Unlike in America, Cairo’s animal welfare issues are forced into the public eye at every turn. Images of dogs and cats living and dying on the streets in huge numbers, and malnourished horses and donkeys pulling excessively heavy carts confront tourists and residents every day. Despite a long history of attention to animal welfare in Islamic law, modern Egypt has failed to care properly for its animal citizens. The Egyptian government’s idea of animal population control consists of poisoning and shooting homeless dogs and cats.

United by a sense of outrage about the situation, and a passion to make a difference, a group of Egyptians formed The Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals (ESMA).

Headquartered in Cairo, ESMA currently provides a home to 179 dogs and 123 cats, and focuses on emergency rescue cases, rehabilitation, and adoption. ESMA Vice President Mona Khalil, who runs the day-to-day operations at the shelter (in addition to her full time job as a broadcast journalist) says that, “education is the key to the future of animal welfare in Egypt. Ignorance produces this cruelty that we see on a daily basis; ignorance about the many ways in which even a poor society can do much better for its animals.”

The Egyptian government’s idea of animal population control consists of poisoning and shooting the dogs and cats on the street.

ESMA teaches proper animal care and compassion. “We have made huge progress within the semi-rural community in which our shelter is located,” Khalil explains, “because we provide the only source of care people have for their animals.” ESMA provides animals in need with free spaying and neutering, as well as free medical care.

With animal welfare a new field in Egypt, ESMA faces challenges that range from a lack of veterinarian medical supplies to difficulty finding employees to work at the shelter. Graduates of veterinary school have never worked with cats and dogs, since vet schools focus mainly on animals for consumption.

ESMA has begun offering vet students internships that provide them with hands-on experience with companion animals, generating interest in this new field of vet care. “Vet students can face ridicule from their families and peers for wanting to work with dogs and cats,” Khalil explains, “We have to help them understand that their work is essential and honorable.” ESMA hopes to be able to send its vets for short training courses in the U.S. in the future.

Misunderstandings of religion also challenge ESMA in its work.

Under some interpretations of Islam, dogs are considered ritually impure, and handlers are required to wash the part of the body or clothing that has been in contact with the dog before prayer. Unfortunately, many Egyptians take this purity issue and its accompanying rules to the extreme, harming dogs on the street despite its reprehensibility in Islamic law.

ESMA has helped to produce a primer on Islamic law and animal welfare, which will be widely distributed this fall. ESMA has undertaken a capital campaign to raise the funds to buy land to construct its permanent shelter and medical center. Currently it operates on rented land, and so is limited to the existing infrastructure. Visit esmaegypt.org to find out more information about how you can help.

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The dogs were “culled”, or removed, by local authorities by capturing them with a long pole containing a wire hoop and then beaten to death. Dog wardens and volunteers were paid by local authorities to kill any animal found on the street.

Typically cities throughout the world, having been granted the privilege of hosting the famous games, undergo a “cleansing process” in hopes of shining a favorable light on the city’s “good side.” Beijing is no exception.

As the host city of the 2008 Olympics, however, the Chinese government has added a uniquely cruel twist to this cleansing process—and hundreds of thousands of cats and dogs are suffering as a result. In recent months thousands of cats in Beijing—both stray and owned “pets” have been corralled, crammed into cages so small the animals are unable to lift their heads, and trucked off to what the Free Republic online news source calls “death camps” outside the city. At a large animal “compound” in Da Niu Fang Village the sounds of hundreds of wailing cats can be heard coming from clusters of tin-roofed sheds, although workers near the compound denied there were animals being held, reports the Free Republic.

This “culling” or removing of animals from the city just before the Olympic games is the result of a government campaign that began in July of 2007. By terrifying Beijing residents, warning them of a link between diseases such as SARS, a deadly respiratory virus, rabies, and cats, pet owners began dumping their own animals in the streets, fearing the spread of disease. Once the animals are abandoned, they end up being clubbed to death, or sold to meat markets in cities such as Guangzhou, in Southern China, an area known for its restaurants serving dog and cat meat as delicacies.

