Hi Cat Lover,

Sorry I'm a day late with this. We had another severe
electrical storm yesterday and I was forced to shut
down the computer.

Here you go:

Here's what's in this issue:

Dogs smarter than cats?
Susan Boyle's cat...
More Nutro news...
Shelter feeding links...
Interesting web sites...
Smiles for you...
This month's video...


Are dogs smarter than cats? This debate has been going on
for years, and so far, no one has come up with any definitive

Not even this new study: http://tinyurl.com/nvsxhf

Several things are wrong with this setup. First, the "expert"
studied only 15 cats. Second, do we know where these cats came from?
It's certainly not a large enough sample, nor a long enough study. As with
humans, intelligence can be related to hereditary factors, not just species.
I'm surprised anyone gave this any attention at all. It doesn't deserve it.

The only intelligent thing this so-called expert said that makes any sense
is the fact that maybe it's not a difference in mental ability as much as it is
that cats simply think differently from dogs (and people).


Does anyone really know what Susan Boyle's cat looks like?
Here's the "official" blog about Susan and you can see a photo of
her beloved Pebbles:

(In case you're not familiar with who Susan is, she's the woman in Scotland who
shot to fame with her appearance on Britain's Got Talent TV show, where she wowed
the audience and the judges with her rendition of I Dreamed A Dream, from
the musical, Cats.)

Anyone remember Greenies? I think it was a couple years or so ago that
they came under the gun for being indigestible and possibly even
dangerous. Surprise ... they are made by Nutro Petfood Products.

Apparently they've been forced to reformulate them and they
are supposed to be a better product now. However, it's not so easy
to get them anymore. They are being distributed at veterinary offices and
pet specialty stores only. I'll bet that translates to higher prices as well.

And here's more from ConsumerAffairs.com on the cat food recall:
http://bit.ly/L0nTo (In essence, they say Nutro is ignoring consumer complaints.)

However, there are allegations that Consumer Affairs is spreading
false info and may be sued: http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1206960391035

I received a nice message from a company representative who
totally believes in the product and is staunchly defending the company.
She said Nutro personally answers calls, and sent me this info:


If you want to call them, here is their toll-free number. However, you
can expect it to go to an automated system. If you don't mind being on
hold for a while, it should go to a human. 1-800-833-5330

The recorded message says, among other things, that the company
has received no reports of cats becoming ill using the affected product.
However, they caution cat owners to monitor their pets and to call their
vets if they show signs of illness.

I called that number and waited for 5 minutes but then I had to get
back to work. If no one is reporting sick cats, then what takes so long
that I have to be put on hold?

So, if cats have become ill, got better when they switched to another food,
and people are calling in, how can they say they've had no reports? Who, then,
is receiving these reports? Is Nutro really ignoring customers, as alleged
by ConsumerAffairs?

[Bob - Did Nutro ever get back to you? And how is your cat now?]


Help Feed Shelter Animals

Don't forget to visit these sites as often as you can
to click on the shelter-feed links. There is no cost to you
to do this, but it can only be done once per day.

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/ (Just click to donate)

http://pets.care2.com/i?p=868775137 (click to donate)

http://www.freekibblekat.com/ (Answer a trivia question...
even a wrong answer gives a donation.)

WEB SITES to explore
Download the ebook, Senior Cat Care Guidelines

ASPCA Guide to Pet-Safe Gardening - Link to full page:

ticks and flea treatment

(How to move when you have pets)

(Because every cat deserves to be comfortable!)

(Information about getting pet insurance)

Some cat trivia:
The African Sand Cat burrows into the sand to protect
itself from the heat of the sun.



-------------------------- LATEST VIDEO -------------------

Check out the video on my website, at the bottom of the page.

(It shows a cat getting a nice massage.)


If you want to see more videos, go to my blog:
and then go clear to the bottom of the page, where I have
a "Video Bar" with several cat videos that change out every
so often. So there is always a fresh one there in case
you need a cat video fix and can't wait for the next Kitty Times!

Do you have any interesting stories to share about your
cats? Send them in and I'll put them here in
this newsletter. (Include your name and website
your website. Or, anonymous is OK, too. It's
up to you.)


If you ever want to review past issues, here is where
they are stored:

We will NOT rent or sell your info. You are
subscribed to a free email newsletter from
R.J.Peters, "the Cat Lady." You can unsubscribe

If you know someone who would like to read
this newsletter, please feel free to forward
this one to them. If they want to sign up to get
their own, refer them to my web site, here:

http://www.theproblemcat.com/ (use the signup form)
or go directly to: