Article: Natural And Alternative Means Of Healing For Pets: Holistic, Homeopathic And Naturopathic

Originally published and posted in Bubblews~July 22, 2014 HERE

Just as many people are turning to alternative means of health and healing, so are pets owners. I've never been a great fan of the medical profession to begin with and I've gotten that viewpoint no doubt from my great-grandmother who was a nurse, for the most part thought doctors were idiots, was a walking encyclopedia of natural remedies, never took anything stronger than aspirin, and lived to be 98; I can only hope I can live that long!

Now I'm not saying one should completely forsake and dismiss the medical profession altogether , whether for humans or for pets, but I think a good number of people are getting a bit more wary. You no doubt, when watching TV for instance, will see those commercials about some medication that is good for a specific medical problem, and then of course the announcer starts rattling about the potential side effects and to tell your doctor if you get certain side effects that could be detrimental, or in extreme cases life-threatening. I sit back and listen to all this and think to myself, just why on earth would a person want to take this?

Also, another point. Just because a medication has been FDA "approved" does not mean the medication entirely safe in other regards. By this I mean, not all side effects are recognized at first and can often trigger other health problems later on that were not known when they were initially tested. A good example is the cholesterol lowering medication Lipitor now linked to triggering off Diabetes in women.

You may wonder why I'm bringing all this up; quite simple. What is one of the questions a doctor will ask you as a patient when he or she is prescribing a medication? Are you allergic to it? This has to be one of those like duh moments. How can one tell if one is allergic to a medication if one has never had it before? One has to consider this with pets as well. Many of the medications designed for humans are also prescribed for pets, just at a much lower dosage.

Just as we humans may suffer from side effects of medications or may be allergic to them, so can pets, but there's a big difference. If we start experiencing what could be detrimental side effects from a medication, we at least can say something about it, pets can't until perhaps unfortunately too late.

I had a horrific experience in the past with one of my cats many, many years ago back around the late 1970s. One of my younger cats had developed a mild URI (Upper Respiratory Infection). No real big deal, right? It's a condition that is very treatable with antibiotics. So I went to the vet, he examined her and gave me a common penicillin type antibiotic, Amoxicillin. In the past, a few of my other cats would also have URI and would give them the same medication without a problem. So I came home and prepared the Amoxicillin and proceeded to give her the medication. Within minutes she started having not only horrific seizures but worse, passed on. Do you have any idea how guilty I felt? Here I was trying to help my young cat but instead due to the medication in which she had a rare and fatal reaction, she died from it.

IMPORTANT: Before I continue on, once again, I'm not saying one should completely forgo any medications for pets, just be wary, and perhaps investigate more holistic means of healing.

Not long after this horrific incident occurred, I started looking into a more holistic means of healing for my cats. In fact, it was back in the 1980s I happen to come across the book, The Natural Cat: The Comprehensive Guide to Optimum Care by Anitra Frazier. Let's put it this way, it has virtually become a "bible" for me in helping and healing my cats in a more natural, holistic way. Think of and name the potential and possible health condition a cat may face, and Ms. Frazier has fantastic suggestions how to heal and heal naturally. I might add, she also doesn't completely ignore veterinary help.

Well, many years have passed, and yes from time to time I do still rely on veterinary care, but before racing to a vet, I now attempt alternative means of healing and with great success I might add. There are numerous books out there for one to explore about natural alternative means for healing not only cats, but dogs, of course top on the list should be Anitra Frazier's book. I include a listing of just some of the books available. Do a google search under holistic and/or natural healing for cats, or dogs or pets in general for a more comprehensive listing.

Also, with such "alternative" means of healing pets, there are of course, homeopathic/naturopathic medications one can buy to give pets and I've included the websites of just two places where one can get such natural remedies; again, one can do a google search for more websites where one can obtain such natural medications. Be prepared though, these medications can be quite pricey.

Listing of just a few suggested books on alternative health and healing for pets:

The Natural Cat: The Comprehensive Guide to Optimum Care http://www.amazon.com/The-Natural-Cat-Comprehensive-Optimum/dp/0452289750/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1ZDACARP7ZVEEM67KDTE

The Natural Cat: The Comprehensive Guide to Optimum Care

Veterinarians Guide to Natural Remedies for Dogs : Safe and Effective Alternative Treatments and Healing Techniques from the Nations Top Holistic Veterinarians

http://www.amazon.com/Veterinarians-Guide-Natural-Remedies-Dogs/dp/0609803727

Veterinarians Guide to Natural Remedies for Dogs

Veterinarians Guide to Natural Remedies for Cats : Safe and Effective Alternative Treatments and Healing Techniques from the Nations Top Holistic Veterinarians http://www.amazon.com/Veterinarians-Guide-Natural-Remedies-Cats/dp/0609803735/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=12MHZDFM4QN7DMDW0SEC

Veterinarians Guide to Natural Remedies for Cats

The Nature of Animal Healing : The Definitive Holistic Medicine Guide to Caring for Your Dog and Cat

http://www.amazon.com/The-Nature-Animal-Healing-Definitive/dp/0345439198/ref=pd_sim_b_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=19FDMXHP7JA4KV7KV1PA

The Nature of Animal Healing

The Complete Guide to Holistic Cat Care: An Illustrated Handbook

http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Guide-Holistic-Care/dp/1592535666/ref=pd_sim_b_7?ie=UTF8&refRID=1WJ3FY0PARN96C0BMG6E

The Complete Guide to Holistic Cat Care

Listing of Homeopathic and Natural Medications For Pets:

Pet Alive Website For Homeopathic Medications

http://www.nativeremedies.com/petalive/

Pet Alive Website

Only Natural Pet Website:

http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/dogs/

Only Natural Pet Website

Disclaimer: I am not a veterinarian, but am passing on this information based on some of my own personal experiences.

ARTICLE: How To De-clog Drains Naturally

First published on Bubblews~July 17, 2014 Here

Whenever I have a problem with clogged drains I think of my on-line friend Nola whomI met via a discussion forum. Now you may wonder why; what does a friend have to do with clogged drains? Well it was that friend of mine who told me of a very simple way to de-clog drains naturally and without harsh and toxic chemicals.

First up, my apartment building is an old one with all the original piping system, so as you can imagine it's very easy for problems to occur including getting clogged up drains, whether kitchen or bathroom sinks, or even the bathtub. In years past, yes, I often did resort to getting any one of those de-clogging chemicals such as Drano or Liquid Plumber, however, I was always kind of cautious about using them; let's face it, read the warning labels; they all caution about keeping out of reach of children and pets, and have that skull and crossbones symbol, indicating that the product is highly poisonous. Now I don't have children, but I do have pets and when I would use those chemicals it made me a tad nervous. Also, another thing one has to think about is that those chemical de-cloggers can be highly corrosive and affect the pipes, wearing them down and perhaps even eroding them to a point that the pipes may have to be completely replaced.

On the other flip of the coin, I would sometimes resort to and ask the super of the building to de-clog a drain. Talk about a disaster! The super would come up to my apartment with one of those air-pressure type pumps. The man clearly didn't know what the heck he was doing. He would pump up the machine with air to blast air down the drain: he'd be at it for at least an hour and only succeeded in blasting up this God-awful looking sticky, smelly, black sludge that looked like it came from the sewer. Ironically, one time the super of another building that my landlord owns happened to be around, used the same pump and viola, he'd unclog the drain in about five minutes.

So not being too keen on either using toxic poisonous chemicals or having my super come up, I once did a discussion on that forum about my dilemma in that I had a real heavy duty clogged up drain and in chimed my on-line friend Nola who told me about a more natural, non-toxic means to de-clog drains: baking soda and white vinegar. I'm thinking, huh? How can something so simple work, but work it does!

Instructions:

First up, make sure there is no standing water, whether kitchen or bathroom sink or bathtub. Pour a good amount of baking soda, perhaps maybe about half a cup. Then start pouring in the white vinegar, about a cup or more. Be ready for a surprise when the vinegar contacts the baking soda…lets put it this way, rather fizzy and "explosive". The first time I did this I have to confess I nearly freaked out since I wasn't expecting such a reaction. The combo will bubble and fizz for quite awhile. Wait about 15 minutes, then pour down boiling hot water. If by chance this doesn't work first time round, depending on how bad the clog is, repeat the process, but I do guarantee you, it will work. To keep drains unclogged, repeat this perhaps every few weeks.

