ARTICLE: The Realities of Animal Testing: a Practice that is Not Necessary

(Originally Published at Yahoo.voices formerly Associated Content~Oct. 29, 2007)

ABSTRACT: Animal testing and experimentation has been going on since around the third and fourth centuries BC in Ancient Greece. But now that there are alternatives to testing on animals why are we still doing it? CONTENT: I think many of us have been aware and heard of animal testing and/or experimentation which is supposedly to be beneficial to mankind, but is it really necessary in light ofthe fact that there are alternatives to this rather cruel and barbaric practice?

While all along, I have been aware of the horrors that exists with the whole concept of animal testing, it wasn't until I recently got my own computer a few months ago, and started exposing myself to the realities of what goes on in animal experimentation, by reading up on articles presented by a variety of animal rights groups, such as The American Anti-Vivisection Society, S.A.E.N. (Stop Animal Exploitation Now) and of course, the well-known animal activist group, PETA (People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals). Not only was I exposed to articles about animal testing, but I came across countless photos, and even undercover videos that were taken by such activist groups...many were extremely graphic, and cannot by any means be viewed by the squeamish.

What I didn't know, however, was just how far back in history the practice of experimenting on animals went and it may no doubt surprise most people as well. For all I know, animal experimentation may have gone further back than the third or fourth centuries BC, but the first known written records about it are from none other than the Greek philosophers, Aristotle and Erasistratus, who both wrote about their own experiences in experimenting on animals. It wasn't, however, until the second-century BC, that the Roman physician, Galen was to be labeled as the father of vivisection.

For what purpose there may have been in such early animal experimentation or testing we may never know. It may have perhaps been to try and discover how the functions of the body worked, and rather use human subjects, early scientists and physicians used animals instead. It wasn't until the centuries moved up, particularly beginning during the seventeenth century, that more and more experiments on animals took place. Now physicians were carefully documenting any discovery pertaining to the functioning of the body via the use of animal experiments. For instance, it was in the early 1600s that William Harvey made extensive discoveries of how the blood circulated and moved in animals. In the 1700s it was Antoine Lavoisier who discovered how respiration worked by using guinea pigs, and the scientist Stephen Hales was able to determine how blood pressure worked by using horses.

Now we tend to think that any opposition of animal testing and experimentation is a relatively new thing in our own time. Not so. Even amongst the scientific community of the seventeenth century, such people as physiologist, Edmund O'Meara in 1655, voiced his opinions and questioned the validity of such experimentation. Noted philosopher, Voltaire in 1764, also expressed and wrote his viewpoints of the cruelty to animals by conducting such experiments, under the guise of the good of mankind.

It therefore appears, throughout our history, the whole issue of animal experimentation and testing has had its controversy and opposition. Now, however, the whole issue of animal experimentation and testing has really come under attack within the past few decades, and not just by animal rights activists either, but by an ever-growing group of people in the medical and scientific community at large. Each and every year, millions of animals are subjected to tests, supposedly for the benefit of mankind. Yet, now more than ever before, many people are questioning the validity of such testing, especially in light of the fact, that such testing on animals may no longer even be necessary.

Those who are opposed to any kind of animal testing for any purpose whatsoever, particularly among animal rights activists, will point out the downright cruelty that exists toward these millions of innocent animals that are tested on each and every year. Yet, while we may tend to think that the rather vocal and sometimes considered a very radical organization, such as PETA, which was founded in 1980 in America, as the first to openly state its opposition about the cruel practice of vivisection it is by no means the first. The oldest American organization against the whole vivisection issue, was the the American Anti-Vivisection Society, founded by Caroline Earle White in 1883. Her Society was then followed by the founding of the ASPCA by Henry Bergh in 1866. Since then, more and more organizations have been founded, such as The Humane Society of The United States, S.A.E.N. (Stop Animal Exploitation Now), The Animal Liberation Front, and so forth...the list is virtually endless.

In my own personal search about the issue of vivisection, needless to say, I became exposed to the countless number of websites, and as previously mentioned, many of these websites include very graphic photos, and sometimes even videos that show the horrific treatment of animals for testing all in the supposed name of science. Anyone who views such photos and videos, if they have any compassion for animals at all, must question, how can we, as human beings do such horrific tests and experiments on animals..for what real purpose?

What is the purpose, for instance, as in one of the photos I came across, is there for a beagle to be purposely set on fire to document the effects of burns? Don't we kind of know that already? What is the purpose of hooking up a cat to an IV drip with alcohol to supposedly test the affects of wine or hard liquor? The more graphic photos I came across the more I had to question the validity of any animal testing.

Now of course, some might say, that we need to test on animals especially for the pharmaceutical industry to find out the effects of any one of the miracle drugs that are being discovered. But how can the safety factor and side effects of any medication be validated by testing on animals, when the physiological and biological make-up is so radically different from we human beings? Could this explain why so many medications are now being recalled, especially those who have such detrimental side effects, even death itself?

As mentioned before, an ever growing community of scientists and physicians are also questioning how valid testing on animals is for any medical knowledge connected with humans especially considering that there are numerous alternative means of testing besides the use of animals. In 1981, the Johns Hopkins University established the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT). Therefore, for twenty-six years, there have been known alternatives besides the use of laboratory animals for the testing of medicines, and/or for product safety for human use. So, I guess, the question remains in everyone's mind, why do we still use animals for testing? For what purpose are we still subjecting animals to experimentation, often under unbelievably cruel conditions and treatment? For what purpose are so many of the multi-billion dollar companies still testing on animals for cosmetic purposes and use for humans? And more important, what can we do, to stop this practice of animal testing?

