Dietary Protein ...

Cats If fed a perfectly balanced and 100% digestible protein in a diet, the cat will use 20 % of that protein for growth metabolism and 12 % for maintenance.cats need more protein in their diets than dogs do. Dogs If fed a perfectly balanced and 100% digestible protein in a diet, the dog will use 12 % of that protein for growth metabolism and only 4 % of that protein for maintenance...dogs need less protein in their diets than cats.

After Eating, what should you always do?

Brush your teeth

Arginine... Is an amino acid , one of the building blocks of protein. Arginine is vital to many of the animals internal biochemical functions. No Arginine and the entire system can shut down! Cats Are extremely sensitive to even a single meal deficient in Arginine and are unable to make their own Arginine within their bodys chemical factory. Cats need lots of protein, and Arginine is involved in aiding the elimination of the protein waste products so the wastes dont pollute the whole system! Dogs Are not very sensitive to low levels of Arginine in their diets and produce enzymes internally that can aid production of Arginine.

Fiber (relatively insoluble or nearly undigestible carbohydrates) Sources include vegetable pumice, gums, peanut hulls, pea and lentil fiber, rice hulls, rice bran, corn and corn by-products, soybean hulls, beet pulp, bran, and pectin. Fiber is not considered an essential nutrient in the diets of cats and dogs, but it is present in almost every commercial pet diet. Dogs and cats do not derive any energy from fiber, however, improved colon health is a benefit of having fiber in the diet, and therefore, its presence in pet food is often considered beneficial. Fiber is a source of VFA promote GI tract health low pH suppresses pathogen growth Retains water controls both diarrhea and constipation Desirable stool quality High fiber in weight loss diets

Rate of fermentation of common dietary fibers

ACETAMINOPHEN (Tylenol)

Tylenol is, of course, the human over-the-counter analgesic medicine used to relieve pain .
In people, after the pills are taken, the ingredients are broken down in the body by enzymes in the liver . In people, Tylenol is generally a safe and useful painkiller. Cats, however, have less of the enzyme required to detoxify the drug following ingestion. As a result, there are many dangerous metabolites , or break-down products of acetaminophen that bind to red blood cells and other tissue cells, resulting in the destruction of these cells. There may also be direct damage to tissue cells from the painkiller.
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ACETAMINOPHEN (cont.) As little as one regular strength tablet (325 mg) can poison a cat to the degree that it can develop noticeable clinical signs of illness.

Two extra-strength tablets are likely to kill a cat.

Due to the significant toxicity to pets in relatively minimal dosages, the recommendation is clear Tylenol should not be given to dogs or cats. Other, safer, drugs are available for pain relief; talk to your veterinarian about your own pet's specific needs.

It often surprises pet owners to discover that for animals, chocolate is poisonous in sufficient dosages. Specifically it is the drugs in chocolate, theobromine and caffeine which are diuretics as well as a cardiac stimulants (of the drug class methylxanthines), that are toxic to pets. This can cause the pet's heart rate to increase or it may cause the heart to beat irregularly , both of which can be dangerous to the animal.

The level of theobromine present in chocolate varies depending on the type of chocolate. dark chocolate contains higher levels than milk chocolate and so could pose a greater risk to your pet

Only a moderate amount needs to be eaten by an animal, typically a dog, in order to be poisonous (approx. 1/2 oz. of baking chocolate per pound of body weight and less in some animals). Poisonings of this type typically occur during the holiday seasons of Easter, Christmas and Halloween .

Symptoms vary with the age of the cat (kittens are more susceptible than adults), and the quantity ingested. If enough is ingested, death can occur. The first signs of methylxanthine poisoning can include: Vomiting & diarrhea . hyperactivity . Restlessness. Frequent urination & or urinary incontinence. These can progress to more severe symptoms including: cardiac dysfunction. Muscle tremors. seizures . Coma. death .

The plants of the lilium species are among the most dangerous for cats.

These include day lily (hemerocalis species), Easter lily , stargazer, rubrum, tiger and Asiatic lilies (all of the Lilium family). Symptoms of poisoning from these plants include protracted vomiting, anorexia and depression and ingestion can cause severe, possibly fatal, kidney damage.

In lower doses, these compounds affect the respiratory center in the brain causing hyperventilation and associated problems. Phenols are absorbed rapidly from the GI tract.

liver and kidney damage occurs within 12-24 hours.

Toxic levels of hexachlorophene nervous system. cause damage to the

birds , some reptiles , and cats are more sensitive to phenols than other species.
Cats can readily absorb phenols thru the footpads .

Phenol and Phenolic Compounds. Coal tar shampoos, dandruff shampoos (w/salicylic acid (asprin)) , shampoos with 3% hexachlorophene, and drugs and foods containing benzoic acid, cleaning compounds such as original Lysol , pine-sol, etc. Phenols destroy proteins in cells. They are extremely corrosive and produce lesions that penetrate through layers of skin. These compounds are very caustic to mucous membranes causing visible burns .

Severe eye injury including deep ulcerations occur with ocular exposure.

Should I give my cat milk? No. Many cats are lactose intolerant .

Lactose intolerance is a common form of maldigestion. A kitten has the enzyme lactase , which breaks down the sugar in milk called lactose. However, as a cat ages, it generally stops producing __lactase__.

When your cat consumes milk products, the lactose is not digested and the symptoms of maldigestion occur.

Allergies Could my cat be allergic to her food? Food allergies account for about 10 % of all the allergies seen in cats.

Cats develop allergies to those foods that are most frequently fed.
Keep in mind the fact that food allergies and food __intolerances__ are not the same. Food allergies are true allergies and show the characteristic signs of itching and skin problems associated with allergies. Food intolerances usually result in diarrhea or vomiting and do not create a typical allergic response.

Catnip (a member of the mint family). The mint family is large, with 224 genera and more than 5,600 species in the tropics and temperate zones. Species: Nepeta cataria Catnip leaves and the root contain a chemical, Nepetalactone that is closely related in structure to certain feline sexual pheromones . A refreshing mint tea for humans can be made from the young leaves. The pheromones are species specific .

Nepetalactone affects a cat's olfactory system via the vomeronasal organ as a mild hallucinogen . When the aromatic oils with Nepetalactone are inhaled into the vomeronasal organ some cats respond dramatically.

Note: Nepetalactones reputed hallucinogenic properties remain unproven , but catnip does something to felines.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0811824152/ref=sib_dp_pt/0028974536-6805613#reader-link

A tabby named "Dusty" gave birth to 420 documented kittens in her lifetime, while "Kitty" gave birth to 2 kittens at the age of 30, having given birth to a documented 218 kittens in her lifetime.

Painted cats