What I know - Seresto for fleas and ticks, is it worth it?

I have been seeing a lot of advertisements on blogs lately for Serestro, mostly because they have been sponsoring posts on blogs I read.  I am always pretty leery of new products for cats, especially when they are made for both dogs and cats, and I wanted to hold reserve judgement for this product until it had been 'out in the wild' for some time.

Having seen yet another 'blogvertisement' for it recently, I thought it was time to look into it and see what kind of reactions it is getting.  A quick trip over to Amazon.com and a click on the reviews is eye opening.

Before we get into that though, what is Seresto?  Seresto is a collar you put on your cat designed to kill fleas and ticks for eight months and costs anywhere from $50-$80 (there is also a $20 rebate on it if you go to their website). It is made and distributed by Bayer, and according to their website includes two insecticides Imidacloprid (to kill fleas) and Flumethrin (to kill ticks).

Imidacloprid has many brands and formulations for a wide range of uses, from delousing or defleaing animals to protecting trees. It is currently used in Advantage - also made by Bayer. In doing this research I've come to find out that Imidacloprid is one of those most toxic insecticides when it comes to honey bees.

Flumethrin, according to Wikipedia, is used for both fleas and ticks, and is actually used to help control mites in honey bee colonies..

You are supposed to put this collar on your cat and it is supposed to safely and effectively kill fleas and ticks for eight months.  This means the collar slowly releases these insecticides over an eight month period.  Sounds good doesn't it?

Well back to those reviews.  I went to the Bayer website and read the reviews posted there and according to the reviews there, it has a 4.2 out of 5 rating.  I have always maintained I learn far more about a product from the 1 and 2 star ratings than I ever would from the raving reviews, so I asked the site to filter me the 1 star reviews.  There were 152 of them, and most of them were from dog owners claiming the product did not work. Fleas and ticks abounded in these dogs. One cat owner said the collar came off after a few short days. Another cat owner said the collar did not come off when the cat got it's jaw stuck in the collar and had harmed itself trying to get it off.

However, Amazon reviews are vastly different. Granted these reviews are on the cat collars only, but most of the reviews there talk about hair loss, sores around where the collar is, lethargy, neurological issues and in a few instances death.  Talk about scary!  Now granted, even Frontline and Advantage have some cats and dogs who have very bad reactions to them, but one reviewer said two of her cats that were not related had issues.  How many people have issues who do not report them?

If your pet EVER has bad reaction to a medication or insecticide, PLEASE report it to your vet, and ask them to report it to the FDA This is the only way we can protect our pets. A lot of people consider a mild reaction not worth reporting, but it is.

So Seresto has a 4.0 out of 5 rating, with 210 five star ratings and 50 one star rating, but the 1 star ones scare me. If it were just a matter of continuing to find fleas and ticks on the pet, I would be much more open to giving this a try if I had an issue with fleas and ticks, but neurological issues and death? I would be hard pressed to say those risks were worth it.

Might these side effects be from the fact that counterfeit products have made it into the supply chain? Sure. This would not be the first time that counterfeit flea products have made it to mass market. Reading the reviews it seems that many people wrote that they purchased the collar from their vet, which makes this a bit less likely.

So.. Is Seresto worth it? I'm going to say for my cats, who are indoors and never get fleas and ticks, absolutely not. We have gotten fleas in the past and Frontline Plus works well for us when it happens. Fortunately I haven't seen a flea in several years. When I went to the clinic, the vet found it odd that I don't regularly apply it to my cats, and even did a flea check when I said no. I do not believe in using product unless there is a direct need for it. Would I consider it if I had a flea infestation and Frontline or Advantage (purchased from my vet because of those counterfeit products) weren't working? I am glad I do not have to go there.  At a 20% (66 negative reviews out of 316) risk of a problem, to me, that is just not worth it. To you it might be, but now you know to keep an eye out for any lethargy or any negative symptoms.

A Huge Disappointment for the Coastal Humane Society

In the beginning of the summer, I was watching my local morning news and saw a segment about the Coastal Humane Society in Brunswick Maine.  They were chosen to compete in the 2014 ASPCA 100k Challenge. They were challenged to break their own records for lives saved during the summer.  For the months of June, July and August in 2013 they adopted out 411 animals.

