Would you believe, more recalls?

Now that some rice protein imports have been confirmed to be contaminated with melamine, here’s a new addition to the pet food recall list:  Blue Buffalo Spa Select Dry Formula for Kittens (only the bags marked “Best Used By Mar. 07 08 B”).  On a related note, there have recently been pet food recalls in South Africa that I didn’t bother to mention.  Tests now show that pets in South Africa are being killed by pet food which contains corn gluten contaminated with melamine, and the corn gluten is imported from China.  So, my suggestion to everyone is to read every label of everything you feed, wet or dry, and be aware of wheat gluten, rice protein and corn gluten.  Any of those ingredients have the potential to be contaminated, and there may still be unidentified companies which received contaminated rice protein concentrate.  It will be very interesting to see which pet food manufacturers are left standing when all is said and done, because many have done irreparable damage to their reputations, imo.

This settles the issue for me—as soon as my current batch of canned cat and dog food is gone, I’m going to start cooking for my pets.  It’s going to require probably one full day each week for cooking, and we may end up needing to buy an extra refrigerator/freezer for storage (because yeah, we can afford that right now), but I won’t have to worry.  The hardest part will be figuring out what to feed my foster kittens, because I know 99% of them will go to families who buy Science Diet, et al, and just assume it’s safe.

When I post about things like this, my information comes from news sources like the Toronto Star and AP, but also from great blogs like Itchmo and PetConnection.  I normally would never want to tread on another blog’s content, but this is a situation where the information should be posted in as many places as possible!

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 04/19 at 03:08 PM

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  1. Oh crap.  I am freaking out a little here.

    I know I am totally bailing out and asking a lot but I was wondering if you could email me a good cat food recipe or steer me in the direction of one?  I have researched a lot but cannot find a general consensus as to what should be in cat food.  Raw or cooked?  What additives/vitamins/minerals?  I have so little knowledge about this and feel the pressure to go this home-made food route but don’t feel like I have the time to catch up on all the research needed to make an informed decision.  The last thing I want is to compromise Yoshi’s health with my ignorance.

    Being a meat ignorant vegetarian and totally squeamish about meat isn’t helping but I would do anything to keep Yoshi safe.

    Any thoughts?

    Posted by Von Krankipantzen  on  04/19  at  06:48 PM

  2. You’re feeding canned Natural Balance, aren’t you?  Or is it Wellness?  In either case, I really think you’re okay as long as you check the labels.  You could also try some other canned brands (although I know Yoshi is fussy).  Today I bought some Evangers canned cat food, which I’ve never tried before, but the label was impressive.  In the “organic turkey and butternut squash” food, the only ingredients are turkey, turkey liver, and butternut squash (all organic), plus some vitamins.  I paid $1.58 for that one can, so I couldn’t afford it for all my cats.

    Nevertheless, yes, I could certain suggest some recipes for you.  The Spot’s Stew “chicken and clams” recipe is a simple one, and you could supplement it with a good vitamin.  Would Yoshi eat it, though?  And hasn’t she rejected raw food before? 

    I’ll try to pull together a couple of recipes from all the books I’ve got, and post something by the weekend smile

    Posted by Leigh-Ann  on  04/20  at  12:46 AM

  3. Thanks for the additional information on the recall.  I try to keep my readers at Richardson Zoo updated everyday with new information.  I’ve linked to your post here with this new info.

    Posted by Cheryl  on  04/20  at  05:27 AM

  4. All these recalls...ugh. I’m the only one in my (or my husband’s) family who thinks these ongoing waves of recalls are a problem, so I’ve been trying to keep track of them not just for Salem but also watch for all the brands the family feeds...it’s starting to feel a little overwhelming sometimes.

    Thanks for the heads-up.

    Posted by Helena  on  04/20  at  06:40 AM

  5. I’ve been feeding both Wellness and Natural balance wet food along with Wellness dry.  So far Yoshi is fine but who knows when this will all be resolved.

    Thanks so much for all the info.  I greatly appreciate it.  I spent my Friday evening pricing meat grinders on the internet.  Woo!

    Posted by Von Krankipantzen  on  04/20  at  09:52 AM

  6. Hi Cheryl… I think the recall information should be posted in as many places as possible, so it’s good to know you’re part of the gang helping to keep on top of things.  There’s so much information to keep track of!

    Kranki, if I can help you out with the pet food issue, please let me know (post here, send me an email, or whatever works for you).  I really think you’re okay with what you’re feeding now, but if you’d like some homemade recipes, please let me know and I’ll see what I can send you.

    Posted by Leigh-Ann  on  04/23  at  01:45 AM
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