I previously posted a blog about Stephen’s concerns about constipation with Weruva, which I dispelled. Now he has concerns with the calorie count, something he read about in an online chat room (which I often refer to as gossip and bashing sites):

I’ve been meaning to call your show, but I just can’t seem to find the time. I want to thank you for responding the first time and printing my question in your blog.

There’s one other question that’s come up regarding Weruva.  I’ve been reading other forums and there’s some concern about the low caloric count of Weruva (84 calories per can) and the low fat percentage. My cat has been eating almost two 5.5. oz cans per day but her weight stays constant at around 8 pounds. Lulu’s a dainty thing and may be a Turkish Van mix so this could be around her ideal weight, but the vet would like to see her gain at least a pound.

She’s still having problems with constipation and we’re adding Metamucil Clear & Natural (formerly Fibersure) to her food (3/4 of a teaspoon every day). Her movements come every 5 or 6 days, and they’re large and not hard, although there’s a drop of blood at the end from time to time.  Our vet feels that can be from the straining and could be from a hemorrhoid.  Since she’s a senior cat (12 years old), he thinks there may be a motility issue and may move to something stronger from Petromalt soon.  The low fiber content (.5%) of Weruva may also be adding to the problem.

As I previously wrote, Lulu had skin allergies and would scratch and lick her face and legs until they were bald and had wounds. Since I switched to Weruva, the skin problems have cleared up but I would like to add a higher calorie food to her diet which is higher in fiber.  I’m just afraid that another food will cause her skin allergy to flare up again.

David from Weruva answered thoughtfully in great detail as follows (and my reply is below this one):

Weruva’s calorie content reading is lower than most brands. There are two primary reasons for this with respect to the ingredients used. Also, our caloric count is based on the metabolizable energy as well as the caloric content as it pertains to the guaranteed analysis.

Regarding the food, we add little to no carbohydrates to our formulas, so there are minimal calories coming from carbohydrates. Grain Free does not mean carbohydrate free, and as cats are obligate carnivores, it is important not just to focus on low or no grains, but to focus on overall low carbohydrate content. In addition, all of our meat cuts are very lean, such as the skinless chicken breast, so the fat content is also low. A gram of fat has 9 calories and a gram of protein has 4 calories. Therefore, foods with higher fat content and higher carbohydrate content boost up the caloric count. There is no shortage of calories coming from high quality protein.

As you likely have noticed on pet food labels, there is a guaranteed analysis expressed in minimums and maximums. These are required for labeling, and the Mins and Maxs are put in place more or less because pet food processing, in large part, relies on the availability of raw materials that remain after human food processing. Because of inconsistencies in raw material sourcing/availability, the pet food industry implemented the range of Mins and Maxs and does not require actual listings.

How does this all relate to calories? If raw material sourcing accounts for inconsistencies, it follows that caloric count cannot be entirely consistent. I cannot speak for other brands, but I have heard that some manufacturers take the average of a few production runs to come up with caloric count. We use the same cuts of meat and carefully weigh the amounts of food going into each can, so we can be pretty consistent with our calorie count. However, along the lines as to the way pet foods are required to be labeled, we calculate our calories in large part based upon the guaranteed analysis. For instance, if we guarantee 10% protein in a 156g can of food, that is 15.6g of protein. As a gram of protein has 4 calories, there are 62.4 guaranteed calories coming from protein. In a similar calculation, there would be 21.06 calories coming from fat if we guaranteed 1.5% fat (min). Same for carbs. In reality, the actual readings of protein and fat will be higher in our cans, as we account for possible underfills in the production runs.

In addition, our calorie content is the metabolizable energy (ME) of the food, not the gross kcal. ME is essentially the energy that is left over after the digestion and processing of the meal. The question you asked is a good one, and there really is no correct caloric amount. The great news is, you are feeding all canned. Unlike dogs, cats that are eating the right foods will more or less know when it is time to stop eating. In that regard, as long as the obligate carnivore kitty is eating high quality protein (such as animal based meaty cuts), he or she will generally not overeat. With that said, the caloric count of Weruva, as you have seen, may appear to read lower than that of other brand. We recently received a similar inquiry to yours, and this is the response we gave:

The important thing to note about cats, dogs and even people and calories is that not all calories are created equally, and both pets and people will fare differently on different foods with the same caloric count… so looking at calories alone does not always get you there. For instance, the correct and appropriate food for “obligate carnivore” cats is meat . . . meat being comprised of protein and fat. Cats run quite efficiently when eating a high quality meat based diet and will require less caloric intake than cats not eating similar quality foods. In contrast, cats that eat kibble, which contains high concentrations of carbohydrates (even the grain free ones) and cats eating diets that use plant based proteins as opposed to meat based proteins will not be eating foods that nature intended for cats. For that reason, cats may require higher caloric consumption to get their nutrition.

