I Learned Something New

I love learning. And I will admit there is a lot I don’ t know. Today I learned new things about what I shouldn’t be feeding my cats. I know realistically I shouldn’t be feeding them junk. But it’s really hard when they beg. They’re so precious. How can I say no?  Then there is also the fact that they tag team me, too. One distracts while the other steals food.

So I went to the Foster and Smith website and found this list of things to not feed your cats. Pretty intense,  huh? I have to admit, my girls love mushrooms. They also love various vegetables such as olives, which other sites have also warned me to not feed them. They love canned tuna. Chloe absolutely will attack you for avocado and I have heard that it will kill cats. I have to constantly watch these girls! Be careful with your babies.

Items to avoid	Reasons to avoid
Alcoholic beverages	Can cause intoxication, coma, and death.
Baby food	Can contain onion powder, which can be toxic to cats fed baby food for an extended period of time. (Please see onion below.) Can also result in nutritional deficiencies, if fed in large amounts.
Bones from fish, poultry, or other meat sources	Can cause obstruction or laceration of the digestive system.
Canned tuna (for human consumption)	Large amounts can cause malnutrition, since it lacks proper levels of vitamins and minerals. It can also lead to thiamine deficiency (see ‘Fish’ below).
Chocolate, coffee, tea, and other caffeine	Contain caffeine, theobromine, or theophylline, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea and be toxic to the heart and nervous system.
Citrus oil extracts	Can cause vomiting.
Dog food	If accidental ingestion, will not cause a problem; if fed repeatedly, may result in malnutrition and diseases affecting the heart.
Fat trimmings	Can cause pancreatitis.
Fish (raw, canned or cooked)	If fed exclusively or in high amounts can result in a thiamine (a B vitamin) deficiency leading to loss of appetite, seizures, and in severe cases, death.
Grapes, raisins and currants	Contain an unknown toxin, which can damage the kidneys.
Human vitamin supplements containing iron	Can damage the lining of the digestive system and be toxic to the other organs including the liver and kidneys.
Macadamia nuts	Contain an unknown toxin, which can affect the digestive and nervous systems and muscle.
Marijuana	Can depress the nervous system, cause vomiting, and changes in the heart rate.
Milk and other dairy products	Some adult cats and dogs may develop diarrhea if given large amounts of dairy products.
Moldy or spoiled food, garbage	Can contain multiple toxins causing vomiting and diarrhea and can also affect other organs.
Mushrooms	Can contain toxins, which may affect multiple systems in the body, cause shock, and result in death.
Onions and garlic (raw, cooked, or powder)	Contain sulfoxides and disulfides, which can damage red blood cells and cause anemia. Cats are more susceptible than dogs. Garlic is less toxic than onions.
Persimmons	Seeds can cause intestinal obstruction and enteritis.
Raw eggs	Contain an enzyme called avidin, which decreases the absorption ofbiotin (a B vitamin). This can lead to skin and hair coat problems. Raw eggs may also contain Salmonella.
Raw meat	May contain bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea.
Rhubarb leaves	Contain oxalates, which can affect the digestive, nervous, and urinary systems.
Salt	If eaten in large quantities it may lead to electrolyte imbalances.
String	Can become trapped in the digestive system; called a “string foreign body.“
Sugary foods	Can lead to obesity, dental problems, and possibly diabetes mellitus.
Table scraps (in large amounts)	Table scraps are not nutritionally balanced. They should never be more than 10% of the diet. Fat should be trimmed from meat; bones should not be fed.
Tobacco	Contains nicotine, which affects the digestive and nervous systems. Can result in rapid heart beat, collapse, coma, and death.
Yeast dough	Can expand and produce gas in the digestive system, causing pain and possible rupture of the stomach or intestines.

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National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day

A peanut butter and jelly sandwich, made with Skippy peanut butter and Welch's grape jelly on white bread. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Yum! National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day! What a great day! Such a classic. This is probably the first sandwich you ever fixed for yourself. It is a great food memory for most.

