beastie things

Good and bad.

My cybervet friend has had the week from hell with her cats, one (sickly) youngster dying, one semi-feral being hit by a car - they live on a very isolated bit of a farm, so there is only about one car a week - and today, her big old boy died of kidney failure. Big hug, my friend, and remember that they all had good lives with you.

Andy the squatter-camp kitty is now staying with me, as he needs medicating twice daily, and confinement. And has to go back to have his wound cleaned twice weekly under sedation. So he'll be with me for two or three weeks. Told burn-victims friend I might not give him back after that, because he is just such a sweet cuddly boy!

My own horde are not sure yet about having a cat in the spare room. They already feel deprived because there are normally birds there, so they aren't allowed in anyway. But now there's a talking kitty! They have all been very affectionate today, while they decide whether to be upset with me or not.

There's been a dog-food crisis here again. After an anti-freeze contamination (very exclusive supermarket brand, 35 dogs dead) a month or two ago, and the whole Menu Foods in the US, I am just so impressed with how Royal Canin have handled this. Well, other than the question of why dog food and anti-freeze are anywhere near each other to begin with. Nineteen cases of renal failure, all on dogs being fed a RC local vet-only brand of senior food. So some of them could have been semi-expected. RC got feedback, immediately asked all vets to pull all varieties of the food, and to ask clients not to feed it until more is known. Partial bags can be returned for a refund. Vets and clients are being kept up to date daily. I was at two local vets today, both with phones going crazy and food piling up behind the desks, although neither had yet had a problem.

Comparing this to the whole way Menu Foods has had to be virtually coerced into admitting a problem, the huge temporary loss on returned foods, and what will inevitably be a loss of future sales for a brand that was positioned as the local top food....

If they can provide a reason for the contamination, and, more specifically, why it will not happen again, I think I will go back to using the brand. I know they are in business to make money, but I like to know that they care enough about my animals to be honest when health versus profits arise.