The Anchorage, Part 3

[Hornet3d]

There are a vast number of plants that are toxic to cats dogs and humans, which is why the term 'all natural ingredients' always makes me smile. Nature has a vast array of plants that either kill us or makes us very ill.

 

[Satira Capriccio]

It's amazing just what plants and foods are toxic to cats.

I have NO idea why I didn't check first. Before I buy a plant, I always look up whether it's toxic to cats. So far, I've tried a herb variety potted plant (which I think was sage, thyme, and some other herb. I've also tried one that had lavender and mint. And, I've tried lavender. Sadly, none of them survived me.

Before I let Tsuki taste anything I'm eating, I also look up whether it's toxic to cats. Not that she's all that interested in most food I eat, but as I've mentioned before, cantaloupe is like catnip to her.

But I simply didn't think to check cut flowers!

While a lot of plants just upset their stomach ... which is rather messy whether you're a baby, adult, or pet! But other plants are fatal. Carnations will cause gastrointestinal distress, as well as inflamed skin rash if they brush up against the plant. Since she already has problems with dermatitis ... I absolutely don't want her near the carnations.

Right now I have the vase "caged," but that doesn't keep her from putting her paw between the grid and trying to pull the flowers to her.

Being of the nightshade family, the leaves and stems of a tomato plant are highly toxic to cats. Which is why it's recommended never to let your cat eat anything with tomato in it so they don't develop a liking for it. Sadly, she thinks tomato soup is cat food, so I have to fight her off when I have tomato soup.

Grapes, Raisins, Chocolate or anything with caffeine, onions, and garlic are all toxic. Since I buy lactose free milk, she can have milk ... though I give it to her sparingly and mixed with warm water. It's a treat though, not something she gets very often.

 

[Miss B]

Sad to relate, she reserved enough common sense to ensure she took her stash of treats with her to prevent grandpa pinching any. Curses!

Thanks for the laugh Mytho.

 

[Terre]

It's amazing just what plants and foods are toxic to cats.

Grapes, Raisins, Chocolate or anything with caffeine, onions, and garlic are all toxic.

Yup. Basically omnivores and herbivores have livers that are adapted to nullifying a far wider variety of plant toxins than carnivores.
Meanwhile there is also a difference in what our bodies need for proper nutrition as well. Taurine is simply an energy drink ingredient for we humans. For cats it's a critical vitamin. I don't remember off hand but I think it's for liver function. All of this stuff is why vets tell people to research things well if they decide they want to cook for their pets.

 

[Hornet3d]

I was really surprised when I looked up what our dog could and could not eat. Many of the things that are toxic to cats are also toxic to dogs but there are differences. I am still amazed when I see and hear of owners feeding their dogs chocolate, what with that and raisins, Christmas can be a bad time for them. Apart from toxins there is a lot of human food that their digestive system cannot cope with and it literally goes straight through. Not that it stops some big name dog food brands putting such stuff in their feed to bulk it out. We feed our dog a fairly costly food, at least it looks costly, but if you look at the portion size for a given dogs weight and needs it is much smaller than the cheaper foods. Sadly it seems though poor quality food manufacturers are the ones that have the biggest advertising budgets and our poor dogs have to eat the rubbish. I am not so up on cat food but I suspect it is just the same.

 

[Terre]

Yup. It is. Most cat foods have corn (or something else like it) as their first ingredient. Now you do need plant matter in order to make kibble but using it as the main ingredient is just using fillers to bulk up the food. Grains being cheap is the major reason why they are used so much in both dog and cat food. We had to make our cat go grain free due to an unexpected allergy on my husband's part and the food I get has sweet potatoes as the third ingredient. This is what I get him: Canyon River Feline Formula with Trout & Smoked Salmon - Taste of the Wild Pet Food
ETA: This food smells like what Friskies did 40+ years ago. I think the bulking up with fillers must have started in the 70s or so.
As far as dogs go, I was amused by a magazine ad for an expensive dog food that said "We only use cuts of meat that you would feed your family." In other words they weren't including the nutrition packed parts of the animals that canines who have to hunt for their own food gobble first.