I love PB&J. So delicious. I think I could probably eat this for at least one meal 5 out of 7 days a week. Easy. I typically use jam instead of jelly. It’s only because it’s strawberry and jelly is smoother and jam has more whole fruit in it that has been jellied. You still get the same result. Yummy goodness! I do like other flavors, too. Grape and apple are good. But strawberry jam is my absolute favorite.

Now lemme warn you, though, that I am picky about my PB&J. I do not like my jelly to permeate my bread and make it sticky and soggy. Ewww! No. I put a thin layer of peanut butter on the two pieces of bread in order to protect my bread. Then I put my jam/jelly and then it is ready to go. I prefer it on white bread, but this can vary. I don’t have to have the crusts cut off unless they’re super thick and way too chewy. I like a cold glass of milk with my sandwich.

These sandwiches take me right back to a happy food memory. It’s a happy childhood time. And usually after having one I need my naptime! Does PB&J conjure up food memories for you?

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My Cat Is a Food Snob and a Critic

Chloe. The adorable looking cat is now a food snob and a critic. She used to like the store brand cat food just fine. Then I got a coupon for a free bag of food. Gee, thanks, Friskies! I wonder if they put Kitty Crack in those bags. Now if my precious one doesn’t have those dang Grillers, I get the “look”. And lemme tell ya, that look says a lot. I can just hear my darling saying, “What? You expect me to eat store brand food? What’s wrong with you?!” It got so bad that I opened a can of tuna earlier just to appease her. That made Soleil happy, but Chloe? Ha! She wants Grillers! Now! I told her she was just gonna have to wait til in the morning when I come home from work. She’s not happy. She squeaked at me and walked away.

I guess I’m in the doghouse until I buy that poor starving cat the right food!

This is Chloe the Cat who is not happy with me.

This is sweet Soleil who is just kinda blase’ about the whole thing.

Don’t You Hate It When

Image via Wikipedia

• you get your order from the fast food place and drive off and realize they didn’t give you a straw for your drink?
• you find out that it is going to rain after you have left your umbrella at home?
• you were singing in the car to the top of your lungs and realized that the back window was down and the car full of teenagers next to you are laughing at you?
• you wore a white shirt and decided to have Mexican food and inevitably dropped salsa on yourself?
• you were supposed to bring something for the potluck at work?
• you sent a text message to the wrong person?
• you were supposed to get a reminder message for an appointment and didn’t and you forget your appointment?
• you burped out loud while thinking you were alone and realized someone else was in the room?
• you say you want your hair trimmed and your definition of a trim and the hair stylist’s definition are not the same?
• you realize that your fat pants are now too tight?
• you forgot to mail your power bill?
• the brakes go out as you’re driving downhill?
• you need to rest for a big day and instead you keep waking up every hour on the hour?
• you’re almost out of gas and it is cold and dark?
• you thought someone was talking to you but they were actually on their blue tooth?
• instead of replying to one person in an email you replied to everyone?
• you realized that you got played?
• you didn’t realize the toilet seat was left up and it is dark?
• your contact lens rolls up and gets stuck far back under your eyelid?
• your socks don’t fit?
• the elastic in your underwear snaps?
• your underwire bra wire breaks and starts stabbing you as a 2 hour meeting at work is just beginning?
• you forget to buy toothpaste and you have to cut the tube open to scrape out the remnants to have enough to brush your teeth before leaving the house?

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When Did Candy Get So Expensive?

I had to buy candy for the little beggars. I was so surprised at the cost of candy! When did miniature candy get so dang expensive? I don’t have that many trick or treaters so I just wanted a small bag. A small bag of miniature Snickers were like $6 something. I’m like, “For a handful of Snickers? You’re kidding!” I looked at the big bags. OMG! You have to be rich to buy candy, it seems.

I guess I should be glad for once that I don’t have kids and have to buy costumes and all the other crap that goes along with Halloween. It is ridiculous, though, how expensive things have gotten. I can’t imagine what parents have to go through buying all the junk that goes along with kids. They’re expensive.

And here I am complaining about Snickers! Sorry…I still think $6 something for a small bag of miniature Snickers is ridiculous. I could have bought yucky candy, but if I’m gonna feed the beggars, then I’ll give ‘em something decent.