One thing we can do,is to start being conscious consumers when it comes to any product for cosmetic use. Read the labels of any product you buy...If it doesn't say "Not Tested on Animals" then you can bet, that hair color, make-up, shampoo or fragrance may have been tested on an animal first. One great organization to get involved with is The Coalition For Consumer Information On Cosmetics (http://www.leapingbunny.org/about_us.htm) which even has a sampl letter that you can use to write to companies that are still noted for testing on animals. To find out which companies do and don't test on animals, one can refer to the CaringConsumer.com website, which has downloadable lists.

The information I've provided here is only the tip of the iceberg, so to say, about the whole issue of animal testing in general and the resources one can personally take to become actively involved in voicing one's opinions about animal experimentations.

For further information, I even invite you to view my own website, of which I'm still in the process of developing that I hope, will be an all in one website with everything related to animal issues in general.

Sources:

Animal Testing:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_animal_testing

Alternatives To Animal Testing:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_for_Alternatives_to_Animal_Testing

Animal Organizations:

http://www.aavs.org/

http://www.all-creatures.org/saen/

http://www.hsus.org/about_us/

http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_home

Graphic Photo Sources Of Animal Testing:

http://www.atourhands.com/primates.html

http://vivisection-absurd.org.uk/warning.html

Listing of Companies That Do and Don't Test on Animals

http://www.caringconsumer.com/resources_companies.asp

My Own Website On Animal Issues:

http://www.freewebs.com/ifeveryonecared-animals/

ARTICLE: The Puppy Mill Industry: the Truth Behind This Cruel Business

(Originally published at Yahoo.Voices formerly Associated Content~Oct.22, 2007)

You just went to a pet store and saw some adorable puppies for sale, not realizing that if you were to buy one, you were contributing to the cruel practices that still occur in the puppy mill industry. Whether it's a puppy or kitten mill, the methods of breeding puppies or kittens are the same.

The puppy mill business is not new as it's been around for decades and I certainly was aware of them for years, yet I didn't realize the true horror that goes behind this industry. Just recently, as I'm a member of The Humane Society of the United States, I got an action alert email from them to sign a petition to bring about the end of the puppy mill industry, and I hope that in the near future, actions are taken against kitten mills as well. On their website there are several informative and graphic videos of exactly what goes on in the puppy mill business, and it's not a pretty sight.

The average puppy that is for sale, not only in pet stores but on-line as well, most likely came from one of these puppy mills. One will be able to verify this fact, if the pet store or the person selling a puppy on-line has no documented papers from a certified breeder authenticating not only the breed of dog, but it's health. All puppies that come from reliable breeders will be able to supply this information to the pet store, if not then you are dealing with a puppy from one of these mills.

Puppies that come from these mills have been breed by the thousands. The people who run such a business, usually get their young dogs at auctions who have reached their breeding age, most likely when they have demonstrated their very first heat when they are only a year or so old. The Humane Society caught such auctions at various locations in the United States with an undercover camera. One sees hundreds of dogs each one caged in small, cramped steel cages. They are kept without food or water provisions all day, while one by one, they are auctioned off like slaves. And yes, to my mind, these dogs do become slaves for their owner, for the breeder the only one who benefits and profits from the continual breeding of their dogs.

The conditions of puppy mills themselves are no better than how the dogs were kept during these auctions, in fact they're usually worse. Once again, the dog will be confined to a small, crowded cages with its mating partner. Some of these caged conditions are so crammed that often the dogs and their offspring develop psychological and behavioral problems. They may be more nervous, and agitated than the normal dog, and often acquire the condition of cage madness, where the dogs spend most of their days, spinning around in circles uncontrollably. Sadly, once these puppies are shipped out to pet shops and are bought by the unsuspecting person, the new owner will then wonder why their cute cuddly puppy has behavior problems and can't properly train them, so either the puppy is returned to the pet store, dumped off at a shelter, or just simply dumped in the streets.

Neither the parents dogs nor their offspring receive proper veterinary care or attention. They usually have inadequate food supplies given to them, and in one part of the video, it showed how the food supply at one puppy mill was filled with crawling maggots. Worse yet, none of these dogs ever receive any sense of love or kindness from their human owners. They exist solely and only for the owner to simply to breed out of control and make a profit to the breeder. Since none of these dogs receive proper care, many quickly become sickly, producing puppies that are just as sickly. It's not unusual that when someone does buy that cute puppy at the pet store or on-line, they wonder why the puppy develops further complications of health problems and despite any veterinary care it may receive by its owner often my die only a few weeks or months after it was bought.

All adult dogs are forced to breed litter upon litter of puppies until the dog can no longer produce anymore litters, usually when they are only five years old. This is not old by any means for a dog but because these dogs are forced to breed continually, their breeding capabilities are shortened. Once that happens, the dog is no longer considered useful or profitable and is usually disposed of. The Humane Society in yet another video, says that ideally the dog is euthanized...but that is the ideal situation. Sadly however, most often the dog is either allowed to starve to death, or even beaten to death.

According to The Humane Society they, as well as other animal rights organizations, are now taking aggressive actions to stop this puppy mill industry once and for all. On their website, The Humane Society has a petition one can sign to help stop this cruel practice of the puppy mill, hopefully, in the future they may take action against the kitten mill industry as well.

Besides signing such a petition, what further actions can the average person take? One is to write to their governments officials to pass bills to outlaw and make illegal any and all puppy mill industries. Here in New York, for instance, Assemblyman Gregory R. Ball has proposed two such bills to make the puppy mill industry a thing of the past in this state; sadly these proposed bills are just for New York. However, by writing to one's political leaders in their own state, one can put pressure to have similar bills proposed that would make this "industry" made illegal, and one day we may see the end of this cruel business nationwide.

Also, the potential pet owner looking for a puppy should pass up buying it at a pet store or on-line. To do so only encourages another puppy to take its place in the store, therefore, creating the demand for puppies to be breed at these mills. Instead, one should go to their local shelter, where hundreds of unwanted puppies and dogs are adoptable and eagerly waiting to have a new home. To do so will save a life of an animal who may otherwise be euthanized due to lack of space in the shelter.

Sources of information :

http://www.stoppuppymills.org/

http://www.stoppuppymills.org/inside_a_puppy_mill.html

ARTICLE: A Guide on How to Take Care of Young Kittens: The Taking Care of a Newborn or Very Young Kitten

(Originally published at Yahoo.Voices formerly Associated Content~October 16, 2007) Ideally, when a person is interested and thinking about adopting a kitten, it should be at least six weeks to eight weeks old, as this is when the kitten will have been weaned from it's mother, however, kittens may actually still like to nurse as old as ten weeks of age.

All shelters and pet rescuers refuse to adopt out kittens younger than six weeks of age, due to the obvious reasons that the kitten is just to young to be adopted and taken away from it's mother. There are numerous occasions, when unfortunately it's commonplace for a person, who has a female cat, and hasn't had it spayed will find themselves with an unwanted litter, and thus bring the litter to a shelter, placing the responsibility and care of these kittens with the shelter until they are old enough to be adopted. This is an ideal scenario of what happens to an unwanted litter of kittens, but that isn't always the case. All too often thoughtless people will simply dump or dispose of the young, and innocent kittens, either by simply trashing them like garbage or even drowning them; or they just might be lucky to be taken in by someone, other than a shelter situation who has some knowledge of how to take care of very young kittens, as was the case with me many years ago.

I've had pets, mainly cats since I was five years old. It was actually my mother's idea to get a cat and she adopted one through a shelter. Having been around cats nearly all my life, I have to admit I developed a natural instinct in taking care of them throughout all the stages of their lives, but it wasn't until 1987 that I was able to add another ability of mine, and that was taking care of recent newborns.

At the time, back in 1987 we now had five cats, and many of our neighbors knew we had cats, while most of the other tenants had dogs, including one family who had lived in the building almost as long as we had. Out of the blue, one day, the young son of this tenant rang our bell and he was accompanied by five of his friends, plus a "surprise". He held a cardboard box which contained a litter of six kittens. Not only were these kittens younger than six weeks of age, but recent newborns. They still had the characteristic ears flattened against their heads, a sign that they couldn't hear yet, their eyes were closed tight and all still had their umbilical cords, an indication that these kittens were only a day or two old. The son explained he and his friends had been playing and suddenly heard the soft mewings of kittens. They made a search and were horrified that when they opened up one of the garbage bins of a nearby apartment building, they found the box of kittens in it. Knowing that I had cats, they right away thought of me, assuming I knew how to take care of such young kittens.

I have to admit that, yes, in some ways, yes I did, for only a few years prior, some of my friends had found a very, very young abandoned kitten less than four weeks old in a nearby park and as you can guess, brought the kitten to my care. While this kitten was older I quickly discovered that I did indeed have to bottle feed this, thus giving me the opportunity and know how in taking care of such a young kitten. However, as the son presented me with this box of newborns, this was a challenge. The son and his young little friends were adamantly interested in taking care of the kittens themselves and asked question after question of how to take care of them. Now if I had had the foresight I would have refused to have them have any of the kittens until they were properly weaned, but since their interest was genuine, I started giving them instructions on how and what to feed them, and even told them that they also had to also rub the bottom of the kitten to make it "go"...a function that the mother cat will do by licking a kitten's bottom for the same purpose. Each of the children then picked out a kitten each, and I took one as well. Sadly, I found out later that none of the other kittens survived, despite my careful instructions of how to take care of them, and it really wasn't their fault being that these were young children, as even adults may not even know how to properly take care of such newborn kittens. The good news, however, was that the one newborn kitten of whom I had named Sachiko, not only survived but thrived and lived to be sixteen years old.

The point of this article is to give some pointers to anyone who also may find themselves in the same situation as I've been for the success of taking care of very, very young kittens, particularly when one may not having the advantage of having the mother cat around. First of all, this is a very time consuming proposition and one must be dedicated to this job as the very survival of the animal is at stake here. Ideally this is the kind of task to undertake if one isn't at the present time working, for such young kittens, especially newborns need round the clock care and feeding. Remember you are dealing with young animal infants who need every bit of care as one who is taking care of a newborn human baby.

First, is the food issue, and one might wonder what is the best thing to feed newborn kittens...or puppies for that fact. There is a product available called KMR Milk Replacer (for puppies, its Esbilac Milk Replacer) which comes in either powder or liquid form, and most closely resembles the nutrition needs found in the milk of a mother cat (or dog). This product can be found in just about any quality pet store, or of course, you can order on-line. Then of course, you need the means to feed the infant, young kitten (or puppy) and one can also find this at a pet store as well. This can range from small feeding bottles to even syringe type feeders, although most people find the bottles more convenient; in a pinch however, when I at first wasn't able to find any or weren't available to me right away, I made do with a baby doll's type bottle and worked just as effectively.

