How ironic that I should see this cartoon today because Elly and I were *JUST* talking about this tendency in our babies. I have spent at least a bajillion and one dollars on kitty toys, beds, and kitty trees for my fuzzy family, and they seem just as happy with empty boxes and up-ended waste baskets. :) Oh well. Today I read an article with a checklist to make your home both safe and happy for your kitties, and I am okay and then some on every point. :)

You knew that the closer I get to school, the more infrequent my posts become, right? I'm not sure whether I want to know if you consider that good news or bad news. In either event, even when school starts, I promise to *try* to post at least once a week. Finding kitty topics to cover isn't the problem ~ the problem is finding the time to write about the topics!

Since this is also time to be working on my September newsletter as well as on school-related material, I am spending a lot of time in my office, an office that includes a fairly common device called a paper shredder. Since I first plugged it in, I have been concerned about its convenience for me and its safety for my kitties. To have the best of both worlds, I kept it turned on, but over the openings to the blades, I placed an old mousepad to keep kitty paws, tails, and tongues away. After reading this article, I threw convenience out the door, and now I keep my shredder turned completely *OFF* between uses.

From PetPlace.com:

Hi! My name is Erica Cacioppo. On May 26th, 2006 my lab/pit mix, Shelby had a horrific accident involving a paper shredder.

I woke at 6 AM to a horrible sound. It was Shelby screaming! It was a sound I have never heard and can't get out of my head. I ran downstairs and asked my husband Gino, who was holding her, what was wrong. Before he could answer I saw the most horrific sight of my life, Shelby's tongue stuck inside our paper shredder. Our other dog Sophia, thinking Shelby was being attacked was pulling relentlessly and with all her might on the shredder, not knowing she was making matters worse. Even though in shock of the situation we worked as fast as we could to get Shelby to the vet. We had to pry Sophia off and put her in the bathroom. In that time Shelby had bit her own tongue off. I suppose in animal instinct.

Gino got Shelby in the car as I got dressed and got together our purse and wallet.

This all happened in a matter of 5 minutes. Our closest animal clinic was an agonizing 20 minutes away, at which time Shelby was bleeding profusely. We got there just in time. She started going into convulsions just before being put under for surgery. During the operation she got between 40 to 50 stitches and loss her entire tongue. After the surgery the vet, Dr. Emo, told us she didn't know how Shelby would be able to eat and drink, as she has never seen or heard of an injury like this. At this point we had decided to put her to sleep. Thank God the vet did extensive research and found a study on dogs with the same injury and they adapted to the situation over time and had the same attitude and a great quality of life. We then decided to give Shelby the chance she deserved.

It paid off! She is very happy! Shelby getting her voice back was no problem, 2 weeks later she was barking at the neighbor dog again. She can eat wet food very easily with our help and as of mid June is doing okay with trying to learn to eat dry food again. She is drinking water through a syringe that we give to her. She lets us know when she wants water. She is starting to learn how to scoop up water on her own and on June 17th ate her 1st rawhide that she stole from her sister! She still drools some, but has learned to wipe her own mouth on towels we have in the house and outside for her. We have no doubt she will completely adapt with some time and effort. She's our miracle baby!

We want people to know that this happens and that if it does you can save your baby! If you are in a similar situation please e-mail this web site and they will contact me and I can help you with any questions you may have. I beg you to please tell everyone you know and please UNPLUG your shredder or GET RID OF IT!!!! You NEVER want to go through what we did!!!!!! It was utterly horrible. We couldn't eat or sleep. We have bad nightmares about what happened. PLEASE BE CAREFUL!!!!

Thank you,
Erica Cacioppo, Shelby's owner

From Shelby's vet:

One night while I was working at the St. Louis Animal Emergency Clinic a 4-year-old female spayed Labrador retriever named Shelby came in. Little did I know this would be a dog that I'll never forget. Shelby presented after recently getting her tongue caught in a paper shredder. Despite the owners' and the family pitbull's valiant efforts to rescue her, the traction on Shelby's tongue was too great and it gave way at the level of her epiglottis. Basically, Shelby lost her entire tongue. Despite this, Shelby presented bright, alert, and responsive but was a little head shy and per owners could be unpredictably "snappy" at times making an oral exam difficult without sedation. She had blood dripping from her mouth but the rest of her physical exam
was within normal limits.

