Walk Through The Web Wednesday 1/15

Posted on by
16
siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello There Furiends,
My how time flies. It’s Wednesday already! It’s been a loooong week for our Female Human. We’ve had lots of snow and she’s been busy pushing all that white stuff off the driveway. We felines purrfer comfort so while she went out there at least four times per day, we kept ourselves warm and comfy and cheered her on. (We were with her in spirit).

This was pretty much The Female Human’s view sincer last Friday. Every time she got the driveway cleared that white stuff started falling. It’s been a long, consistent bad hair day for her. MOL
Oliver stands…..err….lounges in solidarity with The Female Human while he warms himself by the fire.

Lily posed in front of the snow-covered trees and I crawled into The Female Human’s lap each evening and gave her a therapeutic purr session.

We hope that wherever you are, you’re safe and warm! And now, on with the feline news of the week.

Brave Kitty!

Max the Brave!




We felines don’t always get the kudos we deserve which is why I’m bringing you the story of Max, the fearless cat. This kitty lives in southern California and ended up chasing of not 1, not 2 but 3 coyotes in his yard. And just so you know this isn’t some tall “tail” his humans got the whole dust up on their security camera..

Max’s humans heard the altercation and went out to chase the coyotes out of their yard and had no idea how much work Max had done fending them off until they watched the film from the security camera.

Poor old Max was just a whisker away from bring coyote dinner.  Max’s outdoor days are now over bui his humans are talking about building him a catio.You’ve got to check out the security camera video!

A litterbox that keeps your tools handy and is easy to clean!

Tuft and Paw is an innovator in feline products and their latest kickstarter campaign illustrates this.

The Cove litterbox is simple, beautiful and has it’s own an integrated scoop, dustpan, and hand brush. It was created by designers, engineers, and cat behaviorists and made from recycled plastics that are completely toxin-free.

Double-walled, thick matte plastic looks and feels sturdy while a smooth interior is extremely easy to clean. Rubberized bottom firmly plants the box to the floor. Cove’s scoop is designed to sift faster and slide easily through coarse litter without much effort. The dustpan and handbrush allow for quick, easy tidying around the litter box. The litterbox can only be pre-ordered on their Kickstarter page at this time. Pre-order price is $99.00. Lining in a house with five felines, The Female Human isn’t sure that 5 Cove litterboxes are in our financial future but it does sound nice.

Spotify launches a pet playlist generator



I can’t say I’m all that excited about these choices, I’ll have to have a conversation with our Purrsonal Assistant who set it up. I have to say though, it’s about time a streaming company took some interest in feline mewsical preferences. The play list set up asks about your feline’s personality so I am hoping these tunes will suit me. Send your human over to set up your playlist.

Petcurean, a premium food manufacturer for cats and dogs is returning the “Uplift The Underdog – Cat Edition” program



Petcurean puts pets first and the purpose of this contest is to shine a light on the many cats who are overlooked for adoption because of health, weight, age or behavior or other issues, in other words, the feline “underdogs”. Rescue groups, shelters and cat adoption supporters from across North America are invited to purrticipate.

These entities will have until February 2nd to submit the details of their most overlooked, but utterly adoptable cats. Of the cats nominated, 12 finalists will be selected – six Americans and six Canadians. These finalists will be announced on February 18, 2020, and supporters will be invited to learn about the finalists, do their part to help raise awareness, and vote for their favourite cats. The public voting period will last until February 24, 2020, at 6:00 pm P.S.T. The winner will be announced on February 25.

All 12 of the finalists’ shelters will receive a cat food donation of 2,000 meals to support the important work they’re doing to help animals in their communities. Petcurean will also pay the adoption fee for all 12 finalists, and if they are adopted, they will receive year’s supply of food to take to their new homes. The cat who receives the most votes in each category will receive a three-year supply of food from Petcurean.

Let’s get our shelters involved and help these kitties find furever homes!

Cat and bunny are best buddies


This odd couple in London is garnering world-wide fame for their relationship. A huge English bunny was recorded visiting his feline buddy.  The cat’s human, Jessie Sayce recorded the bunny during his daily “hop over” to visit her cat.  This has been happening since Leo  was a kitten.  She said, “”We thought it was really adorable, but didn’t think it would last, as Leo was getting bigger and thought he’d scare the rabbit,” she said. “This started 6 months ago, and they’re still super friendly!”

Their friendship has reached the point where the bunny has sneaked into the house via the cat door to look for Leo if he doesn’t find him outside. Sayce couldn’t figure out how the bunny was getting over the fence so she filmed him one day.  She said he jumped on a chair to the top of the shed in her garden. She said they don’t always play, sometimes they just sit together and watch the world go by.