Unlike dogs, as long as cats are eating meat based diets, they more than likely will not overeat and they more than likely will not gain weight. In that regard, we do not urge a focus on actual caloric count. Instead, we says as long as they are eating the right foods, let them eat as much as they want. Our philosophy is similar to what it recommended by Tracie Hotchner, author of The Cat Bible and Host of Cat Chat® on Martha Stewart Living Radio. Feed cats twice a day (sometimes once, sometimes more) and let them eat as much high quality canned food as they want in a 15-20 minute period.

For good measure, I added:

As for the constipation, keep in mind that when you stop giving an animal dry food which is made of  indigestible plant fiber (which goes in one end and out the other) and highly processed carbohydrates, you change their bowel habits. As you yourself guessed, the body is now USING this high protein diet as the body was intended to — utilizing all of it. The definition of “constipation” is also misunderstood — people think it has to do with frequency, but the basic definition is of hard, dry stool and difficulty passing it or straining. You noticed yourself that Lulu seems happy and comfortable and has no problem defecating, albeit infrequently. This is yet another of the great benefits of getting a cat off “kitty crack” and onto wet food — less tool, smaller stool, less smelly stool.

And how about that professional opinion to keep giving her Petromalt…? In Lulu’s honor I did some up-to-date research on Petromalt and you will find one of my most recent a blogs on the topic. I have been saying for years that if a cat has hairballs — or digestion that needs a little boost — the healthiest thing to give her is a natural substance, either a pat of butter or better yet, a few drops of Nordic Naturals omega-3 fish oil on her food or put on her leg for her to lick off.

The omega-3 fatty acids will also be of great help in healing her poor skin and maintaining its health going forward, as long as you avoid forever any dry food — think outside the bag and her body should have a chance to naturally get her straightened out. Needless to say, the sooner you can get off all those meds, the better her body can cope. Remember that chronic use of steroids (cortisone) requires a slow weaning off them.

Poor Andrea! Whatta mess!! To make matters worse, she has a vet using drugs for emotional problems which are so inappropriate. A second opinion from a new vet — one to stay with, I’d hope — is essential Sally Bahner’s comments below give some idea of how wrong this vet’s advice has been and how much help the cat needs to get straightened out.

We have 2 cats (Mom – Alley and her son – Licorice) that my husband and I adopted from the SPCA a couple years ago. The little cat, Licorice is 2 years old and has been neutered. My problem is that I bought an electric litter box in December, and ever since then he has been defecating on my carpet floor in my basement. He was very curious at first to the electric litter box, but then everything went downhill from then.

We ended up taking him to the vet at the end of January because we noticed his poo was tiny and hard. We found out he was constipated and that his anal glands were very compacted. The vet said that he probably developed a fear of the litter box because he was constipated and made a negative connection with the litter box because it hurt to poo. We put the electric litter box away in a closet at this point! He suggested using Feliway spray first, to see if that would detract Licorice from using the carpet. It did, however Licorice just started finding new spots that were not sprayed. After we tried that for a couple weeks, He suggested putting Licorice in a small room (hardwood floor) with a litter box. We did that for a week and, at the end of the week, he started using the hardwood floor to poo.

We brought Licorice back to the vet to check his anal glands and they were 30% still compacted. This was the end of February. Our vet suggested Prozac, so we put Licorice on 0.5ml of Prozac for 3 weeks, (still didn’t work) increase it to 0.7 and then 0.8ml. By the end of March, Licorice had not defecated on our carpet 6 out of 34 days. So back to the vet we went the beginning of April. Our vet suggested something stronger – so he put Licorice on Clomicalm. We give it to him at night before we go to bed (because it seems he defecates while we are asleep). So far, it hasn’t worked. He’s been on it for 5 days now. The vet said it should work immediately.

