Expert: Ali - 2/1/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hello we have an adopted kitten a long hair tabby "MAINEKOON" very pretty. HE has been a very good boy all the time he got his shots,is not overweight and now +-18month old.We got him at age +-5month from VOCRA in Vancouver. He is spayed and the ONLY pet with us a male couple in the house. He gets a mix of EVO and CORE Wellness ( I am always scared that one may be out of stock or business and than the cat has no food he likes. Our ONLY two problems are . When using his litter (one of those in a big white bubble for privacy and he can digg to his heart content) he seems to scream sometimes (not always ) ..I think it may be constipation? Some told me give him some milk, others say although they like milk its not good for them. Some say give him wet canned food every week once.The Wellness brand is VERY expensive! Linux (his name)gets very few treats. I just don't believe in these things. My treats are AFFECTION, MASSAGE, SCRATCH,PLAY etc.He is an in/outdoor cat(but only with our company,alone he only likes it a few minutes). He likes to eat grass in the garden (when no snow). What do you think about these CHIA grass things they sell in stores is that a good thing? May the howling in the litter be a reason of not enough fiber? I am concerned the VOCRA lady told EVO or WELLNESS are the ONLY food that do not create CRYSTALS. Now if I would pass crystals I would scream also. Where do crystals go or where and what are they what do they do to a cat IF ANY? Is that what it can be? Thanks so much. Linux thanks you for your advise . He is our 4th cat in my life and I couldn't live without a cat to rule the house. Had 7 dogs and 2 cats in South Africa in my life. But here in Canada not possible  too many restrictions and the cost of vets and food is sadly prohibitive.

ANSWER: Vic,

It occurred to me that since Linux is obviously ill and in quite a bit of pain it may be best to consider two final options in the event that you've exhausted all of the recommendations that I've made below. Firstly I'm sure that VOCRA would be willing to take Linux back into their care if you aren't able to provide the medical care that he desperately needs. Most rescue organizations include a clause in their adoption paperwork about returning pets to them in situations where other options have been exhausted, this may be Linux's best option, it would mean giving him up, but he would get the care that he needs immediately. If VOCRA isn't able to accept Linux back into their care and they aren't willing to pay for the medical care that Linux needs I think that it would be more humane to consider euthanasia. Linux is in a significant amount of pain based on your description, he shouldn't be allowed to continue on indefinitely while experiencing intense pain and possibly doing damage to his kidneys and urinary system, it just isn't fair to expect him to do so. It breaks my heart to make this recommendation, however I believe that the local SPCA shelter would be willing to provide euthanasia for a minimal fee and I can't bear the thought of picturing Linux being allowed to suffer for an indeterminate amount of time...Please, try to look at this situation from Linux's perspective, he sounds as though he's in significant pain based upon your description and the fact that cats will generally hide signs of pain or illness until they can no longer do so.

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Vic,

There are organizations willing to provide veterinary care for folks with limited means. I think that Linux's health issues are important and should be assessed immediately, this may be a question of life and death. Linux may be in severe pain so this isn't something that can wait, cats tend to hide any signs of pain or illness until they are quite severe. I empathize with your financial situation, I've been there more than once myself. Here are some resources that you may want to contact to see if they would be willing to offer assistance with Linux's medical needs. Your local SPCA shelter may have a program called SPCA Cares, this program provides routine and emergency vet care for pet parents in financial difficulty at low or no cost to you depending upon your situation. Breed specific rescues may also be willing to help Linux get the medical care he urgently needs. You may also find that your vet is willing to accept a payment plan so that Linux receives appropriate medical care. There is also the option of speaking with VOCRA and finding out whether or not they would be willing to have you take Linux to see their veterinarian and pay part or all of the cost of his treatment. There is an organization called Care Credit which offers credit for medical and veterinary costs, this may be worth considering as an option to pay for Linux's health care expenses. There are options out there if you're willing to ask around and since it's possible that Linux's health issues are quite serious and may even cause death I think it's important to exhaust all resources to ensure that he receives proper medical care. I understand that veterinary care can be expensive, but by choosing to be a pet parent you have made a commitment to provide basic care: food, water, shelter and medical care. I am concerned that you may not realize how serious this situation could be and I really don't want to see Linux endure any unnecessary suffering due to financial difficulties. I am willing to help you find resources in your area that may be willing to help you provide Linux with the appropriate medical care that he urgently needs...I know how tough it can be to provide care for your pets when financial difficulties happen, but it's possible with a bit of work, and swallowing your pride you can do what's best for Linux.

As for shelters and rescue organizations claiming that specific foods are the best I tend to be suspicious of these claims. I became much more cautious about taking people on their word when it comes to pet food after my baby girl became so sick at the tail end of the Menu Foods fiasco. I would recommend that you do your own research rather than taking people at face value when it comes to your cat's nutrition and overall health. The information that I provided is meant to be a starting off point in your quest to find out about what pet foods you trust to meet one of your cat's most basic needs. Over the years I learned to listen, but to educate myself and do my own research rather than trusting what someone else says blindly.

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Vic,

Congratulations on your newly rescued cat. Since you have described seeing some potentially serious medical symptoms in your cat I would like to start off by recommending that you consider having him assessed promptly by a veterinarian that you are comfortable with. I generally recommend that cat guardians choose a holistic practitioner whenever possible because these vets are trained in conventional medicine as well as one or more alternative therapies including treatments like homeopathy, massage or acupuncture. I tend to be a fan of keeping things as natural as possible with my cats and it's served me well so far. I will do my best to explain a couple of things that may be helpful in determining what could be happening with Linux. I really hope that his medical condition won't be serious, but I should warn you that there is significant potential for your cat to require hospitalization and tests to determine exactly what's going on. Based on your description I would be most concerned about crystals in Linux's urinary tract, this condition is painful and quite serious, it can result in a complete blockage of the urethra which if left untreated could result in Linux's bladder rupturing which would cause extreme suffering and death. Due to the fact that Linux is a male cat he is at a higher risk of developing stones in his urinary tract just because his urethra is narrower and longer than that of a female cat. Linux may have any one of several issues happening in his bladder or urinary tract including infection, struvite crystals, bladder stones, a plugged urethra or even cancer. Because the type of symptoms that you've described can have a number of different causes it may take your vet some time to diagnose exactly what's going on and come up with an appropriate treatment plan. Many vets will start off by performing a thorough physical exam and a urine test. It's possible that these tests may not pinpoint the cause of Linux's symptoms and your vet may have to resort to more invasive and expensive tests including bloodwork, x-rays, or a urine culture (the vet sends off a sample of urine to a lab to be cultured for bacteria, if any bacteria grows it will be identified which will allow your vet to prescribe the appropriate antibiotic to kill that specific infection).

