeared, on the coroner's inquest, that the child died in consequence of a cat sucking its breath, thereby occasioning a strangulation."

Unless this coroner was watching a cat standing over top of a baby and literally sucking the breath from its mouth - how can he prove such a thing?

Idiot. 

Cat near the body? 
By golly it must be the work of a Witch!!
That feline did not just happen to come across this infant.. it stole its breath!
That's right! That magic feline stood over that innocent child and stole its life away by sucking the breath right out of it. 

But the only time I have ever seen a cat use a sucking motion was when it was nursing from its mother.
After that I do not believe I have seen a cat perform that action.

Granted a cat seems to like straws.. Fluffy is not known for drinking from them.

Wait.. I have seen cats sucking on blankets. 
Could this be the information needed to prove Fluffy is a baby killer?

Except the cat actually just mouths the blanket trying to mimic nursing from its mother.

The facts 

• Cats do like body heat and babies are warm, so it could curl up beside your baby. 
• Cats may sniff your baby's breath due to the smell of milk. 
• A cat could possibly lay very close to your baby.
• A cat could possibly lay on your baby.
• There is a chance that a cat may cause your baby distress by laying very close to its face, and the baby if it is too small to turn away may be in danger. 
• An older sibling could toss a stuffed animal in the crib because of some cute reason - but in turn this could land on the baby causing distress. 
• An older sibling could toss other things into the crib like a blanket or other toys causing possibly life threatening issues.
• An older sibling could climb into the crib wanting to see their baby brother or sister and accidentally cause distress. 

 An older sibling could put a huge fake spider in its younger siblings crib possibly scaring the child mentally for life.

My point is - shut the damn door!
Keep your pets and small children away from your baby if  you can not visually see them.
Nothing should be in the crib that could potentially cause the child harm. 

Bad idea - you have given the felines free reign of your babies bed.
Though it is very sweet, and you can see that none of the cats are actually on the baby.
This parent is probably very aware of her cats personalities and hopefully keeps a good eye on the meows.

Super cute but also not a very good idea.
Baby has little lungs and a tiny body.
You do not want to restrict its breathing by having any weight on its tummy.
I believe this was a temporary photo op.


A baby grows, and with that so does its ability to react to things - like Fluffy licking its face or trying to snuggle with it.











This baby has the ability to say..get the hell off me.
If this is a new kitty I would not suggest allowing Fluffy to hug baby.















Babies probably hurt cats more then cats hurt babies. 

Listen up Parents.. your child does not know any better - you need to tell them to stop!
If your tiny terror pokes or pulls at any of the cats we have for adoption - I will yell at you.
Any probably scare your kid a bit.
Sorry.. sorta. 



Another theory is that Cats are jealous of a baby usurping the attention.

I may call cats tiny little serial killers - but they are only a danger to small animals and insects. This is more of a domesticated adaptation to having the predatory drive but lacking the need for food.
A baby is not a part of the kitty diet!
They do not have the capacity to plot out a murder and follow through with plans to snuff out the life of a child.
That is a human thing.
Humans kill, Cats pee on your bed. 

I never said they didn't get jealous.. nor did I say they were not vengeful.
I am simply saying to think that a cat would purposely smother a child is ridiculous. 


Cats are not magic.
Cats are not witches, or familiars.

Trust me, if a Cat had any mystical powers they would have a very long to do list that involves centuries of payback for all the crap non-baby humans have done to them. 

I believe a never ending food bowl and continuous supply of treats would be high on the list ...

Respect is earned.








I found some beautiful pictures of children with cats on this blog

Myth? - preservatives

Myth?
Pet food preservatives are harmful 
This one is cheeky on their statements 
No, not all pet food preservatives are harmful.

*As before - I am in Red
Purina is in Black
Linked information is in Blue*
















Some consumers believe that preservatives are unsafe ingredients that shouldn’t be added to foods for humans or pets.

True, but it should say - some consumers believe that some preservatives are unsafe

•   Some of the FDA-approved synthetic antioxidants commonly used in both human food and pet foods include BHA, BHT and TBHQ. These have been proven safe for use in the approved amounts.

-Purina 

Due to the animal fats used in pet food - it is necessary to use preservatives to stop from spoilage.

Adding preservatives adds to the shelf life of a food.

But - there is no need for artificial preservatives.