My husband and I do not know what to do at this point. We could never put him down, but at the same time, we are quite frustrated that nothing is working. We have 3 litter boxes, we’ve placed them in spots that Licorice uses the carpet. We even have some in private spots. We’ve tried the spray, the drugs, the quarantining… nothing seems to be working. Can you help us please?

Here’s some really good advice from Dear Sally, who is the official cat behavior consultant on the show. You might want to contact her through her page on my website and get some personalized help.

First they should have the cat checked out by another vet ASAP.  The pharmaceuticals mentioned will NOT help the problem! (Is the cat peeing in the box??) This does seem to be physical — perhaps the fear caused by the electric LB led to fear of pooping, hence the constipation and pain. And long-term constipation can lead to mega colon, which is very nasty. IMPACTED (the correct term) anal glands is a whole other matter. (Is he scooting?? Is he straining in the LB??) They can be expressed (also kinda nasty), and surgery can be done if it’s a chronic problem.

Have they considered a stool softener? It can be as simple as some plain pumpkin mixed with CANNED food — more moisture is definitely needed here! Consider having X-rays of the colon area to determine the degree of constipation. The links below (including one from Jean Hofve on www.LittleBigBCat.com) explain the behavior-constipating connection, options for stool softeners and more.

www.marvistavet.com/html/body_constipation_and_megacolon.html
www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=nlarchive&show=volume2no1112

I got this email from Stephen, and it contains several issues and misconceptions, which I need to straighten out:

My mom is the owner of a beautiful 11 year old, mostly white, longhair cat with a very bushy tail named Lulu. Unfortunately, Lulu has been allergic to something ever since we have her (a little over 7 years). Whether it’s the environment (she’s strictly a house cat and there are no other pets in the house) or food, I’m not sure. The vet refers to her problem as a “lick granuloma” because she’ll lick her hind leg until there’s a wound and will scratch other areas of her body and the malady responds to steroid treatment. Most recently she had a big wound on the side of her face and under her eye. We’ve tried antihistamines, antibiotics and corticosteroids (Prednisolone and currently, Triamcinolone). Our vet isn’t a fan of Depo Medrol shots because of the chance of an adverse reaction. He prefers pills because they’re removed from the bloodstream faster. He’d like to try Cyclosporine as that’s known to reduce the allergic reactions, but I have trouble giving her pills and I’m afraid of its effect on her kidneys.

We’ve tried to change her daily diet from Fancy Feast (only the wheat gluten free flavors) but she would rarely eat anything else other than cooked kosher chicken or Boar’s Head Low Sodium Turkey Breast (that’s how we used to administer her pills). The vet tried Hills or Royal Canin prescription rabbit (now discontinued) and she wouldn’t eat it.

I’ve read a lot about allergic cats and many seem to respond to rabbit protein or a raw food diet. Our vet isn’t too keen on raw food because of the chance of toxoplasmosis (also mentioned on the Cornell Vet School site), and since my mom is an elderly woman, the measuring of the meal (even if bought pre-frozen may be too much for her. She has enough trouble administering the correct dosage of Petromalt.

I know you recommend Weruva and about a month ago, a holistic pet food store I went to gave me a can of Paw Lickin’ Chicken. Well, Lulu just loved it. We switched her over from her Fancy Feast canned (only Gourmet Chicken or Turkey & Giblets) and Natural Balance Duck and Green Peas Dry diet to strictly Weruva Paw Lickin’ Chicken.

The problem is that since we made the switch, she’s been constipated. (She’s also currently taking 2 tabs of .5 mg Triamcinolone/day). Her last bowel movement was last Wednesday (approx. 5 days after her previous one and it was helped by Petromalt), and she hasn’t pooped since (today is Sunday or 4 days later). I’ve given her two doses of Petromalt since then. She urinates several times a day but doesn’t show any inclination to defecate nor does she strain. She’s not lethargic, seems very happy, drinks on occasion (but not as much since the switch to Weruva Paw Lickin’ Chicken), and has a good appetite (almost three cans per day). The vet said to continue with the Petromalt and doesn’t seem to think the Triam tabs are causing the constipation. I know there’s preservatives and a bunch of different proteins in the Fancy Feast, but is it possible that Fancy Feast along with the water she consumed after eating her Natural Balance Duck and Green Peas Dry Food was helping her regularity? Has anyone else mentioned constipation when switching to Weruva? There was one post about it on the Only Natural Pet Foods Store website.