If Linux has urinary stones your vet will likely need to do an x-ray or ultrasound to diagnose them. Most urinary stones in cats are made up of struvite or calcium oxalate. If Linux is diagnosed with calcium oxalate stones they can't be dissolved, the vet will have to resort to giving your little guy a general anesthetic and flushing his bladder with sterile saline until the stones are passed through the catheter. Unfortunately if this doesn't work Linux may require major surgery to remove these stones directly from his bladder. I would encourage you to observe Linux closely in the litter box for the remainder of the weekend. If your little guy seems to be straining to pass urine and passing little or no urine this is a medical emergency and must be treated immediately. A cat with a blocked urinary tract can show serious signs of pain and distress, this is a serious medical emergency and must be treated immediately. If Linux requires treatment for a bladder blockage the vet will likely have to sedate him and pass a tiny catheter into his urinary tract to drain his bladder and alleviate his distress. Once the cat's bladder has been emptied the vet may need to run other tests to make sure that Linux doesn't have a bladder infection or kidney failure. If a bladder infection is found Linux will be given a prescription for antibiotics and instructions to return to his vet for follow up care. If Linux's kidneys show signs of damage he may have to be hospitalized and placed on IV fluids to flush the toxins out of his system and reduce or eliminate the amount of damage done to his kidneys. In this case it becomes a waiting game to determine whether or not any kidney damage is permanent. If it is Linux will require special care for the rest of his life, but provided his kidney values stay under control he should live a relatively normal and happy life with appropriate treatment. I can offer more information on renal failure and the treatment of it, my eldest cat has ongoing kidney issues and is living a happy, relatively normal life.

If Linux doesn't have any type of bladder stones or infection then I have a few recommendations to ensure that he stays as healthy as possible. Contrary to popular belief the price tag doesn't always reflect the quality of the product when it comes to pet food, in fact the pet food industry has some absolutely appalling and disgusting secrets that the general public isn't aware of. The bottom line is that if a food contains by-products, or meat meals there is no end to how gross the truth can turn out to be when it comes to what these vague terms really mean to each manufacturer, sometimes by-products refer to blood, pus, tumors or even decomposing deceased animals deemed unfit for human consumption. As I'm sure you're aware cat foods vary greatly in price and believe me, not all pet foods are created equal. Unfortunately there is minimal legislation governing what actually makes it into pet foods here in Canada. In my opinion if you want a healthy, happy cat that will live a long, healthy and happy life it's worth doing your research to find out exactly what the cleaned up versions of pet food ingredients can actually mean. I have taken the liberty to include a rather eye opening article that I think somewhat sums up the dirty little secrets of the pet food industry. Sadly although many pet food manufacturers claim that they have included nothing but the best and healthiest ingredients this is usually not the case. Often times ingredients change without notice based on what’s cheapest at that time, especially when you are talking about the cheap foods commonly sold in grocery and discount stores. I have done my own research into making homemade food for my cats although I must say that this has the potential to be a rather expensive and time consuming option just due to the fact that cats require fairly complex nutrition and getting it wrong could cost them their life or cause serious health problems I think that it's certainly an option worth considering if you are willing to put the time, energy and money into researching, preparing and serving your cat's food.

I found the article below on a pet care website - bear in mind this article hasn’t been checked for accuracy, it sums up a general view of many pet foods claiming to be “nutritionally complete” or the only “whole food your cat needs” that market their product in grocery stores with minimal cost. Another revealing fact is that many pet food manufacturers don’t manufacture pet food as their primary product - for instance Procter and Gamble makes Eukanuba and Iams pet foods - they also make soap, shampoo, household cleaners, and personal hygiene products like anti-perspirant….Given that their primary focus isn’t on manufacturing a high quality, nutritionally sound pet food with ingredients designed to promote optimum health I have concerns about their food and the potential for other products to end up inside a bag of pet food just as they did during the recent Menu Foods recall of most pet food brands as a result of pets becoming seriously ill and dying because there were ingredients like melamine found in substandard ingredients imported from China. Please read the article below thoroughly, take your time it may take some time to absorb the information contained in this article.

“Whole chickens, choice cuts of beef, fresh grains and all the wholesome nutrition your dog or cat will ever need.”

These are the images pet food manufacturers promulgate through the media and advertising. This is what the $10 billion per year U.S. pet food industry wants consumers to believe they are buying when they purchase their products.

This report explores the differences between what consumers think they are buying compared to what they are actually getting. This document focuses in very general terms on the most visible name brands -- the pet food labels that are mass distributed to supermarkets and grocery stores -- but there are many smaller, more highly respected brands that may be guilty of the same offenses.

What most consumers are unaware of is that the pet food industry is an extension of the human food industry, also known as the agriculture industry. Pet food provides a place for slaughterhouse waste and grains considered "unfit for human consumption" to be turned into profit. This waste includes cow tongues, esophagi, and possibly diseased and cancerous meat. The "whole grains" used have had the starch removed and the oil extracted -- usually by chemical processing -- for vegetable oil, or they are the hulls and other remnants from the milling process. Some of the truly whole grains used may have been deemed unfit for human consumption because of mold, contaminants, or poor storage practices.

Four of the five major pet food companies in the United States are subsidiaries of major multinational food production companies: Colgate-Palmolive (Hills Science Diet Pet Food), Heinz (9 Lives, Amore, Gravy Train, Kibbles n Bits, Recipe, Vets), Nestle (Alpo, Fancy Feast, Friskies, Mighty Dog) and Mars (Kal Kan, Mealtime, Pedigree, Sheba). From a business standpoint, multinational food companies owning pet food manufacturing companies is an ideal relationship. The multinationals have a captive market in which to capitalize on their waste products, and the pet food manufacturers have a reliable source from which to purchase their bulk materials.

There are hundreds of different pet foods available in this country. And while many of the foods on the market are virtually the same, not all of the pet food manufacturing companies use poor quality and potentially dangerous ingredients.