It was a huge undertaking and they decided they wanted to double that, so the "Rescue 822" project was born.

They had a wonderful start, with one of the dogs they brought to the news channel to highlight their efforts was adopted by one of the on air personalities (prior to the kick off of the event - I wonder if they got to count that)

We got another update in July, they were doing well and well on track to exceed their goal. However to reach that goal they needed to import dogs. Dogs and cats from Alabama were brought up and sadly five puppies were found to have been infected with ringworm. The State of Maine Animal Welfare Program recommended as a precaution to spreading the fungus that they close their shelter for adoptions. The dogs in question are isolated in a separate building, but due to exposure they feel the need to treat all of the animals, not to mention discard a great deal of supplies; bedding, toys, etc.  As a result their status in the challenge is at  risk. A complete shame since they were first in their division and sixth nationwide at the end of the first month of the challenge, and they are anticipating similar results when July's numbers are finally announced.

Will it be enough?  Probably not.  And not only that they have the added expenses of caring for animals while the shelter is closed and there are no adoptions and the treatment of the animals.  The Coastal Humane Society does accept online donations if you are so inclined to give.

My heart goes out to the staff at the shelter, they were so excited for this challenge and doing so very well, this must be a huge blow for them. I know they will continue on and will do great things once the doors open again

A new (to us) raw cat food

I was out buying food for The Crew the other day and found a lone package of a new frozen cat food in the freezer. It is called Answers. I liked the ingredient list and when I went to purchase it I was given an information sheet on it and I really liked the company's ideas and philosophies.

Personally I wouldn't have gone for carrot fiber, but would have preferred something in the low glycemic green family like green beans or parsley, but that's just me

It thawed in my fridge for a while and I opened it up much like you would a milk carton.

With seven cats who eat about two ounces each, the 16 oz container really isn't practical. I could over feed them, they would like that, but that seems like a waste. I wrote to the company and asked if they would consider selling it in larger containers and got a very nice reply from Jacqueline C. Hill, Vice President of Operations and Product Development. At this time they are not doing sizes any larger than the 16oz.  (bummer!!) but I am hopeful that they will in the future. Most households are not one cat households.. (which if they were would mean this one container would last three to four days) but multi cat households and it seems a little impractical to continue to sell only in smaller containers. My other issue is this product cost me nearly $9. If I had one cat that wouldn't be out of the question, but I can not afford $18 a day.. ($17ish since there was one serving left over) nor would it really be practical for us.. I currently buy 30-60 pounds of food at a time.. which would be 30-60 of these containers..

I am really saddened by this, as I love the ingredients.. and The Crew really likes the food..

Yes, Muffin is a diva when it comes to new food.. no idea why since she is a total dishwasher and scrounges food where ever she can.. Don't worry.. she did actually like the food.. she was just holding out for her own private plate..

So it got two huge thumbs and fourteen paws up.. I am hoping that in the future there will be a way this will be more affordable for The Crew and any future fosters who need it can get it..


BTW, ANSWERS Pet Food has been named "Best Pet Food You Can Buy" By Susan Thixton, at TruthaboutPetFood.com, in 2012! Read the very first of a new series of articles taking a detailed look at various pet food companies. Read "Answers From ANSWERS Pet Food"

It's Just One Litter

There is not a day that goes by that I am not hit in the face one way or another by the extreme over population of companion animals in this world.  Sometimes it is a really cute way, like when a kitten I am fostering paws at me for the first time.  Sometimes it is a really heart breaking way, like when a kitten I have been fighting to save dies from something that should have been preventable.

This is just in my world.  I live in one tiny corner of one tiny little town.  When I venture forth I see it everywhere.  Rescues overwhelmed with animals crying for help. People who are looking for places to place a stray or their own cat that they have to give up for what ever reason where they will have a chance to find a home.

Every day, actually to be brutally honest every eight seconds, a companion animal loses its life simply because there was no where for it to go.

Warning, image kept intentionally small - but I think everyone should see this.  Everyone should know.