I certainly had my work cut out for me with Stephen:

Well, well – your beautiful Lulu certainly has been put through the wringer, hasn’t she, poor dear? I am ever so glad you reached out to me Stephen, on Lulu’s and your mother’s behalf, because there are quite a number of things about which you have been misinformed or haven’t been encouraged to think for yourself, logically.

The first thing to do with any cat not feeling well is to get them off any dry food immediately and switch them to the highest quality, least processed food possible. Instead, the vet bombarded her with various drugs (all of which can cause digestive problems, just as with people). The allergy your cat presumably had was quite likely a bad REACTION to highly processed commercial carbohydrate-laden food. Fortunately, you have gotten to the right nutrition with your own good sense. If you read any of the Q&A’s on my website – or the many blogs on the subject – you will see how soon a cat’s physical appearance and health improves when she goes onto any wet food – but especially a high quality one like Weruva that has no hormones or antibiotics in the free-range chicken. You’ll also see that drinking a lot of water is not natural for a properly fed cat and many stop needing to drink altogether once they get off the “kitty crack” that was dehydrating them from the inside-out.

It’s too bad that Cornell has done so many cats the disservice of continuing to promote dry food only for them – despite all scientific facts showing they are obligate carnivores whose digestive systems were not designed to handle highly processed carbohydrates. It is also promoting foolishness to think that there is toxoplasmosis in the carefully prepared and frozen raw diets being sold to many satisfied feline owners. If anything, the food-borne risk of infection would be from salmonella, but companies like Feline’s Pride, Oma’s Pride, Nature’s Variety and many others have very clean track records. Wild Kitty brand had a moment where salmonella seemed to be in one of their batches and they discovered it, disclosed it and dealt with it without any harm to cats. Compare this to the ingredient disasters with commercial pet food and it is shameful. Really, that detractors of raw feeding of cats have managed to spread needless fear (raw food is considered the “gold standard” by great vets like the Official Vet of CAT CHAT®, Elizabeth Hodgkins, who also breeds and shows Ocicats, and many other highly educated and dedicated professional cat owners and breeders). The food comes in a frozen plastic container which your mother would keep in the refrigerator, using a spoon to put some on a small saucer for Lulu – the spoon gets rinsed and put in the dishwasher, as does the saucer after 15 minutes on the floor. The food doesn’t touch a surface or anyone’s hands. With the severe skin problems she has, a diet like this could turn her around fast.

Of course the Weruva is sensational food, too.

As for the constipation. keep in mind that when you stop giving an animal dry food which is made of indigestible plant fiber (which goes in one end and out the other) and highly processed carbohydrates, you change their bowel habits. As you yourself guessed, the body is now USING this high protein diet as the body was intended to – utilizing all of it. The definition of “constipation” is also misunderstood – people think it has to do with frequency, but the basic definition is of hard, dry stool and difficulty passing it or straining. You noticed yourself that Lulu seems happy and comfortable and has no problem defecating, albeit infrequently. This is yet another of the great benefits of getting a cat off kitty crack and onto wet food – less stool, smaller stool, less smelly stool.

And how about that professional opinion to keep giving her Petromalt?? In Lulu’s honor I did some up-to-date research on Petromalt and you will find one of my most recent a blogs on the topic. I have been saying for years that if a cat has hairballs or digestion that needs a little boost, the healthiest thing to give her is a natural substance – either a pat of butter or better yet, a few drops of Nordic Naturals omega-3 fish oil on her food or put on her leg for her to lick off.

The omega-3 fatty acids will also be of great help in healing her poor skin and maintaining its health going forward, as long as you avoid forever any dry food — think outside the bag and her body should have a chance to naturally get her straightened out. Needless to say, the sooner you can get off all those meds, the better her body can cope. Remember that chronic use of steroids (cortisone) requires a slow weaning off them.

Tracie

The Cat Bible by Tracie Hotchner

A while back, I posted a blog about “No Poop!” and asked Barbara in Littleton, Colorado to give me some more information about the change in litter box habits of her cats, who came off “kitty crack” and left a lot less to clean up in the litter box. I asked if they seemed uncomfortable and she replied:

No constipation or any signs of discomfort. Actually, this morning, I did find a pretty healthy sized poop in the LB. However, this isn’t a daily occurrence. I have read some where on some website that it is common to find less stools in the LB when switched over to a more protein diet. I’m guessing because they are able to digest it better.