Such a practice is nothing new to the Chinese. In July 2006, The Humane Society International received its fi rst reports of a “mass killing” of 50,000 dogs in Yunnan Province, China. The dogs were culled by local authorities, capturing them with a long pole containing a wire hoop, and then beaten to death. Dog wardens and volunteers were paid by local authorities to kill any animal found on the street. This mass killing often included animals that were, in fact, not only dogs registered as pets, but dogs that had been vaccinated. Andrew Rowan, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Human Society International condemned this indiscriminate killing of animals as “unnecessary and inexcusable, especially if they’re already vaccinated. The culling campaigns are in direct conflict with the emergence of a pet-keeping culture in China. Solutions are needed that respect the increasing importance of the human-animal bond in a growing number of Chinese households.”

Such culling practices continued throughout 2006, despite vehement protests from animal rights groups. In November 2006, Beijing implemented a one-dog per household policy to “combat rabies,” – even paying owners 65 cents per dog to kill their own before authorities seized the animal, and attempted to limit owned dogs to those under 35 centimeters. Finally, in December 2006, Chinese President Hu Jinato halted the dog killing campaign due to international protest, attempts to boycott Chinese products—even urging by U.S. House of Representatives Tom Lantos (D-Calif) and Christopher Smith (R-N.J.) to reform the dog cull policies seemed to have an effect.

It appeared that dogs in China were safe for the moment. In March 2007, however, the South China Morning Post reported that the government in the Chongquing district would be “culling thousands of dogs after March 16, as an anti-rabies measure,” following a rabies death of one of its citizens. Dog owners in the area were told to have their dogs euthanized before March 15. Mass killing of the city’s dogs would begin (again) on March 16. Animal rights groups throughout the world continue to protest and search for solutions to this problem, which continues to resurface in China.

Now, as Beijing prepares for the 2008 Summer Olympics, the animal cruelty has returned and includes cats on its list of targets. Christie Yang of the animal charity Animals Asia Foundation, which liaises with other animal welfare groups, sums up the pre-Olympic situation. “We are seriously concerned. We understand that with the Olympic Games the Beijing government is eager to show the world the city in a good light. But capturing and dealing with (animals) in such an inhumane way will only tarnish the image of Beijing and the Games.”

If disease is the issue, and not the glam- our of hosting the Olympic Games, why is Beijing resorting to such cruel practices to control the stray population and stop the spread of disease?

Chinese sources actually estimate that pet ownership is on the rise in China. Yet health experts say only three percent of “pet” dogs are vaccinated. In addition, more than 2,000 people die of rabies in China each year. The Chinese Center of Disease Control and Prevention links the surge of rabies cases in recent years to the increase in pet ownership combined with the country’s limited access to rabies treatment, vaccines and spay and neuter resources. Others such as Dr. Francette Dusan, A World Health Organization Expert, blame the lack of coordinated effort between human health, animal health and municipal agencies and authorities. “This has not been pursued adequately to date in China, with most control efforts consisting of purely reactive (measures),” says Dusan.

Whatever the culprit may be, and despite the efforts of numerous animal welfare groups in the country and throughout the world, the Chinese government continues to control its animal population with haste and with a distinct disregard for the animals they might have called companions.

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What exactly is the purpose of socializing your new family member and why is it so important? I remember when I got my first puppy many years ago before entering the field of canine behavior. I was told to introduce my puppy to something new every day.

Training can occur at any time during his life but the development stages only happen once and proper socialization during that period is the most important thing you can do. Be sure to stress your pup a little every day. Take him everywhere you can. Introduce him to all the situations he will have to deal with in the future.

“Puppies provided with poor socialization or deprived of environmental exposure often develop lifelong deficits and dysfunctional behaviors. A puppy isolated early in life from other puppies and humans will not only fail to establish satisfying social contact with conspecifics or enjoy companionship with people later in life (such puppies are extremely fearful of any social contact), they will also exhibit widespread behavioral and cognitive disabilities as well.” – Handbook of Applied Behavior and Training, Steven R. Lindsay.