Jasmine Opines About Scruffy Paws Kidney-Vitalize Chews

Posted on by
19

Before I tell you the story about my experience with Scruffy Paws Kidney Revitalize chews I must turn this portion of my blog post over to our legal department.



This is a sponsored post by Scruffy Paws. As a happy customer of Scruffy Paws, I was contacted to write a sponsored post from my (and the Female Human’s) experiences with the product. All reviews and opinions expressed in this post are based on my purrsonal views and experience with the product.

It’s No Fun Getting Old



I know you might find this hard to believe but I am a 17-year old feline. I’ve been healthy all my life until about 15 months ago when I suddenly lost a lot of weight (and for a tiny feline like me this is a very bad thing). The Female Human took me to our vet and I was diagnosed with kidney disease. I wrote about my kidney diagnosis in my post “Jasmine’s Journey” if you want to read more. 

Sometimes You Have to Do Your Own Research

The Female Human began reading all she could about kidney disease because she doesn’t just want to keep the disease at bay; she wants me to live my best life. Sub-Q fluids (every other day) and prescription kidney food (wet) are my staples but felt there was more she could do. Her research brought her to a wonderful company called Scruffy Paws Nutrition. The first thing she noticed was the vast amount of feline CKD (chronic kidney disease) information the company offered. She then read about the company itself and how they got started by seeking solutions for their own kitties. They created, with the help of science, veterinary professionals, feline experts and nutritionists are the Scruffy Paws Kidney-Vitalize chews that I’ve been taking for over a year now. And they don’t just address feline kidney issues, they also offer products for UT wellness, hip and joint vitalization, hairball control, dental powder and multi health bites. Meowza, these people are serious about feline health!

The Female Human learned much about CKD from the emails she received and by the information Scruffy Paws offers on their website.  They have an e-book about CKD and a course you can take to learn more about Chronic Kidney Disease. Now this is all too scientific for this feline. I’ll let my human do the research. I’m just interested in how I feel and how the stuff tastes and I give both a paws up.

Paws Up award by FelineOpines.net for humans who do amazing things for cats

But Will She Eat Them??

The Female Human is a bit skeptical about “medicinal” chews and treats. The Tribe of Five learned long ago that pill pockets contain….pills, and that is just not going to happen.  She’s had some fur raising experiences with my brother, Tucker, who takes medications. Add the fact that I too am a very finicky feline and she wasn’t too hopeful that I’d eat the treats. Still, she decided it was worth a try so she ordered the Scruffy Paws Kidney Vitalize Chews and crossed her fingers.

“Hurry up Human and give my my Scruffy Paws Kidney-Revitalize treat!”
-Jasmine

The first time I was introduced to these chews I looked at The Human with suspicion thinking, “This is a trick, what horrible tasting medicine is she trying to feed me?” She placed the chew at my feet like an offering and slowly backed away. I squinted up at her then turned my attention to the intriguing smell of the item in front of me. I sniffed, pawed it a bit and then decided, “This smells good enough to eat!” And eat it I did, and I now look forward to my morning and evening chew treat. Who knew?

How Does This Stuff Work?

This little feline is getting her mojo back after taking the chews for about a year. I am keeping my weight on, playing with my toys again and being my sassy self.  Although the Female Human is very careful about my diet and religious about giving me fluids, she believes that the Scruffy Paws chews are an important part of my ongoing health.  So, what is it about this magical product that makes it work so well? We felines aren’t that interested in science but I know your humans probably are so I had our Purrsonal Assistant do some research.

Some of the magic is in the active ingredients of Astragalus Root Extract and Rehmannia Root Extract. Both are proven to be effective, not only eliminating the symptoms of CKD but are also helpful in preventing it. (So you younger kitties, tell your humans to get you on this supplement as a preventative measure). The inactive ingredients of Carob, catnip, chicken, chicken Liver, coconut glycerin, coconut oil, garbanzo flour, mixed tocopherols, palm fruit oil, pea flour, rosemary extract, sorbic acid, and sunflower lecithin all add to make the chews effective and tasty.

Scruffy Paws Nutrition Makes Your Human’s Life Easy

Aside from the important fact that these chews keep me living my best life, the company gives our humans peace of mind too. Shipping is always free and there is a money back guarantee for all their products. And, if you order larger sizes of the chews you save money too.

The Proof Is In the Picture

  • Siamese cat on fur throw

The photo on the left is me at 6 years of age. The one on the right is of me today at 17. As I am a rather vain little kitty I am very pleased that Scruffy Paws Nutrition has helped me retain my youthful looks.  