'Natural preservatives are usually made from anti-oxidants — like vitamins C or E. You’ll see them printed on a dog food ingredients list using some form of the word “tocopherol” or “ascorbate”.
These items typically look like this…

“…chicken fat preserved with alpha-tocopherol”

Natural preservatives are typically considered safe.'
- Dog Food Adviser 

BHA and BHT can induce allergic reactions in the skin . The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies BHA as a possible human carcinogen . The European Commission on Endocrine Disruption has also listed BHA as a Category 1 priority substance, based on evidence that it interferes with hormone function .
Long-term exposure to high doses of BHT is toxic in mice and rats, causing liver, thyroid and kidney problems and affecting lung function and blood coagulation . BHT can act as a tumour promoter in certain situations . Limited evidence suggests that high doses of BHT may mimic estrogen, the primary female sex hormone, and prevent expression of male sex hormones , resulting in adverse reproductive affects.

- David Suzuki Foundation

Preservatives are added to ensure pet food remains wholesome and nutritious during distribution and storage.

They speak the truth

• Preservatives called antioxidants are added to commercially prepared dry foods to help prevent spoilage and breakdown of nutrients.

Also true

• The preservatives used in Purina® pet foods are the same ones approved by the FDA for use in human foods.

Yup, this is true - the FDA has approved of these possibly cancer causing preservatives 


Fats, proteins and vitamins are the critical nutrients that require preservation during storage.

True

• Fats may break down during storage if not properly preserved.
• Antioxidants guard against oxidative destruction of fat and other nutrients to help preserve the nutritional quality of the food.

True, you guys are on a roll with the truths today. 


Preservatives or antioxidants can be categorized into two basic types: natural antioxidants that are derived from nature and synthetic antioxidants.

• Natural antioxidants are found in certain grains, vegetable oils, herbs and spices.

– The most effective and commonly used natural antioxidants are mixed tocopherols (vitamin E compounds) that are primarily obtained from soybean oil or other vegetable oils.

• Synthetic antioxidants are more effective and stable than natural antioxidants.

– Synthetic antioxidants are 5 to 10 times more effective than natural antioxidants.
– They are more stable and better able to withstand the heat, pressure and moisture used
Though this is also true - the fact is vitamin E is much safer. 
Using a natural preservatives is a better choice.
Using synthetic preservatives is rolling the dice because there are many unanswered questions in regards to the safety of these products.

One thing that is probably very true - using BHA, BHT, TBHQ probably cheaper.

Remember
Given the proper information, you can confidently choose foods for your pets that are properly preserved, safe, and provide the guaranteed nutrient content and quality throughout their shelf life.

That's right folks.
They do not say that theirs is the best food.. or even second best...for once they may have did the best thing..
"Given the proper information"
The proper information is a combination of your own research and your vets knowledge...but don't forget - Nobody should force you to feed a certain brand of food. 
You should always be given options.
If something sounds strange or you just feel that the company is less than trustworthy...research them.
Write them.
Question them.

Color me confused

Myth?

Some consumers believe that food coloring and dyes in pet food cause allergic reactions and gastrointestinal upset in pets. 
-Purina


You know what, lets just skip the bullshit here. 
There is absolutely no need for any food colorings or dyes in pet food  NO NEED

You can try and prove that Dog A and Dog C did not have an allergic reaction to your food. 
You can blame something else for gastrointestinal upset in Cats.
You can call yourself a Fire eating Duck with Machete wings for all I care.
-I may be in a Halloween Monster type of mindset.

You could possibly be idiots if you actually believe a Dog looks at the food and thinks -
 Hmm, I really wish this was red. 
Golly, the green stuff tastes so good.
This brown food is missing something.. I know! Artificial colors!
Human, go buy me some Dog Chow at once!
Blue 2, Yellow 5, Red 40
Dog Chow

• The quality, digestibility and nutrition of the product is unaffected by the use of artificial coloring.

Sometimes things can't get worse then crap.

• Some colors are derived from natural sources, such as beet powder and turmeric.

Interesting - do you use beet powder or turmeric ?
Beet powder is red right? - You use Red 40- that is not Beet powder is it?
Turmeric can make a yellow color - You use Yellow 5 - that is not Turmeric is it?
NO so please tell me your point?

• Small amounts of dyes are used to produce the color.

How about none. 
You can create food without food colorings. You would have to use actual foods for it.

• Food allergies are most commonly caused by proteins. Food colorants are not proteins.

 Actually these are chemicals. 
So I am guessing it would be a chemical allergy?
I do not know.
Since eat dog or cat is different - different breeding, different environment - it is very hard to pin point what the allergens are. 
Goodie for you!