I followed this advice, took my new pup into stores, banks, walked him by school yards, and brought him to all my son’s baseball games. He went to the beach, learned to swim and played in dog parks. We attended puppy class and took long walks. He was the only puppy at 10 weeks of age in an adult agility class. The results were a very confident, well adjusted adult dog who fit perfectly into my life and could happily accompany me anywhere.

There exists a window of time during a puppy’s development where he is curious and open to new experiences. It is easy for him to approach and investigate new situations with confidence.

He forms permanent impressions and social bonds. This is commonly known period, it is important to introduce you pup to new situations, even if he is reluctant or scared, so he can develop the ability to deal with stress. This will increase his overall confidence as an adult.

One way to ensure your puppy is receiving proper socialization is to enroll in puppy class. It is my experience over the years that puppies who attend puppy classes can learn at a rapid rate if the method is right. A good puppy class should have a structured play session. This will not only teach proper social skills but will help your pup acquire bite-inhibition skills. All obedience exercises should be taught with positive reinforcement to ensure the puppy is imprinted properly to cooperate socially.

Stages

Your puppy will go through many developmental stages on the way to maturity. An understanding of these stages can help you guide your puppy properly.

Human Socialization Period: 7 to 12 weeks

The brain waves of the puppy are the same as a mature dog, but the puppy is a clean slate. This is the age that the most rapid learning occurs and the greatest impact on future social behavior happens. The window of opportunity is closing and socialization is critical. This is a great time to enroll in puppy class but remember your pup’s attention span may be short.

Fear Imprint Period: between 8 to 11 weeks

Anything that frightens the puppy during this period may have a lasting gentle guidance and management and continue to socialize.

Seniority Classification Period: 10 to 16 weeks

During this time, your pup will attempt to determine who’s in charge. It is important to provide structure and leadership during this time. I like to call this time the calm before the storm.

Flight Instinct Period: 4 to 8 months

Most calls to obedience schools happen in this stage, when your puppy may really try to test his wings. Just like a teenager going through puberty, your pup may test everything you tell him to do. Enrollment in obedience class may be critical at this time and continued structure and socialization is a must. Your pup may also require additional exercise and stimulation at this time.

Second Fear Period: between 6 and 14 months (this period could extend in large breed dogs).

Many dogs will show a rise in aggression or reactivity during this stage. They may become protective and territorial, and may try to dominate their owners. I have personally noticed that this seems to correspond with rapid periods of growth and can occur several times during a dog’s development. If your pup shows fear or apprehension during this time, avoid confrontation and encourage him to work it out on his own. It is better to ignore the situation than to reinforce the fear by trying to soothe your dog. Build confidence through training.

Somewhere between the ages 1 to 4 years we reach the bittersweet time of maturity. Hopefully, we took enough pictures to remind us of how much fun (although sometimes trying) it was to successfully guide our puppy through the stages of becoming a dog. Now we can enjoy a happy, well-adjusted life-long companion.

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Legendary veterinary behaviorist Dr. Ian Dunbar developed somewhat similar sorts of classes for puppies back in the 1960’s, and he calls these sessions for kittens, “potentially far more valuable.” And there may be one hundred reasons why kitties should attend school. Here are a few:

For starters, cats and kittens visit veterinarians far less than they should (on average less than once a year), that’s notably less often than dogs do.

One reason why cats don’t see veterinarians for wellness exams is exhaustion. Take out the carrier and watch what happens. The cat bolts. You might as well join a health club for the calories you burn attempting to snag the cat and then stuff him into the carrier. It’s exhausting.

A kitten’s mind is a terrible thing to waste. “It all began when my clients in puppy classes wanted equal attention for their cats,” says Dr. Kersti Seksel, a veterinary behaviorist in Seaforth, New South Wales, Australia. “Kittens have potential, and kittens deserve an education too.”

Once inside the carrier, the situation gets no better. Cars are enemies of cats. Cats learn a trip in the car means they’ll be poked and prodded by a person in scrubs. Also, being in cars takes cats away from their territories– something most cats aren’t accustomed to.