There you have it, a completely natural, non-toxic and eco-friendly means to unclog drains. What could be simpler?

Youtube Video of how to declog drains using baking soda and white vinegar:

Youtube Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MLEO5JWRYI

IMAGE SOURCE~©MELANIE NEER~own photo

ARTICLE: Pet Toy Safety: Just How Safe Are Some of Those Pet Toys?

First Published at Bubblews~April 11, 2014

Bubblews Article

Image source~Internet images of Typical Pet Toys

ABSTRACT: If one has a pet, one should be a conscientious consumer about some of the potential hazards that can exist in some pet toys especially pet toys made in China.

CONTENT:

If you're a pet owner, no doubt you pamper your pet with a variety of cute toys that will allow your cat(s) or dog(s) a chance for them to play and perhaps even give them exercise, but just how safe are some of those toys? My question came to mind as I've been seeing a good number of my on-line friends talk about buying the seemingly new pet toy craze: that is the Crinkle Ball Toy. But my question of safety factors for pet toys isn't limited to the Crinkle Ball, but other pet toys as well.

One of the real problems as I see it, while one may hear of numerous recalls for products targeted for children on TV media news, one will rarely hear of recalls for products for pets. We are also more aware of foods for human consumption that are recalled, but with a few exceptions, we hardly ever hear of any massive pet food recalls. To be knowledgeable of recalls of any kind of pet products, be it toys or food, one has to turn to the internet.

Think of all the children's products that have been recalled in the past few years of toys found containing lead paint to a good number of strollers that have had defects in them. There is a seemingly common denominator and factor involved when it comes to products made for both children and pets, and that is the vast majority of them are made in China where safety standards are less diligent.

Now let me to explore and bring up some issues and concerns about pet toys.

Back in 2008, I very vividly remember hearing the story about a dog owner who had bought a popular chew toy, called the Pimple Ball With Bell and made Four Paws, Inc. While playing with this ball, somehow the dog's tongue got caught into the hole of the ball and despite efforts for the owner to remove the ball, the owner wasn't able to as the dog's tongue quickly became swollen. The owner took the dog to a vet to have the ball removed, however, even with the ball surgically removed, the dog's tongue continued to swell and the tongue eventually had to be amputated. You can read the whole story here.

One very popular toy for cats is known as the Lattice Plastic Ball with a Jingle Bell. Many years ago as a treat for my cats around Christmas time I bought a large Christmas stocking filled with a variety of cat toys, one of them being a few of those Lattice type balls. I refrained from giving my cats this type of toy as right away I saw a potential hazard. The lattice plastic part of the ball was rather flimsy and could easily be broken. I also saw a potential danger of that jingle bell, that if the plastic part of the ball was broken, a cat could possibly swallow that jingle bell, not to mention the plastic part of that ball as well. What did I do? Simple, I threw them all out.

Before I go on, I wish to mention something about those jingle bells. A pet owner may notice that those small jingle type bells seem to appear in or on a lot of pet toys. I suppose the idea behind having them included is to attract the attention of the pet, but in my mind they should be eliminated as there is too much of a risk of that jingle bell being accidentally swallowed by a pet. A good while ago, I had bought a mouse-shaped toy filled with catnip. Dangling from the tail part which was made out of string was, yes, a jingle bell. Not only did I cut off the bell, but the tail part of the toy. My advice then that if you do get a pet toy that has one of those shiny metal jingle bells is to cut them off!

Feather toys also seem to be popular for pets however, I question the safety factor of these toys as well. Yes some of those feather toys are "cute" and often brightly colored to attract the attention of a pet. However feathers are easily torn apart, and there is the risk of the feather being swallowed, and what about the safety factor of the dyes used to make those feathers so colorful? I mention the later as I often have made crafts that call for feathers, usually the "marabou" type of feathers, and yes they are brightly dyed. In handling the feathers that are dyed red, blue or yellow, some of the dye comes off on my hands. Needless to say, I keep the feathers I use for my crafts sealed up and stored in a container so there's no potential of my cats getting to those feathers.

Beware of any pet toys that are made of "fur", yes real fur. Some years ago I bought a mini-condo for my two cats. With the condo was a mouse shaped toy and yes made of real fur, not only that, but the fur was dyed a sickly orange color. The irony of any pet toy made out of fur is that it can be made from any type of fur bearing animal such as rabbits, but more horrifying believe it or not, possibly made from dog or cat fur from the Chinese fur trade where cats and dogs are skinned alive. If you don't believe me, google "Cats and Dogs Skinned Alive In China"; it will absolutely repulse you.

Rawhide Dog Chew toys can also be suspect in their safety factor as well since many are treated with a whole array of toxic chemicals, including FD&C Red 40, which is a known carcinogen, sodium benzoate, arsenic, formaldehyde. Chemical "concoctions" isn't limited to rawhide type dog chews, but two years ago a toy called Snuggling Furry Friend, and sold by Petco also contained Trimethyl Benzene, Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead and Naphthalene. One can read more about rawhide dog chew toys and about the Snuggling Furry Friend toys in the articles I provide in my Sources section.

Now to discuss those Crinkle Ball Toys which I've been wondering about for awhile and are increasingly becoming more popular. All those Crinkle Ball Toys are made from Mylar which is a shiny plastic. I can't help thinking that such plastic I can be easily ripped apart when a cat plays with them and perhaps chews on them, so once again here we have a potential choking hazard. Also, these Crinkle Balls come in a bright, dazzling array of colors to make them more attractive; attractive for whom I don't know, certainly not the pet but more for the owner. I went on a search to see if anything has yet been mentioned about the safety factor of these Crinkle Ball Toys and came across a posting by a cat owner on the Pet360 website. The owner mentions how when one of these Crinkle Ball Toys fell into her cat's water bowl, the water had turned red from the dye of the ball. She then suspects that her cat drank this water laced with the red dye from the toy as she found vomit nearby the water dish.You can read the entire posting here: http://community.pet360.com/t5/Whole-Cat-Health-Wellness/Are-Crinkle-Ball-Toys-Safe-For-Cats-Or-Not/td-p/45091

So what is a pet owner to do? Naturally we want to pamper our pets with toys for them to play with. But for the safety of your pet, refrain from buying pet toys made in China where standards and quality of materials used are suspect. Do some research in buying toys for your pets. There are plenty of pet toy manufacturers right here in the USA. To find such toys, google "Natural or Organic Pet Toys" and you'll be surprised by how many websites come up. One of my favorite natural toys to buy for my cats are anyone of the products made by Yeowww and a lot are sold over at Amazon.com.

Lastly, your pets are your "children", don't you want them to be safe? All I can say is to be a conscientious consumer. Research, research, research!

Sources:

Dog Chew Toy

http://consumerist.com/2008/08/21/owner-calls-for-chew-toy-recall-after-dogs-injury-results-in-tongue-amputation/

Rawhide Chew Toys

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2013/03/07/the-risk-of-rawhide-chew-toys/

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/dog_toys.html

Dog Toys

http://thebark.com/content/beware-lead-and-toxic-dog-toys

http://www.petsitusa.com/blog/?p=4843

Crinkle Toys

http://community.pet360.com/t5/Whole-Cat-Health-Wellness/Are-Crinkle-Ball-Toys-Safe-For-Cats-Or-Not/td-p/45091

Massive Recall of Children's Toys From China Due to Lead

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/20254745/ns/business-consumer_news/t/mattel-issues-new-massive-china-toy-recall/#.U0iVpaVsr1w

Natural or Organic USA Made Pet Toys:

Purrfect Play Website:
http://purrfectplay.com

Only Natural Pet:
http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/dogs/

Image Source~My own photo of a Yeowwwy Catnip Toy

ARTICLE: You Are What You Eat: What Exactly ARE You Eating? Part 3: Are Dairy Products Really Healthy?

First published at Bubblews~March 15, 2014

Bubblews Article

ABSTRACT: This article explores the issue as to whether or not milk and dairy products are as healthy as we've been led to believe.

CONTENT:

This article is the third in a series of articles where I explore the various aspects of the food industry.

In this article, I explore the issue concerning dairy products and as to whether or not milk and dairy products are as healthy as we have been led to believe. For decades we in effect have been bottle-fed (no pun intended), that milk does the body good, builds strong bones, that it is a good source of protein and calcium and so forth. As children we were encouraged by our parents to drink our milk, and if we didn't care for the taste of milk outright, our parents thought of other ways to get us to drink milk, that is by adding a chocolate syrup such as Bosco or Hershey's.

In the past twenty years, who can forget the ad campaign "Got Milk?" that began in 1993 where celebrities such as Naomi Campbell, Taylor Swift, Ron Howard, Harrison Ford, Marg Helgenberger, Brooke Shields, Whoopi Goldberg, Susan Sarandon, just to name a few, posed with a glass of milk and had that milk mustache? In fact, if you wish, do a google search "images of celebrities got milk" and you'll be amazed as to how many celebrities participated in the "Got Milk?" campaign. Only recently, beginning in February of this year, the "Got Milk?" campaign has been changed to "Milk Life" with a whole new type of message to encourage people to drink more milk.

The big question however, do we really need to drink milk or consume dairy products, and are they really as healthy as we've been made to believe?

In a nutshell, to answer the question as to whether we really need to drink milk, the answer would be a flat outright no. The human species seems to be the only species that continues to drink milk after babyhood. You won't find any other mammals drinking their mother's milk after they are weaned. We have been in effect programmed that even as adults we need to drink milk and consume dairy products, and that would include cheeses, yogurts, sour cream, cottage cheese, ice cream, and I might add, not limited to cow's milk, but also the milk and dairy products from other milk producing mammals such as goats and sheep.

We have been in a sense programmed in how beneficial milk is as far as adding more protein in our diets. Well there are of course other sources of protein: meats, fish, beans, nuts, even vegetables have a certain amount of protein in them and of course for those who prefer a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, there is soy milk, and tofu.

Not only have we been programmed that milk and dairy products are a great source of protein, but also for calcium. Guess what though? Milk and dairy are not the sole and only sources for calcium either. Other sources of calcium include: Bok Choy, Kale, Beans, Salmon, Spinach, Oranges, Oatmeal, Soy Milk, and Tofu, just to mention a few. In a pinch, if one feels they aren't getting their daily intake of calcium, there are of course calcium supplements one can take. A full listing of calcium sources is at this website

The Health Factor Of Milk:
Unless one is getting organic milk and dairy products, that is from cows raised "humanely" and not in a farm factory type environment, one is also consuming a number of less desirable elements. Farm Factory raised dairy cows are pumped up with Bovine Growth Hormones, known as rBGH which encourages the cows to produce more milk. If that isn't bad enough, dairy cows are also injected antibiotics to decrease infections like mastitis. (1) Also, once again, unless one is drinking organic milk or eating organic dairy products, one is also in effect consuming Monsanto GMOs. How? Humanely raised cows are grass fed, which is a cow's normal type of diet, while farm factory raised cows are feed GMO grains such as corn, and 90% of all corn grown are GMO corn. What does this mean to us? It means when we drink milk or consume dairy foods, we are also ingesting the rBGH, antibiotics and GMO corn.

Can Milk And Dairy Products Actually Trigger Health Problems?
For decades we were have been told how milk and dairy products helps to build strong bones and helps to avoid medical conditions such as osteoporosis. Sorry but I'm about to shatter that illusion. I've read countless articles where actually the opposite is true. Just do a google search, "does milk cause osteoporosis" and you'll be amazed at what comes up. I list only one source here but take my word, there are a lot of articles out there.

Let me quote a few things directly from the one article I found:

"…although milk makes bones stronger in the short term, in the long term it erodes bone-making cells, increasing the risk of osteoporosis…" and "…women…who drank milk three times a day actually broke more bones than women who rarely drank milk." (2)

If that isn't enough, do you have chronic headaches or even migraines? In another article, I found a list of possible triggers for these health issues as well, and guess what? Yes you can guess, among the list of headache and migraine triggers was cultured dairy products, sour cream, buttermilk, and all types of cheeses. (3)

The Humane Factor of The Dairy Industry:
I wish to add here, that one does have to also consider the humane factor when it comes to the dairy industry. Dairy cows in farm factory type environments live a life that is anything but humane. The female cows are kept in small, crammed stalls where they can barely move and each cow is hooked up to machine to pump out their milk. Also, the female cow is constantly kept pregnant in order to produce milk in the first place. Upon the birth of a calf, that calf is virtually yanked away from it's mother within hours of being born, and either outrightly killed or sent to be raised as veal, which of course means its eventual slaughter upon reaching around the age of 18 to 20 weeks old. (4)

Lastly, I do need to mention that I'm by no means a vegetarian nor vegan, though I have been cutting down on the eating of meats. As far as the milk factor, I've never have been a big milk drinker to begin with, yet ironically I do confess in loving cheeses. However, ever since I became more aware and conscious of the cruelty factor behind farm factory raised dairy cows, I've cut down on eating cheeses as well.

Got milk? Don't think so!

Sources:

Got Milk Campaign:

Got Milk Campaign

Milk Life

The Truth About Milk:

Facts About Milk (1)

Health Issues With Milk:
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2005/09/12/13120.aspx (2)

Milk Triggers Headaches and Migraines (3)

Calves (4)

Calves

My earlier articles in this series:
Part 1: Introduction
Part 1
Part 2: Organic Vs. All Natural Vs. Monsanto GMO
Part 2

ARTICLE: You Are What You Eat: What Exactly ARE You Eating Though? Part 2: Organic Vs. All Natural Vs. Monsanto GMO

First Published at Bubblews~October 29, 2013

ARTICLE: Possible Radioactive Foods and Pet Foods: Fukushima Meltdown's Aftermath

Originally Published at Bubblews~October 13, 2013

A New Possible Concern, Not Only To Humans

Also published on Yahoo.Voices formerly Associated Content~11/29/2013) ABSTRACT: In the aftermath of the radioactive Fukushima meltdown of Japan caused by the earthquake and tsunami of March of 2011, there are now concerns about the safety of foods from the area that could affect both people and pets

CONTENT:

There are several websites where I regularly read articles over the safety issues concerning foods, both for human consumption and for pets; those being Susan Thixton's "Truth About PetFood.com", Dr. Mercola's website and the Natural Society website, there are of course scores of others I regularly go to read articles. It's been through such websites and their articles that I get updates and concerns about the health dangers and safety factors of a variety of chemical additives in foods, again both human and pet foods, such as MSG, Aspartame, Fructooligosaccharide and Carrageean, the later two often added to some pet foods, just to name a few. Then of course, I keep tabs about Monsanto GMO/GE (Genetically Modified Organisms/Genetically Engineered) foods, or what I call "Frankenfoods."

During the past many years, we have witnessed numerous recalls of foods, again both for humans (spinach, peanut butter, tomatoes, cantaloupe..the list is endless) and of course pet foods. Most food contamination is due to either e. Coli, Salmonella or Listeria, but not exclusively to just these three bacterias. Who can forget, perhaps the largest pet food recall back in March of 2007, when the many varieties and labels of pet foods, including Iams, and under the manufacture of Menu Foods that occurred? The real irony is that this same manufacturer of pet foods and the FDA was aware of the contamination months before an official FDA recall. The contamination was not due strictly to bacteria due to exported contaminated wheat, rice and corn gluten from China, but also due to melamine being added to the pet foods. Unfortunately, before the official recall of these pet foods, the damage was done. Many pets suffered from health issues, especially renal failure and death. (1)

In the years following 2007, many more pet food recalls have occurred, and not limited to commercial brands of pet foods, but some of the more "natural" or organic types as well. Almost a week doesn't go by when I'm made aware of yet again another pet food recall. I've even created a group over at Facebook called "Bringing Awareness Of What Is In Commercial Pet Foods". My group is not limited to just the safety factors of pet foods, but any and all pet products, such as the toxicity of flea and tick products as well; many of these products have proven lethal as well, and as of yet, the FDA nor the EPA have recalled or banned such use of products.

Now comes a new concern for both humans and pets, and that is any food products, especially fish caught in the Pacific Ocean and from Japan, but not limited to that country. I came across an article just today over at the Natural Society website over the concerns of the radiation fallout due to the Fukushima Power Plant meltdown that occurred as a result from the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in March of 2011.

Here's an edited quote from that article:

"The mega Fukushima meltdown continues to assault the planet on a daily basis with barrages of radioactive fallout that have infiltrated everything from our international food supply to the Pacific Ocean…Fisheries continue to operate and governments continue to pretend nothing has gone wrong…. just keep eating seafood from Japan and don't mind the fact that radiation levels are still spiking. And definitely don't mind the EPA raising 'acceptable limits' of radiation in your food supply."

