Kitty kibble kills

There was a time in my life that I considered becoming a veterinarian. It was brief. I love animals so much, and I very quickly realized that it actually hurt me to see them in pain. Animals are so beautifully innocent. They don't lie or obsess about meaningless matters. They live in the present. Right here, right now. All too often, they suffer at the expense of human cruelty, ignorance and neglect.

A year and a half ago, my best friend's dogs [in the US] were poisoned when they ate Alpo Prime Cuts canned food as a special treat. We came to find out that the cans were laced with melamine, a toxic substance that falsely raises protein readings in laboratory tests. The pet food industry is indeed a very sinister one. Despite round the clock emergency vet care, Susan's one dog went into kidney failure and died. The other held on until this past weekend. I am thankful that they are no longer suffering.

I remember thinking at the time that my cats were safe back in Greece (yes, they moved to the Med with me!) eating their dry kibble. Every vet I have known until recently stated that dry food was best for their teeth. Now I have come to learn that this is absolutely not the case. Cats are obligate carnivores with a low thirst drive. They require a moist high-protein diet, not dry processed carbohydrate crap which contains grains and dehydrated by-products. Such diets contribute to feline diabetes, kidney failure and perhaps even thyroid disorders. For the last twelve years, I have been feeding my two furry lovelies premium dry food, all the while thinking I was providing them with the very best. It wasn't until my Symba was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism a couple of weeks ago that I learned the truth about what we are really feeding our companion animals.

Recent research states that a raw diet is the best form of nutrition for dogs and cats. I still squirm a bit when I hear that, but it makes major sense. There is some excellent information available on the web. Before switching to a raw diet (or even a partially cooked one if raw is not possible), it is recommended to slowly phase in an all-natural canned food. Unfortunately, my cats do not like change. Not one bit. Hopefully the situation will improve little by little...