Of course, it doesn’t have to be this way. An objective of kitties while they’re still most impressionable (from eight to 15 weeks).

Instead of being forcibly chased around the house, and stuffed inside the carrier, owners are taught to properly desensitize kittens to the carrier. Cats actually can be taught to voluntarily jump into a carrier just as dogs can be taught to go inside their crates.

In fact, cats can be taught a whole lot of things. Cats can be taught pretty much anything a dog can do (and often they do it better.) Of course, the question may be, why would you bother training a cat in the first place? Just as owners who work with dogs (those who train dogs for agility or obedience, who do search and rescue work, or those who teach their dogs tricks) seem to have stronger bonds than those who don’t, the same logical assumption may be made for people who train cats. No one knows why more cats are relinquished to shelters more often than dogs, but perhaps people don’t have as strong a bond with cats as they do with their dogs.

Also, learning is actually fun for the cats; just as teaching can be fun for their people.

“Cats may sometimes take more patience to train than dogs,” says Karen Thomas, who trains animals for TV and the movies. “Cats will want to be paid for their work, but I think that’s fair.”

Purchase a clicker (available on the Web and at most pet stores). Click the clicker as you feed your cat. Click and treat. Click and treat. Click and treat. Soon cats associate the clicker with something good.

There are two ways to begin. One is simply to wait until your cat does something you like. For example, when your kitty happens to sit. Click the clicker and offer just a pinch of tuna or salmon from a spoon. Sit and wait, and odds are your cat will sooner or later re-create what he did for getting that yummy. Your cat will soon understand that sitting means “I get paid.”

Another method is to shape the behavior. Hold that spoon with the moist food just a tad above your kitty’s head. If it’s too high, he’ll want to bat for the food with a paw or jump for it. But if it’s just the right the height, kitty will lift his head up just a tad. When his head goes up, his rear-end will go down – and he’ll be sitting, it’s feline physiology.

It’s not always easy to teach a cat to come by name, but it’s absolutely possible. Most cats are trained to come to “calling” when the refrigerator opens or the sound of a can opener; you can simply pair the cat’s name with the mechanical device. And absolutely offer a treat when he comes running. Of course, you can do the same with clicker training. Veterinary behaviorist Dr. Karen Overall, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Glen Mills, PA says, “As cats age they typically get bored because we don’t ask anything of them, and we have a problem with obesity in cats. Enriching their lives is necessary, and training is one way to do that.”

In the kitten classes, kittens are passed around the room (so they become accustomed to meeting strangers and being handled by novel people), they also meet dogs (at some point in their lives around a quarter of all cats will have a canine roommate). Family members are taught how to teach their kitties to scratch in all the right places, and there’s a lecture on Litter Box 101. There are also basic care demonstrations, such as clipping nails and brushing teeth; and a discussion about how to enrich the indoor environment.

A few years back when Dr. Illona Rodan heard about Dr. Seksel’s tutoring for tabbies Down Under, she immediately imported the curriculum to her feline practice in Madison, WI. “I’m sure people thought I was a little crazy,” she says. “But I knew these classes would save lives. The number one cause of death in indoor cat’s isn’t heart or kidney disease, or cancer, it’s people who give up on their cats’ bad behavior. These kitten classes are great fun, but they also teach people how to prevent behavior problems, or if they occur they offer a resource for help.”

The hope following the kitten classes is that families continue to socialize their cats, bringing them outside safely in kitty strollers or allowing them to play in the yard in safe cat containment systems. When they learn young, most of these cats enjoy being on a leash and harness, and going places and meeting new people isn’t so traumatic.

Also, by training their cat, perhaps family members will be more tuned into their cat’s needs, even if the signs of illness are very subtle to pick up (as they often are with cats). Without hiding and running from the carrier, expressing disdain about car rides or minding handling by veterinary professionals, the hope is that people will more often take their cats to the vet.

Most of all, imagine how impressed Uncle Buddy and Aunt Sally will be when they see your kitty will sit on command, and offer a high five.