To read the article in its entirety, one can read it here

I'm not surprised by either the FDA or EPA's lack of concern about "acceptable" (or non-acceptable) levels of radiation. As I see it both government agencies are not the careful watchdogs to safety concerns over food and/or any other product for human or pet consumption. Anytime I hear the words, as in promoting some medication on TV, "Approved by the FDA" frankly I stay away from the particular product. How many medications for instance, are "approved" by the FDA, only later gaining severe warnings of triggering some further health issue?

My concern now is with pet foods, particularly, more with cat food than dog food that contain any kind of fish or seafood and that would include tuna, shrimp, and crab, however I give a link to ALL the fish of the Pacific Ocean. (2) Do we know for a certainty just where that fish is from? Wasn't there even a concern and safety factor over any seafood caught in the Gulf Waters due to the BP oil spill of 2010 and contamination that affected the fishing industry there, not to mention other wildlife that was affected?

Since unfortunately the USA has done so much outsourcing from other countries to get products on the cheap, so to say, and that would include ingredients for any kind food, both for humans and pets, how long will it be before radioactive, contaminated fish (or other food products) shows up not only in food for humans but in pet foods? There could even be issues with seafood caught anywhere in the Pacific Ocean area, and that would include the entire western coast of North and South America. Why? The radioactive fallout from Japan has been moving throughout the Pacific Ocean and is estimated to reach the west coast in full in 2014. (3)

Worse case scenario yet, such radioactive and contaminated foods may be in our foods already; it could take months, perhaps years before any effects of such contaminated food show any affect, and longer for the FDA gets its act together for any official recall.

Sources:

2007 Pet Food Recalls: (1)
pet food recall March 2007

FDA Website: Melamine Pet Food Recall of 2007
melamine

Listing of Fish of the Pacific Ocean:
link (2)

Other Article About Fukushima Radiation Levels:
Fukushima Water Leaks

Radioactive fallout from Japan (3)

Article About Concerns of Japanese Fish and Radiation

Radiation Levels In Japanese Fish

ARTICLE: The Indoor/Outdoor Cat Debate

(Originally Published at Bubblews~October 12, 2013, also as a "Note" on Facebook~Ocotber 12, 2013, and at Yahoo.Voices formerly Associated Content~10/18/2013)

Bubblews version: Bubblews Article

ABSTRACT: There have been a lot of debates over this issue of when owning a cat whether it should be a strictly indoor cat or both an indoor/outdoor cat. In this article, I explore the many dangers facing outdoor cats.

CONTENT:

Over at Facebook, I've been involved with two discussions, including my own I started over the debate about the whole issue of strictly indoor cats versus cat owners who allow their pet cats as both indoor and outdoor. I'm half expecting my friend's list will drop over at Facebook as I'm pro indoor only when it comes to having pet cats.

To set the record straight, I've had cats since I was a mere five years old. The first cat, Babette, was a kitten my mother adopted and gave me as a Christmas present. I am now 57 years old (soon to be 58) and still have cats, Kissy, my 14-year-old, and Ouija, whom I adopted last year and is about two years old. In all the years I've had cats, they've been strictly indoors. This is mainly as a practicality as I live in the NYC area and in an apartment building, thus it would be very impractical for anyone owning a cat and living in such an environment to allow their pet cat(s) to be outdoors.

However, even for people who live in country areas, all kinds of dangers lurk for pet cats that are allowed to roam freely. Yes, it's one thing if a person has a backyard with a very secure fenced in area, and if said cat(s) owner allow their cat(s) outdoors in said secure area supervise the entire time their cat(s) are in their backyard; in other words, watch them like a hawk. I know I would if I lived in such a setting. If one has young children, would parents allow their children to be alone completely without supervision? I don't think so, so why do pet owners do so? I have heard of cat owners who, if they allow their pet cats to roam freely, makes sure that the cat is only allowed to "roam" early in the day and make sure the cat is back home by nighttime. However, that still doesn't guarantee their safety as too many dangerous factors will still exist.

Also, for an additional sense of safety, there are cat enclosures one can install that will give a pet cat the sense of the outdoors, without really being outdoors per se. Just merely do a search about these enclosures, which can range from rather simplistic to the very complex and can be a total environment for one's pet cat(s).

In the times we live in, one has to recognize and provide complete safety for one's pet, there are just too many dangers that can face a pet cat that is allowed to roam freely and unsupervised. Now before I list those dangers, I want to make something clear. I do realize many people may not only have pet cats but may take care of feral cats. Feral cats are a breed all their own. They are wild cats, not domesticated, very wary of people, even to the very people that may regularly feed them. Chances are, this type of cat could never become an indoor cat. However, I'm not talking about feral cats, but unfortunately there are dangers to feral cats as well, and I'll bring up a few points here in this article as well.

1). The danger of being hit by a car. Don't ask how many times I've heard one of my online friends over at Facebook do a sob story about their pet cat going missing, only to later find them dead on a road that had been struck and hit by a car. I'll be harsh here then when I say, while I feel sorry for the cat owner that their cat met with such an end, why didn't they keep that cat indoors? Then, of course, there are the cases where a pet cat simply goes missing permanently, the owner never, ever learning the fate of what happened to their cat and they again do a boohoo sob story. I happen to know someone who lives in a country area and now has her fourth cat; each of her previous three cats who were allowed to roam went missing. She also mentioned that in her neighborhood, there are many people who aren't cat lovers and heaven only knows what fate they met. But after three cats gone missing, she still insists on letting her new cat roam.

2). Diseases and parasites. If a person wants to keep their pet cat healthy and disease free, keep the cat indoors! Cats that are allowed to roam freely can often intermingle with other cats that may carry numerous diseases such as Feline Leukemia (FeLV), Rabies, Feline Panleukopenia, (FPV), Feline HIV (FIV). Once a cat is infected with anyone of these diseases, it can then infect other healthy cats. Why anyone would want to risk such a possibility is beyond me.

Then there are the multitude of parasites a cat can pick up, from fleas, ticks, and ringworm. The pet owner then pays a small fortune in vet bills to eradicate such parasites. Well, the high vet bills could have been avoided completely by…yes, keeping the cat(s) indoors.

If the probable danger of a pet cat allowed to roam freely and possibly meeting the fate of being killed by a car, gone missing, or picking up on diseases isn't enough, there are other factors to consider.

3). Poisoning, either indirectly or directly. Indirectly: Many people living in country areas may treat their lawns with chemicals, chemicals, I might add, that are often highly toxic. Even something like Monsanto's Roundup, which is a weed killer, can and will pose a danger to pets. (2) Other indirect means that cats can be indirectly poisoned are people who lay out poisons to kill any type of pests, such as mice and rats. Not only can cats be poisoned this indirect way but other animals who may prey on mice and/or rats, including birds of prey who ingest the poisoned mice/rat.

Directly: One sad fact is that not all people are cat lovers and will purposely try to poison them. Many years ago, I knew a woman who fed stray and feral cats. She had two cats of her own that were strictly indoors. She would feed these outdoor cats very early in the morning, and then again at night. You can only imagine her horror, when she went out early in the morning to add new fresh food, only to discover one of the feral cats dead. It had been deliberately poisoned . The place she fed the stray/feral cats was an enclosed area of her apartment building and only tenants could gain access to the area. She never found out who was poisoning the cats, but it was an obvious cat hater and fellow tenant to her building.

4). Cat haters, animal abusers and outright psychopaths. The world is by no means a kind place in general. Everyday we can hear of horrific abuse of any kind both toward humans and animals, but nowhere more than with innocent animals who have no voice; it's one of the prime reasons I'm a dedicated animal rights activist and advocate. Within only this past week alone, I heard of two such cases of horrific animal torture, and yes, it had to do with cats.

In summary, unless you can 100 percent guarantee an outdoor pet cat its safety, have the means to get a cat enclosure, and/or supervise and watch you pet cat(s) in your backyard like a hawk. If you wish to have a pet cat that can live healthy and disease free and have a long, long life and not endure any of possible dangers a roaming pet cat may face, I have four words: Keep your cats indoors!

