Oh - since you guys mentioned asthma I just wanted to throw out there that if any of your kitties ever develop asthma there is a wonderful feline asthma group. The people on that list know more about it than a lot of vets because it's not that common and they've had years of experience with it. I have a cat with asthma and with their help I got him on inhaled medications, same kind that humans use, and it's wonderful and keeps his asthma under control. Not nearly as hard on the body as prednisone or other steroids which is how asthma in cats is usually controlled. Lots of vets have not had experience with using inhaled medications (Flovent) on cats so they either tell owners to put their cats on prednisone or steriod shots for the rest of their life. Or the vets that know about inhaled meds for cats will start them on the lowest dosage of Flovent and then when it doesn't help the asthma the vet thinks inhaled meds doesn't work for cats. This asthma group is great and can help get a kitty on the right dosage and give you lots of tips to get them used to using the Aerokat to do the inhaled treatments. I also use an online pharmacy called 4 Corners which is located in New Zealand, to get the meds. It's one third of the cost as the drugs in the U.S. Anyway, just wanted you guys to know so if you ever need help with an asthma kitty go straight to that group. I don't know what I would have done without them. My vet knew about asthma and even gave me an Aerokat but she didn't think it was easy to get a cat to take inhaled meds so she just recommended a steroid shot every 6 weeks. Thank God I found the group.
“I am not interested to know whether vivisection produces results that are profitable to the human race or doesn’t….the pain which it inflicts upon unconsenting animals is the basis of my enmity toward it, and it is to me sufficient justification of the enmity without looking further.” – Mark Twain > Date: Fri, 8 Jul 2011 09:51:15 -0400 > From: at...@optonline.net > To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Clumping litter = > > That's because we assume that everything we buy must be safe for them! > It's a shame that we have to be so suspicious of everything and question > every bit of info! > > -----Original Message----- > From: felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org > [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf Of Katy Doyle > Sent: Friday, July 08, 2011 9:40 AM > To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Clumping litter = > > Wow... You know, the dusty clay litter gives me asthma attacks, I'm ashamed > that I never thought of how it would affect my cats. > > On Fri, Jul 8, 2011 at 9:33 AM, Lynda Wilson > <longhornf...@verizon.net>wrote: > > > Thanks, Natalie. I've never used clay litter or anything that makes dust. > > Can you imagine being enclosed in a box with all that dust flying around. > > What were they thinking back in the day?! I've used Feline Pine for a long > > time and all my cats through the years have all accepted it. It sure keeps > > the smell down as well. The cheapest place to get it it Petsmart (not > Petco, > > they are extremely higher for some reason). It last for a long time as > well, > > but like I said, I dump it just to keep Sugar happy. > > > > Thanks so much :) > > Lynda > > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Natalie" <at...@optonline.net> > > To: <felvtalk@felineleukemia.org> > > Sent: Friday, July 08, 2011 7:36 AM > > Subject: [Felvtalk] Clumping litter = > > > > > > Here's more, and this is just the tip of the iceberg! > >> > >> The #1 Authority On Pet Products, Care and Services Pet Owners Trust Most > >> > >> Kitty Litter with a Serious Warning > >> > >> Vets have been reporting more and more kitty illnesses related to litter. > >> Certain litters are actually causing serious problems for our feline > >> friends > >> including asthma, bronchitis, intestinal blockage and possibly even lung > >> cancer. > >> > >> Most litters are loaded with chemicals to reduce odor and help with > >> absorption. These chemicals are released into the air when your cat digs > >> in > >> the litter box. The dust from the litter gets into the cat's lungs and > can > >> wreak havoc on its immune system, putting his or her health in jeopardy. > >> With every visit to the litter box, your cat may be polluting its lungs. > >> Damage can occur in just a short period of time. > >> > >> Clumping clay litter, which forms a hard ball when it gets wet, is one of > >> the most harmful types on the market. Several brands use this clay to > make > >> their litter easier to scoop. What makes it clump? It's a natural clay > >> ingredient called sodium bentonite. In this case, "natural" is not always > >> safe. Here's the problem: When this clay gets wet it expands and forms a > >> hard mass. So when your cat or kitten digs in the litter box it's > stirring > >> up clay dust and breathing it in. Once it gets into their lungs, it > >> expands > >> from the moisture, and in time builds up, causing all sorts of lung > >> problems > >> like the ones mentioned above. > >> > >> Some clumping litters actually post a warning right on the bag; "Do Not > >> Let > >> Cat Ingest Litter". It is ridiculous to think that you can stop your cat > >> from breathing while visiting the litter box .You cannot stop your cat > >> from > >> grooming itself with its tongue or stop your new kitten from swatting and > >> nibbling on the litter. Anything their tongue contacts gets ingested. > Once > >> the clay litter is inside the cat or kitten and expands, it not only > could > >> cause dehydration by absorbing all the body's moisture, it could also > form > >> a > >> hard mass in the intestines over a period of time, which could be fatal. > >> > >> The problem of health difficulties and even deaths resulting from > clumping > >> litters extend far beyond cats and kittens to ferrets, rabbits, and even > >> dogs that raid litter boxes. So what can you do? The solution is easy, > >> simple and inexpensive. Switch to a biodegradable, dust and clay free, > >> non-clumping litter. Many of these biodegradable litters are made from > >> recycled paper, which will help to save the environment as well as your > >> pet. > >> You can find these products almost anywhere, just read the label. If > >> you're > >> worried about odor, sprinkle a small amount of baking soda in with the > >> litter. It works better than litter deodorizers that just cover up odors > >> instead of absorbing them. You can also find a litter box with a top that > >> has a filter for odor control. > >> > >> Now that you know some of the dangers and their solutions regarding kitty > >> litter, hope you will pass this information on to a friend. You could be > >> saving the health or life of an animal. > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> ______________________________**_________________ > >> Felvtalk mailing list > >> Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > >> http://felineleukemia.org/**mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_** > >> > felineleukemia.org<http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felin > eleukemia.org> > >> > >> > > > > > > ______________________________**_________________ > > Felvtalk mailing list > > Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > > > http://felineleukemia.org/**mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_**felineleukemia.org<h > ttp://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org> > > > _______________________________________________ > Felvtalk mailing list > Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org > > > > _______________________________________________ > Felvtalk mailing list > Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org _______________________________________________ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