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The article was adapted from the book Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No Kill Revolution in America (Almaden: 2007) by Nathan J. Winograd. Mr. Winograd, a graduate of Stanford Law School and a former criminal prosecutor and corporate attorney, is one of the foremost national No Kill leaders. For more information, visit nathanwinograd.com.

And while early humane efforts often focused on protecting “working” animals such as carriage horses and others, Bergh’s SPCA labored equally hard to protect dogs from being killed at the local pound. In New York City, for example, the dog pound was nothing more than a rough shed where as many as 300 dogs were kept with little or no shelter and no food or water. The dogs were left lying in their own waste, tied up in close proximity, and sometimes fighting each other until they were killed. Henry Bergh battled with the city, advocating for more humane conditions, and in each instance won.

Tired of fighting Bergh, New York City offered Bergh’s ASPCA money to run the dog pound. But Henry Bergh refused. He believed the SPCA he created was a tool to champion and protect life, not to end it. Bergh’s answer was clear. “This Society,” he wrote, “could not stultify its principles so far as to encourage the tortures which the proposed give rise to…” Henry Bergh would not allow his ASPCA to do the city’s bidding in killing unwanted dogs.

Whether fighting for the rights of animals or protecting stray dogs, Bergh’s ASPCA grew in both scope and influence. In a very short period of time, Canada and 25 states and territories across North America had used the ASPCA as a model for their own independent humane societies and SPCAs and the numbers continued to grow. By the end of the first decade of the twentieth century, virtually every major city in the United States had an SPCA or humane society. And all of them owed their existence and their platform to a single man—Henry Bergh. But then, something happened. Somewhere along the path, the humane movement lost its way.

Following Henry Bergh’s death—and contrary to his wishes—the ASPCA capitulated and accepted a contract from New York City to run the dog pound. It was a tragic mistake. In little more than a decade, animal sheltering became the ASPCA’s primary role. By 1910, the ASPCA was doing little more than impounding dogs and cats on behalf of the city, with all but a small percentage put to death. Other SPCAs around the nation followed. The guaranteed source of income provided by contracts helped sway many SPCAs and humane societies to abandon their traditional platforms of advocacy and cruelty prosecutions in favor of administering dog control for cities and counties. In virtually every American city or county, the pound work was placed in the hands of the humane society. Within a decade or two, most mainstream humane societies and SPCAs did little more than kill dogs and cats.

From the ASPCA in New York City to humane societies throughout California, the twentieth century saw killing become the centerpiece of shelter strategy. It is the paradigm we live with to this very day. And while many of these organizations became very large and influential, they also became bureaucratic, with none of the zeal for reform that characterized the movement’s early founders. A critic of this shift, Ed Duvin, summarized it accurately:

Historically, SPCAs made the tragic mistake of moving from compassionate oversight of animal control agencies to operating the majority of kill shelters. The consequences in terms of resource allocation and sacrificing a coherent moral foundation have been devastating.

Put more bluntly, when the ASPCA took over the pound contract in New York City following Henry Bergh’s death, it began a century of squandering not only his life work, but more significantly the ASPCA’s vast potential. Bergh’s ideal of a humane agency founded to save the lives of animals was replaced with shelters across the country whose primary purpose was—and unfortunately in some places, still is—killing animals, whether or not they are suffering.

For far too many years, shelters across the U.S. have routinely killed millions of dogs and cats. Many of
these animals were healthy and friendly, and would have made excellent companions had they been afforded a little bit of space and time—space and time enough to find a loving home. But with holding periods ranging from zero to 10 days, most did not, under the outdated belief that solutions were impossible, no one would adopt them, and the best we can do for homeless animals is provide a quick death behind closed doors.

But thankfully, we are coming full circle. Shelters are moving back to their roots. Thanks to the No Kill
movement, shelters are challenging the status quo. These new leaders, bringing with them a deep and abiding love for animals and a “can do” attitude, are taking on positions of leadership at SPCAs, humane societies, and animal control shelters across the nation. With no allegiance to the status quo or faith in conventional “wisdom,” new leaders are causing dog and cat deaths to plummet in cities and counties by
rejecting the “adopt some and kill the rest” inertia of the past 100 years.