 

[Hornet3d]

Yup. It is. Most cat foods have corn (or something else like it) as their first ingredient. Now you do need plant matter in order to make kibble but using it as the main ingredient is just using fillers to bulk up the food. Grains being cheap is the major reason why they are used so much in both dog and cat food. We had to make our cat go grain free due to an unexpected allergy on my husband's part and the food I get has sweet potatoes as the third ingredient. This is what I get him: Canyon River Feline Formula with Trout & Smoked Salmon - Taste of the Wild Pet Food
ETA: This food smells like what Friskies did 40+ years ago. I think the bulking up with fillers must have started in the 70s or so.
As far as dogs go, I was amused by a magazine ad for an expensive dog food that said "We only use cuts of meat that you would feed your family." In other words they weren't including the nutrition packed parts of the animals that canines who have to hunt for their own food gobble first.

The surprising thing here is the UK is that any pet food must be suitable for human consumption, not that I recommend anyone putting the claim to the test. I found finding a suitable dog food was a daunting task and looked at many reviews before we settled on one which we mix with different recipes from the same brand to give some variety. Looking at customer reviews is not really helpful in that most owners think they are getting the best for their pet but looking at the ingredients of some of the most popular suggests this is far from the truth. I have no way of knowing if what we are feeding our dog is the best but he eats it, has remained fit and healthy, so far, and maintains a good weight while being quite active. The vet also approves, so I will settle for that.

 

[Satira Capriccio]

I also spent a lot of time researching and reviewing cat food when I decided to switch Taeyn to a healthier food. I found Reviews.com to be the most "logical" as to why they recommended or eliminated brands. Unfortunately, it seems they no longer have the search feature for recommended brands.

In the end, I went with Acana, which ... as with all healthy cat food, is rather expensive, though less so than Orijen, which is also made by the same company. Primary difference is that Orijen has less protein than Acana, and since Taeyn was an older cat, less protein was recommended. As noted, high quality pet food is less expensive when you factor in how long a bag of high quality food lasts compared to how long a bag of something with a lot of fillers and questionable ingredients like Purina lasts.

I liked Acana because it was made in Canada, and the fish comes from the Pacific Ocean. Unfortunately, they since opened a plant in Kentucky, and I would imagine the fish now comes from the Atlantic.

One thing I found though was that even though some brands were recommended because they didn't contain controversial or unhealthy ingredients, when I read the label ... they did.

 

[Hornet3d]

I also spent a lot of time researching and reviewing cat food when I decided to switch Taeyn to a healthier food. I found Reviews.com to be the most "logical" as to why they recommended or eliminated brands. Unfortunately, it seems they no longer have the search feature for recommended brands.

In the end, I went with Acana, which ... as with all healthy cat food, is rather expensive, though less so than Orijen, which is also made by the same company. Primary difference is that Orijen has less protein than Acana, and since Taeyn was an older cat, less protein was recommended. As noted, high quality pet food is less expensive when you factor in how long a bag of high quality food lasts compared to how long a bag of something with a lot of fillers and questionable ingredients like Purina lasts.

I liked Acana because it was made in Canada, and the fish comes from the Pacific Ocean. Unfortunately, they since opened a plant in Kentucky, and I would imagine the fish now comes from the Atlantic.

One thing I found though was that even though some brands were recommended because they didn't contain controversial or unhealthy ingredients, when I read the label ... they did.

I noticed the same thing, some reviews praised a food for not containing certain ingredients but when you looked at the listing they were there.

Our dog has just had his senior dog check up and we were advised to change his food to a senior version, again due to less protein. Happily we can get his food in a senior version so hopefully the change will be fairly simple.

 

[Terre]

Good luck on the change. Sometimes the furry ones don't like the new food because the taste/smell isn't quite the same. Other times it's close enough that they are happy despite the change.

 

[Hornet3d]

Good luck on the change. Sometimes the furry ones don't like the new food because the taste/smell isn't quite the same. Other times it's close enough that they are happy despite the change.