We have two male cats, both born on April Fool’s one year apart (Tigger, soon to be 16 yrs and Billy, soon to be 15 yrs). Both cats are mixed breeds. Tigger looks like an American Short Hair and Billy, I am told, looks like a Maine Coon.  I have noticed weight loss in both since they have been on the new diet.

We have noticed a big difference in Tigger with his new-found energy.  He’s recently found his voice! It’s still not a loud meow, but he does seem to try. He has been getting into “trouble” by just merely being a healthier, happier cat: hopping up onto counters and eating out of dishes left there! He’s discovered our aquarium and has a real “interest” in our crayfish, Claws. He runs all through the house, playing with small things found on the floor. Keep in mind that our cats in the past have never been interested in table food, but Tigger has recently discovered that he loves chips, Doritos happen to be his favorite and goes nuts if there is a bag around. Just after everyone has gone to bed at night, we will hear a distinctive sound from Tigger just before he bites Billy on the back of the neck and proceeds to, well, you know… It’s like this new diet is like Viagra or something.

Billy on the other hand, prefers to be left alone. He does want to be around people, but off to the side. He is an affectionate cat, however, on his own terms. He is a vociferous cat. He is known to go down to the basement and will howl at the top of his lungs as if someone is murdering him. Then, when someone comes down there after him, the meow is toned down to what seems to be like him saying, “thank you for rescuing me”. Sometimes, he won’t touch his food unless you are standing by him watching him eat. He’s always been this way, so no real difference in mannerisms, but he is slimming down, which is good because he was a little over weight.

Both cats seem to be doing fine on this new diet of wet food. I have bought your book THE CAT BIBLE and there are some really informative information in there… especially about what by-products are made of. I just about gagged after reading that!

I am trying to get my cats to eat homemade food, however, I am having trouble getting them to eat it. Basically, in a food processor, I am making it with a boiled roaster chicken, carrots, a few peas, spinach, some brown rice and I use the broth that I boiled the chicken in. I also add some cod liver oil and taurine to the mix. Primarily, its all chicken and they still will not touch it. I read from your book that cats have a high smell sensory and that is what draws them to their food. I have to admit that the food smells pretty bland, but since onions and garlic are toxic to cats and tuna isn’t great for them either, what can I mix in this food to make it more palatable?

What great news this all is! A much older cat acting like a youngster, both cats losing weight, and knowing that we have improved the quality of their lives, while probably extended them, too. As far as cooking for them, I’m guessing it may be the processor that has turned it all into a mush they don’t like?? Because it’s impressive that you even got your own taurine and figured out how to dose it. If you really want to cook, I’d suggest leaving the chicken in pieces (the way Weruva does) which makes it so much more appealing to many cats. The book The Ultimate Pet food Guide has good recipes in it, too — but it’s so frustrating with cats when you go to all that trouble and they reject your loving efforts! As for what you’ve already made, if you still have it around in the freezer or something, buy one can of mackerel cat food (very smelly and a good teaser to put on top) and put a spoon on it on the homemade. Maybe that will kick-start their engines! In any case, congratulations for your good decisions and the much happier, healthier kitties you have because of it. Also, so glad you got THE CAT BIBLE. Send me your mailing address and I’ll send you an autographed bookplate to put in it, inscribed to your beauties, along with some fun samples.

Tracie

The Cat Bible

So the new theme of CAT CHAT® seems to be that cats’ elimination habits change once they get off all those carbohydrates and indigestible plant fiber that goes right through them – but they must be eliminating somewhere or they’d explode!

We have a 16 year old cat, named Lady. She eats only wet food, but in excess. She meows to eat all day long. We continue to feed her all she wants, but she is still very thin. We have noticed in the past 3 weeks that she has not had a bowel movement in the litter box or anywhere else in the house. How is this possible? She still urinates in the litter box. Could she have tapeworms? Thanks for your help and I love your show?