I love this last little notes on your page

Remember
Purina has a long history of producing high-quality, highly nutritious pet foods that are rigorously tested.
-You have been around for a long time, stating that you have a long history of producing high-quality foods needs to be backed up by people that do not benefit by that statement. 
Highly nutritious? 
You thought this was nutritious
While a pet food may contain different colors, the nutrition, quality, safety and palatability of the diet are the standards by which it is measured.
To me that means..yeah there is food coloring but don't worry... we just ignore it.

The Myth and The Meow

Myth?
Carbohydrates cause obesity and diabetes in cats.
-Purina 

It’s now believed that many cases of feline diabetes are caused by excess carbohydrates in the diet.
-ASPCA 

As obligate carnivores, some of the metabolic pathways and

enzymes present in omnivores are redundant in the cat.

Cats’ natural diet is high in animal protein and fat and low in carbohydrate

               - the only carbohydrates eaten being those semi- digested in the gut of their prey.

                                                                       Nestle Purina  

Dude, you said that. 

Replacing dietary carbohydrate with protein appears

to be an effective means of slowing the release of glucose

into the bloodstream.

You guys said that too!

Dr Clémentine Jean-Philippe, DVM, Ph.D

European Scientific Communication Manager

Nestlé PURINA PetCare

Jean-Christophe Bouthegourd, PhD

Research Scientist –

Senior Nutritionist, Nestlé PURINA PetCare Amiens Product Technology Centre

Techincally it was these guys that said it.

I see, European...Cats in North America must be different right?

This is a cute little saying I saw on a web site -
"A cat needs carbohydrates like a fish needs a bicycle"

The same site also states 

 "The best diet advocated for healthy cats is a high-quality meat-based (beef, lamb, chicken, turkey) canned food that contains not more than 3 to 5 percent carbohydrates."

-The Nest

This site talks about what is the best diet for cats - Companions Animal Hospital 

•  Many cells in a cat’s body require glucose, a form of carbohydrate, for energy

"Carbohydrates do provide quick and easy energy. However, it is not 'carbs' that maintain the health of the organs.., but glucose. Glucose can be obtained from both fat and protein through a process known as gluconeogenesis, where amino acids and fat (not fatty acids; those use a different cycle) are "converted" to glucose."

-The Many Myths of Raw Feeding
Carissa Kuehn speaks about the misconceptions in regards to a raw food diet - A pro raw food diet site.

What I have been reading is that the companies who sell pet foods containing carbohydrates  - are the ones trying to pump up the positive aspects of Carbohydrates in a Cats diet. 

The problem - it is simply not true. 

If an animal is meant to eat meat and we try to change their biological and evolutionary diet - we will cause damage. 

We have caused damage. 

Illnesses that a Cat in the wild would never face are now common.

We have taken these creatures out of the wild and now are trying to force them to comply to our theory on what they should be eating. 

Not because we think it is best for them.

No.

Because it is cheaper. 

Because the profit margin is more important than their health. 

The truth is - yes, it is possible for a cat to eat carbohydrates.

Yes these Carbohydrates can be converted into glucose.

Yes they can survive on a diet that has moderate amount of Carbohydrates. 

My point is - should they?

Is it beneficial for them?

Are we putting their needs first?

No.

Pet Food Ingredients - M - Myth Busting Buster

M

Myth Busting Buster ( This may be a bunch of posts )
 

First I would like to address the Myth or Fact? section on the Purina web sites.

This irks the crap out of me!


In this post we shall talk about my old friend - Corn
I really am sick of researching corn, I may start getting attacked by corn in my dreams. 
A whole new version of Children of the Corn.
 
What they state :

 

"Corn is an excellent source of many nutrients." 

 

So is excrement

 

"Corn gluten meal is highly digestible."

 

 An iphone may be digested if it is rendered into a powder form.

"Corn is not a common cause of allergies."   

 

Since the reaction if a corn allergy tends to be itching and scratching, and a vet would probably suggest a 'hypoallergenic diet'

So lets take a look at Purina HA- Hypoallergenic Feline Formula

If you guys love corn so much, then why is there only corn oil in your HA food? and it's the seventh ingredient on the list. 

Why not make it second or third like your Cat Chow?

 

"Corn does not appear on the list of most common food allergies in dogs or cats."

Here

Here

Here

Here

"Corn is a high-quality ingredient."  