Sources:
Life experiences; Animal Advocate/Activist

ARTICLE: What Happened in My Past is Exactly That, It's Not Who I Am Now: Reference to the Pet Population Problem My Mother Created

(Originally Published as a "Note" on Facebook~May 11, 2013 and also at Yahoo.Voices formerly Associated Content~August 16, 2013)

ABSTRACT: For some reason people seem to take a weird delight in dredging up something that occurred in my past, but that's just it; it's the past and not who I am now.

CONTENT:

I don't think there is anyone of us who hasn't had some incident in their life that hasn't exactly been "stellar." The incident may have occurred in the past, and that's exactly what it is, the past. It's not happening now, it's done and over with. Yet, somehow, for some reason, people decide and want to dredge up a past incident that occurred in someone's life as if it were still occurring now when it isn't.

You might say this is a follow up article I had written here at Yahoo! Voices back in August 30, 2007 which clearly describes that past incident in my life that occurred prior to 2001; in fact, it actually started in 1993. It was an incident that was created in effect by my mother and of which got out of control very quickly, and it deals with an over pet population of cats and, yes, could be classified as a "hoarder" situation. However, this is precisely why, so many years later, I'm an animal activist/advocate, and among many things stress the need for people to spay/neuter their pets in order to not create the same problem. I'm writing this article now to be publicly and openly on record that the past incident no longer exists. Although I provided a link to that article above, I wish to describe and give a thumbnail sketch of what happened in my past, though by no means a short one.

First up, I've had cats since I was five years old and only had one cat from 1962 to 1968. In the ensuing years some more cats would come into our lives, and on average my mother and I had about five or six while I was a child, teen, young adult and beyond. Then in 1992, my mother and I had a total of nine cats, including and unfixed female we found as a stray and took her in that year. Nine cats is still not a totally outrageous number and "doable." Throughout the years, ever since 1962, it had been our policy to always spay/neuter the cats. I asked my mother to please spay the new female kitten when she came of age. She kept saying that we need not bother as we weren't gong to get anymore cats.

Some months passed and a neighbor wanted to give us a male cat he had found in the streets. I firmly insisted over and over again that, no, we couldn't take in anymore cats, but both my mother and the neighbor did sort of a guilt trip with me saying that it's only one more cat. I gave in, and in came the male cat. It didn't take long to realize that this male cat also wasn't fixed, so now we had a pair of unfixed cats. Now I was on my mother's case to get at least one of the cats fixed. I wasn't able to personally go to the vet and get one of the cats fixed as I was dealing with a disability issue of anxiety disorder with agoraphobia, and while not completely housebound, I had my limitations of where and how far I could travel, and our vet was quite a distance away. My mother had no such problem, and she most definitely had the financial means to take one of the cats to be fixed; she didn't. I think you can guess what happened next.

On April 6, 1993, six kittens were born, three males and three females. Right off the bat, I started asking my friends if any were interested in adopting one of these kittens once they were old enough. No, no one did. Rather than dump the kittens into a shelter, we decided to keep them and my mother's idea was to get the male kittens fixed first once they came of age, but oops, missed one, and yes, more kittens were born, and more and more and more, until it completely spiraled out of control. We did try and get the cats fixed as soon as we could, but it had gotten out of hand so fast.

By 1996, I had to completely stop my work as a photographer. Despite my anxiety disorder and agoraphobic issues, I was primarily working at home and had often sent out my photographic work by mail to companies. Also, I was developing black-and-white film and prints, and would set up studio type shots at home, but now I had to stop everything as I was now spending all my time keeping things in order you might say, and yes, forever cleaning, cleaning, cleaning our place. My mother didn't do a thing, not even wash dishes, while here I was not only cooking all the meals, doing all the "normal" chores, but also keeping things under some kind of control with all the cats involved.

In 2001, my mother and I got our first eviction threat due to all the cats we had. Naturally we got legal help, as well as some animal advocates to help us out. One animal advocate had ties with the news media and our "story" was picked up, not only in newspapers but also by local news stations, even Jeanne Moos of CNN came to our place and did a feature on us. The local ASPCA mobile van also got involved and also came to do a spay/neuter of any and all cats that weren't already fixed. Due to the news media coverage, it encouraged people to adopt our cats. It became a virtual Grand Central Station with people coming over to our apartment and willing to adopt our cats, unfortunately not enough. We did, however, win our case, and a stipulation was made in court that we could only have two cats. There was one major problem, however. As our story became a "memory." People stopped coming by to adopt our cats and we still were way over the number of allowed cats in our home.

From 2001 to 2006 I lived in chronic fear of being found out that we did indeed still have more than two cats. In 2002 I became computer savvy by self teaching myself at my nearby library and a whole new world opened up to me. You see prior to that, the only shelters and rescues I was aware of was ASPCA, Bide-A-Wee, and of course the NYC Animal Care and Control. With the computer I now found out there were virtually hundreds of other animal rescues and groups in the NYC area. You might say my campaign began and I contacted as many animal rescues and groups as possible in the NYC area and practically on a daily basis, I would say I was contacting at least fifty, yes, fifty rescuers and groups. Folks, we're talking four years, four years of my reaching out and asking for help of any kind on an almost daily basis. The result? No one, but no one helped during those four years.

My fears came true in March of 2006, when yet again my mother and I were threatened with eviction. By this time, in that year, I had a lot going on. My mother had been diagnosed with Cancer in June of 2005 and her health was rapidly declining, not only her physical health but mental health as well. I had to find a good lawyer, which I thankfully I did, and I still continued my efforts of reaching out for help with our cat situation. I also had to contend with court appearance with my mother. Bottom line however, none of the rescuers I had contacted during those fours years helped out, even with the real threat of eviction upon us. Ironically the rescuers that did wind up in helping out tremendously, mainly ones in upstate New York, who by other rescuers networking had heard of our situation weren't even ones I had initially contacted. Also unfortunately, the NYCACC came into the picture, as our lawyer was kind of antsy pantsy to get the cat population down to only two, however, not many were surrendered to them, more were transported to the rescuers upstate New York. If it sounds like I have sour grapes against all those rescue groups I reached out to for four years, so be it. In my opinion they could have been helping all along.

By Friday, May 19, 2006 the cat population was down to only two cats, the original number set in that stipulation back in 2001. The court case however dragged on until October of 2006, and by that time I was on my own, as my mother had hospitalized for what would be the final time on August 11th. She was in a medicated induced coma until August 27, 2006 when she passed on. By the way, I did win the case and wasn't evicted.

There is another issue I wish to bring up tied to the 2006 eviction issue however. Since the news media had been so helpful back in 2001 in bringing the story to light and encouraging people to adopt our cats back then, I thought to myself, maybe I could get news coverage again to help out and encourage people to adopt the cats once more. I reached out and contacted two local newspapers who did arrange and came to our place and did an interview with my mother and myself. The story seemed to have caught on, but not necessarily in the manner I expected.

One day in April of 2006, when I was coming home after being in the library to still continue using the computer there to reach out for help, I found one of those sticky notes tacked onto my front door. The note said that he had read my story in one of those local newspapers and was interested in doing an interview with me and to call him back. The note was from a reporter of the New York Times. I thought wow, New York Times? To my mind that was like hitting the jackpot. So of course I called him and arranged for an interview for him to come over to my place. You have to remember my prime goal in contacting the news media initially was to perhaps once more get people interested in adopting our cats.

What turned out however with that interview was nothing short of a disaster and a farce and went an entirely different direction. For some reason, the reporter became fixated with my spiritual beliefs. For the record I AM a follower of the pagan/wicca path, but he seemed to turn the entire interview more on my beliefs than the real story that needed to be told, that about the cat issue and getting people interested in adopting them.

The article which did come out in early May of 2006 was nothing short of something that should have been in the National Enquirer. About the only thing he got right was my name. It's a wonder that the reporter didn't say that I was expecting an alien baby from the Andromeda Galaxy. Here's the gist of it. First off the bat he mentions me as the "witch of Elmhurst"….Okay I could deal with that since I am a follower of pagan/wicca beliefs so yes I am a witch and yes during that whole time of the court case I was doing protection "spells" or prayers. Wouldn't most people of any faith want some kind of "prayer" help? But then it goes on: "The witch happens to be Melanie Neer, 50, a student of the principles of Wicca and Harry Potter."