In order to provide the owners with a realistic prognosis (in terms of swallowing, prehension, laryngeal reflex, voice) and because the case was so unusual, phone calls were made to the University of Missouri Veterinary Teaching Hospital (UMC-VMTH), a specialty practice in St. Louis called Veterinary Specialty Services (VSS), and my father, Phillip Hornbostel M.D. (a general surgeon) for advice. I learned of a recent study done at UMC-VMTH which showed the prognosis for dogs after traumatic glossectomy (tongue excision) was excellent and explained these results to the owners. The owners were satisfied that an acceptable quality of life was possible for Shelby and opted for surgery.

The immediate and most pressing concern was blood loss. Stabilization was the highest priority since fatalities due to traumatic glossectomy have been reported. In Shelby's case, a preoperative bolus of fluids was given and was adequate for stabilization prior to anesthesia. Pain medication was also given. Preoperative bloodwork to determine if Shelby was anemic was done and her value PCV was 55% which is normal. Upon intubation an oral exam was performed revealing not even a "stub" of tongue, but only a small amount of tissue remaining at the back of the throat. The edges were trimmed and the remainder of the defect was closed with suture.

Shelby recovered well. Her red blood cell count after the surgery but she showed no clinical signs of anemia. She was offered water with a syringe 16 hours after surgery which she took relatively well. Just 24 hours post-op she was offered canned i/d meatballs but it was another 12 hours before she was successful in getting them to the back of her mouth and swallowing them. Shelby was eating and drinking well (syringe drinking) 36 hours later and likely could have gone home at this time. At the owners request Shelby was allowed a full 72 hours of recovery before returning home.

Shelby has been pretty famous since this "freak" accident and has even made the Channel 4 news in Saint Louis! At the time of the news story a few weeks ago she was still getting syringes of water which was likely not necessary but was a result of Shelby training her owners.

University of Missouri recommends kibble for these patients. One post-op patient ate canned food in the form of meatballs in order to get adequate daily water intake. Most of these dogs learn to drink water by scooping it out of the bowl. Another consideration might be a wall mounted watering device with a nipple attachment.

Quality of life was the owners' number one concern and they are thrilled at how much she still enjoys life, including food. All in all Shelby is a happy, albeit very lucky, dog.

NOTE: the most common reason for this traumatic even to occur with paper shredders is from children feeding food into them and dogs licking at the food. We recommend that you NEVER keep your paper shredder on auto feed and keep it out of the use of children.

Dr. Emo works as an Emergency Room veterinarian in St. Louis, Missouri.

So, *PLEASE,* don't take any chances with your precious pets! They should be shedding, not shredding. :)

To follow up on one of yesterday's *Kitty Bits,* I did a *bit* of browsing, :) The consensus seems to be that carriers are the best means of transporting kitties by car. However, no mention was made of the best location for the carriers.

Pet harnesses were also mentioned ~ though they seem to be more for dogs than kitties. They clip to seatbelts and allow pets enough freedom to sit, lie down, or stand comfortably while keeping them contained in a small area. These harnesses come in a variety of sizes and colors.

You can find them just about anywhere that sells pet items online. The best picture I found was at My Pampered Pets, but since that place is located in New Zealand, you might want to find some place closer to make a purchase. :)

Cardinals Trade for Holliday
Why am I not surprised that the Cardinals didn't listen to me? Oh well. We'll see how this works out. I also said Cincy would be the sleeper team in the Central, and it looks like Houston will be. :)

Kitty Bits

I am borrowing the title idea from Bernie Miklasz, one of my favorite Post-Dispatch sports writers. Each Saturday, his column contains *Bernie Bits,* brief news items or comments instead of one specific thesis for his whole article. Today I have some *Kitty Bits* for you. Hold your joyful applause please! :)

First up, Trey. He had his booster-shot appointment this morning and received a glowing report from Dr. Britt. He is up to 3.8 pounds now, just about where he should be for a kitten his age. Considering how pitifully emaciated he was when he came to my doorstep, he has made tremendous progress, and I am so proud of him. Dr. Britt said it was easy to tell that Trey has become a mama's boy ~ and his mama doesn't mind one little bit. :)

We live only about 5 minutes from the Douglas Vet Clinic. Unless neighbor Elly happens to be with me, I put the kitty carrier on the front seat beside me so that I can talk to whatever kitty is making the trip. None of them are ever happy about it, so I try to alleviate their anxiety as much as possible. This morning, however, I got to thinking about air bags in my Toyota Corolla, and I couldn't help wondering what a deploying air bag would do to the carrier and, consequently, to my fluff of love. I know there are special car seats for dogs, but kitties are at the mercy of their carriers. Maybe the wise thing to do is to put the carriers in the back seat each time?