As with human babies, one has to heat up this formula, usually by placing the bottle with an adequate amount of the formula in the bottle and placing it in a bowl or saucer of very hot water and allowing the formula to heat up. One can then do the same "test" for the proper temperature that one does in testing the formula's heat for a human baby, and that is to do the "wrist" test, that is, sprinkling a few drops of the formula on one's wrist. v Next, and this is what I did, I would gently wrap the newborn or young kitten in a soft towel, setting the kitten on my lap and gently place the nipple into the kitten's mouth. If it is hungry, you'll sure know it as it will suckle on the bottle as if it was it's own mother's teat. The kitten will usually not drink more than it needs at anyone time and will let you know by stopping its feeding automatically. One generally has to feed a newborn or young kitten every few hours, and round the clock, so yes, one has to do feedings in the middle of the night, just as one would with a human baby. And needless to say, one must be conscientious and remember to routinely clean and sterilize the bottles just as you would with a human's baby bottle to prevent contamination. v One also has to remember, you have to do all the tasks a mother cat (or dog) does, and this includes making sure the infant animal voids. Normally the mother animal will lick the baby's bottom to make it go, but without the parent animal you have to do this, and the best way to do this, is to gently rub the infant animal's bottom with a soft paper towel or even a tissue until it urinates or defecates. And admittedly not exactly the most pleasant task to do, but it does have to be done for the proper functioning of the young animal. And don't forget to "burp" the kitten. Yes, you have to do this with infant animals as well, and one can gently rub the back or even the tummy of the infant animal.

Now the KMR Milk Replacer is naturally considered the best alternative to the mother's milk, and normally one shouldn't have a problem. I wasn't so lucky when it came to feeding Sachiko. I remember vividly racing out to get this formula only to find that it just didn't go well with her, in fact she had a continuing bout of diarrhea and at first I was at a complete loss as to what to feed her, as I had read in one veterinary type book that regular cow's milk could cause the exact same problem. However, I decided to give it a go, and I not only started feeding Sachiko regular, whole cow' milk, but for extra protein, added an egg yolk to the milk. I was fortunate that I discovered that she had a better tolerance for this "formula" of mine, rather than the KMR Milk Replacer. I add this information, just in case anyone runs into the same problem...it just might work better as it did for me in my case.

It's also important to keep a newborn or young kitten as warm as possible to avoid the possibility of the kitten coming down with a respiratory illness. What I did with Sachiko was to keep and place her inside one of my extra traveling pet cases, creating an incubator type environment by lining it with a blanket, then placed a small sized cardboard box inside it lined with a small, soft towel, and to avoid any drafts from possibly coming in, I placed the entire traveling case on top of the spare bed in my bedroom, in other words, I kept the case off the floor. If it's winter time, however you can place such a traveling case near a heat source, like a radiator, just as long as you make sure there are no drafts. I also even placed a clock inside the case. Yes, a clock. The idea behind this is that even though such a young kitten can neither see or hear yet, it can still feel and sense things. Young kittens when raised by their natural mothers are used to feeling the beating of their mother's heart. Thus, in lieu of this, a clock is a good substitute for the beating of a heart.

Once the kitten is about three weeks old, one can start adding to the formula a little bit of strained meat human baby food and blending well to get the kitten used to eating/nursing on something more solid, then by four weeks of age, one can try to also give the baby food at full strength, however, don't neglect the bottle feedings either, one must still continue to do this until the kitten is at least six weeks old, and even older, for technically speaking, nursing kittens when they have their own mothers to nurse on will continue sometimes even months after they are of the weaned age. By six weeks of age, a young kitten can start eating moistened kitten type dry food and even start eating regular cat food, for by then the kitten is now considered properly weaned.

Is all this a lot of work? Does one have to have dedication? Is it time consuming? The answer is yes to all three questions,, but the effort will be well worth it for successfully taking care of such a young little life. While I never had the opportunity ever again to take care of such a young newborn kitten again, I found it a wonderful experience I'll never forget. As previously mentioned, Sachiko grew up strong and healthy and had in every way attached herself to me as her mother and lived for sixteen years.

For sources and more information on how to raise a newborn, or younger kitten, and to find places that sell the Milk replacers please check these websites:

http://cats.about.com/cs/kittencare/ht/bottlefeed.htm

(websites to order the KMR and Esbilac Milk Replacer and feeding bottles):

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/

http://www.vetdepot.com/

Image Source~©Melanie Neer~Photo of Sachiko when only 17 days old

ARTICLE: Today's Spoiled and Pampered Pet: Pet Owners Can Buy Just About Anything for Their Pet

(Originally published at Yahoo.Voices formerly Associated Content~Sept. 12, 2007)

Pet owners in general will do just about anything for their animal companions, and quite often view their pets as children. I know I do. I've never had children, at least not human children, but I have always had pets, usually cats, ever since I was 5 years old. Each and every one of them has been one of my "babies."

Times have certainly changed though, and it's probably an ever-growing reflection of how pet owners just love to spoil and pamper their "children." Gone are the days, when most people simply bought their pet food in supermarkets. The idea of giving an extra treat for their pets was simply a case of getting some kind of special snack, or buying a special type of squeaky toy for their pooch or a catnip mouse for their cat. While people will still go to their local pet shop to perhaps get the more expensive gourmet styled foods, exotic shampoos, colorful collars, and toys galore, there is an ever-growing market out there where one can go to the extreme. One can now truly pamper their pet, whether shopping on-line or by going to the larger chained pet stores for items and it can absolutely boggle the mind. For instance two of the largest pet store chains are Petco, with over 850 stores nationwide, and Petsmart which boasts of having over 900 stores, and both store chains are a far cry from being similar to that small local neighborhood pet shop, and are quite often as large as your average department store.

The pet world in general has boomed into a multi-million dollar industry, and whether ordering on-line or going to these larger pet shops, the pet owner can be amazed at what is available to them. Both on-line and in these larger pet stores, there is an overwhelming variety of every imaginable pet food, both dry food and moist, from the more popular brands that are usually sold in supermarkets, to the gourmet or "organic" kinds, such as Newman's Own Organics, a premium pet food company started by none other than veteran actor, Paul Newman.

