Natural Care For Pets

posted by admin on Nov 24

Linda FortuneAuthor of Regal: An Intimate View of One Magnificent Feline

Digestive Enzymes are Absolutely Necessary for Good Health. Part 1

Tip 11: Digestive enzymes…gold, pure gold to the body!

Welcome,

Today, I am going to start sharing a story which will ultimately culminate with sharing about enzymes and their importance in our human and our animal’s bodies. It was from writing Regal’s story and her kidney failure that I started to contemplate the relevance of enzymes and health, that I reflected on what I had learned years ago about the need for living foods, and then what this all had to do with the issue of pet food quality and Regal’s health.

I initially took Regal in to see her new vet after she exhibited signs of not feeling well. She had started to pee on the carpet and had become very grumpy. As part of her diagnosing process, one the vet’s first questions was “What are you feeding Regal?” I remember telling her the brand name of Regal’s food and feeling very proud because I thought I had been feeding Regal the best of what was available. I was soon to discover that this was not the case.

With the vet’s question and her recommended change of Regal’s diet, I started my exploration regarding pet food quality. Since that time, I visited natural pet food stores, compared label contents, talked with knowledgeable people, reflected on what I already knew about the value of living foods, and did some reading. It’s been an eye-opening experience.

Three things have stood out for me during this quest for knowledge. The first is the inherent problem of processed foods, for all of us—humans and animals alike. The second is the quality or lack there in of the ingredients contained in pet foods. And, the third considers the whole issue of living enzymes. Naturally, all these are rather entwined.

Next entry: Tip 12 and Digestive enzymes are absolutely necessary for good health. Part 2

Blessings, Linda

posted by admin on Nov 11

Linda FortuneAuthor of Regal: An Intimate View of One Magnificent Feline

My take on an important election vote.

Welcome,

Before I continue with my blog entry concerning digestive enzymes, I just have to extend my joy and salute the people of California, The Humane Society of the United States, Oprah Winfrey, and all the people who worked on passing Proposition 2 in California.

As we contemplate the whole issue of natural pet health care, the problem of animal confinement in factory farms is certainly an important issue. Now, since Prop 2 was passed by California, it seems very important to acknowledge those who chose to have our farm animals treated in more appropriate ways.

Basically the people of California chose to stop the worst abuses of factory farms. Prop 2 will stop the confinement of farm animals to limited spaces for the duration of their lives. Let me quote directly from Wayne Pacelle’s blog on November 5, 2008:

“Giving farm animals a little extra room to stretch their limbs, to move like animals should, is a small matter for us humans. But it’s a very big thing for a hen who would otherwise be confined with a half-dozen other birds in a cage about as big as a filing cabinet for her whole life. It’s a really big thing for a sow who would otherwise be stuck in a crate so small she can’t turn around. It’s a way big thing for a calf who would spend life chained inside a miserably tiny crate.

Prop 2 will phase out those inexcusable confinement systems and usher in a new era. No state in the U.S. and no Agribusiness titan anywhere in the nation can overlook this mandate: people do not want their farm animals treated with wanton cruelty.”

I feel very deeply about how animals are treated in whatever setting they live with us. Having become acutely aware of animal feelings, intelligence, and spiritual natures as I was writing Regal: An Intimate View of One Magnificent Feline, I have come to an increased deep sense of responsibility, that we humans have, in the compassionate care of all our world’s animals. The passage of Prop 2 in California is a major step in the recognition of this responsibility. It is a major step in the development of our own human consciousness.

I totally concur with Wayne Pacelle again when he states “As a result, you’ve brought forth a new, more compassionate age.” I say, let us all continue this work of compassionate care of all animals and learn to see the magnificence of all animals as we learn to live more in the present with them. This will not only enrich their lives but our own as well.

Next entry: Tip 11 and Digestive Enzymes are Absolutely Necessary for Good Health!

With blessings, Linda

posted by admin on Nov 1

Linda FortuneAuthor of Regal: An Intimate View of One Magnificent Feline

Tux and Her New Food Experience
Tip 10: You have to go with the flow and make food adjustments gradually.

Welcome,

As I said briefly before, I have gotten another cat and quite unexpectedly. A dear friend had suddenly become ill and with a poor prognosis, the need for new feline homes became apparent. My friend had two older felines, Millie and Tux. They were sisters, about 13½ years old, and were beautiful calicos. Millie went to a relative and Tux eventually came to me. The delightful story of Tux, by the way, is being told on http://petstoriesblog.com. It is called ‘The Evolution of Tux and Linda’ and will be a fun read if you are interested.

Having brought Tux home, I knew that I wanted to follow through with my new found knowledge and feed Tux in healthier ways while making sure that she had plenty of enzymes. I immediately went to a natural pet store and got a variety of high end natural cat foods filled with animal products rather than animal by-products. I also got some frozen samples of raw prepared cat foods which consisted of those animal products that a cat would eat if it ate naturally. And, I brought a bottle of digestive enzymes.

Felines can be pretty finicky about what they eat and I knew that I would have to experiment with what to feed Tux, to see what she would accept. Also, being an older cat, she had been trained to eat the processed foods and I was not sure what she would be willing to try. I started with one variety and, over the following days, presented other varieties to her. Some she was hesitant about while others seemed pretty enticing and she ate them with relish. When I offered her the thawed frozen raw sample foods, she would not try them. I eventually settled on three or four varieties that she seemed to enjoy, sprinkled them with digestive enzymes, and enjoyed watching her adjust to these new foods which were much healthier then her previous ones.

Being an older feline, I knew that her whole system had been geared toward canned foods, not raw, and I wasn’t going to force that upon her. I have subsequently included some bits of raw meats in her diet and she has eaten them with relish. Once this is established, I will again try to introduce the raw samples and see if she is ready to expand to this more natural cat diet. If not, we will just continue on with the high quality prepared foods fortified with digestive enzymes.

Tip 11 and Digestive Enzymes are Absolutely Necessary for Good Health!

With blessings, Linda