Ingredients

Although the purchase price of pet food does not always determine whether a pet food is good or bad, the price is often a good indicator of quality. It would be impossible for a company that sells a generic brand of dog food at $9.95 for a 40-lb. bag to use quality protein and grain in its food. The cost of purchasing quality ingredients would be much higher than the selling price.

The protein used in pet food comes from a variety of sources. When cattle, swine, chickens, lambs, or any number of other animals are slaughtered, the choice cuts such as lean muscle tissue are trimmed away from the carcass for human consumption. Whatever remains of the carcass -- bones, blood, pus, intestines, ligaments, and almost all the other parts not generally consumed by humans -- is used in pet food. These "other parts" are known as "by-products" or other names on pet food labels. The ambiguous labels list the ingredients, but do not provide a definition for the products listed. (See the API Pet Food Shopping Guide for a more detailed list of ingredient definitions.)

The Pet Food Institute -- the trade association of pet food manufacturers -- acknowledges the use of by-products in pet foods as additional income for processors and farmers: "The purchase and use of these ingredients by the pet food industry not only provides nutritional needs for pets at reasonable costs, but provides an important source of income to American farmers and processors of meat, poultry and seafood products for human consumption.

Many of these remnants are indigestible and provide a questionable source of nutrition for our animals. The amount of nutrition provided by meat by-products, meals, and digests can vary from vat to vat. James Morris and Quinton Rogers, two professors with the Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California at Davis Veterinary School of Medicine, assert that, "There is virtually no information on the bioavailability of nutrients for companion animals in many of the common dietary ingredients used in pet foods. These ingredients are generally by-products of the meat, poultry and fishing industries, with the potential for a wide variation in nutrient composition. Claims of nutritional adequacy of pet foods based on the current Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) nutrient allowances ('profiles') do not give assurances of nutritional
adequacy and will not until ingredients are analyzed and bioavailability values are incorporated.

Another source of meat you won't find mentioned on pet food labels are dogs and cats. In 1990 the San Francisco Chronicle reported that euthanized companion animals were being used in pet food. Although pet food manufacturers vehemently denied the report, the American Veterinary Medical Association confirmed the Chronicle's story.  Many pets are euthanized with sodium pentobarbital and then rendered.  This poison does not break down and goes into commercial pet food and feed for cows, pigs and horses.  I must admit that this point has been made many times over many years - if it’s true that has to be one of the scariest things to consider in the case for making high quality food for pets and livestock from ingredients that we would actually consider eating. When you think about this it makes you question the safety of many common foods found in the average human diet - after all, if these ingredients are making into food used to feed livestock are they ultimately making it into the human food chain?For the detailed report by the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine on popular commercial pet foods containing pentobarbital, click here.  When you read the report, please know that AD (animal digest) is animal waste (to be polite)!

Protein is protein once it is rendered. What is rendering? Rendering, as defined by Webster's Dictionary, is "to process as for industrial use: to render livestock carcasses and to extract oil from fat, blubber, etc., by melting."

What can the feeding of such ingredients do to your companion animal? Some veterinarians claim that feeding slaughterhouse wastes to animals increases their risk of getting cancer and other degenerative diseases. One factor is that the cooking methods used by pet food manufacturers and rendering plants do not destroy many of the hormones used to fatten livestock, or medications such as those used to euthanize dogs and cats.  

Animal and Poultry Fat

You may have noticed a unique, pungent odor when you open a new bag of pet food -- the smell of restaurant grease from a hundred fast food restaurants. What is the source of that delightful smell? It is refined animal fat, kitchen grease, and other oils too rancid or deemed inedible for humans.

Restaurant grease has become a major component of feed grade animal fat over the last fifteen years. This grease, often held in fifty-gallon drums, is usually kept outside for weeks, exposed to extreme temperatures with no regard for its future use. The next few times you dine out, be sure to look out back behind the restaurant for a container with a rendering company's name on it. It is almost guaranteed that you will find one. "Fat blenders" or rendering companies then pick up this rancid grease and mix the different types of fat together, stabilize them with powerful antioxidants to retard further spoilage, and then sell the blended products to pet food companies.

These fats are sprayed directly onto dried kibble or extruded pellets to make an otherwise bland or distasteful product palatable. The fat also acts as a binding agent to which manufacturers add other flavor enhancers as well. Pet food scientists have discovered that animals love the taste of these sprayed fats. Manufacturers are masters at getting a dog or a cat to eat something she would normally turn up her nose at.

Wheat, Soy, Corn, Peanut Hulls, and Other Vegetable Protein

The amount of grain products used in pet food has risen over the last decade. Once considered filler by the pet food industry, grain products now make up a considerable portion of pet food. The availability of nutrients in grain products is dependent upon the digestibility of the grain. The amount and type of carbohydrate in pet food determines the amount of nutrient value the animal actually gets. Dogs and cats can almost completely absorb carbohydrates from some grains, such as white
rice. Up to 20% of other grains can escape digestion. The availability of nutrients for wheat, beans, and oats is poor. The nutrients in potatoes and corn are far less available than those in rice. Carbohydrate that escapes digestion is of little nutritional value due to bacteria in the colon that ferment carbohydrates. Some ingredients, such as peanut hulls, are used strictly for "filler" and have no nutritional value at all!

Two of the top three ingredients in pet food are almost always some form of grain products. 9 Lives Crunchy Meals for cats lists Ground Yellow corn, Corn Gluten Meal, and Poultry By-Product Meal as its first three ingredients.  

Cats are obligate carnivores - they must eat meat to fulfill certain physiological needs - one may wonder why we are feeding a corn-based product to them. The answer is that corn is much cheaper than meat.

Of the top four ingredients of Purina O.N.E. Dog Formula -- Chicken, Ground Yellow Corn, Ground Wheat, and Corn Gluten Meal -- two are corn-based products ... the same product. This industry practice is known as splitting. When components of the same whole ingredients are listed separately -- such as Ground Yellow Corn and Corn Gluten Meal -- it appears there is less corn than chicken, even though the combined weight of the corn ingredients outweigh the chicken.