Yet the dazzling variety of pet food isn't the only thing available to the pet owner at such specialty pet stores, and this is particularly true for the on-line shopper. No longer content with buying their cat or dog a nice little pillow bed for them to lay in which would cost only a few dollars, the pet owner can actually buy pet beds designed to look like either miniature sofas or actual human-type beds that cost from the $100.00 to the almost $500.00 price range. When you think of it, this is as much as their human counterparts.

Then there are the clothes one can buy for their pet, which is usually more common for dogs, but there is a growing line of clothing designed for cats as well. Here again the idea of "pet clothes" is no longer just limited to a simple little coat to keep that pooch of yours warm during the winter months while taking him for his walk. Besides a large selection of clothing for pets, one can even choose shoes for them as well. Also, there are now fashion wardrobes on holiday themes. Yes, believe it or not, one can now costume their pet for Halloween and they can be dressed up as a pirate, witch, ladybug, or even a cowboy. And speaking of wardrobes, did you know that you can actually buy a wardrobe cabinet to store all those pet clothes? One of the leading on-line stores, PetEdge has several available from $90.00 to $189.00

Dogs aren't the only ones that can be pampered. Cats have their own array of specialty items as well. Thank goodness my two cats are perfectly content with a simple cardboard box to play in, but for the cat owner who wants to go all out and have a special play area for their cat, there are the numerous cat condos for sale. One on-line shop, Seventh Heaven Cat Furniture, for instance has no less than seventeen pages of kitty condos, houses and gyms, ranging from about fifty dollars to about four hundred dollars.

For those cat owners who wish to conceal their cat's litter pan, there are kitty cabinets that not only hide the litter pan, but look like artistic pieces of furniture and can blend in with one's decor of their home. Probably one of the best on-line sites for these cabinets is Ace Cat Furniture, which sells kitty cabinets that range from the very simple in furniture design and are about $225.00, to true masterpieces and can cost almost $700.00.

Not to be outdone by what is available to the pet owner for on-line shopping, has also been the emergence of the ultimate pet boutiques that are usually found in all the major cities and larger suburban areas. SpockElvis, (http://spockelvis.com/store/index.html), a store located in Great Neck, Long Island in New York, is but one example of the type of exquisite pet store that the pet owner can shop in person or on-line as well, and to my mind a pet owner's dream come true.

I've only briefly described what is available to the pet owner, and for the most part I have only mentioned items sold for dogs and cats. However, many of these same pet shops will often have specialty items for sale for all other types of pets as well, from fish to ferrets. Whatever kind of pet you do have, these stores are truly everything a pet owner could desire in pampering their beloved pet.

Sources Cited:

http://spockelvis.com/store/index.html

http://www.petco.com/

http://www.petedge.com

http://www.7thheavencatfurniture.com

http://www.acecatfurniture.com/litter_cabinet.html

Pet Beds

http://www.sleepypets.com

UPDATE FROM ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Some of the sources may not be valid anymore, but one can still do a general search for items described~July 3, 2014

ARTICLE: The Dangers of Artificial Sweeteners: The Many Health Risk Factors with Aspartame

(Originally published at Yahoo.Voices formerly Associated Content~Sept. 10, 2007)

The Dangers Of Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners have been around for over one-hundred years, with Saccharin being the first one to have been invented in 1878 by Constantin Fahlberg, and while it was in use as a sugar substitute especially among diabetics, and then used extensively during sugar shortages during World War I, it didn't become popular especially among dieters in the form of Sweet'nLow until the 1960s and 1970s. Saccharin wasn't without its problems, however, for even as far back as 1907, the USDA began investigating the possible health risk factors associated with this sugar substitute, and in later years, there was evidence of cancer connections with the constant use of Saccharin. Then, in 1972, attempts were made to completely ban this sugar substitute, yet it still remains on the market, but now has warnings about its risk factors.

With the controversy over the health risk factors connected with saccharin, manufacturers began scrambling to come up with another artificial sweetener and in 1974, the FDA approved the now very popular Aspartame. With its invention, Aspartame became more popular in use than Saccharin, and was packaged under the names of NutraSweet and Spenda, however, it also wasn't just used to sweeten beverages, such as diet soda, but could be found in over 6,000 products, including carbonated and powdered soft drinks, hot chocolate, chewing gum, candy, desserts, yogurt, and tabletop sweeteners, as well as some pharmaceutical products like vitamins and sugar-free cough drops. (1) The instant popularity of Aspartame in so many sugar-free products was due to the fact that it tasted better, for it did not have the bitter after taste that Saccharin had. And, for awhile, it didn't seem to have any known health risk factors involved. However, now the evidence is becoming more and more apparent, that this sugar substitute has even far worse side effects and can trigger over ninety-two health problems, and not just cancer. There are also indications that instead of helping people, who are diet conscious and who are trying to lose weight, or control blood sugar levels, may actually be hindering themselves from any beneficial effects of being on a sugar-free diet with the constant and continual use of Aspartame. ...."According to an article in Technology Review, "aspartame may actually stimulate appetite and bring on a craving for carbohydrates"(2)

The possibility of gaining weight from the use of Aspartame is nothing compared to the more serious health problems that can arise from the consumption of this sweetener. One of the main reasons for the staggering difference between the health risk factors that Saccharin can create versus Aspartame is due to the fact, that while Saccharin does not break down and therefore is not absorbed into the physiological system, Aspartame does, and can travel throughout the body and deposit within any tissue of the body. (3)

The list of potential health side effects is staggering when one reads the list given on the "Sweet Poison" website. I include the list in its entirety as this is the only way to inform of the serious risk factors involved here:

Adverse reactions and side effects of aspartame include:

Eye


blindness in one or both eyes 


decreased vision and/or other eye problems such as: blurring, bright flashes, squiggly lines, tunnel vision, decreased night vision


pain in one or both eyes 
decreased tears 
trouble with contact lenses 
bulging eyes