Harry Potter? Harry Potter? What kind of idiocy is that? Yes I do happen to be a fan of the Harry Potter books and movies, but give me credit folks, I know it's not a religion! If I still hadn't been involved at the time with the court case of eviction already back then, I would have loved to have sued the reporter for defamation of character. I actually did contact him to tell him and basically told him off about his so-called news reporting he had done and that it was totally out of line and false, but he told me that it was the editor that changed things around. Oh really? Give me a break, the editor wasn't there doing the story, he was.

Another thing in his article is that he mentions my mother sitting on the sofa wearing "her overcoat and a pair of thick boots". Why he brought that up I don't know. Yes, the "interview" took place in April, so yes, it was warm. However my mother always felt cold. It could have been 90-degrees and she still would feel cold, this the coat. As for the boots? Those were the ONLY shoes she had. During one of her hospital stays they kept changing her room around. For some reason she had a "fetish" to try and leave the hospital and eventually resorted to placing one of those wristbands on her so if she walked past a certain point, the alarms would go off. With all this changing of her room, they lost her clothes including a very expensive pair of Nikes, so the only other shoes were her boots. Since she had rather deformed feet getting shoes for her was difficult.

Since May 19, 2006 I have indeed continued to remain having only two cats. For the record and I want to get this straight, I did adopt another cat on December 1, 2012. My one of two cats, Pyewacket passed on April 19, 2010, still however, that does mean I only have two cats to date. Does anyone think I'm stupid? Does anyone think I'm so stupid that I would risk another possible eviction issue? I don't even dare adopt one more cat than the specified two allowed. It's also a purely logistics issue. Since I'm on my own now and do receive disability benefits, why would anyone think I could even afford to have a lot of cats? Also, if anyone questions the number of cats I have, I have people who can testify that yes indeed I only have two cats now, I also will freely allow anyone to come and see for themselves that I only have two cats. I have a photo here taken maybe three years ago during Christmas time that clearly shows I don't have a lot of cats.

I do rather find it amusing that when people do a search on me, they will dredge up that "infamous" article written by that NY Times reporter and slam it in my face. People seem to focus on the past negative incident that occurred, yet by-pass all my positives, such as my numerous articles I've written or even my photo website that I have to display my photography work. Only just today, someone once again dredged up the past, and sadly I have a feeling it won't be the last time.

So bottom line, if anyone wants to continue to dredge up my past situation, a past that clearly is not valid now, and making people think it's still in my present. Watch out. I can sue you for slander, libel and defamation of character.

Sources:

Life experience
@Melanie Neer-Photos included for this article are my personal collection of my two current cats and a photo of my apartment

Photo of Ouija

Photo of Kissy

Photo of my apartment at Christmas time

Previous article about what occurred in the past:

Living With A Pet Hoarder article

Previous article about my experiences about my past situation:
Living With A Pet Hoarder~date August 30, 2007

Photo image for the Living With A Pet-Hoarder article was from this website

ARTICLE: The Anti-Cat Campaign that Seems to Be Rising Particularly with Stray/Feral Cats

(Originally Published as a "note" on Facebook~July 27, 2013 and at Yahoo.Voices formerly Associated Content~August 2, 2013)

ABSTRACT: For quite sometime now there seems to be a very aggressive, negative viewpoints about cats, particularly stray/feral cats in which the idea is to eradicate them completely.

CONTENT:

Every once in awhile I come across an article that makes me want to roll my eyes and go "Huh?" The article in question may be so outlandish and absurd that it makes me wonder if it shouldn't have been a feature in The National Inquirer instead of a so-called legit news source that people might take more seriously.

Well, late last night I came across a "winner." The article was published on July 26 and is featured on the NBC NEWS Science website and written by a Marc Lallanilla, a writer for LiveScience and entitled "Gang of feral cats attacks woman and her dog in France."

Here's the opening sentence of the article:

"One more reason to love dogs: A gang of feral cats in France attacked a woman and her poodle, forcing both victims to seek medical attention for their injuries."

Well, sorry folks, but right off the bat one gets the sense that the writer isn't exactly a cat lover. I can't help thinking there has to be a lot more behind the story, which was first featured in the UK's The Independent (1) who had taken the original story of which appeared in France'sl'Est Republicain. (2)

If anyone knows anything about cat behavior, and I'd like to think I do as I've had pet cats ever since I was five years old and in the past did feed stray cats (way back in the 1980s), cats are by no means vicious, aggressive attackers, and it doesn't matter whether a cat is an indoor pet cat, stray or feral. One also has to understand the difference between "stray" and "feral." A stray cat will often refer to a cat that may at one time have been a pet cat belonging to someone but was abandoned by the owner(s). Stray cats will often be more friendly since they had been used to human companionship and interaction, feral cats on the other hand, are true "wild" cats that have never had any close contact with humans. Many feral cats are often the result of the offspring of the abandoned stray cat who most likely was not spayed/neutered. Since feral cats haven't had any socialization with humans, they are wary and cautious and will hide from humans. For this article to suggest that a "gang" of feral cats viciously attacked this French 31-year-old woman while she was walking her dog is beyond ludicrous. This is not feral cat behavior in the least.

Sad to say, this latest article seems to be just one in a series of what seems to be a downright anti-cat campaign that has been going on for awhile now and of which suggesting the concept of killing off any stray or feral cats. For instance, I've come across articles about New Zealand's plan to totally eradicate all feral and stray cats. Some states in the U.S., such as New Jersey, had in the past even toyed around with the idea of changing the status of stray/feral cats to "wildlife" which in effect would then make it perfectly legal for people to downright kill any stray/feral cat they encounter.

Then, of course, there was that "infamous" article earlier this year featured in the Orlando Sentinel written by guest writer Ted Williams, whom is a writer for Audubon Magazine. In the full original version of the article, Mr. Williams suggested the idea of poisoning feral/stray cats with Tylenol; his "suggestion" about poisoning was quickly later deleted from the article. This article created such a furor with animal rights activists that petitions were set up demanding to have Mr. Williams dismissed as a writer for the Orlando Sentinel. For awhile he was let go from his guest writer status, but he was unfortunately later reinstated. However, even with the deletion of his original remark to outright poison cats, the article still remains rather antagonistic toward stray/feral cats and is also against the TNR (Trap/Neuter/Release) program and would prefer to see a TE (trap/euthanize) program initiated instead. The article continues to ramble on about how stray/feral cats harbor infectious diseases and are a danger to other wildlife such as the bird population. How ludicrous, in my opinion, as cats are not only the animals that can harbor infectious diseases and are not the only predators to other wildlife.

Yes, I do recognize that a growing stray/feral cat population exists, but who has been the culprit in creating such a problem? Humans. To this day, I will never understand why a cats owner would allow their cat to run around outdoors unsupervised. Cats can be very content with being strictly indoors and will live longer, happier, more diseased-free lives. Pet cats, on the other hand, who are allowed to roam free are more likely to pick up on diseases, go missing, run away, or worse meet with some horrible fate as being run over by a car. Also, if that pet cat was never spayed/neutered and allowed to roam, chances are that cat will meet up with another unfixed cat and breed, thus now causing unwanted litters. The cycle of the over population of cats has now started and thus in turn will then create a feral population.

Now the whole essence of the TNR program is to diminish the ever exploding feral cat population and has met with huge success in many areas nationwide. Feral cats often form "colonies" that is a good number of feral cats who in effect band together and form their own territory. When rescuers get involved with the TNR program trap these feral cats and have them spayed/neutered it greatly lessens and reduces the chance of more unwanted feral cats. Also, not only are the feral cats fixed but have also been given vaccines for such diseases as rabies, herpes and calicvirus, lessening the chance of the spreading of such diseases. (4) How can one tell if a feral cat has been given veterinary care of in such a manner? One ear is usually ear-tipped, that is, a section of one ear of the cat is cut off.

Now a person may ask and wonder why these feral cats are then re-released into the wild again instead perhaps placing them into shelters where they may get adopted? Number one, pet shelters, for the most part, are overflowing with unwanted pets dumped into shelters by owners for a variety of reasons to begin with. Number two, these are feral cats, wild, unsociable and not used to human contact; the likelihood that a feral cat can ever be a cuddly pet lap cat is near zero; in fact, most feral cats that are caught and placed into shelters are most likely to be euthanized.