Yesterday I went grocery shopping with Elly, and Super Wal-Mart happened to have those Fancy Feast Appetizers that I mentioned in an earlier post ~ $1.29 for a teeny package, so I bought only three for my six babies to share. Usually a bag of Temptations Treats will last me 4-5 days for 5 kitties ~ Elly Fae won't eat treats for some reason. So we're talking the mother of all treats with these appetizer things ~ barely enough for a couple of bites per kitty. And pulling the foil top off required the muscles of Atlas. In fact, I stupidly tried using the leverage of my teeth on that easy-to-open corner, only to get a mouth full of that *Delicate Broth.* YEEEEEEWWWWWW! But the kitties seemed to like it ~ a lot. I hope they savored each bite because they won't be getting any more until their mommy wins the lottery or marries a millionaire. And since I don't buy lottery tickets and I don't date anymore, I'd have to say that my odds of doing either are considerably diminished.

Nonetheless, just today I read an article in the good ol' P-D stating that even in this recession, two out of three pet owners continue to pamper their pets. In these dismal economic times, pet retailers are reporting steady to rising profits. Even Hallmark Cards has reported an increase in sales of their "from the cat,* *from the dog,* and pet sympathy cards. You know that I very much want happy endings for all little animals, but even with all this pampering, animal shelters are bursting their seams as more and more animals are sent to them by people hurting financially. I would like to see maybe a little less *material* pampering and more love given instead to an extra kitty or puppy in the household.

I am always reading to find better ways to care for my fuzzy family. During summer, one of my special concerns is bug spray. You can buy some that is safe for animals, but you often have to order it, and it can be pretty pricey. Yesterday I read that Listerine can make an effective repellent, and hair spray can make an effective bug spray. Sticky hair spray will gum up a bug's wings so that it can't fly, and the spray will also seal breathing orifices so that the bugs can't breathe. It has been used effectively on wasps, ants, and roaches. Since it's water-soluble, it can be cleaned up easily with a damp cloth, and it won't stain fabrics. If you can get past the suffocating-a-bug thing, it would be a good alternative to a chemical bug spray.

I *thought* I had found something else to help my youngest babies when I read that daily doses of castor oil would help kitties' immune systems. Kittens who lose their mamas too early, for whatever reasons, can suffer from stunted immune systems, so I was happy to hear this tip since Deuce and Trey *lost* their mamas before they were fully weaned. However, thanks be to God that I always go looking for more information because in all other articles, I read that castor oil is actually toxic to kitties. It can be part of a concoction for treating external wounds, but it should never be given to the kitty as oral medicine. Two lessons here: (1) Don't give castor oil to your kitty. (2) Double- and triple-check everything you read online, even if it's something you read here. My feelings won't be hurt, and if I'm wrong, I want to know what's right!

I'll finish with a couple of baseball thoughts since I started with one. Dear St. Louis Cardinals: Operating under the old baseball bromide that good pitching stops good hitting, I would rather have Roy Halladay than Matt Holliday. I know the chances of getting either are equal to a snowball's chance in Death Valley, but I thought I would throw my two cents in there. :) And...Dear Cardinals' Fans: Don't worry about the Cubs. When a member of the Cubs' ground crew was mean to a kitty in the spring, I put the Calico Kitty Curse on the team. Combined with all the other curses on the Cubs, they stand...well...a snowball's chance in Death Valley of winning the Central.

Okay, everybody, *NOW* you break into that joyful applause! :)

Since Trey goes to the vet tomorrow to get his booster, I thought this was an appropriate chuckle for the day. And goodness know we need some extra smiles this week!