Thank you. Yes we did have a struggle to find something he would eat when we first brought him home. We are hoping as it is a senior version of the same stuff we might get away with it, but it is a change of recipe so, as you say it could taste or smell different. We will start off slowly with a small amounts added to his normal feed and build up if he is eating it.

 

[AlphinaNovaStar]

I got an odd question. If one fully functioning male cat enter into area where there are queen cats that are not currently being bred but are not spayed, what percentage could get pregnant?

 

[Satira Capriccio]

Of those in heat ... 100%.

A female in heat is just as determined to get to a male cat, as a male cat is determined to get to a female cat in heat.

 

[McGyver]

I got an odd question. If one fully functioning male cat enter into area where there are queen cats that are not currently being bred but are not spayed, what percentage could get pregnant?

Fully functioning... In original factory condition or with all current upgrades?

I think as long he has had all the manufacturer recommended maintenance... Then probably...

I don't know...

I just wanted to post a funny answer because I pictured someone at a cat repair shop... With their cat up on a cat sized cat lift (like for cars, but for cats)... being told their cat was functioning fully... He needs a new tail spring and whisker grease, but aside from that, Mr. Fluffybutt is in perfect mechanical condition.

I'm not funny and cat repairs are not a funny subject.

I'm sorry for the interruption.

 

[Mythocentric]

 

[Terre]

Good afternoon.

 

[Miss B]

Afternoon Terre, or I guess I should say Good Evening, as it's no longer afternoon here on the East Coast.

 

[AlphinaNovaStar]

I feel inspired but my computer feels old and slow. I want to write but too many distractions and too old of a computer.
Also I am looking for the perfect cable. One that follows the following conditions; it being portable and can charge either my Kindle fire or my iPhone.

I am also looking for the perfect music that follows the following requirements; has to be playable on my firetv stick. Does not cost me anything extra. It has to be a free app or already in my amazon music. It has to help me focus on writing. And finally able to conceal background noise such as my roommate's media and other distractions such as the annoying sound of a housemate on the phone, probably begging for something like cigarettes or money for that.
Thankfully I have Bluetooth headphones so the perfect writing music will not be disturbing my roommate.

 

[Mythocentric]

I can't help it but I have to confess to being a complete petrol-head. Especially when it comes in this shape....10,000hp, 300+mph, 0-100 in eight-tenths of a second. Drag racing blows F1 out of the window! Watch out for Leah Pritchett in the FireAde Pro Fuel car (She's the lady pouring fuel right at the beginning)!

 

[McGyver]

I can't help it but I have to confess to being a complete petrol-head. Especially when it comes in this shape....10,000hp, 300+mph, 0-100 in eight-tenths of a second. Drag racing blows F1 out of the window! Watch out for Leah Pritchett in the FireAde Pro Fuel car (She's the lady pouring fuel right at the beginning)!

Here "petrol-heads" are called "gear-heads"... I confess to being one too...
I used to go to shows in New Jersey and Pennsylvania with a friend who raced Pro-Steet (Super Street) dragsters...
Sometimes the really wild top fuel and funny cars would be there too...
Fun times.
But my enthusiasm is mixed in with all mechanical things... Cars, boats, planes, trains, motorcycles, tanks, trucks... Anything that is mechanical and relatively cool... (Or stupidly overpowered and highly dangerous)...
But for me that love of mechanical stuff extends into the realm of what is heresy to many gear-heads... Electric machinery.
Now I rarely attend shows or events, but back a few years ago I was more into it... Mostly because of the people I hung out with and work related stuff...
In the past year the most fun thing I've done was drive my friend's new Porsche 911... But... To be honest last week they came over and I drove his wife's new Tesla model S and I was extremely (way more) impressed by its acceleration... It blows the Porsche away hands down.
It's like being inside a slot car... I'd say "remote control toy car", but the damn thing felt like it was glued to road like those little AFX cars with the magnets... Especially since it's slows down if you back off the accelerator... Takes a bit of getting used to when cornering.
There is something oddly thrilling about silently launching into light speed and feeling like you barely woke the motor.