I saw this image on Facebook a while back.  If I let myself dwell on it for any length of time my eyes start to leak.  I don't see broken unadoptable animals here, I see all of the foster kittens I've taken care of.  Before the shelter had a foster program, kittens too small to be adopted were routinely euthanized.  Many shelters still do.  Most open admission shelters have to euthanize regularly to keep themselves from warehousing animals or being financially drained and put out of business.  "No Kill" shelters are not funded or staffed well enough to take on the onslaught that open admission shelters have to deal with.

Why?  Well there are the stray, feral, and unowned cats reproducing, but often it is because people insist that their kitty should reproduce.  Their kitty is unique, special, loving, sweet, kind, loyal... beautiful.  Their kitty deserves just one litter.

No.  They don't.

Nor do they want one.  Cats are not like humans who ache to have kids, cats are ruled by the hormones that course through their body thanks to their ovaries or their testies and as a result that is all they want or thinking of it other terms, they are slaves to their hormones.  They *must* procreate.  If you have ever seen a cat in heat, you know she is not comfortable.  Have you ever seen a cat mating?  Think there is anything enjoyable in that?  The penis of an intact male has barbs on it to rip the lining of the uterus of the cat.

Then there is the fact that there is a darn good chance that your kitty's kittens are going to be nothing like your kitty.  Unless you have pure bred cats on both sides of the equation, than you are playing a genetic Russian Roulette. So many factors go into each individual cat, and litters can run the whole gambit of colors and personalities.  Even with pure bred cats, you are not guaranteed the personality you might want.

Just one litter means that you are "littering" and adding to the over population of the world.  The excuse I hear all the time: "But I will find homes for them!!" yes, but those are homes that could be adopting cats already IN the world.. Just one litter often means that three to five more cats die.

Just one litter means a harder life for your cat.  Being pregnant drains the body's resources and leaves them vulnerable to health issues.   Issues that are transitory like upper respiratory infections and more serious issues that are more likely to occur down the road like mammary cancer.

You want to see witness the miracle of birth?  Head over to YouTube, you can find anything and pretty much everything there.  Want to be a part of it, volunteer for your local shelter, chances are they will be more than happy to let you foster so you can be a part of the solution and not part of the problem.

You may only see the cuteness and the joy when you think of just one litter.
What I see is all the kitties that didn't get a chance.

Adding my voice

There is a pet store in Maine who sells puppies.

I am sure you know where this is going.. yes, she gets her puppies from a "USDA commercial breeder".  Recently several of the dogs sold there died, the most recent one died from parvo.

There is a group who has been keeping up on this and scheduled a protest in front of the store on this past Saturday.  I thought it would be nice to show up and be a part of it - even if I am all kitties all the time.

The store chose not to open for business on the day of the protest.  They were under quarantine because of the parvo, so they weren't selling dogs at this point anyway - not that they want you to know that though, the sign on the window said they couldn't sell dogs because of "renovations"

There were about 70 people there. There were a few news people as well.

There was a lot of honking from passers by which was really nice.  One guy had "Dixie" play when he honked, he went by twice :)  They even got a few woofs

Post by Chelsea Thompson.

Photo by  Chelsea Thompson, more photos here 

It even made the CBS local news, but unfortunately I can't embed nor link to their version of the story. If you are interested in seeing it you can view it here

Responsible breeders do not sell to pet stores. They want you to see the sires, they want you to know their blood lines. They want you to ask questions, see what is going on, they make you sign a contract and not a bill of sale. They also want to know about you.  They want to know the dog (or cat) will be cared for, they want to know that you have the resources and the authority to have a dog (aka not living in an apartment that won't allow dogs) It might feel intrusive if you expect to just go into a store and plunk down money and bring home a dog, but it is the RIGHT way to bring a dog (or cat) into your home. If you can make a decision to get a dog, and then get one on the spot, then you have a puppy (or kitten) mill.

Are there "good" USDA commercial breeding facilities? *shrug* guess it depends on your definition of good. These dogs are kept in cages, they are bred continually, they do not live in a home, do not know anything of the love that you will be bestowing on their offspring.  The good ones are fed regularly and have water. The good ones don't stand in their own feces and urine and don't have matted fur.  Is that good enough for you? It isn't for me. All dogs (and cats) should be loved. They should be cared for. They should have no less than what you are willing to give their offspring.

http://www.thepuppymillproject.org/

if you are looking for a specific type of dog, look to a rescue, check out petfinder.com, or find a reputable breeder.  Just looking for a dog, check out your local shelter.  