So now getting back to this latest seemingly anti-feral cat article by Marc Lallanilla. I can't help thinking there has to is a lot more to this than what was related by the so-called "victim" Josette Galliot who claims she was viciously attacked by a gang of six feral cats who knocked her to the ground while walking her dog. Sorry, I just can't visualize cats knocking a person down to the ground; we're talking about cats folks, not a wild loose bear terrorizing the neighborhood. Feral cats are not in the habit of making their presence known; if anything, they remain hidden. However, all animals, repeat all animals, whether wild or domestic might go into "attack" mode if they in anyway feel threatened. One can't help ask then, did this woman somehow provoke these feral cats, did they feel threatened, were they perhaps trying to protect their kittens?

Going back to the idea that stray/feral cats can carry infectious diseases and therefore a health menace. As I've indicated other forms of wildlife can carry diseases as well and here's just a partial listing. One can see a full lists of diseases here:
Diseases Of Wildlife

1). Deer: carriers of ticks~Lyme disease; also Brucella and Mycobacterium tuberculosis
2). Raccons and Skunks: Most likely to have rabies
3). Wild Rabbits: Tularemia
4). Wild rodents and mice: Lymphocytic Choriomeningits, Tularemia, Plague (Yersinia pestis
And of course let's not forget about mosquitos. One would probably more likely to be bitten by a mosquito that carries the West Niles virus that being suddenly attacked and bitten by a stray/feral cat.

Mr. Lallanilla's article is the latest in this trend of the hysterical mania and negative mind-set of how dangerous stray/feral cats are and therefore they should be totally eliminated. I can't help think this is the same hysterical mania mind-set that occurred during the Middle Ages when cats were considered evil, Devil's advocates and familiars to witches and were also killed off. Sadly, I hardly think Mr. Lallanilla's article will be the last that we hear of such nonsensical drivel.

Sources:

Feral Cat Attack Article

http://www.nbcnews.com/science/gang-feral-cats-attacks-woman-her-dog-france-6C10765319

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/tourists-warned-after-french-woman-and-her-dog-are-attacked-by-gang-of-six-feral-cats-8733229.html (1)

http://www.estrepublicain.fr/faits-divers/2013/07/23/attaquee-par-une-meute-de-chats (2)

Ted Williams article:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/03/130320-feral-cats-euthanize-ted-williams-audubon-science/

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2013-03-14/news/os-ed-feral-cats-031413-20130313_1_feral-cats-feral-cat-problem-alley-cat-allies (3)

Good article by Alley Cats Alley About Stray vs. Feral Cats:

http://www.alleycat.org/strayorferal

Another good article about feral cats:
http://www.vftafoundation.org/programs/feral-colonies/ (4)

New Zealand Feral Cats Articles:

http://www.lifewithcats.tv/2013/02/01/new-zealand-veterinary-association-supports-eradication-of-wild-feral-and-stray-cats/

http://www.livescience.com/26525-cat-eradication-new-zealand-save-birds.html

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/culturing-science/2013/01/29/killer-cats/

Article concerning New Jersey to change status of feral cats to wildlife

http://petsweekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=290%3Anj-attempts-feral-cat-hunting&catid=42%3Acatshome&Itemid=71&lang=en

ARTICLE: My Love of Black Cats: June 17~Black Cats Are Beautiful Day

(Originally published as a "Note" on Facebook~May 24, 2013 and on Yahoo.voices~May 27, 2013)

Image Source~©MELANIE NEER~Photo of my current black cat Ouija

ABSTRACT: This is an article to give readers a notion of the how and why of my love for black cats, and hopefully bring an awareness of their beauty, and to dispel the superstitions about black cats.

CONTENT:

I've had a love for black cats ever since I can remember, in fact, my very first cat, Babette, was a "tuxedo" cat that my mother adopted as a Christmas present for me when I was only five years old. Since then and throughout my life while I've had other types of cats, there have always, but always been black cats as part of my "family". There most certainly is an allure to the black cat. In my opinion they have a unique "catitude" all their own; perhaps they in a sense feel and recognize themselves to be "mini" panthers.

Growing up I obviously was never aware of the stigma or superstitions that have surrounded black cats for centuries. Maybe it was due to the fact that in my early childhood I've always had a great love for the Ancient Egyptian culture. Naturally I was aware of how cats in general were worshipped during that time; then of course there was the female cat goddess Bast, often depicted as a woman with a cat's head, but also of course simply as a cat. During Ancient Egyptian times, cats were so highly regarded and held sacred, that to kill a cat was punishable by death. Since black cats were rather rare during that time period most often statues of Bast were, yes, as you can guess, black cats. Unfortunately, with the passage of time, things went downhill for the feline species, and especially for black cats.

Erroneous beliefs began to crop up via early Christianity and during the Medieval period that black cats were evil and most often associated with "witches". Who can forget that part of history of how cats were rounded up and killed by the hundreds, if not the thousands. This of course, had a negative effect; without the cats to kill off the rodents, the spread of the virus occurred, known of course as the Black Plague.

As a bit of historical trivia, take the name "Pyewacket" for instance, most often associated with the name of the Siamese cat in the classic 1958 movie, Bell, Book and Candle; yet in reality, the name Pyewacket was first mentioned and known in England, and yes, as a black cat and a familiar to a witch back in 1644.

Black cats therefore, were forever considered evil, unlucky, especially if one crossed your path and as the devil's messengers. Ironically however, no such belief about black cats would exist in Celtic cultures, in fact, in those countries a black cat was considered the opposite, that is, "lucky". Yet all in all, black cats still have the stigma of being unlucky, even in our own USA, so much so, that black cats are the least unlikely to be adopted from shelters. Not only are black cats the least likely to be adopted, but even today are often targets of sick individuals who will torture or kill black cats and especially during the month of October.

Over at Facebook, I'm one of those animal activist/advocates; among other things, I regularly and daily crosspost the urgent cats needing to be rescued/saved/pulled/fostered from shelters, particularly high kill shelters. I became all too well aware of how black cats were the highest in number being listed on "death row", that is to be euthanized (a nice polite way of saying killed) since, as I've mentioned, black cats are the least likely to be adopted due to the old superstitions. One thing I did notice however, on a more positive note was that no doubt other people found a beauty in black cats also, and over at Facebook are scores of groups, pages and even "events" dedicated to the black cat to honor and glorify their unique beauty.

Some two years ago I decided to start my own group at Facebook, of which I call Black Cats Are Beautiful. Here people can join my group and share pictures of their own black cats both past and present, share stories about black cats, post cute Cheezeburger black cats photos, and in general, celebrate the beauty of the black cat. I also developed a Facebook page called Black Cats Urgent Rescue in which those black cats who need to be rescued from shelters can be posted and hopefully more people will step up to save these beautiful mini panthers.

This year I've gone even a step further, and have declared June 17th as Black Cats Are Beautiful Day and created an "event" over at Facebook as well. Why June 17th? On June 17, 2001, a black cat came into my life, and yes, I named him Pyewacket. Pyewacket seemed to have come into my life when it was the most turbulent, it was as if he appeared to be my guardian throughout the years of turmoil and was in every sense of the word was my helper and companion. Sadly and most unexpectedly, he passed on April 19, 2010. To date though I'm not without a black cat since on December 1, 2012, I adopted a new black cat, formerly known as Dot from the shelter, but of whom I renamed Ouija. My newcomer of course will never replace Pyewacket, but how could I not have a black cat in my life? To me that would be "unlucky".

All in all, to my mind, there can never be enough Groups, Pages or Events that celebrate the beauty of the black cat, and by doing so, will dispel the stigma and superstitions black cats have had throughout history.

Black Cats Are Beautiful Facebook Group:
Black Cats Are Beautiful Facebook Page

Black Cats Urgent Rescue Facebook Page:
Black Cats Urgent Rescue Page

Black Cats Are Beautiful Day June 17 Event

Black Cats Are Beautiful Event

Name of Pyewacket
Pyewacket Name

My cat Pyewacket who was in every sense of the word my "guardian"~~June 17, 2001~April 19, 2010

My statue of Bast, which I got over 35 years ago. It's a replica of a statue in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY

Me and Babette, my first black "tuxedo" cat, photo taken when about eight years old

Images Sources~©MELANIE NEER~All personal photos

ARTICLE: The Disposable Mind-Set Too Often Includes Pets

(Originally Published at Yahoo.Voices formerly Associated Content~4/30/2013)

A slightly different version of this article also appeared at Bubblews~5/17/2013

Bubblews version

ABSTRACT: We sadly live in a time, where not only are inanimate items are considered disposable but living, breathing pets who are often dumped into shelters when they are no longer wanted.