In 1995 Nature's Recipe pulled thousands of tons of dog food off the shelf after consumers complained that their dogs were vomiting and losing their appetite. Nature's Recipe's loss amounted to $20 million. The problem was a fungus that produced vomitoxin, an aflatoxin, which is a subset of mycotoxin, a poison given off by mold contaminated the wheat.

Although it caused many dogs to vomit, stop eating and have diarrhea, vomitoxin is a milder toxin than most. The more virulent strains of mycotoxins can cause weight loss, liver damage, lameness, and even death. The Nature's Recipe incident prompted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to intervene. Dina Butcher, Agriculture Policy Advisor for North Dakota Governor Ed Schafer, concluded that the discovery of vomitoxin in Nature's Recipe wasn't much of a threat to the human population because "the grain that would go into pet food is not a high quality grain. Which means that the grain used in pet food is not fit for human consumption and therefore not a threat to the human population.

Soy is another common ingredient that is sometimes used as filler in pet food. Manufacturers use it to add bulk so that when an animal eats a product containing soy he will feel more sated. While soy has been linked to gas in some dogs, other dogs do quite well with it. Vegetarian dog foods use soy as a protein source.

Industry critics note that many of the ingredients used as humectants -- ingredients such as corn syrup and corn gluten meal which bind water to prevent oxidation -- also bind the water in such a way that the food actually sticks to the colon and may cause blockage. The blockage of the colon may cause an increased risk of cancer of the colon or rectum.

Additives and Preservatives

Many additives are added to commercial pet foods to improve the stability or appearance of the food. Additives provide no nutritional value. Additives include emulsifiers to prevent water and fat from separating. Antioxidants prevent fat from turning rancid and antimicrobials reduce spoilage. Added color and flavor make the product more attractive to consumers and their companion animals.

How prevalent are synthetic additives in pet food? Two-thirds of the pet food manufactured in the United States contains preservatives added by the manufacturer. Of the remaining third, 90% includes ingredients already stabilized by synthetic preservatives. Premixed vitamin additives used to supplement pet food can also contain preservatives. This means that your companion animal may eat food with several types of preservatives that have been added at the rendering plant, the manufacturing plant and in the supplemental vitamins.

Additives in Processed Pet Foods

Anti-caking agents, Lubricants, Antimicrobial agents, Non-nutritive sweeteners, Antioxidants, Nutritive sweeteners, Coloring agents,
Oxidizing and reducing agents, Curing agents, pH control agents,
Drying agents, Processing aids, Emulsifiers, Sequestrants, Firming agents, Solvents, Flavor enhancers, Stabilizers, thickeners, Flavoring agents, Surface active agents, Flour treating agents,
Surface finishing agents, Formulation aids, Synergists, Humectants,
Texturizers, Leavening agents

Adding chemicals to food originated thousands of years ago with spices, natural preservatives and ripening agents. In the last 40 years, however, the number of food additives has greatly increased. Of the more than 8,600 recognized food additives today, no toxicity information is available for 46% of them. Cancer-causing agents are sometimes permitted if they are used at low enough levels. The risk of continued use at these cancer-causing agents has not been studied and the build up of these agents may be harmful. Ethoxyquin (EQ), for example, was found in dogs' livers and tissues months after it had been removed from their diet, and as of July 31, 1997, the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine requested that manufacturers reduce the maximum level for EQ be cut in half, to 75 parts per million.

While the law requires studies of direct toxicity of these additives and preservatives, most of these additives have not been tested for their effect on each other once ingested. Three commonly used preservatives, BHA, BHT, and EQ, have a proven synergistic effect that may lead to the development of certain types of cancer.

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxtoluene (BHT) are the most commonly used antioxidants in processed food for human consumption. For these antioxidants, there is little information documenting their toxicity or the safety of long-term use in pet food.

In animal feeds, the most commonly used antioxidant preservative is ethoxyquin. While some pet food critics and veterinarians claim ethoxyquin is a major cause of disease, skin problems, and infertility in dogs, others claim it is the safest, most stable preservative available for pet food. Ethoxyquin is not approved for use as a preservative in human food, however.

Nitrate is the exception to the rule when it comes to safety. Nitrate is used in meat for human consumption. When nitrate combines with bacteria, the chemical can change to another form with carcinogenic properties called nitrosamines. Very small amounts of this chemical can cause acute and chronic liver damage.

"Natural preservatives" and antioxidants are known as Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and mixed tocopherols. While the avoidance of using pet food laced with chemical preservatives is something to consider, some critics think that natural preservatives are somewhat less effective than chemical preservatives.

The Manufacturing Process - How Pet Food Is Made  
Although feed trials are no longer required for a food to meet nutritional standards and profiles, most manufacturers do require a palatability study when developing a new pet food. Animals are fed side by side, one animal fed a new food while the other is fed a similar formula. The total volume eaten is used as a gauge for the palatability of the food. Most pet food companies keep their own animals for taste testing.

Dry food is made with a machine called an expander. First, raw materials are blended, sometimes by hand, other times by computer, in accordance with a recipe developed by nutritionists. The mixture is fed into an expander and steam or hot water is added into the mixture. The mixture is subjected to steam, pressure, and heat until the temperature reaches 305 degrees F. The mixture is then extruded through dies that determine the shape of the final product. Then it is cooked at a high temperatures and high pressure. Then the food is allowed to dry for another 30-45 minutes. Once the food is dried it is usually sprayed with fat to make it more palatable. Although the cooking process may kill bacteria in pet food, the final product can lose its sterility, during the subsequent drying, fat coating, and packaging process.

Ingredients are the same for wet and dry foods. The main difference between the two types of food is the water content. Wet or canned food begins with ground ingredients mixed with additives. If chunks are required, a special extruder forms them. Then the mixture is cooked and canned. The sealed cans are then put into containers resembling pressure cookers and commercial sterilization takes place. Some manufacturers cook the food right in the can.

There are three primary types of wet food. The "all meat" product is defined by AAFCO as "When an ingredient or a combination of ingredients derived from animals, poultry, or fish constitute 95% or more of the total weight of all ingredients of a pet food, the name or names of such ingredient(s) may form part of the product name of the pet food; provided that where more than one ingredient is part of such product name, then all such ingredient names shall be in the same size, style, and color print. For the purpose of this provision, water sufficient for processing shall be excluded when calculating the percentage of the named ingredient(s). However, such named ingredient(s) shall constitute at least 70% of the total product.