Bristol Cats Study

Are you in the UK and have you adopted a kitten recently?  Know anyone who has?  Would you like to participate in an ongoing study on cat behavior and how it relates to health??   (too bad they aren't including the US on this one)

Check out the Bristol Cats Study


We would like to know about your kitten!
Thank you for your interest in our exciting new study of kittens.  This webpage is designed to tell you more about the ‘Bristol Cats’ study…..

‘Bristol Cats’ will be the cat-equivalent of the ‘Children of the 90’s’ study that is run by colleagues at the University of Bristol.  (The ‘Children of the 90’s’ study has collected information relating to children born in the Bristol region in the early 1990’s.  The results of this study have identified ways to help prevent many important conditions, such as cot death).
Why is the ‘Bristol Cats’ study being carried out?
Because we don’t know much about the causes of common behaviour patterns and diseases of cats.
Questionnaires that are completed by kitten owners will give us very valuable data.  We can look to see to what extent certain characteristics (e.g. aggression towards people) or conditions (e.g. obesity) are associated with the cat’s management (e.g. diet, lifestyle) and other factors (e.g. breed).
The results from this study can be used to help improve the health and welfare of cats in the future, in the same way that the “children of the 90’s” study has helped our knowledge of childhood diseases.

Fix at Four

Have you seen the Fix at Four video by Best Friends

how about these..

Oh so clever..

Online petition - Dorritos

If you found the Doritos Superbowl commercial with the dog offensive, there is an online petition to sign to ask Pepsi to take it down.

You can sign it here
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/doritos-commercial-is-offensive-to-cats-cat-lovers/

kitties in NY need help

Cross posting from Ihavecat's facebook.

LIFE SAVER CATS- USED FOR YEARS AS BLOOD DONOR CATS! SUPER CATS NEED PLACEMENT-NEED A HOME!
Please contact Friendlyferals@msn.com or call 917-579-5718

Forest Hills Queens area
Please contact Friendlyferals@msn.com or call 917-579-5718

THESE CATS WERE IN A HOSPITAL USED FOR BLOOD DONORS!!! THEY SAVED SO MANY OTHERS AND NEED A HOME! They are Moe, white and orange and Angel-Tabby-both declaws, shots, tested, totally vetted! They are 4.5 years old! They were used only to save lives , BLOOD DONOR CATS and they did. The hospital closed and they had no place to go only to be euthanized. They are in foster with a special person who is having a problem with a dog that hates cats and they have to leave but their lives have to be saved and a home is needed, a good home, ASAP! I cant take them myself since I am going on cancer chemo therapy! So I am reaching out to connect these cats to a home!

Arrangements will be made to have the cats delivered or seen, whatever it takes to have them safe and adopted to a good home that appreciates what these cats have done. Please remember they were used for blood donors to save others for years. Friendly but not handled too much for too long. Friendly  not feral!

Angel

 

Moe

This is a riot

Cats as Fonts
Which are cats in poses or with props to represent our favorite type fonts. I can't tell you which is my favorite.. Several of them are... well purrfect.  As someone who is a fan of the Comic Sans font, I giggled at that one..


By the way, just a PSA for all you bloggers.  Recently I have been getting comments from people I don't recognize and they don't look like spam, they haven't been caught as spam.. but their "name" links to a spam link.  So you might want to check that the links are actually to blogger profiles or websites that aren't spammy before clicking to meet someone who just posted on your website.  I have been getting a lot of spam comments since removing the word verification from my blog.. I don't mind, I can delete them easily enough and blogger is good at catching spam looking comments (and if they aren't spam they are easy enough to publish) but this is going a bit too far.  I don't want to put the captcha back as I am not a fan of them (and certainly not a fan of the new one that has two barely legible words) but it might be coming.  It stinks that you have to penalize those you like to keep out those you don't.

Don't hate me because..