CONTENT:

We seem to be living in an age where everything seems disposable, to be gotten rid of if it doesn't serve our purpose or is useful to us anymore. Perhaps only fifteen or twenty years ago, if one's TV went on the blink for whatever reason, instead of throwing it out, one would've called a TV repairman to fix it; the same could also be said for stereo systems and appliances. Decades ago if one bought furniture, it was often considered an investment of sorts and one kept it for nearly one's lifetime; one may even have handed some of the furniture down to relatives. Now however, instead of getting an item repaired or handing it down, we dispose of it to get a new and improved version of it.

Sadly and tragically, no longer are only inanimate items tossed away like so much garbage, but pets are as well; they have become disposable. I do a lot of crossposting of urgent pets needing to be rescued over at Facebook and I'm aware of the alarmingly high rate of pets being surrendered. Each and every single day, nationwide, pets are surrendered into shelters, particularly high kill municipal shelters. High kill shelters have an open admission surrender policy; these high kill shelters are obligated to take in any and all pets for whatever reason the owner gives. Quite frankly, some of the reasons an owner gives are poor excuses and to my mind a betrayal of trust that the pet may have had with the owner particularly if that owner had the pet for many years.

Here are some of the reasons, which I find rather lame, for why people get rid of their pets:

1). "New Baby":
I really have no idea why people think they need to "dispose" of their pet due to a new baby coming into the family. While I've had cats nearly all my life ever since I was five years old, prior to that, my folks were dog people, and consequently there was a dog, named Candy. When I came into the world, it never crossed their minds to get rid of the dog. In fact I have a rare photo of myself as a baby; I'm not even a year old, and there I am sitting on the living room floor and right next to me was Candy who was a beagle.

2). "Allergies":
Yes, people can be allergic to pets, but what I can't understand is why people surrender pets into shelters due to allergies after having the pet for eight or more years. And guess what folks? Yes I have allergies. Also, when my grandmother was still alive and living with my mother and myself, she developed asthma. Her doctor recommended getting rid of the four cats we had at the time, and what was her response? She got rid of the doctor instead. So yes, she had asthma however she was able to control it via medications.

3). "Moving":
People move for a variety of reasons: perhaps to upgrade to a better living space, foreclosure, or even eviction, yet why does one feel it necessary to surrender a pet or leave it behind due to "moving"? Often I hear that the excuse is that the new place a person is moving to won't allow pets. Well, like duh? If a person truly views their pet as a family member, shouldn't they go out of their way to find a place that does accept pets?

In most cases with moving there is a known time factor involved, and yes even in cases of foreclosure or eviction, it's usually not like one has to move pronto overnight. Some of the saddest cases are the "foreclosure" pets…pets abandoned and left behind. I came across one such case while crossposting urgent cats on Facebook. The former owners left their orange tabby cat behind, the cat mind you was 18 years old! The new tenants upon moving in found the cat and took it to a shelter, a high kill shelter I might add. Diligent crossposting between us all over at Facebook began for "Ginger". In Ginger's case she was lucky as someone was willing to adopt her for the remainder of her "senior" years. But not all stories end happily ever after and in many cases the cat (or dog) will be "euthanized".

Would people "abandon" their human children for the moving excuse if children weren't allowed in a new place? I don't think so, they would go out of their way to find a place that did accept children, so why do people feel it's all right to abandon their pet(s)?

4). No Pets Allowed:
Yes many landlords will have a no pet clause in their lease or he/she may all of a sudden decide no pets allowed even if previously pets were allowed, however there are some loopholes people need to know about. In many cases, despite a no pet clause, if the pet owner has had the pet for at least three months, the landlord can't take legal action or demand the pet owner to give up their pet, so it's wise for people to know the specific pet laws that are in a pet owner's favor and not the landlords.

5). "No Time":
Are people so busy in their lives that they don't have time for their pet? If they can make time for their human children, and other family obligations, then in my opinion so should they for their pets.

6). "Too Old":
I can't think of a bigger sense of betrayal to a pet than when a pet owner surrenders their pet to a shelter due to the pet being old, and especially if that pet owner then wants to get a new puppy or kitten since the "old" pet is no longer cute and cuddly. I came across one such a case only the other night while doing my crossposting over at Facebook. The cat's name was Lola and was two years old, but the owner had only adopted the cat five months ago. Now the owner was surrendering Lola to a high kill shelter. In the "evaluation/questionnaire" asked of the owner why he was surrendering Lola, the person stated, "too big getting a kitten". The cat was only two years old and the person thought it too big and old? Two years old is still practically a kitten in itself! Thankfully since I was tracking to see the fate of Lola, I found out that she was rescued. Of course, there's the other extreme where the pet is say ten, fifteen, or more years old and the owner wants a "new and improved" version. It's when I come across cases like this, I'm sorry, but I hope karma bites the person in the butt and when that person is old gets "dumped" somewhere and abandoned.

7). "Personal Problems"
While there can be many types of personal problems involved, one of the biggest personal problems excuse cited is this scenario. A person has a pet, and may have had the pet for many years, but then a new "love" interest comes into their life. This new love interest pulls a either it's me or the pet threat. Since the idiot, and yes, I'm thinking the person is an idiot to be so blinded by love for the person, that person will stupidly give up the pet, and yes, it is stupid. Sorry, but if a new love interest came into my life, I would practically do a police interrogation and one of the first questions I would ask, "Do you like animals/pets?" If that person said no, well, let's put it this way, I would show the person to the door and say au revoir.

8). "Owner Sick, Hospitalized, or Death"
Here is were careful planning needs to be done in the event a pet owner becomes sick, hospitalized or passes away and needs to make some kind of arrangements before something happens. Many of the pets that are dumped into shelters due to the pet owner getting sick, needing extended hospitalization or perhaps even placed in a hospice or nursing home, and/or possible death, and the main problem may lie when the pet owner's relatives, friends or other family members don't want to be burdened with the pet(s), so they dump it in a shelter. Pet owners should find a person willing to take care of their pet in the event of their getting sick and/or hospitalized, and in the case of the owner's death have very clear instructions about the fate of their pet(s).

To help with making such arrangements, there are two forms one can download. One is a Pet Guardian Form where it can be filled out and one can clearly state who is to take charge of their pet upon their demise. The other form is a Pet Profile, this is a form where one can fill out all the particulars of the pet involved, such as stating whether the pet is spayed/neutered, microchipped, age, breed, etc. I have links to these forms below:

Pet Guardian Form

http://www.gotcats.org/guardian.html

Pet Guardian Form

Pet Profile Form

http://www.gotcats.org/PetProfile.html

Pet Profile Form

What I have personally done is I have several copies of each form and was able to print photos of each cat directly on each form…one copy I have right in full view on my computer desk, while another is on my hallway bookcase shelf, also in plain view. With each set of forms I also have contact info of people to contact/call in case something happens to me. I also carry around on my person when I go out that contact listing.

There are several other "excuses" people will often give for surrendering or abandoning their pets, but the above that I mention are the seemingly more common reasons.

Day in and day out as I spend hour upon hour crossposting the urgent pets that need to be saved and rescued over at Facebook, especially from high kill shelters, I have to admit to being puzzled as to why people have gotten the mind set that pets are disposable, to be gotten rid of as if they were so much garbage. Animals do have feelings just as we humans do, they are living, breathing souls just as we are. They can and do demonstrate many of the emotions we humans feel. They can feel pain, can demonstrate sadness or grief (as in cases where their owner or fellow companion animal dies), they can also demonstrate joy as well.

If a person does decide to adopt a pet, that person needs to realize that they are obligated and responsible to take care of that pet for its entire life. People must wake up to the fact that pets are not disposable commodities. What's really pathetic is that many pet owners probably don't even realize what fate may be in store for that pet they now no longer want and dumped off at a shelter; if people think that their former pet is going to have a happily ever after story, and their pet will be adopted again, they must realize that isn't always the case.

Yes, while many of these surrendered pets particularly in high kill shelters are saved and rescued, the vast majority aren't and are euthanized, a nice way of saying killed, worse yet, not all shelter pets in high kill shelters are killed off by lethal injection, but by shoving these unwanted pets into a gas chamber where they die a slow and agonizing death. Everyday thousands, yes thousands of shelter pets are killed nationwide. In order to stop the needless killing of healthy pets that wind up in shelters, pet owners must view their pet as a family member and take care of that pet forever.