The "dinner" product is defined as "When an ingredient or a combination of ingredients constitutes at least 25% but less than 95% of the total weight of all ingredients of a dog or cat food mixture, the name or names of such ingredient or ingredients may form a part of the product name of the pet food if each of the ingredients constitute at least 3% of the product weight excluding water used for processing and only if the product name also includes a primary descriptive term such as 'dinner',
'platter', or similar designation so that the product name describes the contents of the product in accordance with an established law, custom or usage or so that the product name is not misleading. If the names of more than one ingredient are shown, they shall appear in the order of their respective predominance by weight in the product. All such ingredient names and the primary descriptive term shall be in the same size, style and color print. For the purpose of this provision,
water sufficient for processing shall be excluded when calculating the percentage of the named ingredient(s). However, such named ingredient(s) shall constitute at least 10% of the total product.

The "flavor" product is formulated to have a specific flavor, and it is defined as "No flavor designation shall be used on a pet food label unless the flavor is detected by a recognized test method, or is one the presence of which provides a characterisitic distinguishable by the pet. Any flavor designation on a pet food label must either conform to the name of its source as shown in the ingredient statement or the ingredient statement shall show the source of the flavor. The word flavor
shall be printed in the same size type and with an equal degree of conspicuousness as the ingredient term(s) from which the flavor designation is derived. Distributors of pet food employing such flavor designation or claims on the labels of the product distributed by them shall, upon request, supply verification of the designated or claimed flavor to the appropriate control official.

What Happened to the Nutrients?

R. L. Wysong, veterinarian and long time critic of the pet food industry, has said, "Processing is the wild card in nutritional value that is, by and large, simply ignored. Heating, freezing, dehydrating, canning, extruding, pelleting, baking, and so forth, are so commonplace that they are simply thought of as synonymous with food itself. The processing practices for grain and meat used in pet food severely diminishes its nutritional value.

To make pet food nutritious, pet food manufacturers must "fortify" it with vitamins and minerals. Why? Because the ingredients they are using are not wholesome, and the harsh manufacturing practices destroy what little nutritional value the food had to begin with.

Contaminants

Commercially manufactured or rendered meat meals are highly contaminated with bacteria because their source is not always slaughtered animals. Animals that have died because of disease, injury, or natural causes are a source of meat for meat meal. The dead animal may not be rendered or cooked until days after its death. Therefore the carcass is often contaminated with bacteria -- Salmonella bacteria contaminate 25-50% of meat meals. While the cooking process may kill bacteria, it does not eliminate the endotoxins that result from the bacteria. These toxins can cause disease. Pet food manufacturers do not test their products for endotoxins.

Escherichia coli (E Coli) is another bacteria that can be found in contaminated pet foods. E Coli bacteria, like Salmonella, can be destroyed by cooking at high temperatures, however, the endotoxin produced by the bacteria will remain. This endotoxin can cause disease as well.

Aflatoxin -- This is a toxin that comes from mold or fungi, as in the case of Nature's Recipe. The improper drying and storage of crops is the cause of mold growth, which can result in Aflatoxin contamination. Ingredients that are most likely to be contaminated with this toxin are cottonseed meal, peanut meal, and fish meal.

Labeling

The National Research Council (NRC) of the Academy of Sciences set the nutritional standards for pet food until 1974, when the pet food industry created a group called the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). At that time AAFCO chose to adopt the NRC standards rather than develop its own. The NRC standards required feeding trials for pet foods that claimed to be "complete" and "balanced." The pet food industry found the feeding trials to be too restrictive, so AAFCO designed an alternate procedure for claiming the nutritional adequacy of pet food. Instead of feeding trials, chemical analysis would be done to determine if a food met or exceeded the NRC standards.

The problem with chemical analysis is that it does not address the palatability, digestibility and biological availability of nutrients in pet food. Thus it is unreliable for determining whether a food will provide an animal with sufficient nutrients.

To compensate for the limitations of chemical analysis, AAFCO added a "safety factor," which was to exceed the minimum amount of nutrients required to meet the complete and balanced requirements. By establishing its own standards and disregarding the NRC standards, AAFCO established itself as the governing body for pet food. In essence the pet food industry developed their own standards for nutritional adequacy.

The 100% Myth -- Problems Caused by Inadequate Nutrition

The idea of one pet food providing all the nutrition a companion animal will ever need for its entire life is a myth... Cereals are the primary ingredients in most commercial pet foods. Most people select one pet food and feed it to their dogs and cats for a prolonged period of time. Therefore companion dogs and cats eat a primarily carbohydrate diet with little variety. Today, the diets of cats and dogs are a far cry from the primarily protein diets with a lot of variety that their ancestors ate. The problems associated with a commercial diet are seen every day at veterinary establishments. Chronic digestive problems, such as chronic diarrhea, are among the most frequent illnesses treated.

Allergy or hypersensitivity to foods is a common problem usually seen as diarrhea or vomiting. Food allergies have become an everyday ailment. The market for "limited antigen" also known as "hypoallergenic" diets is now a multi-million dollar business. These diets were formulated to address the increasing intolerance to foods that animals have developed.

Many commercial pet foods are made with ingredients that have poor protein digestibility. Diets containing protein with less than 70% digestibility cause diarrhea in dogs. Some fillers used in these foods can also cause colitis, which is the inflammation of the colon. Most pet food companies do not publish digestibility statistics and they are never seen on pet food labels.

Acute vomiting and diarrhea is often a symptom of bacteria contamination and the toxins bacteria produce. Dry commercial pet food is often contaminated with bacteris, which may or may not cause problems. Improper food storage and some feeding practices may result in the multiplication of this bacteria. For example, adding water to moisten pet food and then leaving it at room temperature causes bacteria to multiply. Yet this practice is suggested on the back of some kitten and puppy foods.

Pet food formulas and the practice of feeding that manufacturers recommend have increased other digestive problems. Feeding only one meal per day can cause the irritation of the esophagus by stomach acid. Feeding two smaller meals is better.

Urinary tract disease is directly related to diet in both cats and dogs. Plugs, crystals, and stones in cat bladders are caused by commercial pet food formulas. One type of stone found in cats is less common now, but another more dangerous type has become more common. Manipulation of manufactured cat food formulas to affect acidity in urine and the amount of some minerals has directly affected these diseases. Dogs also form stones as a result of their diet.