My Human and I are so happy we’ve found Scruffy Paws Nutrition and we didn’t just find an awesome help for my health, we also found a community that cares passionately about felines and their humans. I hope you humans look into this fantastic company.

Purrs & Head Bonks,

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 1/08

Posted on by
11
siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello there furiends,
Yes, I admit it, I took some time off and I quite enjoyed the rest (you know we felines need our rest!) But the proverbial party is over and it’s time to get back to work. I have a lot to cover since I’ve been slacking (and gave our Purrsonal assistant some time off). The Female Human is not a fan of early mornings and she and Oliver enjoyed hanging out and having a conversation over coffee (Oliver doesn’t drink coffee, he just likes the warmth of the cup).

I on the other hand, have been chomping at the bit to get back to work. The Female Human has an office that is for working and for doing crafts. I must say I love all the craft goodies on the shelf. I have no idea why she gets her whiskers in such a twist when I help myself to some craft supplies, sheesh, how selfish can you get?

“Hmm, let’s see what I can get into here. She really needs to tidy up these shelves.”
Alberto

The good thing about The Female Human having this craft/work situation is that she has a table rather than a desk and this table has an “Alberto extension”. This makes it much easier for me to snoopervise her while she works.

Well, it’s time for me to get to the feline news.

CHONK Statistics Revealed

For those of you who follow my Wednesday web wanderings, you know that our all time favorite Facebook group is This Cat is CHONKY. The humans and felines in this group are some of the greatest we’ve ever met (we’ll be writing more about why this is) but for now, here is only one example. A very mathematically motivated human in the group has created a Universal CHONK index so that the debate about whether your home is filled with CHONKS, SLONKS or FLOOFS can finally be steeled.

Ellis Mumford-Russell has taken on this herculean task and it has settled many debates in the CHONK   community. We now have numerical and provable  CHONK standards. If this is all a bit confusing to you I suggest you join the This Cat is CHONKY group and get to know the CHONKS AND the wonderful humans they live with and for heaven’s sake before you identify your felines as HEFTY CHONK, MEGA CHONK, etc. please refer to this index.

Universal Chonk Index Update

It is with great pleasure that I unveil the findings of our UCI survey. I charted the 54 data points, which you can see here.

(explanation of UCI here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/133018060894811/permalink/560333531496593/?hc_location=ufi)

A few things:
1. You’ll see cat names listed on the bottom. If people didn’t list cat names, I put the human’s name with an asterisk after
2. Remember, the smaller the number, the more chonky the cat

Most Chonky Cat = Matita w/UCI 1.17
Most Slonky Cat = Noel w/UCI 4.75
Average = 1.8657
Median = 1.7222
Mode = 1.7000

UPDATE: photos now included below for Matita and Noel so that we can see the scale of C H O N K –> S L O N K ??

Proposed Chonk Standards

Given that I presume that the sample group skews chonky, I propose the following standards:
this cat is C H O N K Y ≤ 1.7
this cat is A V E R A G E = 1.71-1.9
this cat is S L O N K Y ≥ 2

Diving further into the data, here are my suggested parameters for the following categories of cat:
some sort of snake cat ≥ 4
l o n g b o i ≥ 3
A fine boi = 1.71-2.9
He Chomnk = 1.6-1.7
A Heckin’ Chonker = 1.5-1.59
H E F T Y C H O N K = 1.4-1.49
M E G A C H O N K E R = 1.3-1.39
AW LAWD HE COMIN’ ≤ 1.29

Use these findings as you see fit.

View the data here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1UlWWRg6kLF1-MIT7om4WV-7TmsX-t1AAwuEX7DMy7OI/edit?usp=sharing

LuluPet’s AI Litterbox will analyze your feline’s “deposits” and check for health issues

LuluPet’s intelligent litter box not only detects littering frequency and litter weight but also the condition of the litter (normal, constipation, diarrhea, etc.). After judging litter conditions through the use of AI image restoration, it uses this data to notify the owner of the cat’s health.

If our Female Human had a dollar for every time she’s had to describe to the vet the appearance and texture of the poop of The Tribe of Five, she’d be a rich woman, And gathering this information accurately when you have a multi cat household and numerous cat boxes is like searching for the holy grail.

But take heart humans, LuLuPet has a litter box with “built-in stool and urine image recognition” to analyze our… deposits. And why have an AI litter box that does this? It’s for the health of your felines, of course. The Female Human paid purrrticular attention when she read that the LuLuPet device can be set to determine which poop is from which cat.  