The very first thing Robin needs to do is take her Old Lady to the vet – let the doctor feel her kitty’s tummy, check her over generally and at her age she could really do with a blood test to make sure all her organs are working well. As for eating “in excess,” some time spent on this blog will point out that many cats get so hooked on the actual carbohydrates that they need an enormous amount and frequency of wet meals to help them through the transition. It’s like going to rehab – it’s harder for some folks than others and whatever gets them through the night, give it to them! If it turns out that the cat is constipated while her body adjusts to the proper food, it may help to add a little grating of carrots or zucchini or a sprinkle of bran to her food. But best of all would be to rush right out and get some Nordic Naturals Omega-3 pet oil – a few drops on the cat’s paw every day will be fun to lick off, will be an overall health tonic (ESPECIALLY for an older lady) and may very well help elimination, too.

Tracie

The Cat Bible

Dear Tracie,

I saw you on the Martha Stewart Show and was so interested in what you had to say. We have four rescued cats we dearly love. A family of domestic shorthairs, Dad Putchie, Mom Pooh and offspring daughter, Skittles.

We also have a lilac seal point Siamese I found in a hospital parking lot, “Snickers, the Wild.” Putchie is sick right now with some kind of sneezing respiratory (cold? do cats get colds?)

The reason I am writing is Skittles. She has extremely painful defecation and eliminates in our family room or in my bedroom. At first it seemed like constipation and, of course they all eat “kitty crack” (until today). I took her to our vet and after x-rays and examination; I was given some kind of anti-inflammatory and painkiller to give her. I did give it to her a couple times but honestly, it made no sense to me. Skittles stools are still lumps but not hard as they were at first. I feel so bad for her I end up crying while she is trying to go. She has urinated inappropriately also and frankly it is getting annoying but I realize she is having a problem I am not able to address, other than the food issue.

Our vet’s practice was recently sold and I have little confidence in this new doctor. The other vet was a woman and she had cats…she seemed more attuned to our group. I have looked on the Internet at different sites and I have ordered your book but I am at a loss.

I am also considering the pet insurance because our male butterscotch calico, Putchie, has had bite abscesses and surgeries that cost us thousands.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the website and the blogs. We don’t have Sirius radio and I wish I could hear your Cat Chat® but maybe at some point in the future when we get a new car, we will. I am so grateful to have a place to go when I have an issue. It is so wonderful to read all the stories. We love our cats and promised them a better life and with your help I think we will achieve that goal.

Without the “kitty crack”!

I am sincerely grateful.
Carol

Dear Carol – My what a cornucopia of problems you have! And I truly grateful that you have come to me with them because they really need addressing, maybe even more than you are already doing.

The first thing I will BEG you to do is sign up your entire crew for pet insurance. As you have already found out, the cost can go sky-high for even ordinary medical problems, and in a heartbeat you can find a cat in a medical emergency costing even more. You will get a multi-pet discount from Pets Best and more discount as a Cat Chat® listener (don’t worry, they don’t check whether you really have it!). Most importantly, they have a more generous reimbursement than any other insurance company – after a deductible per incident, they pay 80% of 100% of all bills for that event, regardless of the total charges. I only wish I had medical insurance that good for myself!

Secondly, you must get Putchie to the vet ASAP because that upper respiratory infection (yes, a kitty cold) is extremely contagious to the other cats and can turn into a more complicated illness. So while you’re writing about Skittles, Putchie really needs a vet’s help too. (Keep in mind that there is a two-week waiting period with pet insurance before you can make a claim- so that people don’t sign up right before getting an expensive procedure – so the sooner you sign up, the sooner this sort of visit will be covered).

The next thing is Skittles’ painful bowel movements and out-of-litter-box peeing. As you yourself surmised, the likelihood that this is diet-related is huge. Switching to all wet food immediately is the first step to a lifetime of health, and the resolution of this digestive problem. However, another essential addition to the diets of all the kitties is omega-3 fish oil, which will aid in digestion while nourishing every cell in their bodies.

And since you’ve ordered THE CAT BIBLE, I can send you an autographed bookplate to put in it, inscribed to your wonderful kitty cats – but I’ll need your mailing address. Along with it I’ll send some samples of Nordic Naturals Omega-3 fish oil (by far the freshest and purest one out there), a sample of Platinum Performance joint supplement if any of them are getting older and achy along with a card for Pets Best insurance so you have the phone number to call (better than using the website) and so you can share my discount with friends and family.

I’d say that about covers it! Oh – except my thanks for your very kind words. And I am going to sign you up for the pod cast of DOG TALK® which is often about cats, too, so you can hear more about the topics that matter to you and your pets every week, as a gift from me.

Tracie