Petfinder is having a promotion to get less adoptable pets adopted.  Truly a wonderful cause.  People often want a pet for love and companionship and they don't realize that pets that are specialty abled will actually make better pets because they NEED you.

Often people don't like cats because they seem so independent.  They don't realize how completely dependent they can be (and if you want examples, come over to my house.. half of my cats are worse then the most clingy dog you've ever known)  A kitty with special needs often means you have to interact with them more, which in turn causes them to be 'better' pets.

The bond you have with a specialty abled pet is unique.  I had it with Em after she became diabetic.  While I'd never wish diabetes on any pet, it certainly changed our relationship and our connection was special.

But

I have to say I'm not overly thrilled with the "Don't hate me" aspect of this campaign.  I mean who hates pets... and if they do, then do you really want them adopting ANY pet?  I know I know, it's a play on the whole "don't hate me because I'm beautiful" campaign that was on TV, but still... it just rubs me the wrong way.

Although it can rub me any way it wants if it gets more pets adopted..
They had a number of badges to share here but I didn't much like any of them, but I did like the Special Needs Special Love one but I couldn't seem to get it to work with Blogger..

Kittens!

Ok, it is a cruddy pict. 

If you look close, you'll see one black and white spotted kitten in the front, then behind him is a tri-colored tiger.  Behind her are three spotted white kittens.  Two boys and three girls.  When I checked one of them started peeing on me - which is not a good thing.  Minerva should have been taking care of that.  I grabbed some toilet paper and started stimulating her and she started pooping immediately.  Unfortunately I wasn't ready for it, and it was very soft - needless to say that kitten ended up with a bath.    So I stimulated them all to pee, and another kitten started to poop so I stopped because I didn't really have the time to give them all baths..   They are weak.. they seem to be a few days behind where they should be.. Hopefully Minerva will step up to the plate and make them fat and happy right quick.  Even if she isn't interested in helping them go pee.  I can do that..

While I was at the shelter I was surprised how many kittens they had.  Four different sets of kittens were sitting in cages because they were still too small to be up for adoption (I'm not even going to mention the number of kittens up for adoption)

Again, the photos aren't the best..

This was a cute pair of kittens.  One was grey and white, the other a dilute tortie.

Another pair..  Love me little kittens with "flame" stripes on their head..

Four adorable kittens (with a mom - who was a calico) taking a nap.  Didn't even wake up when I opened the cage door to take a better picture.

Then there was this set of five kittens:

Not impressed yet?

Still not?

How about now?? lol.  I just LOVE the white eyeliner on the kitten in the background.  I wanted to scoop them up too, but A) I have no where to put them, B) I already have two sets of kittens and my own crew that take up a lot of time and C) I would so end up adopting this kitten.. I just know it.  So best I leave them there

not impressed.

No seriously.. I would.  I mean white eyeliner AND tipped toes..

I'm that cute?

Darn tootin you are! 

Lastly there was this poor soul. I'm assuming male, but I didn't officially check..

He has a warning on his cage letting people know to be careful when they pick him up as he has neurological issues.  Probably CH by the way he was moving about the cage.  If so, it seems pretty mild.  Not sure if he reacts badly to being picked up or why the warning was there..

*sigh*

I hate this time of year.  Donations slow down but the kitties don't.  The shelter only had Iams kitten food for the fosters (I dug around and found something else - I would have bought something if need be - I do not feed Iams as no fosters I have EVER had have EVER eaten it) that someone bought out from the local discount store.  Great that there is food, because any food is better then no food but sad that it was Iams.  It was amusing as I was looking around a staff member came in just as I found a bag and said "YES!" and we laughed.  She said she wasn't a fan of Iams either (same reason I'm not)   It was so nice to hear someone else feel the same way.

Just a little PSA to remind you that shelters feed pets year round, and in the fall the donations usually slow down but the intakes don't until the snow flies (no snow where you are? then I would imagine that the intakes don't slow down)

PSA - Flea products

When I used to work at the vet's office (as a receptionist) I saw a few cases of toxic reactions to flea products.  Watching these kitty suffer is not pretty, and it was one of the worst things I had to deal with knowing it should not have happened.  I am constantly telling people to NEVER buy flea products over the counter.  I'm even leery of Frontline and Advantage being sold over the counter, because until recently the makers of the products wouldn't allow it, so I had to wonder how that product got there, and because of known cases of counterfeit products it scared me. 