And while New York City is used to setting trends, it is currently being swallowed up by one. The No Kill movement, he would no doubt have championed, is now challenging the status quo in Henry Bergh’s hometown. After more than a century of silence, the voice of compassion remaking itself heard.

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This No Kill movement, still in its infancy, has challenged the methods of traditional animal sheltering, which for centuries has involved managing pet overpopulation by killing the surplus of homeless pets. Dedicated to the principle of valuing each individual animal while simultaneously focusing on big picture strategic solutions, the No Kill method is expanding its role in cities and counties across America.

Here is the story of animal sheltering and the rise of No Kill, with articles unraveling the differences between traditional and No Kill sheltering methods. PAWS Chicago is on the forefront of this movement. This in-depth coverage of No Kill features the experiences of other cities fighting pet overpopulation, as well as articles from two No Kill leaders who have successfully created No Kill communities. With this knowledge of lifesaving models, the public is now empowered to require the agencies they support to offer life, not death, to the defenseless cats, dogs, puppies, and kittens who are entrusted to their care.

The History of Sheltering

In the second half of the nineteenth century, humane societies began to take over the killing of stray and unwanted populations of cats and dogs. They wanted to eradicate the cruel methods of animal control at the time, which commonly resorted to clubbing, shooting, or drowning companion animals to death. But when private shelters accept the role of killing, who is to advocate for life?

For more than a century, traditional humane societies have been entrenched in the “cage and kill” philosophy, taking in all animals and killing the surplus. Because of the history of cruel methods of animal control, these traditional shelters have accepted death as a humane alternative for homeless cats and dogs. For more than 100 years, these traditional methods did little to eliminate pet overpopulation. For example, despite the existence of traditional shelters in Chicago for more than a century, the number of homeless pets killed in 1997 was a staggering 42,561. If traditional methods worked, pet overpopulation would not continue to plague our country’s homeless pets. In contrast, since PAWS Chicago took the No Kill message public with Angels with Tails in 1998, and with the help of all the wonderful Chicagoans who have rallied to help homeless pets, the killing has been reduced by more than half with 19,701 pets euthanized in 2006.

The Advent of No Kill

With the entire animal welfare system designed to kill the ever-increasing number of homeless dogs and cats, changing the direction of the tide was a huge undertaking. It would take vision, leadership, direction, and proof that lifesaving methods work to change the methodology of traditional sheltering.

As Executive Director of the San Francisco ASPCA, Richard Avanzino brought all of the necessary ingredients together in San Francisco, and by 1994 he had built the first No Kill city. No longer could humane societies claim the en masse killing of homeless dogs and cats was necessary.

Through innovative programs, proactive adoptions, and many years of focused, targeted spay/neuter, San Francisco created a progressive No Kill model that saves all animals; the only warranted euthanasia is for animals who are irremediably suffering, or those who are vicious and pose a threat to the public.

But despite San Francisco’s proven track record of saving—not killing—homeless animals, many shelters and communities have not yet embraced the No Kill model. Many shelters and communities continue to kill homeless cats and dogs, rather than work to change the ineffective status quo. But the No Kill tide has already begun to swell.

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While cats do not need to be taken for daily walks as a dog does, they are by no means low-maintenance—either in the amount of interaction they require or in the financial responsibility they represent.

Adopting a pet of any kind is a large commitment in terms of both time and money. Cats are social animals who want and need interaction with their guardians. Feeding, grooming and litterbox cleaning are daily activities.

As with any animal, cats cannot communicate verbally with their guardians, so it is the human’s responsibility to be constantly watchful of the cat’s behavior and alert to any abnormalities. A guardian who believes the cat can ‘take care of himself’ will be unaware of subtle behavior changes that can be signs of the onset of serious illness or injury. In terms of financial commitment, guardians should plan to spend between $800-$1000 per year, per cat, on the basics— food, litter and regular vet care, with additional funds budgeted for pet sitting, (as needed) and medical emergencies—potential guardians should be aware that costs can and will increase dramatically should an illness or injury occur which would require additional vet care and/or hospitalization.