When the cat walks into the litter box, the information is sent to an app on the human’s phone. The company says that the litter box is Alexa- and Google Home-enabled. This offers more questions than answers. Whose voice does it respond to? If it’s the felines, do we have to learn special meows? If it’s the human, what is the voice command? The next feature has Oliver’s whiskers in a twist because the litter box can weigh your feline and determine whether the cat is too fat. That brings me to another question; will they be employing the CHONK data information noted in the article above?

Evidently this wonder litter box can also determine if the cat needs more food or water.

LuluPets joins many other smart litter boxes but most of those boxes focus on cleaning the box and not analyzing the cat’s health. And there’s even a built in camera although this causes me to wonder, can’t a cat get some privacy?! The thought of my human watching me “do my business” over her phone app is a bit off-putting and frankly, an invasion of my privacy.  LuluPet says that these photos are uploaded to the LuluPet library and are used to compare the different “deposits” of the other felines.

Now don’t get me wrong, this thing could really be a help with cat health, but I’m having a bit of difficulty believing that it will be as effective as the company says it will be. But, time will tell. This smart litter box is slated to be sold on Amazon in March for $149.00.

Canyon Ranch Inspired Resort for Felines…Human send me right meow!

Cat’s Meow resort was founded by Kim Thomas who took her business acumen and love of cats and created her feline resort, Cat’s Meow. She refers to it as the Canyon Ranch for felines.   She began her feline career with a pet sitter service and said that she noticed many of the cats she cared for were in need of grooming. She did her research, connected with the National Cat Groomer’s institute and became a master cat groomer.

She loved grooming felines, bet felt something was missing in the marketplace.  She wanted to create a place where cats could enjoy luxurious, stress-free, happy cat boarding without the distraction and fear of dogs —- along with the latest in cat grooming. and Cat’s Meow Resort was born.

The spaces at Cat’s Meow are pawsome and very elegant and the grooming options are amazing. If you want to up your feline’s star quality, this is the place to stay. I would be tempted but traveling. If I didn’t find the idea of being stuffed in a carrier and traveling the 2682 miles from my home to the resort holds no interest for me! If any of my east coast feline furiends have a stay or a grooming session there, let me know.

Gus the Cat Entered in Australian Dog Swimming Race

. Gus also enjoys paddle-boarding, cycling and hiking. Photograph: Alec Smart

The Scotland Island dog swimming race has been held for 44 years in the Sydney area. This year an entrant nabbed Gus shook things up a bit as he is an 11-month old Tonkinese cat.  Gus’ human, Glenn Druery had been training the feline in Middle Harbor. Gus enjoys other water sports like kayaking and paddle boarding.

The Tonkinese breed is a cross between Siamese and Burmese and is known for not being fearful of water. Still, Gus is nowhere near the size and strength of the dogs that compete in the 500 meter swim.  Druery checked the rules and noted that a human can swim alongside the four legged contestants.

Needless to say, ther4 was controversy about Gus’ entering the race with many saying that it should be kept as a dog race, stating reasons such as, “it’s cruel to the cat, it’s dangerous to the cat and it will upset the dogs.”

Druery assured the sceptics that he’d be swimming alongside Gus and, if Gus ran into any trouble, he’d climb on Druery’s shoulders.

Druery’s black Border collie, Bob, swam in the race twice and finished third and was declared the overall winner in the 2015 race. Sadly, Bob passed away from cancer.

Gus came in first in his category and is now a feline Australian sensation.

Osaka Hotel Offers Rooms With A View….Of Cats

Each room has an observation window looking into the cat’s play area

There are hotels for cats and now there are hotels for cat lovers. Neko Hatago is a hotel where guests can watch 16 resident rescue cats chilling in the adjacent cat café Neko Yokujo through an observation window in each hotel room. The hotel opened in mid-December. It has a traditional Japanese aesthetic, with traditional wooden fixtures, tatami mats and a rainbow Mt Fuji mural presiding over the cat café. The hotel is more hostel than a luxury property. The rooms have individual bunks for one or two people with a separate shared bath facility.  There is an observation window in each room that looks into the cats play area. The windows are designed so you can observe the cats but neither you nor the other human guests can see each other. There are radio controlled toys that you can use to play with the cats.

Rates run between 8500 Yen ($79.00 USD) to 11,500 Yen ($105.00 USD) and include a two-hour session in the cat café outside of regular hours. And, if you and one of the kitties connect you can adopt a new friend as all the cats are available for adoption.

Not Walkin’ This Wednesday

Posted on by
9
siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello Furiends,
The staff was not on the ball these past few weeks and I do apologize for that. I have no intention of walking through the web this Wednesday because it is an official day off. I would like to mention however, that this is “Walk Your Pet Month” and I have to say The Female Human does a good job of taking my brother Oliver and I for a stroll. As I am taking the holiday off, I decided I would present again, the film that Oliver and I made last year called “You Never Walk Alone”. If you are a fraidy cat you might want to watch it with someone.

