This is really awesome. It is it's own box - clean and easy. * Non- Tracking Pellets. *No Dust ! So easier on allergies ! * Never handle wet messes again ! I do have to say from experience that stepping on way ward pellets is akin to stepping on your children's Lego's ! OUCH ! So be sure to sweep up as needed.
If you follow the link above - you can even print out a coupon to get you started. There is a help line for those who might be having a wee bit o trouble transitioning fluffy over.
Many people are still under the impression that feeding fish is somehow not only necessary but good for your cat. And while like most things, a small treat now and again is fine - long term feeding of fish is just a big NO No.
Fish is touted as a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids, and that is true. However ! and this is a big however - they are also a great "source" of toxic metals, industrial chemicals and pesticides. Remember the recent Australian pet food that was recalled just this past May 2017? Well that was for the toxic metal mercury, from their tuna production.(source 2 cited)
And to add injury , well to potential injury - most fish meal in commercial pet foods contains the
potentially deadly preservative ethoxyquin, as well as mycotoxins (source 1 cited)(source 4 cited)
Toxic preservatives and allergies (including asthma),can be caused by too
much fish in your pet’s diet can over time also creating a thiamine (Vit B1) and
vitamin E deficiencies (we will cover this topic later), and health problems associated with too much
dietary iodine and magnesium.
Vit B1 , otherwise known as thiamine , is a water-soluble vitamin necessary for normal carbohydrate metabolism in cats. Because it is not stored in the body and therefore quickly depleted when a cat is fed an inadequate diet or goes without food for any period of time. It is, therefore, important to ensure the diet contains adequate amounts of this vitamin.Thiamine deficiency results in serious, potentially life threatening symptoms, many of which are neurological in origin. These symptoms can include :
Ventriflexion (bending towards the floor) or curling of the neck
Incoordination
Abnormal or spastic gait
Circling
Falling
Head tilt
Dilated pupils
Opisthotonos (backward arching of the head, neck, and spine)
Stupor
Seizures
All of these symptoms are seen generally only after long term dietary inefficiencies . And are often preceded by : Excess salivation
Depressed appetite
and weight loss
Most vets, in my opinion , would not be looking at these symptoms as anything other than a short lived local cat flu, believing most commercial cat food to be sufficient in needed enzymes and vitamins. '
But specifically for this article we are talking about fish. And some types of fish - can by themselves cause this deficiency . cod, catfish, carp, and herring are just some of the specific types of fish that can result in Vit B deficiencies , and are not recommended to be fed ever to your kitty. (source 3 cited)
Thankfully most of these symptoms if caught and diagnosed in time can be treated if not reversed.
This is an excellent article that once again proves how so very important nutrition , meat , raw meat is to cats. More so than in other species , cats are carnivores - I cant say it , stress it enough. Without raw meat in their diet , they fail to thrive and can end up much more predisposed to long term conditions such as diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease and thyroid issues.
WHY IS MY BLACK CAT TURNING REDDISH BROWN? THEY COULD HAVE A TYROSINE DEFICIENCY IN THEIR DIET.
Did you know that black cats can lose their colour and their
fur (hair) can turn a reddish-brown if they don’t have enough meat in
their diet?
There is a genetic component to having a completely black coat and
your cat will need the ‘black cat gene’ to be black all over. In
addition, to keep a black coat dark and in ideal condition he or she
will also require a good amount of the amino acid Tyrosine. Tyrosine is
required for the creation of eumelanin, the pigment that makes your
cat’s fur black. A sign of a tyrosine deficiency in cats is
discolouration of the coat, turning the fur from black to a rusty
reddish/orange colour. It commonly starts with the fur changing colour
pigmentation at the tips.
There are other potential reasons that a black cat’s coat may change
colour and turn to a red/brown colour. However, most issues for a cat’s
coat to change to a ginger-brown colour are still related to a
deficiency in tyrosine which is caused by either a lack of animal
protein nutrition (meat or fish) in a healthy diet or a problem with the
cat metabolising or absorbing tyrosine even if it is readily available.
TYROSINE DEFICIENCY IN CATS
Tyrosine is an amino acid. Amino acids are the building blocks of
proteins. There are 20 known amino acids of which 10 are essential for
dogs and 11 are essential for cats. Essential in this instance means
that they have to be provided in the diet as the dog or cat cannot
produce them in the body.
Two of the 20 known amino acids are phenylalanine and tyrosine.
Strictly speaking, cats only need phenylalanine in the diet because they
can produce tyrosine from this. However, extra dietary sources of
tyrosine can be useful for some cats. Both phenylalanine and tyrosine
are found in animal products such as meat and fish. Interestingly, rice
is one grain that contains good levels of tyrosine but with cats being
carnivores and able to digest animal protein more efficiently than
carbohydrate, meat or fish are still the best dietary sources.
Tyrosine has many roles in the body including being an important
component of neurotransmitters in the brain and thyroid hormones.
However, it also helps to produce melanin which is the pigment
responsible for hair colour. Therefore, cats with a tyrosine deficiency
have difficulty producing melanin which causes a black cat to turn a
reddish brown colour (this is also known as “rusting”).
“
A
sign of a tyrosine deficiency in cats is discolouration of the coat,
turning the fur from black to a rusty reddish/orange colour.
”
COPPER DEFICIENCY IN A CAT’S DIET
Although it’s not common, a deficiency of the mineral copper can
cause depigmentation of coloured coats, causing a black cat’s coat to
turn a brown colour. This is because copper is required to turn the
amino acid tyrosine to the pigment melanin. Copper has many other roles
including being a component of several enzymes as well as being
necessary for the normal absorption and transport of iron. Dietary
sources of copper include liver and some grains, however pet foods are
usually supplemented with copper to ensure pets get everything they
need.
OTHER CONDITIONS THAT CAN CAUSE DISCOLORATION OF A CAT’S COAT
Certain health conditions that interfere with the metabolism of
tyrosine may also cause a black coat to turn brown. For example liver
disease. This is because Phenylalanine is converted to tyrosine in the
liver. Thyroid and kidney problems have also been implicated as a cause
for a change in coat colour.
OVER-EXPOSURE TO SUNSHINE
There are anecdotal reports stating that too much sunshine can turn a
black cat brown. However, there does not seem to be any research to
back up these claims.
AND FINALLY…
As carnivores, cats must derive their energy and nutrients from a
diet exclusively or mainly from animal tissue (meat). Apart from
tyrosine, they also require meat as a source of many other essential
amino acids including taurine, arginine, cysteine and methionine. If you
are concerned that your black cat is turning a reddish brown colour*
the first and most simple way to resolve this may be to choose a diet
with a higher meat content. Check the back of food packets, pouches and
tins and remember - a higher meat content is usually tastier and is more
suited to the natural physiology of our feline friends.
*If your cat has a concurrent disease such as liver, kidney or
thyroid problems you should discuss any change of diet with your
veterinary surgeon before switching to a higher meat diet.
If you follow the link above - you can even print out a coupon to get you started. There is a help line for those who might be having a wee bit o trouble transitioning fluffy over. 