“Cats can be left alone for a few days at a time and will take care of themselves.”

Not true at all. This is a natural follow-on to the point above. If a guardian is going to be gone for more than 12-14 hours, someone else should be assigned, or hired, to look in on/take care of the cat. Cats who are left alone for long periods of time can get into all sorts of trouble, become depressed, and even get sick. For example, a cat who develops a urinary tract infection can become critically ill in less than 24 hours.

Therefore, if you are even planning just a short weekend getaway, a pet sitter or friend should be looking in on your cat. This person should plan to stay for a minimum of one hour so as to be able to observe the cat and make note of any behavioral abnormalities (ideally, it should be someone who knows the cat fairly well, the better to notice if something seems “different”). Of course, the pet sitter should be provided with contact information for the guardian, as well as the phone number of the nearest emergency veterinary clinic and copies of all pertinent medical records.

“Cats need to go outdoors and hunt in order to be happy—this is ‘natural’ for them.”

In today’s world, letting your cat outdoors for any reason or any length of time is akin to playing “Russian Roulette”. One of these times his or her chances will be all used up. Outdoor cats are at risk for injury or death as a result of disease, other animals, poison, sadistic people, animal “bunchers” who collect strays and outdoor pets to sell to laboratories, cars, foul weather, and a host of other dangers.

Reputable authorities speculate that outdoor cats have an average lifespan of 2-3 years, versus their indoor counterparts, who frequently live to be 15 or older. We have domesticated our pets, and as such have a responsibility to take care of them and look out for their well-being. Your cat may look longingly out the window as though he wants to go out, but the bottom line is that this is not safe. Creating a stimulating environment for him inside your home with trees, toys, etc., and giving him lots of attention and exercise will ensure he has a full and enriching life, while remaining safely indoors.

“Pregnant women cannot live safely with a cat.”

Many OB/Gyn’s mistakenly inform their patients that they must get rid of their cat or cats in order to ensure the safety of their unborn child. This is not at all true. This misconception is based on fear of a parasitic disease called Toxoplasmosis, which can be transmitted from a variety of sources to a pregnant woman, and can be dangerous to her fetus.

Cats are exposed to this parasite through the ingestion of live prey (i.e. mice) and it can then be passed on by the cats to humans through handling the cats’ feces, which most commonly occurs during litterbox cleaning. However, assuming the cats are indoor animals (i.e., not catching live prey), there is no danger that a pregnant woman or her unborn baby will contract the parasite from the cat. In fact, pregnant women run more risk of exposing their baby to Toxoplasmosis by handling raw or undercooked meat in their kitchen than by handling their indoor cat.

That said, as a precaution, it is best for another family member to be responsible for litterbox cleaning during the pregnancy (and good practice, since after the baby is born, Mom is certain to have her hands full and this task may need to be permanently reassigned) or alternatively, for the mother-to-be to wear gloves and wash her hands thoroughly after cleaning the box if she must do it herself. Pregnant women should also use caution when gardening in outdoor areas which may have been used by strays as an open-air litterbox.

“What I feed my cat isn’t important. Food is food, what’s the difference?”

Nothing could be further from the truth. Diet is one of the few factors that influence the overall health of our animal companions over which we have total control. Cats who are fed a healthy, wholesome, species-appropriate diet have a better chance of living a longer life, with better overall health, than those who are fed a poor quality diet.

Cats are obligate carnivores. This means they are intended to have their nutritional needs met by the consumption of other animals. There is very little nutritional value for cats in plant-based food sources; in fact, physiologically, it is hard for their systems to effectively break down and utilize the nutrients in plant-based ingredients. As such, in a perfect world, they should have no grains at all in their food. This means canned food is vastly preferable to dry kibble—kibble is convenient, but it is also, by its very nature, a far less nutritionally complete package.

When it comes to canned food, guardians must always remember to carefully read food labels. A quality animal-based (meat) protein source should be the first ingredient listed on the food label, indicating it is that product’s primary ingredient. Avoid foods which list as their first ingredient anything referred to as a “byproduct”, or worse, grains like wheat, corn, or rice.