Until next week!

How Dare You Call My Cat Geriatric! (The Female Human Opines)

Posted on by
11

Although I didn’t say the words out loud that‘s exactly what I thought all those years ago when my beloved Miss P was being examined by the vet. I struggled to paste a smile on my face as I gazed into the blue eyes of my sassy Lynx Point feline. Granted, she was 10 years old but she still looked like the sassy little kitten I’d first met. The kitten who began life as “Puddy” but let me know in no uncertain terms that she required a more dignified moniker and soon became known as Miss P.

My beautiful sassy angel, Miss P.

Miss P was with me for nine more wonderful years and during that time I began to learn to not only accept the geriatric time of her life but to embrace and enjoy it. She’s been gone for five years now and I am happy to say every memory I have of her is a joyful one.

A year and a half ago my world was rocked when 17-year old Jasmine was diagnosed with kidney disease. I immediately went to the worst case scenario, my heart was broken and tears flowed so fast couldn’t concentrate on the lesson the vet tech was attempting to give me in administering subcutaneous fluids. Then, something the vet tech said permeated my fog of sorrow.

“Anita, we’ve had so many kitties live many good years with this diagnosis on sub-Q fluids.”

I grabbed a tissue, blew my nose and said hopefully, “Really?”

Their Senior Years Are Only A New Stage

That was the moment I turned the corner and began to embrace the reality of my cat’s senior days.  I thought through Jasmine’s treatment and felt that no matter how hard it would be for me to give her the fluids, she deserved much better than being terrified by a vet trip every other day.  I screwed up my courage and learned how to administer the fluids myself. We discussed what Jasmine needed and how to monitor her health. I left the vets that day with prescription food, sub-Q fluids and a hopeful heart.

It took a few weeks to get Jasmine stable. We made one more vet trip when she seemed to be in distress but we managed to get her back on track. I monitor her weight, give her fluids religiously (although she has some issues with this as seen in this short video) and make sure she’s hydrated and her diet is low in phosphates.  Instead of bemoaning the fact that she’s a senior I take the time to create new rituals and fun times together. Now, while I give her fluids, she also gets an Inaba Churu Grain-Free Chicken lickable treat and despite her meows to the contrary, she enjoys the new addition to the treatment.

“I do not appreicate being poked with a needle!
Jasmine

It’s natural to want our felines to remain kittens forever but if we don’t embrace all their stages of life we miss so much. Tucker, Jasmines brother, Jasmine and I have developed routines and ways of living together over these 17 years that are a constant blessing to me. Yes, there are adjustments. Tucker can no longer come out on the deck with me and sit on the railing as his poor depth perception has made him more tentative in gauging how much space he has on that ledge. There is a 35 foot drop into the woods from that ledge that he already misjudged a number of years ago so now he and all the cats enjoy the great outdoors in their pop up catio.

Tucker, in his younger days, sunning on the ledge of the upstairs deck.

Jasmine went through a stressful time of bullying and, as a result, she now lives in the bedroom suite. I tried to reintegrate her into the rest of the house for several years but I finally had to respect her wishes to have her own space. Since the arrival of my “foster failures” Alberto and Oliver, she does have periodic visitors and enjoys bossing them around.  I constantly look for other ways to enrich her environment as well.

Tucker’ has always been a rather “laid back” fellow which is only enhanced in his senior years. Still, there are things he does that delight and often amaze me. He likes to jump up on the stools at the kitchen counter and then hop up on the counter to “snoopervise” the goings on in the kitchen (he is a cat that lives to eat and this  proclivity for eating seems to have been enhanced over the years). I would never dream of chasing him off the counter. If the old guy can make it up there, he deserves to stay there. Any visitors to my house have to deal with the fact that the counter is religiously cleaned with cat-friendly disinfectant and is often decorated by a rather large, cross-eyed feline. He has also been known to enjoy box sitting sessions and giving the “young ones” the occasional whacky paw when he deems them to be annoying. Tucker makes sure he never misses an opportunity to roll in some nip as well..

A little “nip” sprinkled on the counter will always get this old guy moving. Look at that happy face.

Granted, life and routines change over time but that doesn’t mean the changes are bad. Many are quite enjoyable. As you navigate the senior years of your cat, consider these five lessons for living with and loving geriatric felines that I’ve learned.