History has shown that commercial pet food products can cause disease. An often-fatal heart disease in cats and some dogs was shown to be caused by a deficiency of an amino acid called taurine. Blindness is another symptom of taurine deficiency. This deficiency occurred because of inadequate amounts of taurine in cat food formulas. Cat foods are now supplemented with taurine.

Rapid growth in large breed puppies has been shown to contribute to bone and joint disease. Excess calories in manufactured puppy food formulas promote rapid growth. There are now special puppy foods for large breed dogs. But this recent change will not help the countless dogs who lived and died with hip and elbow disease.

There is also evidence that hyperthyroidism in cats results from commercial pet food diets. This is a new disease that first surfaced in the 1970s, when canned food products appeared on the market. The exact cause and effect are not yet known. This is a serious and sometimes terminal disease and treatment is expensive.

Many nutritional problems appeared with the popularity of cereal-based commercial pet foods. Some occur because the diet is incomplete. Some are a result of additives. Others are a result of contamination with bacteria, toxins and other organisms. In some diseases the role of commercial pet food is understood, in others, it is not. The bottom line is that diets composed primarily of low quality cereals and rendered meat meals are not as nutritious or safe as you should expect for your cat or dog.

Despite the appealing blandishments of pet food advertisements with their claims of providing "complete and balanced nutrition," if you're not exceedingly circumspect, you may end up feeding your pet chicken heads, road kills, spoiled or moldy grains, cancerous material cut from slaughterhouse animals, tissue high in hormone or pesticide residues, and even shredded Styrofoam packaging, metal ID tags and minced flea collars.  

A growing number of veterinarians state that processed pet food (kibbles and canned food) is the main cause of illness and premature death in the modern dog and cat. In December 1995, the British Journal of Small Animal Practice published a paper contending that processed pet food supresses the immune system and leads to liver, kidney, heart and other diseases. Dr. Kollath, of the Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm, headed a study done on animals. When young animals were fed cooked and processed foods they initially appeared to be healthy. However, as the animals reached adulthood, they began to age more quickly than normal and also developed chronic degenerative disease symptoms. A control group of animals raised on raw foods aged less quickly and were free of degenerative disease.  

The pet nutrition industry is a multi-billion dollar industry full of hype and false claims. Consumers are being duped into believing that they are feeding their pets healthy foods, when in actuality they are feeding nothing more than inferior meat meals, cheap grains (including corn and soy), fillers, by-products, pesticides, preservatives and toxins.  Never before has the pet-food industry been rocked by widespread contamination and rampant recalls. In all, more than 5,600 products by dozens of pet food makers have been recalled, from chain supermarket brands to prescription-only foods. This is a staggering number of products, and is unprecedented in this business. Thousands of deaths are due to the contamination, and many thousands more have suffered illnesses. We shudder to think of the long-term impacts of the compromised liver and kidney function and how this will affect thousands of companion animals in America. Leading experts believe that the severe reactions experienced by some cats and dogs were the result of an interaction of chemicals, between the melamine and a list of other culprits, including cyuranic acid.  Read the latest about the pet food recall. Thousands of Cats and dogs suffered kidney failure, and many died after eating the affected pet food.  

Dr. Don E. Lundholm, D.V.M. - "We are seeing disease conditions in animals that we did not see years ago. Many of these may be traced to nutrition as the source..."

The primary ingredient in many dry commercial pet foods is not protein but cereal. Corn and wheat are the most common grains used but, as with the meat sources, the nutritious parts of the grain are generally present only in trace amounts. The corn gluten meal or wheat middlings added to pet foods are the leftovers after the grain has been processed for human use, containing little nutritional value. Or they may be grain that is too moldy for humans to eat, so it's incorporated into pet food.

Mycotoxins, potentially deadly fungal toxins that multiply in moldy grains, have been found in pet foods in recent years. In 1995, Nature's Recipe recalled tons of their dog food after dogs became ill from eating it. The food was found to contain vomitoxin, a mycotoxin. Harmful chemicals and preservatives are added to both wet and dry food. For example, sodium nitrite, a coloring agent and preservative and potential carcinogen, is a common additive. Other preservatives include ethoxyquin (an insecticide that has been linked to liver cancer) and BHA and BHT, chemicals also suspected of causing cancer. The average dog can consume as much as 26 pounds of preservatives every year from eating commercial dog foods.  