Ear


tinnitus - ringing or buzzing sound


severe intolerance of noise


marked hearing impairment

Neurologic


epileptic seizures 


headaches, migraines and (some severe) 


dizziness, unsteadiness, both


confusion, memory loss, both 


severe drowsiness and sleepiness


paresthesia or numbness of the limbs 


severe slurring of speech


severe hyperactivity and restless legs


atypical facial pain 


severe tremors

Psychological/Psychiatric


severe depression 


irritability


aggression


anxiety


personality changes


insomnia


phobias

Chest


palpitations, tachycardia 


shortness of breath


recent high blood pressure

Gastrointestinal 


nausea 


diarrhea, sometimes with blood in stools 


abdominal pain


pain when swallowing

Skin and Allergies 


itching without a rash


lip and mouth reactions


hives


aggravated respiratory allergies such as asthma

Endocrine and Metabolic


loss of control of diabetes


menstrual changes 


marked thinning or loss of hair


marked weight loss


gradual weight gain 


aggravated low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) 


severe PMS

Other 


frequency of voiding and burning during urination


excessive thirst, fluid retention, leg swelling, and bloating 


increased susceptibility to infection

Additional Symptoms of Aspartame Toxicity include the most critical symptoms of all


death


irreversible brain damage


birth defects, including mental retardation


peptic ulcers 


aspartame addiction and increased craving for sweets 


hyperactivity in children


severe depression


aggressive behavior 


suicidal tendencies

Aspartame may trigger, mimic, or cause the following illnesses: 


Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 


Epstein-Barr


Post-Polio Syndrome


Lyme Disease


Grave's Disease


Meniere's Disease 


Alzheimer's Disease


ALS


Epilepsy


Multiple Sclerosis (MS) 


EMS


Hypothyroidism 


Mercury sensitivity from Amalgam fillings


Fibromyalgia


Lupus


non-Hodgkins

Lymphoma 


Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

These are not allergies or sensitivities, but diseases and disease syndromes. Aspartame poisoning is commonly misdiagnosed because aspartame symptoms mock textbook 'disease' symptoms, such as Grave's Disease.

Aspartame changes the ratio of amino acids in the blood, blocking or lowering the levels of serotonin, tyrosine, dopamine, norepinephrine, and adrenaline. Therefore, it is typical that aspartame symptoms cannot be detected in lab tests and on x-rays. Textbook disorders and diseases may actually be a toxic load as a result of aspartame poisoning. (4)

There is a very tragic story involved of how a young little girl was unknowingly suffering from Aspartame poisoning. To the girl's doctor, her symptoms indicated nothing more than a severe ear infection and was simply given antibiotics. But her symptoms didn't fade nor become better, if anything, they became worse. No one, including her physician could figure out what was causing all the serious health problems this girl was undergoing and why. It was later discovered that the culprit was the chewable vitamins she had been taking. They hadn't been labeled as being sugar-free, yet had Aspartame in them. I include this article for you to read as part of my sources.(5)

What I would like to know is why, with the ever growing evidence of how dangerous this "simple" little sweetener is, that is found in so many of our products, that there hasn't been any government intervention to pull this hazardous and deadly product off the market. It's my hope that by writing this article, I will have succeeded in at least having more people become aware of the dangers of consuming anything with Aspartame in it.

Sources To Read More On The Subject of Artificial Sweeteners:

History of Saccharin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saccharin

Aspartame Side Effects

http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/aspartame-side-effects-include-cancer.html

Weight Gain And Aspartame

http://www.sweetpoison.com

Sources cited: http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/aspartame-side-effects-include-cancer.html 
(1)

http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-side-effects.html (3), (4)

http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-case-histories.html 
(5)

http://www.mercola.com/article/aspartame/weight_gain_myth.htm 
(2)

ARTICLE: The Declawing of Cats: The Real Truth Behind This Inhumane "Surgical" Procedure

(Originally published at Yahoo.voices formerly Associated Content~Sep. 6, 2007)

Here is the typical scenario. Someone decides that they want to have a cat or kitten and perhaps goes to their local shelter and picks out their new little pet companion. Once that kitten or cat has adjusted to life at its new home, its owner becomes dismayed at the destructive behavior of their new arrival. Their pet is clawing and scratching up their carpet, rugs, sofa or chairs and woodwork furniture. Rather than simply getting scratching posts for their kitten or cat to deter it from this habit, or apply the nail clips that are now available, the person decides to go to their veterinarian and asks for the "surgical" procedure of declawing. What the person doesn't realize is that to call it surgery is a misnomer, for it is actually nothing less than mutilation of a cat's paws which can create not only horrible pain for the rest of the cat's life, but can actually change the behavior of the cat as well.

There is a reason why cats have claws to begin with and it is part of their natural anatomy. Claws allow a cat better balance, enables them to jump, gives them traction when they walk, they can pick up things with their claws...like their favorite toy, scratch themselves, and have better usage of the litter pan. Most people figure that it is more fitting and necessary to declaw a cat that is an indoor cat only, but they put that cat at a dangerous risk should the cat accidentally escape, and without claws, is completely defenseless in the outside world that it is unfamiliar with. If the runaway cat comes across other cats or even dogs, the likelihood of being able to defend itself is dramatically reduced. That cat won't even be able to hunt for it's food while it's missing from it's home and the possibility of starvation and ultimately the cat's death exists.

What most people don't realize is that declawing or in the more technical term, Onychetomy, is not just a simple surgery that removes only each claw of a cat. A cat's claw is not similar to our fingernails, but "is part of the last bone (distal phalanx) in the cat's toe." (1) In other words, it's not only the claw that is removed, but is the removal or amputation of the distal phalanx at the joint.