Melinda called me today with sad news. We had lost another former student, the fourth this year. Although our grief is nowhere close to that of the loved ones of these girls, we are devastated. And at the core of our grief is the opinion that burying our babies just isn't right. They should be burying us.

Kathy Lynn Rutledge Ruscher was only 48 years old. I do not know the details of her passing except that she died at home and the family has requested memorials be made to the Heart Association. Kathy's obituary appears at the WJBD Web site, so I won't give those details here. Instead, I will share memories.

She was a superb student and a bright young lady who was also athletic. In fact, in my last year of playing on an organized women's softball team, she and two other of my *barely-former* students were teammates. One of the coaches, a good friend of mine named Mike, had a huge crush on her. He had a thing about women in white shorts, and when he saw Kathy in her white shorts, his tongue hit the ground. :) He asked me to fix him up. I did. And later they married and had three children.

Usually I try to avoid weddings ~ I'm just not into ceremonies of any kind. However, since this was probably the one-and-only fix-up that had ever reaped positive results, I attended this wedding. I remember Kathy's desperately needing a safety pin that I happened to have in my purse sewing kit. She commented that she knew if anyone would be prepared, it would be Miss C. :) Their wedding was basically a small, family ceremony, and afterward the newly married couple walked among the guests and greeted everyone warmly and lovingly ~ so much more satisfying than stereotypical receiving lines.

Mikey and Kathy lost their son, Kevin, a few years ago, and not too long afterward, I ran into them at Super Wal-Mart in Mt. Vernon. I will never forget the absolute agony on her face at that time. I have no children, other than furry ones and students, but my mother always said to multiply the grief of a child losing a parent by a billion, and *maybe* you would understand the grief of a parent losing a child.

Perhaps ironically, the last time I saw Kathy was just a few days ago, again at Super Wal-Mart, but here in Salem. She was with her lovely daughter, Kaitlynn, and I was thrilled to see Kathy so happy again. We chatted for many minutes about how busy she was with her family, which now included son Christopher's two boys, Sam and Jacob. Oh my, but she was *SO* proud of her grandsons, though she was somewhat concerned that one of them seemed to prefer his grandpa to his grandma. :)

And now, suddenly, I hear that she is gone. I won't say *forever,* for she left too many special memories behind for a lot of us.

Instead, I will think of her being reunited joyfully with Kevin as they wait patiently for the rest of us to show up.

My neighbor, Donna, is moving to Virginia soon and needs a new home for her kitty, Lacie. As an adult kitty, Lacie will sadly have some trouble finding a new family, but we're trying. She is a well-behaved orange-and-white kitty who is current on all her shots and has been spayed. At this time, Lacie is an inside-outside kitty, but I'm guessing she could easily become all one way or the other so long as she has someone to love her. The Cleveland Kitty Cottage is filled beyond capacity, so taking Lacie myself is out of the question. If any of you have any leads in the Salem, IL, area, please let me know ASAP. Donna is moving in three weeks.

This request offers a good segue to the North Shore Animal League. As you know, I am an enthusiastic proponent of no-kill shelters. The League is the largest no-kill shelter in the world.

This information is from Wikipedia:

North Shore Animal League America, headquartered in Port Washington, NY, is the largest no-kill animal rescue and adoption organization in the world. Since 1944, The League’s mission has been saving the lives of pets through adoption, rescue, spay/neuter and advocacy initiatives. Every year, the League reaches across the country to rescue, nurture and adopt nearly 20,000 pets and to date, the League has placed close to 1 million puppies, kittens, cats and dogs into carefully screened homes. One of the first animal rescue agencies on the ground in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the League rescued more than 1400 pets from the region.

The League is also home to the Alex Lewyt Veterinary Medical Center, which provides 24-hour care for the pets sheltered at the League.

In 2007, the League received three Chihuahuas born without front paws. They resembled pint-sized kangaroos, and got around by hopping on their back haunches. The pups were evaluated, and, in a special initiative, toy-sized aluminum wagons were custom built, allowing them to move more easily. They now live in a home with an employee of NSALA.