It's very important to provide your cat with proper nutrition. Remember he's a carnivore by nature. Just because you pay a higher price for a specific brand of food doesn't mean that it's better quality than the next commercially produced food. I would recommend that you consider checking out a website that my family vet recommended to me when I had numerous questions about the dietary needs of my cats after my oldest girl was diagnosed with kidney issues as a direct result of the melamine found in rice gluten meal that was in her food. Catinfo.org was written by a qualified veterinarian who wants to educate kitty caregivers about the needs of the small carnivores we care for on a daily basis. The information provided by this vet makes sense, she dispels common myths about the pet food industry and to be honest it's a site that I recommend any cat guardian concerned about the quality of commercially available diets. Trust me when I say that the pet food industry has some disgusting secrets that they would rather hide from their consumers. I became very disillusioned a little over a year ago when my eldest cat almost died as a direct result of renal failure brought on by a food that I mistakenly believed was high quality. My cat was lucky, many pets died as a result of the renal failure brought on by toxins in their food, my little girl survived and thanks to hybrid vigor her kidneys are beginning to function properly on their own again. This is the tiny girl that decided she wouldn't eat the low protein prescription diet as soon as she came home from the hospital. This was the food that was supposed to allow her kidneys to take a break. I went off in search of a higher quality food that I could offer her and I had a few requirements of the food that I chose - I wanted the food to be safe, it had to be made from human grade ingredients, it had to respect the fact that a carnivore was eating it, the food had to be holistic as well as well priced (I care for 3 resident cats plus any foster kitties that need me at any given time) and my little girl had to eat it. I am slowly weaning her off of the fluids that I was told she would have to have for the rest of her life. I credit her miraculous recovery to a few simple things - my vet's expertise in homeopathy and the treatments that were given to compliment the conventional treatments for renal issues in cats, switching my cats over to a high quality holistic diet, and all of the love my little girl and I have for each other. I have been feeding a holistic cat food made from human grade ingredients called Spot's Stew by Halo for over a year now. This is a commercially produced food that initially caught my interest over 10 years ago and it has taken that long for this food to make it's way into Canada. I feed the Spot's Stew Sensitive Cat dry formula to my cats and we also feed different varieties of Spot's Stew canned recipes which my cats all seem to enjoy and tolerate well. The nice thing about Spot's Stew is that it's very high quality and it won't break the bank, a six pound bag of the sensitive cat formula costs approximately $25 in the province of Ontario and it lasts my 3 resident cats for just over a month, in your household that would translate into about 2 1/2 months for Linux (my cats are probably all smaller than yours). If the six pound bag of Spot's Stew only lasted you two months being fed roughly according to the directions on the bag the cost would be about 42 cents per day. The advantages of feeding a high quality holistic food made from human grade ingredients includes a lower quantity of less smelly litter box offerings because there isn't as much waste for the cats to expel as there is in lower quality foods, fewer medical issues because the cat's body is getting the nutrition that's needed to keep them healthy, and a healthier, happier cat at the end of each day. The ingredient list of Spot's Stew Sensitive Cat is as follows: Turkey, Pea Protein, Whole Dried Eggs, Oats, Pearled Barley, Pea Flour, Turkey Liver, Salmon, Flaxseed, Salmon Oil, Pea Fiber, Sweet Potatoes, Apples, Blueberries, Green Beans, Carrots, Cranberries, Zucchini, Alfalfa, Inulin, Calcium Sulfate, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Salt, Folic Acid, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Cobalt Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Bitartrate, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Ribflavin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Bifidobacterium Longum, Enterococcus Faecium, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite.
Each ingredient on this list serves a valuable purpose, some are essential vitamin and mineral supplements while several sources of protein help to meet a cat's need for high quality protein in their diet. Others provide fiber which allows a cat to feel fuller faster without overeating and helps to prevent hairballs and constipation. Ingredients like cranberries help to acidify the urine which helps to prevent bladder infections, crystals and stones, still other ingredients help to ensure a healthy, soft coat (omega essential fatty acids in salmon oil and flax seeds) while some ingredients ensure a healthy functional digestive tract (lactobacillus, acidopholus, etc are cultures found in the digestive tract of all mammals that help to digest food and keep things regular).

Now, onward to the next possible issue that Linux may be having. Some cats being fed only a commercially produced dry food occasionally experience constipation. Some fairly common causes of constipation include dehydration - the body removes the moisture from the stool because it's needed elsewhere in the body, the cat may be holding his stool for one reason or another. It's possible that your cat may not like the taste of tap water, particularly if it smells strongly of chlorine or other chemicals. You may find that investing in cat fountain that filters the water through activated charcoal inserts will encourage Linux to drink more water. Sometimes constipation is the result of litter box hygiene issues or your cat may need more privacy when he uses the toilet. Cats like for their litter boxes to be kept very clean, scooping them at least once daily is a must, after all nobody likes to use the bathroom in a filthy public restroom, cats feel the same way about a dirty litter box. I encourage pet parents to avoid using scented, dyed or perfumed kitty litters, cats have very sensitive noses and if something smells strongly to our nose it's probably unbearable for a cat because their sense of smell is so much more sensitive than our own. I generally suggest that kitty caregivers use an unscented, clumping, dye free litter to fill the litter box. I also recommend that pet parents be conscious of the fact that cats are very fastidious animals, as such they like to have alternate places to use the toilet, this is why I suggest that each household that's being ruled by a cat have one litter pan per cat, plus one, if your home is exceptionally large or Linux has had a history of going outside of the litter pan I recommend that you follow the initial litter box recommendation for each level of your home. Keeping the litter box close to your cat's food can sometimes cause a cat to hold his feces until he can no longer do so, or he may look for other places to relieve himself, cats don't like to go to the toilet where they eat. A simple solution to this problem is to make sure that the litter box is located in a different room of the house than the food and water bowls are. Sometimes cats become constipated as a result of medications they are prescribed or underlying medical conditions that must be diagnosed by your family veterinarian. If Linux has an ongoing issue with hairballs it's possible that his plumbing is being temporarily blocked up. Sometimes all that you need to do in this case is to offer him about a teaspoon of butter or margarine once or twice weekly, this will help to send pesky hairballs on their way through Linux's system. If Linux is diagnosed with constipation by your veterinarian you may want to ensure that s/he checks to be sure that his anal glands aren't impacted or infected as this can sometimes play a role in constipation.

My middle resident cat occasionally suffered from constipation on the previous diet that I was feeding him. My vet recommended that I consider feeding Sooner some cheap canned food when he was constipated because of the extra water content and the lower quality ingredients, the logic behind this is that his stools should become softer. Sooner doesn't like cheap canned cat food so this went out the window quite quickly. My vet also suggested that I try to get Sooner to eat some finely chopped, fresh steamed vegetables such as spinach, lettuce, broccoli, carrots or squash. The idea behind this recommendation is that a small (a couple of teaspoons to a tablespoon daily) serving of fresh vegetables that have been lightly cooked would somewhat simulate the vegetable matter that a cat would get from eating the stomach of a small prey animal. While my youngest cat likes fresh raw vegetables like spinach and lettuce Sooner doesn't. Canned pumpkin, cat grass and a daily dose of plain organic yogurt have made somewhat of a difference. If you want to try canned pumpkin be sure that you don't accidentally pick up pumpkin pie mix because the cats tend not to be too fond of the spices and sugar commonly added to canned pumpkin pie mix. Since canned pumpkin generally comes in large cans and it tends to spoil easily I would recommend that you consider freezing the majority of the can in ice cube trays then storing the pumpkin cubes in a freezer bag. An average sized ice cube is approximately the right serving size for keeping a cat regular. You can offer milk in small doses - a tablespoon or so should do it, the reason that this works is because most cats become lactose intolerant around 3 months of age so milk will tend to loosen their stool. I generally prefer to give my cats plain yogurt instead of milk, the reason for this is because they tolerate it better and it works more naturally by restoring benefical bacteria normally found within a mammal's digestive system - a tablespoon daily will do double duty as a treat and helping to keep Linux's digestive tract healthy. Failing the more natural treatments for constipation that I've mentioned you can certainly feel free to speak to your vet about using a laxative, most are malt/fish flavored, petroleum based products that can act as a hairball remedy or laxative, the difference is in the dosing. If you prefer to try a hairball remedy available at your local pet supply store I would recommend running the idea past your vet so that s/he can provide you with appropriate recommendations and dosing.

