Cat Bath Tip
When I read the December 2007 issue, I didn’t see this mentioned anywhere about bathing a cat:

My tip to anyone bathing a cat is to put a piece of screen in the bathtub. Maybe lean it on the side of the tub, so the cat can sink his claws into the screen rather than scrambling on the porcelain or sinking his claws into the person trying to bathe him. This works really well.

Joanne Ventresca

Praise for Cat Allergy Test
For years, my cat, Morgan, has suffered from allergy issues. He was tested a couple of years ago and put on a restricted diet — venison, green pea and an allergy med. He still had problems with his ears and asthma. His activity level slowed down. Then I read the article in the January 2008 issue about the Biomedical Services (BMS) allergy test. I stopped at my vet’s with my copy of the issue. Within three weeks Morgan had the test taken and the results were in … one of the things he was allergic to was green peas! We made a change in his diet; he still takes his meds, but he is back to playing like a kitten and seems so happy. Thanks for spreading the news about new medical issues.

Caroline Adams, Wisconsin


Raw Diet Debate
I read with interest in your March issue, the “Raw Deal” debate. We have been feeding a raw meat diet to our three American Shorthairs for about three years. During the day, they graze on dry food, and in the evening they eat raw meat. We feed a high grade of lean beef purchased from a locally owned meat packer.

We never use hamburger meat because of the source of it from the beef animal and increased risk of E. coli. I have the meat packer chop the meat into half-inch pieces. When I get it home, I grind the meat in our food processor and place meal-sized portions in snack baggies, then freeze.

We take meticulous care in handling the meat, and we have never had a problem with disease or illness in our cats. They love it and appear very healthy with good weight and beautiful coats.

Recently, we have started using a commercially prepared raw meat diet from naturesvariety.com. Their plant is an USDA, FDA and EU registered facility. They are licensed and approved for the processing of organic certified products. Their meal-sized raw meat medallions are very easy to feed, and we have a pet store four blocks from our house that carries their frozen, raw products. The cost is very reasonable.

Phil Yust, Kansas