The Five Rules For Your Cats Geriatric Years

  1. Plan financially for your cat’s senior years. As they age, cats will require more veterinary visits than they did as young felines. Think about getting pet insurance when they’re young or, start a savings plan for their medical needs. I have a line item in my budget for “Cat Medical”. Whatever I don’t use in a month, I put in savings as insurance.
  2. Make sure you begin a habit of yearly wellness exams for your cats. Wellness exams help your vet identify and treat potential problems at their earliest stages.
  3. Have a first class pet sitter. If I have to leave home, I need more than someone who will come in and feed twice a day. Both Tucker and Jasmine have medical needs that must be addressed and medications that need to be dispensed. My sitter needs to know what to look for if the cats are not feeling well and when to take them to the vet. I always make arrangements with my vet before I leave in case my cats need medical attention.
  4. Just because they aren’t as active as they used to be doesn’t mean they don’t need environmental enrichment. Tucker enjoys box sitting and catnip is still a favorite.Jasmine has an assortment of toys and enjoys the occasional roll in the nip too.
  5. Love them and enjoy them and be thankful for every day you have with them.

Charles Dickens said, “What greater gift than the love of a cat?” and if we can receive that love for 19, 20 or more years, what a wonderful gift that is.

The Compounding Conundrum (The Female Human Opines)

Posted on by
13

I move toward the counter at the pharmacy, thankful for the HIPAA regulations that require a generous space between people in line.  The woman at the register stands, fingers poised over the keys.

“Hello, name please.”

I lean in toward her, whispering, “Aurit, Tucker Aurit.”

She smiles and asks, “Date of birth?” There is an awkward silence.

“Um, well, I’m not 100% sure, uh, I’m not sure if you need his birthdate… he’s a cat.”  I wait for a look of shock or amusement. She continues to smile; nod and moves to the area where filled prescriptions are kept, looking through the “A” section.

This was my first experience picking up medications for my felines at a “human” drugstore and the beginning of my relationship with White Cross Pharmacy. My two 17-year old feline siblings have health issues that require regular treatment and medications. The male, Tucker, spent some quality time at the vet last year with bowel obstruction issues and the regime we follow now includes medications.  

One of the compounded medications proved to be problematic.  Tucker hated the taste, foamed at the mouth and howled when I gave it to him. This was when I was lucky enough to get him out from under the sofa.  After the first few doses he was on to me and ran under the sofa. My vet suggested I contact the pharmacist about the issue and it was through this experience that I began to understand the benefit and complexities of feline medical compounding and the importance of having a pharmacist like Lori Howard.

Veterinary Compounding – the Wild West of Animal Medication

As Lori worked with me to find a solution for Tucker’s issues with the new medication, I was impressed with her knowledge, creativity and passion to solve the problem.  I did some of my own research about veterinary compounding and then decided I wanted to interview Lori as well.

In a July 19, 2018 article in VIN News Service entitled, “USP tackles ‘hot mess’ — veterinary compounding”, Christy Corp-Minamiji, DVM states that,” Veterinary compounding in the United States has been described as the Wild West, with a mishmash of seemingly ever-changing regulations that differ from state to state.” The author says that “while compounding of medications for human patients is coming under increasing oversight by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the law pertaining to animal drugs – the Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act (AMDUCA) — is vague on compounding.”

Some of the difficulty in regulating veterinary compounding is that animals, like cattle, enter the human food chain and their medications must be scrupulously monitored and controlled. Drug dispensation for pets does not require such stringent regulation. This often puts veterinarians on opposite sides of the compounding control debate. A vet that works with livestock will favor stricter controls than a veterinarian who treats companion animals only.

Lori Howard’s journey to pet compounding started with her love of animals and her desire to be a vet. Her career journey took a bit of a turn to pharmacy when, as she said, “pharmacy fell in her lap.” It’s clear as you talk to her and watch her light up about the subject of feline compounding that she loves her work. When she started pharmacy school, there were no pet compounding classes offered so she found classes on her own to add to her knowledge. She recently completed a 27 hour pet compounding course and has done many more in the past. She told me that another great teacher is experience. She’s always working on new pet compounding ideas and keeps a well-worn version of Plums Veterinary Drug Handbook at her desk.

Part of Lori’s self-education in pet compounding came from creating pet treats. Needless to say, dogs were far more appreciative of the treats then cats were. Still, the treats and liquids without active ingredients are part of her repertoire to show veterinarians the vast flavor options she can offer for even the most finicky feline.  

Lori shares her home with two dogs and two cats and all four are willing to let her know their opinion about flavor combinations she provides for them. You might call them her unofficial furry taste testing team.

Cats and Compounding

If she doesn’t recognize me she won’t give me the medicine.