Today on Twitter I saw this video.. it made me think, it made me tear up.  It reminded me that not everyone knows of the dangers of flea products.  They are touted as safe and the side effects are rarely talked about (even with the very safe Frontline and Advantage, there is the risk of a cat having a reaction)

So adding to my crusade to talk about and get people thinking about cat food/nutrition and vaccines, lets just throw in flea products..

The more you know...




I just found another blog talking about the same thing, but she has more videos.. http://thewobblycat.blogspot.com

So what makes you get on your soapbox?

Does Owning a Cat Make You Sexier?

Now when I first started reading this article, I swear I thought it was on "The Onion" or some other parody website.. not caster.com.  I followed the link figuring it would take me to a parody website, but it took me to fox news.  Seriously? 

In 2003, researchers at Charles University in Prague conducted a study funded by the Stanley Research Medical Institute in Bethesda, MD, which showed that domestic cats infected with the toxoplasma gondii parasite - the same parasite that's the reason pregnant women are advised to stay away from the kitty litter box - can actually alter the personalities of their human owners.

I can't help but wonder how they determined it was the parasite that caused this, and not the fact that these women got older - which changes our personalities in and of itself.

 Women exposed to the parasite experienced a desirable attitude adjustment. According to the study, infected women were shown to be more easygoing and warm-hearted, with more close friendships. Plus, they cared more about how they looked. "However," adds Dr. Jaroslav Flegr, who conducted the study, "they were also less trustworthy and had more relationships with men."

Now lest you think this is a women only issue, apparently it turns men into "alley cats" .... from Fox News

Infected men, on the other hand, became more aggressive, less well-groomed, undesirable loners who were more likely to be suspicious and jealous.

Seriously?

I've heard of the research on toxo and schizophrenia and bi-polar and that doesn't sound nearly as crazy as this study.  Who ever thought to study this?  Maybe they were studying brain issues and stumbled upon this??

really no point to this post other then.. "Seriously?"

Just a small aside, Toxo isn't the huge danger that a lot of people think it is.  It is serious yes.  I don't want to diminish that, but the cat only sheds it for 10 -14 days after infection.  Then you have to ingest it and it is in the stool, so unless you aren't practicing basic hygiene, you are generally fine.  As for litter boxes and pregnant women, it takes two days for the toxo to become airborne, so if a pregnant woman happens to have a cat who happens to have been infected and happens to be using a litter box in the house (most wouldn't be because they would have been outside catching the mice that infected them, and thus most likely wouldn't have an indoor litter box - not to say that mice don't come inside... but still) and she doesn't scoop the box every day, then she is at risk - sounds pretty small hun?

From what I have gathered, it is much easier to get it from eating undercooked meat or unwashed fruits and veg..
(guess there was a point to this post after all)

PSA - Kiva.com

Have you ever heard of Kiva? 

We are a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world. 

I've been a member for a while.  I started out loaning $25, and I figured I'd loan that out until someone didn't pay it back.  Well it's been a few years and when I saw a groupon sale for Kiva I invested again, and now I have two loans out at any one time.  It is not much.  (although in this day and age of recession and goverments that are about to go poof, sometimes it is a little bit more then people can afford) but it can do a lot of good.

Well Kiva has decided to try to expand to new people by giving them $25 to loan out.  You get to pick who you loan money to, and get the whole Kiva experience, but instead of getting repaid to yourself, the money goes back to Kiva.   That way you can get your feet wet trying out Kiva with out risking your own money.  They are gambling that you'll like the idea and want to invest in people yourself in the future.  Although with their great repayment rates, it really isn't that much of a gamble.

Kiva does ask you to support them with additional donations each time you make a loan, but you do not have to.
http://kiva.org/invitedby/connie7021

Full disclosure, if enough people click and loan, I get a free t-shirt.  But I'm not really a t-shirt girl so I hope there is a way to tell them not to bother..  I'm not sure there is any other way to get the free first loan with out the link..