I also took the liberty of researching Maine Coon cats and some common health problems in the breed. I wouldn't be entirely sure that Linux is a purebred Maine Coon cat, that would be unlikely if you adopted him from a rescue organization, he may just be a big, long haired cat. I've also taken the liberty of including common health concerns for this breed. Maine Coon cats are generally great looking large cats. Since Maine Coon cats were officially accepted as a breed there have been some breeders who are trying to preserve the natural, strong and hardy characteristics of the breed rather than breeding for color or size as some breeders do. Ideally Maine Coon cats are strong and healthy cats. A Maine Coon cat generally has a thick, shiny, water resistant coat that tends to be longer around the neck and belly to protect their internal organs from cold weather. Most Maine Coon cats have shorter coats on their backs, this is thought to be nature's way of preventing them from getting their fur caught on brush and overhanging branches as the breed developed naturally. From what I understand Maine Coon cats have relatively easy coats to maintain, a good grooming once or twice a week is supposedly all that's needed to keep their beautiful coats in great condition. Maine Coon cats have tufts of fur to protect their toes from snow and their paws tend to be large and round, kind of a kitty version of snowshoes. Male Maine Coon cats generally weigh between 13-20 pounds when they are fully grown so between their stature and long coats they often look much larger than they really are. Maine Coon cats are a slow maturing breed, they aren't fully grown until they are around five years of age. These cats tend to be playful, good natured and talkative. Some Maine Coon cats can even be persuaded to play fetch with their favorite humans. Maine Coon don't usually bug you constantly for attention, they do however like to help around the house and be wherever their people are. A Maine Coon cat has a head that's slightly longer than it is wide, they have large ears, high cheek bones and a long torso with a broad chest. According to the breed standard their tail should be as long as their torso. This breed comes in all of the colors and patterns that mixed breed cats come in, however you won't see a Maine Coon with Siamese coloring. It is possible to leash train these kitties, especially if you make it worth their while. Due to the fact that some Maine Coon cats are bred for size they are sometimes bred with close relatives which can lead to some health problems if the breeder isn't careful. Maine Coon cats can inherit hip dysplasia, which can cause lameness in severe cases, heart problems are also common and range from mild to quite serious so it's important to have your cat assessed for these problems if he's a purebred kitty.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you so much. I must say your sound more and more alarming. I have already send your e-mail and mine (question & answer) to VOCRA...( but I'd appreciate to keep my privacy) that is why I went online first. You MAY(I am not saying YOUR ARE) sounding a bit extreme. Maybe howling is not the right word I used. It' Ls sort of miaaux ( I am european so my English is not 100%) The sound of it does not come across excruciating more of normal Miiauo. lets call a spade a spade. I would say same as when we human feel that passing stool is not easy sometimes...and as I said, since 1st time it is NOT all the time only from time to time maybe 3-4 times a week sometime less ...and it seems mainly in winter, rarely in summer. I do not want to think Eutanasia.etc.
IF I  may ask again . You have not told me anything about what and why Cats eat grass these CHIA grass they sell inn Canadian Tire is that something he may need?? fibres ???
I understand food quality etc.I followed VOCRA advice they swear by it and its NOT food from any of the companies you mentioned I am sure you know the brands.. We are not two unemplyed bumbs we are highly educated and university degrees etc..but sadly the current economy hit us both in the groin...just imagine leaving South Africa for an international internal promotion land here and one year later get the boot after being named the BEST PERFORMING STAFF of 52 offices worldwide and reaching SENIOR after 9 years in a corporation...It takes MUCH MUCH strength to keep going with the little one gets ( just after spending X saving to move here and reestablish a life worth living) thanks for your understanding.I am VERY greatfull for the long time you take in your replies. as what concerns SPCA I find the very BUSINESS oriented here in Vancouver I have been to three shelters to adopt a cat and have been received by staff that shows so very few and actually anti pet loving attitude.. VERY unfriendly and money was the ONLY matter. I would not entrust them any of my pets. It seems in Vancouver money has taken over in many places where love should be felt 1st ...and not last...
What you describe as MAIN COON.. well he fits the bill quite well. HE has the long back coat he has very bushy paws with all snow shoes and very bushy ears and he behaves much like a dog :-) and followes me around or us around 99% of the time.. sometimes he seems no to know who to follow so he visits non stop in between of us two. He gest grooming every evening while we watch TV ( we are around 50s) and loves a good massage especially with a small hand battery  electric foot massager that he is addicted to :-)( I limit these sessions) I have hundreds of pictures, I would send you one if there was an e-mail. I will try all the food veggie and soft food advise. He only drinks filtered BRITTA water I don't like the taste of tab water here. They should go to Austria and see what REAL Tab water tastes like there. I think VERY sad for Canada to have all these mountains and the tab water tastes so UGLY. He has the BEST litter 100% private the one with the big white hub on top and he can scoop around to his hear content. We HATE any smell so I clean it 2x per day . Its deep like6inches of litter and replace constantly. Lucky they had a sale last year and I bought 50 boxes at 50% off.
He plays and jumps runs like wild up and down the sofas ans arms chairs etc and eats and drinks always normal NO pushing he loves eating and we have to keep him to his quantity diet! I will call my vet and see whats there and as I said consider an insurance..I guess I have to sign up without telling anything known.. Who cares. I care about my cat. I REALLY  know as a pet owner my duties etc I have had pets ALL MY LIFE and non has suffered for any of MY reasons, you have my sincere assurance of that. and yes he gas a harness and we tried to do the walking thing and it worked no problem BUT he does not like cars, even seen from the sidewalk and in the park too many dogs. AGAIN thank you so much for your VERY long and detailed advise. Many regards Bye4now Vic

Answer
Vic,

I'm not sure if cats eat grass for fiber or as an aid to pass furballs through their system. Some people believe that the grass contains nutrients that cats don't get in commercially prepared diets, I think that the real answer to the question of why cats eat grass is a little piece of each of the theories that I've mentioned. I wish you and Linux luck now and in the future, you will both be in my thoughts and prayers.