In the words of the AMVA, “Compounding, consistent with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Extra-Label Drug Use regulations, is the customized manipulation of an approved drug(s) by a veterinarian, or by a pharmacist upon the prescription of a veterinarian, to meet the needs of a particular patient.” Lori explained that compounding is used when there are human meds that can be prescribed for a cat but the cat would not tolerate the taste. It also is useful to make a veterinary medication more palatable for cats to tolerate. Compounding also comes into play to ensure that dosages for those medications are correct for our felines.

When your feline refuses to accept the taste of a medication it can be compounded into a form that is applied topically.  It takes a little longer for the medication to reach steady state (to the point that the drug is affecting the system) but once it does, it works just as well as medications taken by mouth.  Any of us who have tried to shoot a pill or liquid down a cat’s mouth know the frustration of seeing your feline spit the pill out minutes after you think they’ve swallowed it.

When taste is an issue, as it often is with felines, a compounding pharmacist like Lori is a wonderful resource. She said that cats don’t like sweet and getting a medication to taste like fish is usually a winner.  Getting to that flavor is no easy feat, though.

Lori explained that all medications start as powders. To liquefy them either water or oil is added. When flavoring medication for cats, an oil suspension is the most desirable but medications will have water, alcohol soluble or oil suspensions and a compounding pharmacist will know how to work with those formats. The mode of suspension (liquid or oil) also attributes to the life of the medication. Lori tries to use oil suspension as much as possible to extend the life of prescription. The cost of a three-month prescription is less than a one month prescription and she’s always looking for a way to save pet parents money.

Sometimes the simplest practices are successful and she said that many cats love the water tuna is packed in and “tuna water” often makes medication go down better. I’ve used the “tuna juice” method at my house and it works for several of The Tribe of Five members.

I was amazed when Lori showed me a three-page list, with very tiny writing listing all the medications that can be compounded for cats.  She told me the biggest challenge in compounding medications for cats is the feline’s fussiness and their sensitivity to so many things. 

Final Thoughts about Veterinary Compounding

Tucker and I say “cheers”
for veterinary compounding!

Veterinary compounding is a fairly new area and therefore it’s not surprising that many veterinary practices are not on board yet. As I noted, I am so thankful that my felines are patients of a veterinary practice, Pend Oreille Veterinary Service that takes a broad, holistic approach to veterinary medicine and who use a compounding pharmacist.  

I asked Lori two final questions at the end of our interview. First, “What do you wish vets knew about compounding?” She said she wished that veterinarians would know the range of things compounding pharmacists can do with medications and how much flexibility compounding provides when prescribing medication for felines. The pharmacist can work with that specific cat’s needs and wants and formulate a medication that will work for them.

The final question I asked her was, “What do you wish pet owners would know about veterinary compounding?”

“I wish people would understand that it takes time to make medications that are specially compounded.  Also, we have to comply with the veterinarians instructions. If the bottle says “no refill” we cannot refill until the vet gives an okay.”

I no longer sidle up to the front desk and whisper Tucker’s name when picking up his medication. I march forward boldly and I’m always asked how Tucker is doing. Tucker’s photo is hanging in the pharmacy on their pet board so they can see his cute little cross-eyed face when compounding his medication.  

Cat parents, if you haven’t talked to your vet about compounding I recommend you have that conversation with them soon.  

Meowry Christmas

Posted on by
7

Wishing you peace, joy, love and happiness this season!

Purrs & Head Bonks,

Alberto, Oliver, Lily, Tucker & Jasmine (and The Female Human)

“Hope your stockings are filled with kitty treats.” -Tucker
“God rest ye furry gentlemen..”
-Oliver
“Santa Paws is coming to town.” – Alberto
“Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all my “deer” friends. -Jasmine

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 12/18

Posted on by
17
siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello there furiends,
How is your week going? The Tribe of Five is getting in the holiday spirit and the weather humans are saying we’re going to have two days of holiday snow. I realize that today’s picture on Weather Kitty is a bit deceptive, what with the sunshine and green grass and all but you can see we have a winter storm warning.

Weather Kitty offers “meow prime” but evidently the staff is too cheap to get the paid version with our purrsonalized pictures!

On another note, we seem to have a disaster in the making at our house. This weekend The Female Human was boiling some eggs on the stovetop. She went to wash something in the sink and when she turned around, this is what she saw.

Evidently, the desperate yelling of the Female Human, “Oliver get down!” had no effect on the little heat seeking guy. Nope instead of obeying, he moved in closer.

Notice the bubbles in the water? That’s because there is a fire under that pan heating up the water. Still, Oliver doesn’t seem to be worried about setting his fur on fire.
Human still screaming (and filming) and Oliver is blase about the situation.