 

In Corn Flakes & Corn Starch

If it is such a 'high quality ingredient' why is it used in almost all low quality, low cost pet food? 

How does a company stay afloat putting such 'high quality' foods into their $5.99 bags of Cat Chow?

If corn is  such a good thing then why are you making some of your Pro Plan line - Corn Free?

 

"There are five grades of corn quality according to the USDA; grades 1 and 2 are traditionally used in human food products."

"Purina's standard for all of its pet foods is grades 1 and 2"

 

You do realize that humans have a hard time digesting corn right? 

Even top grade AAA corn is still corn. 

The point is, I think corn sucks. 

Cats don't need it.

I swear, it's like you guys buy corn by the bushel or something. 

 

At under $ 4.00 a bushel and $157.00 a metric Ton - You guys might be on to something. 

With the price of Beef rising and the price of Corn dropping...It would be silly to buy a lot of that meat type stuff.

Corn, because we like money.

 

 

 

Black Cat Conspiracy

   Human
   Cubby
   Onyx
   Willow
   Sebby 
   Laya
 ****************

You have heard it, we all have. Black cats are bad luck.

Hey!

I don't believe this theory, simply because it is ridiculous ! 

Good.

Why do humans think that?

Cuz they are stupid.

That's not nice Onyx.. It may be right,, but it's still not nice. 

So some people think that the colour it's self is bad? Or only cats that are black?

Not gonna lie, sounds kinda racist if you ask me.

It has something in common with racism.. to think that something is bad because it is born a certain colour.. That is just irrational and mean.

I am glad you think that way human. 

How could I not? 

So where does this black cat thing come from? 

Think old time stupidity, crossed with fear. 

That does not narrow it down. 

She's a Witch!!!

Oh, yeah.. That kind of stupid. 

Salem.

Well technically this story was from Lincolnshire in the 1560's..but the whole Witch debacle came to the forefront in Salem. 

 This is just what I have read.. Was not actually there. 

Cubby could have been, hes old enough. 

Watch out little man or I will put a curse on you! 

I guess the idea of a 'crazy cat lady' is not new, they have been around for ages.  Mainly because it was the old ladies that would take the time to feed and care for the stray cats around her.

Saint. 

It is sweet when you think about it. Poor defenseless creatures in need of a hero.. Little old ladies coming to the rescue. 

One night..

One dark and stormy night?

Moonless. 

Ah, so no werewolves.

A man and his son were out for a stroll. They saw a black cat cross their path and decided to throw rocks at it.

What? Why?

Douche Bags.

Ah yes, continue. 

They hit the cat with the rocks and it ran away limping into a 'crazy cat ladys' house.

Did she come out and get em? 

Naw, at least the story does not say that. 

It says the next day, the same father and son saw the crazy cat lady in the town bruised and limping. 

Humans are stupid.. The morons figured she was the cat, didn't they? 

Yup. 

So now the lady was not only a 'crazy cat lady' she was also a shape shifting Witch. A Witch that could turn into a Black cat at night.

If this were true, don't you think they would have done something about all the nasty stake burning? 

Or maybe.. Just maybe. Use their cat abilities to bribe some rats to go chew on their dumb faces. 

You would like H.P. Lovecraft.

Why?

The Cats of Ulthar

That man is strange.. Consider me a fan.

So that is where all of this came from? Two douche bags with rocks?

Seems so.

Well that's a perfect reason to fear black cats... If you happen to be an asshat who thinks throwing rocks at a defenseless animal is fun. 

Indubitably.

Who are the smart ones?

What do you mean?

Well, you told us about the dillholes who fear black cats. Are there any that think we are good luck? 

-In Japan, they believe a black cat is good luck.
Oh and apparently if owned by a single woman a black cat is  supposed to bring her many suitors. You must have to be Japanese for that.. or live in Japan.

-A black cat given as a wedding gift to a bride in the English Midlands is suppose to bring her good luck.

-In Scotland, if a black cat arrives at your home it is though to signify prosperity.



-In Germany, if a Black cat crosses your path they at least have options. From the Right is bad luck, but from the Left is good luck!

-Some fishermen believe that it is good luck to have a black cat on their ship. Also to have a back cat waiting with their spouse at home as luck that they will return from their voyage.

I think we are good luck, not for mice or bugs .. birds.. sometimes other tiny creatures.. but for humans that love us, I think if we could.. we would bring them all the luck in the world.  

To the ones that hurt us..if there is reincarnation .. you are so coming back as a mouse.