Every year the medical center takes care of more than 10,000 outpatient visits, administers more than 15,000 vaccinations and performs over 11,000 free spay/neuter procedures for every adopted animal, preventing over 132 million potentially unwanted litters. Additionally, the League’s SPAY/USA program is a nationwide referral service for affordable spay/neuter services. The League is also home to a National Shelter Rescue and Humane Education Team. North Shore Animal League America offers a wide variety of programs such as a mobile adoption program, adoption counseling, training and foster care for pets with special needs.

At the League's official site, you can read their mission statement and also learn about *mutt-i-grees,* the mixed-breed dogs looking for loving homes, too. Kathryn Erbe of *Law and Order: Criminal Intent* is a celebrity spokesperson for The Mutt-i-Gree Club. Through links from the home page, you can learn how to adopt pets, donate to the League, or sponsor a pet if you are unable to take one into your home. There are also links to news and advice articles, animal programs, and other no-kill shelters.

Please bookmark the site and shop here, too, whenever you need a gift for yourself or other animal lovers!

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together? :)

This just in from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

ST. LOUIS — Secrecy was a must. Inside Nestlé Purina Petcare headquarters,
they used a code name: Project Trident. Plans were afoot to shake up the $17
billion U.S. pet food industry. The goal was a new cat food. Not a meal. Not a
treat.

"A game-changer," said Vincent Biroscak, senior brand manager for Fancy Feast.
"A paradigm-shifter."

A team of 40 at Purina worked 3½ years to develop this new product, shape it,
fine-tune it. They spent hundreds of hours on research and design. When a
select group of St. Louis area cat owners last year tested the product at home,
they were forced to sign nondisclosure agreements.

And then, late last month, the new product quietly began to appear on store
shelves nationwide.

Fancy Feast Appetizers for cats.

After reading the entire article, I got to feeling like something of a negligent mommy to my six. According to a survey attached to this article, Fancy Feast is the top-selling canned kitty food in the USA ~ with 440.2 million units sold a year. With so many feline mouths to feed, inside and out, I can afford only the runner-up kitty food, Friskies, at 360.9 million, and Whiskas pouches, which weren't even in the top five. I save Fancy Feast for special occasions and treats.

However, now, apparently, I should throw appetizers into mix. Again according to the article. the consistent Fancy Feast customers are the ones *highly devoted* to their kitties. My ego can't help being somewhat crushed to know that I'm a notch less than devoted to my babies. I wonder if they will settle for extra cuddles and kitty kisses instead of more Fancy Feast? :)

Nevertheless, I will probably give the appetizers a try ~ as treats for my fuzzy family. Which of the eight varieties should I try first?

Flaked Skipjack Tuna? Steamed Tilapia? Tender Tongol Tuna? White Meat Chicken and Shredded Beef? Seabass and Shrimp? Steamed Wild Alaskan Salmon? White Meat Chicken and Flaked Tuna? Or simply White Meat Chicken? All come *In a Delicate Broth,* so the decision becomes even more difficult.

I visited the Fancy Feast page at the Purina site in hopes of finding a coupon. Not only was there no coupon, there was also a warning about counterfeit Fancy Feast coupons being sold on eBay ~ so, buyer, beware!

In the meantime, I wonder if Ameren would mind sacrificing my monthly tribute to them so that my babies can have appetizers? :)

The Surveys:

Top-selling wet cat foods

Units sold (June 2007-June 2008)

1. Fancy Feast (Purina) 440.2 million

2. Friskies (Purina) 360.9 million

3. Private Label* 123.9 million

4. 9 Lives (Del Monte) 102.1 million

5. Fancy Feast Elegant Medleys (Purina) 59.3 million

* Excluding Wal-Mart sales, private label includes all generic/store brands.

Source: Information Resource Inc.

Top global pet food makers

1. Mars
Some brands: Pedigree, Whiskas, Royal Canin
2007 global sales: $11.8 billion

2. Nestle SA (including Nestlé Purina Petcare)
Some brands: Purina, ALPO, Friskies, Fancy Feast
2007 global sales: $10.9 billion

3. Colgate-Palmolive
Hill's Science Diet
2007: $3 billion

4. Procter and Gamble
Iams, Eukanuba
$2.99 billion

5. Del Monte Foods
Meow Mix, 9 Lives, Jerky Treats
$1.7 billion

Source: Euromonitor International

Just a quick smile today! Lots on the Saturday agenda! :)