To quote one of my main sources I used for information about declawing:

...."Contrary to most people's understanding, declawing consists of amputating not just the claws, but the whole phalanx (up to the joint), including bones, ligaments, and tendons! To remove the claw, the bone, nerve, joint capsule, collateral ligaments, and the extensor and flexor tendons must all be amputated. Thus declawing is not a "simple", single surgery but 10 separate, painful amputations of the third phalanx up to the last joint of each toe. A graphic comparison in human terms would be the cutting off of a person's finger at the last joint of each finger."...(2)

Usually, it's only the front claws that are removed, but it's not unusual that a pet owner will ask, or the veterinarian will suggest that the back claws be removed as well. Besides being an extremely painful surgery for the cat in which recovery time may be rather long and painful in itself, and in which the cat now must get used to its amputated toes, declawing can have many complications as well.

Once again to quote from the Declawing.com website:

...."Complications of this amputation can be excruciating pain, damage to the radial nerve, hemorrhage, bone chips that prevent healing, painful regrowth of deformed claw inside of the paw which is not visible to the eye, and chronic back and joint pain as shoulder, leg and back muscles weaken.

Other complications include postoperative hemorrhage, either immediate or following bandage removal is a fairly frequent occurrence, paw ischemia, lameness due to wound infection or footpad laceration, exposure necrosis of the second phalanx, and abscess associated with retention of portions of the third phalanx. Abscess due to regrowth must be treated by surgical removal of the remnant of the third phalanx and wound debridement. During amputation of the distal phalanx, the bone may shatter and cause what is called a sequestrum, which serves as a focus for infection, causing continuous drainage from the toe. This necessitates a second anesthesia and surgery. Abnormal growth of severed nerve ends can also occur, causing long-term, painful sensations in the toes. Infection will occasionally occur when all precautions have been taken."... (3)

In other words, declawing subjects a cat to chronic infections throughout it's life. Physical or medical problems aren't the only factors involved with declawing. Cats have been known to suffer extreme emotional problems in their behavior as well. That once happy kitten or cat, may become withdrawn and can demonstrate all the symptoms of depression. The cat may also become fearful, timid and nervous, and may no longer be friendly and may even avoid its owner. On the other spectrum, rather than withdrawn, the cat may instead be hostile and aggressive. Having lost its main defense mechanism, its claws, cats will often take to biting. Also, since the cat will find it painful to use it's litter pan, it will start urinating outside of the pan, a behavior that most cat owners won't tolerate, and next thing you know, that cat is being either returned to the shelter as unmanageable, or worse yet, the pet owner might have the cat euthanized, not realizing of course, that it was the declawing that created all the problems in the first place.

A good majority of veterinarians and of course pet rescuers are entirely against declawing, and just why this surgical procedure still exists here at all in the United States is a mystery. The United States is the only country that still sanctions the continued veterinary practice of declawing, while in the majority of European countries, such as Britain, Germany, Ireland, Austria, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Norway, plus countries such as Brazil, Australia, Japan and New Zealand have not only banned it, but have made it illegal. So why isn't it banned and made illegal here as well?

There are so many alternatives to declawing, one is to routinely clip just the tip of the nail with simple nail clippers, something most cat owners can do themselves, or there are also nail clips that can be attached painlessly to the nail, such as the Soft Paws brand.

Soft Paws Soft Paws

I have had cats all my life, since I was five years old. I am now fifty-one and still have cats, and never, in all my years had I ever considered getting any of my cats declawed. I just didn't think it was necessary, and I have to admit it has only been recently that I began reading up about this surgical practice of declawing, that I'm so grateful that I never decided to have this done to any of my cats. I'm just betting, my cats are grateful as well. To be perfectly honest, I frankly don't care if my cats do scratch up my furniture a bit...furniture can be replaced, a live, loving little soul can't. I could never image subjecting a cat to a lifetime of pain and misery, and neither should anyone else who wishes to own a cat either.

Sources for information about declawing:

One of my main sources of information is from this 
website, where I quoted several sections:

Declawing.com 
(1),(2),(3)

This is also an excellent website, as it contains numerous articles by both vets and cat owners alike and is a must read. It even has graphic photos of the declawing sugery itself:

declaw.lisaviolet

Image Source:

Photo of a cat after its declawing surgery. One of the "nicer" photos

Credit: declaw.lisaviolet.com

Copyright: declaw.lisaviolet.com

ARTICLE: The Reality of Thoroughbred Racing What Most People Don't Know in the Horrors of Horse Racing

(Originally published at Yahoo.Voices formerly Associated Content~Sept. 4, 2007)

I have to admit, when the 2003 movie Seabiscuit came out, I was thoroughly entranced by the story of this magnificent horse. The movie portrayed the story of this horse from the viewpoint of almost like the little engine that could. While he came from good thoroughbred, champion stock, that is from the blood-line of Hard-Tack (son of Man of War), Seabiscuit was the runt of the litter. He was gotten rid of by his owner, and bounced back and forth between other trainers. Yet, as in the movie, he caught the attention of Tom Smith, who was the trainer and worked for Charles S. Howard. The rest is history. Despite all the odds, Seabiscuit became a champion race horse and even won a race against the mighty War Admiral, who was considered the best racing horse alive at that time. The movie continues to relate the story, of how Seabiscuit's rider, Red Pollard, who was also considered a "misfit" suffered a terrible accident, which could have ended his career as a rider, and then even later on, Seabiscuit himself, endured a horrific injury in which it was thought that he had to be put down. However, despite all the odds, both Red Pollard and Seabiscuit recovered, and continued to race and win every time. This was a "magical" horse and he won the hearts of everyone in America.

Well the movie is a charming story, yes, but what is the reality with horse racing to begin with? The movie glamourizes horse racing when the truth is so much more horrible, and can be considered as animal cruelty and abuse.

