Feline Health Record

Another awesome idea from Drs. Foster & Smith is the Feline Health Record form. At only 49 cents each, you can get one for each cat in your family. Fill it out with the pet's name, address, your name, and all the vaccination information. Keep track of when shots are due, when the next appointment is, and medicine refill schedules. If you foster, fill one out for each of your fosters and send it along to their new home when they get adopted.

Cord Protectors

I wish I'd known about these Cord Protectors when we had all the kittens last summer. They look like a great product! Each strip is 10 feet long (yes, you read that right!) and can be cut to length with household scissors. They are clear, thick, flexible plastic with a slit to slide around the cord and prevent chewing. If chewed on, the cat (or dog, or other animal) will only be making contact with the protector and not the cord itself. They are $8.99 plus shipping, and can be purchased from Drs. Foster & Smith at the link above.

KMR warning update

Everyone who fosters needs to check the smell of their KMR powder! If it does NOT smell like milk, call PetAg (the company that makes it) at 800-323-0877 and tell them. They will send out a replacement in liquid form.

The rancid KMR powder is due to excessive heat while shipping! It is NOT a manufacturing issue or anything related to PetAg. It is the fault of the shipping companies letting the product sit in enclosed trailers in the summer heat.

There is no way to tell which packages will be rancid before they are opened. It is not by lot number or by expiration date. It is by when and how they were shipped.

PetAg is being very nice about this issue. I called about our can, and the lady was extremely polite and kind. She is sending liquid replacement that can be stored for up to a year and a half, and sending a call label so the rancid powder can be sent back free of charge.

They are going to reformulate KMR powder so that it stands up better to extreme heat and doesn't separate as much. The liquid wasn't affected at all.

The lady said that some of the symptoms the tiny tuxies had (diarrhea, listlessness) could have been caused by the powder, but since they didn't have the vomiting usually associated with food poisoning that it wasn't the whole story.

Please, please, PLEASE pass this on to individuals and organizations who foster!

Warning about KMR

If you bottle-feed kittens, or know someone who does, check the smell of the KMR powder. Some shipments have been exposed to heat after they left the plant and smell "off". If it does NOT smell faintly like milk, don't feed it. Information on the PetAg website to report it.

I checked the can that I fed to the tiny tuxies, and it smells really bad. I'm going to report it in the morning. I *hope* it didn't cause their deaths! :*(

UPDATE:
The KMR wasn't the whole cause of the tiny tuxies' death. There's a new post on this blog with the information I got when I called the company.

Designer Poop Bags at PetSmart

Do you use poop bags for scooping the litter box? There are new designs available exclusively at PetSmart. 120 bags, half printed with a black paw pattern on pink and half with a blue heart pattern on black, for $11.99

Available in-store and online.

Free Fancy Feast heart dish

If you get Fancy Feast for your cats, be sure to stock up now to get a free pink heart dish! The canned food variety packs now have a limited-time dish included in the package. Look for them at your local Petco, PetSmart, and Wal-Mart stores, among others.

Save your UPC symbols for a mail-in clear dish offer as well.

Get this deal in stores only.

13 ways to love your litter bin

I incorporated the Thursday thirteen theme into a post for the 30 hubs in 30 days challenge, which ends today. I did a parody of Paul Simon's 50 ways to leave your lover. It's 13 ways to love your litter bin, about how to reuse those plastic bins that the litter comes in. If you have any other ideas for them, you can tell me in the comments.