The yelling and removal of Oliver from the stovetop continued until The Female Human’s eggs were boiled. Oliver won the stand off and The Female Human hovered over the burner until she shut it off. All I can say is, it’s a good thing she rarely cooks!

“I have no idea why you are screaming at me. Can’t a cat get a little extra heat without making a big deal of it?”

Please do not give The Female Human a bad time. She always knew Oliver was a heat seeking feline but this stunt was a new one. He has been (gently) advised that waltzing across the counter to the stove top is not allowed and a very, very, very bad idea. Sigh, it’s a good thing I’m such a good cat and don’t give her any trouble..

This is me, “helping”
Alberto

As you can see it’s been a bit of a harrowing week in our neck of the woods but we are all safe and sound and The Female Human is quite the watchdog when the stovetop burners are on.

So let’s get started on this week’s wonderful feline web stories.

Working Cats Keep Levees Safe

Former feral cat works to keep the levees safe.

The Metro East Sanitary District in Granite City, IL hired dozens of new employees this year, all eager and hungry to take care of rodent problems. These working felines are keeping the rodent population down and saving the levee system.

The felines were “hired” six months ago from Metro East Humane Society’s Working Cat Program and their job description isn’t limited to rats, they patrol for moles, voles and other burrowing animals along the levee system. An MESD spokesperson says the cats are doing a fantastic job. The cats receive room and board and are saving MESD from high maintenance costs.

Prior to coming to MESD, the cats were spayed/neutered, vaccinated, micro-chipped and ear-tipped. In the past most feral cats were euthanized and now these felines not only get to live, they live their best life. Paws up to the good folks at The Metro East Sanitary District!

Paws on the Job – More working cats

Business owners in Addison County, Vt are adding felines to the workplace through the Paws on the Job program of Homeward Bound, Addison County’s Humane Society. Shelter feline coordinator Michelle Shubert spends time with the new feral cats at the shelter so that she can transition them into the working cats program.

The working cats in the program live and hunt outside and the business owners feed and care for them. A new category for office cats has also been created. Sadie, a calico works at the Gaines Insurance agency, Chedder works at the Middlebury Animal Hospital, and a local hardware store employs Grayson

Businesses wishing to hire a working cat are required to assign a “boss” or point person who is responsible  for the feline employee. They must provide shelter, food, water and affection and attention. For a $35.00 hiring fee, the business receives a start-up package that includes a crate ,litter box, start up food and toys.

pays for a start-up care package that includes supplies such as a crate for the acclimation period of an outdoor cat, litter box for an indoor cat, startup food and toys. Let’s give a big round of applause for “Paws on the Job”.

Cats Steal the Show in These 12 Famous Feline Flicks

The holidays are near and my feline furiends (even the working ones) and their humans will have some extra time to relax and watch some flicks. When you’re planning your holiday movies, here are 12 of the greatest feline features ever made for you to watch. The list goes back all the way to 1958.

Molly, the amazing dog who rescues cats

Before you say it, yes of course I know this is a FELINE blog and dogs are normally verboten but this is a special case. This dog, Mollie, works with her human Colin Butcher, a former police detective in their agency that finds lost pets, with a specialty in finding felines. Mollied’s human learned quite a bit about finding lost pets when he was on the police force so this post-retirement job was purrfect for him.

Their agency, UK Pet Detectives took off when Molly started working with him. Molly is a rescue herself and has been trained to do feline scent recognition work. While Molly did her training her human brushed up on cat behavior and now they are an unstoppable team. They’ve recently released a book titled, Molly: The True Story of The Amazing Dog Who Rescues Cats

Tweet about dad who didn’t want a cat explains why cats own Twitter

A human named Ruby shared a tweet on December 11th about her dad who was adamant about the fact that he didn’t want the responsibility of taking a cat as he’d already raised his kids.  The tweet showed her dad showing his feline Lucas everything he bought the cat at the store. And Ruby’s dad now has two cats. In addition to obtaining feline approval of his purchases, Ruby’s dad also built a sandpit and paddling pool for them and holds an umbrella over them when it rains. The tweets are hilarious and heart warming and we want to remind you humans that real men love cats!

This week’s web star is Kidden

My regular readers will remember that I told you about one of the BEST cat groups on the planet, This cat is CHONKY. If you haven’t checked this group out yet you’re missing a lot. Wonderful CHONKY cats and fantastic humans. Well this feline, Kidden was a member and when Kidden’s human say a photo of this guy holding a friend’s CHONKY feline she felt compelled to comment on his cuteness.

The rest is an amazing love story. Chicago human begins to correspond with English human and English human sets off over the pond to meet female human. Thank goodness Kidden approves. So all you single cat people out there….start getting creative!