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Because of sporadic reporting in the mainstream media, pet parents are still confused about the details as well as to what they should be feeding their pets during this frightening time. For those who have not spent countless hours pouring over the latest recall information on the web, here is a quick overview and information on how to protect your pets.

It is currently being speculated that ingredients originating in China may have intentionally been spiked with melamine to boost its apparent protein content, since melamine can skew test results to make a product appear more protein-rich than it really is, thereby creating a more marketable, expensive product. But melamine has never been approved for use in food for companion animals.

So far, melamine’s been found in both wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate imported from China. Media reports from South Africa suggest a third pet food ingredient, corn gluten, used in that country also was contaminated with melamine. That tainted ingredient has not been found in the United States.

Officials from the FDA are awaiting visas to inspect the Chinese plants where the vegetable protein ingredients were produced.

Recall Timeline

In mid-March of this year, Menu Foods Income Fund, a pet food cannery for numerous well-known brands including Iams, Ol’Roy and Nutro, initiated a voluntary recall of nearly 100 brands of canned cat and dog food sold nationwide, which totaled approximately 60 million units. At the beginning of the recall, the company was not quite sure exactly what was wrong, but knew that pets were falling ill and dying in live-animal tests after consuming their food. Wheat gluten seemed to be the focal point, although labs across the country, including the FDA, were having trouble narrowing down the source of the problem.

But this preliminary recall was just the tip of the iceberg. Many other pet food manufacturers began recalling their canned brands as well, while labs frantically tried to identify the problem. Although initial lab tests showed that the food was tainted with rat poison, that result could not be duplicated in additional tests. Instead, labs began to find that the wheat gluten was tainted with melamine, an industrial chemical that, among other things, is used to make fertilizer and plastic.

At the end of March, Hills Science Diet recalled a number of its dry foods, due to tainted wheat gluten. The following day, Del Monte recalled a number of their treats for dogs and cats for the same reason. Sunshine Mills followed suit soon after. No longer could consumers easily choose “safe” foods for their pets without reading labels. The ASPCA issued a warning alerting pet owners to avoid wheat gluten (80% of which is imported from China) entirely.

Just as pet owners began searching for the ingredient “wheat gluten” on pet food and treat labels, Natural Balance threw a curve ball, recalling a number of varieties of their cat and dog food products (dry, wet and treats) that contained tainted rice protein concentrate. Several days later, Mars Royal Canin recalled a huge amount of pet food in South Africa due to tainted corn gluten. The FDA has not yet begun testing corn gluten in this country.

Protecting Your Pets

The list of recalls seems to go on and on. At this point, many pet owners are throwing up their hands in disgust and wondering if they should just start cooking for their pets. Though a safer option, it is not a feasible choice for many working pet parents who barely have time to cook for themselves! So, just what should a pet caretaker do?

First, pet food shoppers should begin scrutinizing the ingredients in their pets’ diet, just as parents already do with their two-legged children’s food. Similar to evaluating children’s food, the easier a label is to understand and the simpler the ingredients, the better the food. See Pointers in Selecting Nutritious Pet Food on the previous page for more information.

Second, consider upgrading to premium pet food. Some pet lovers may not realize that there is a classification of pet foods that is aptly considered “premium”. How do you tell the difference though? How do you wade through the long lists of ingredients and fi nd a SAFE, high-quality food that your pet will thrive on? And how can you be sure that the new food you purchase won’t be the next food recalled?

These premium foods contain quality proteins (not mystery meat meal and byproducts), whole grains (not glutens & processed fl ours), fruits and vegetables (not artifi cial colors and fl avors), skin conditioners and all necessary vitamins and minerals. They don’t contain BHA, BHT, Ethoxyquin or Meniodone, highly questionable preservatives that have been linked to tumors and cancer in pets.

Unfortunately, rather than creating foods for the purpose of helping companion animals thrive, many pet food companies consider pet food as the recycling bin for the human food chain and agricultural industry. As family members, the country’s cats and dogs deserve safe, high-quality food that can be trusted.

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