Horse racing is perhaps one of the most ancient of sports, having its beginnings with prehistoric tribesmen in Central Asia and continued in popularity throughout the centuries. It wasn't until the reign of Queen Anne (1702-14), however, that horse racing, not only became a highly competitive sport, but a sport where spectators who followed this "sport" could make bets for that winning horse. One would think that times have changed over the centuries, that we have become more sophisticated and are more aware of animal abuse practices in general, but this isn't the case. The horrendous practices to breed, raise and train horses for thoroughbred still continues to this day.

Here are some of the facts, which I quote from the article, entitled, "Horse Racing - the Horror Behind the Glamour" on the CHAI website:

....."FACTS: The horse racing industry causes thousands of horses to be born only to be slaughtered or abandoned to an existence of neglect, starvation, and suffering. There are three reasons for this:

1. Very large numbers must be produced annually to generate a few fast ones to be selected to compete. Of the many thousands bred to race, very few make the grade. The rest must be disposed of.

2. During training or racing, injuries are common. Injured horses are also euthanized or sold from one owner to another into increasingly worse conditions.

3. When race horses have finished their career - usually at a very early age, before they are fully mature - they, too, must be disposed of. Their numbers exceed by far the number of humane retirement facilities.

The above has been found to be true of every country where this issue has been studied, including England, Germany, Japan, and the U.S. In the small country of Macau, for example, approximately 300 horses are imported per year, the same number as are retired. Most of those retired are euthanized. Some who do not make the grade, but who can still race, are exported to race and/or to an unknown fate in China or Vietnam. A local Macau newspaper published photos of healthy horses (some as young as 4 years old) who were no longer fast enough to win races, being lined up and shot, their bodies dumped at a local landfill. The horses were shot because shooting is a cheaper, though much less humane method of euthanasia than lethal injection. In the U.S., around 5,000 leave racing every year, the same number who enter it. As in Macau and in every other country where horse racing exists, many end up euthanized or sent into a downward spiral of abuse....."(1)

Now if you remember from the movie, Seabiscuit, was bounced back and forth between owners and trainers until he became owned by Charles Howard. He was thought as undesirable and wouldn't amount to anything in the monetary sense...in other words he had no potential as ever becoming a race horse and creating monetary revenue for his owner. But such an example is far from the truth and reality of what really goes on in the horse racing business. As you can see by the quote above, young horses that would have been similar to Seabiscuit would have been immediately eliminated, put down, destroyed, solely due to the fact that they weren't considered worthy to live. Who knows, however, maybe these horses are the "lucky" ones, for the horses that are deemed worthy for training for thoroughbred racing must endure pain and suffering for the rest of their lives.

Once a horse is considered acceptable for training, the horse is trained at an age long before it's skeletal system has matured, usually when it is only one and a half years old. This is to prepare the horse for its debut as a race horse in which the prime age is only two or three years of age . Such early training makes the horse susceptible to chronic injuries involving "fractures, pulled ligaments, and strained tendons" that remain with the horse for its entire life. In other words the thoroughbred horse endures pain and suffering until its dying day. Is it any wonder, therefore, that such thoroughbred horses do not live long lives? The life-span of horses not trained for racing can be well over twenty-five years of age as opposed to race horses that usually do not live for more than five.

Then of course, there is the "training" itself, in which less than ideal practices are ensued, and are also enforced for the life-span of the race horse, and again I quote from the article:

..."Overuse of whips and spurs in races and the use of batteries and electric goads on training tracks are all illegal but they all still occur. In the wild, or when playing with pasture mates, horses run fast only for short sprints. In order to make them race over the longer distances at race tracks, a jockey must push them on, to encourage greater bursts of speed. 
According to a survey conducted by the British non-profit organization, Animal Aid, jockeys in England whip their horses as many as 30 times during one race. The whip is used even on young horses, during their first race. Horses in a state of total exhaustion and already out of contention were also beaten. The whip was used on the neck and shoulders, as well as the hind quarters...." (2)

The worse fact, however, is that quite often race horses are forced to race even while injured, never being allowed to heal properly. This is where drugging the horse comes into play, for it is common practice to drug the horse with powerful painkillers so it won't feel the pain as it races, but of course, this can only lead to further injury to the horse.

Finally there is the sad fate of the race horse, who at its young age of about only five years old, and no longer considered "useful". Most uninformed people think that once a racing horse's days are over, get to live out its life peacefully on some idyllic ranch, and maybe are put to stud to breed even more future race horses. The fact is, almost as soon as the horse is considered worthless, is shot immediately, or the majority are sent to slaugtherhouses where they are "processed" for people who eat horsemeat or used in the manufacturing of the "meat by products" found in pet foods.

All this is the far cry from the "delightful" image we saw in the movie Seabiscuit. Yes, their may be race horse owners, trainers, and jockeys who do genuinely care for their race horses. I'm not saying there aren't such people, but the vast majority of race horse owners fall under the statistics of what has been described here. The sadder fact, is that those people who continue to be the spectator and placing bets on race horses, and who may be totally ignorant or unaware of just what is going on in the world of the thoroughbred are in effect supporting the whole race horse industry and business and its abusive practices.

I'm hoping that by this article, more people will become aware of the behind the scenes reality of horse racing, and that all is not well there, and that these magnificent, majestic, beautiful animals, don't have a fairy tale ending that Seabiscuit had.

SOURCES USED FOR THIS ARTICLE:

Chai-online

(1), (2) http://www.chai-online.org/racing.htm

Chai-online

Also refer to these sources:

Mr Mike

http://www.mrmike.com/explore/hrhist.htm

Mr Mike

All-Creatures

www.all-creatures.org/adow/cam-hr-20050114.html

All-Creatures