Human Foods that are Dangerous for Cats

Cats are part of the family, so it’s only natural to want to share our food with them. Although your cat may not be interested in a lot of the things you eat, she may still help himself to something she shouldn’t eat.

What to Watch For

Any food not specifically formulated for cats can affect the digestive system, causing vomiting, diarrhea, or loss of appetite. Here are some foods of particular concern:

• Alcohol. Yes, cats too can get drunk, but it can also easily cause severe liver and brain damage. As little as a tablespoon can put an adult cat in a coma; a little more can kill her.
• Chocolate. The compound in chocolate that is of major concern is theobromine. It is in all forms of chocolate, and most concentrated in dark chocolate and unsweetened baking chocolate. Consumption can cause heart arrhythmias, muscle tremors, or seizures. Chocolate also contains caffeine.
• Coffee, Tea, Energy Drinks. These and other caffeinated drinks and foods can cause your cat to become restless, have rapid breathing, heart palpitations, muscle tremors.
• Dairy Products. Cats can become lactose intolerant when they become adults. If ingested by these cats, dairy products can cause vomiting and diarrhea.
• Fat Trimmings, Raw Meat, Eggs, Fish. In addition to causing vomiting and diarrhea, your cat could develop pancreatitis, which is a serious condition that requires intensive treatment. There is also risk of contracting Salmonella or E. coli infections. Pancreatitis and the bacterial infections cause more severe and prolonged vomiting, diarrhea, and inappetence.
• Grapes and Raisins. Cats are not likely to eat these, and there are no reports of cats becoming ill from these foods. However, dogs can suffer acute kidney failure from eating grapes or raisins, so it is best to not to risk your cat's health and not let him eat these foods.
• Onions and Garlic. All members of the onion family can cause problems if eaten in sufficient quantity. A little bit of onion or garlic in some sauce is not likely to cause any problems. However, eating a clove of garlic or a green onion may cause digestive upset. Eating some type of onion on a regular basis could cause anemia. Baby food made from meat is often seasoned with onion or garlic, so read the labels carefully if you feed these to your cat.
• Tuna. Tuna when made into cat food is perfectly fine for cats. On the other hand, tuna sold for human consumption may cause digestive upset when given as an occasional treat in small amounts. It can even cause a painful condition called steatitis, or inflammation of the body's fat, when fed to cats on a regular basis.
• Xylitol. This is a sweetener used in a lot of sugar-free foods, especially chewing gum. There are no records of cats becoming ill from this product, but in dogs it can cause a severe drop in blood sugar followed by liver failure. Therefore it is better to be safe and not let your cat eat foods that contain this ingredient.

Immediate Care

1. If you suspect your cat ate any of these foods, try to determine how much she may have eaten.
2. Call your veterinarian for specific advice; in many cases small quantities are not likely to be a problem but larger quantities may require you to induce vomiting in your cat or to take her to your veterinarian.
3. If your need to induce vomiting, give your cat 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide orally.
4. If vomiting has still not occurred after 10 minutes, repeat the dosage.
5. If your cat is displaying symptoms such as muscle tremors or repeated vomiting, take her to your veterinarian immediately.

Veterinary Care

Treatment

Treatment involves supportive care until symptoms resolve. This may involve hospitalization, intravenous fluids, monitoring of organ function via repeated blood testing, and other measures as indicated by the specific circumstances.

Prevention

The best prevention is obviously to keep your food out of reach of your cat. An added advantage of not giving your cat your food is the prevention of begging behavior. If you choose to give your cat human food, follow these guidelines:

• The food should only be considered a treat and only given on occasion to prevent gastrointestinal upset and nutritional imbalances.
• If you wouldn’t eat it, don’t feed it to your cat. If you wouldn’t eat the food raw, then your cat shouldn’t either.

Subasta "Alsfelder Advent" el 2/3 de diciembre

El primer fin de semana de diciembre, tendrá lugar por tercera vez la Subasta “Alsfelder Advent” en el centro de subastas de Alsfeld, cerca de Frankfurt, Alemania. La colección de caballos Hannoverianos de deporte, seleccionada según mejor estándar acreditado de Verden, se amplió a 48 caballos. Hay en venta hijos de deseables nuevos sementales e hijos de mayores acreditados sementales. En la colección: jóvenes talentos hijos de Desperados y Stakkato Gold; estos dos jóvenes sementales ya son sensacionales en el deporte internacional. Padres de otros caballos de la colección son Argentinus, Dancier, Don Frederico, Perigueux y Cassini II. Después de la entrega de los caballos de la colección al centro de subastas, el lunes 21 de noviembre y después de un corto tiempo de aclimatación, se presentará la colección el sábado 26 de noviembre, a partir de las 9:00 horas. Más días de presentaciones son: domingo, 27 de noviembre y el miércoles 30 de noviembre, a partir de las 17:00 horas. El fin de semana de la subasta comienza el día 2 de diciembre, con la "Noche de Gala", a partir de las 20:00 horas, ofreciendo un variado programa de espectáculos y deporte. El club “Reit- und Fahrverein Wackernheim” presenta su premiado show “Transformación de Blancanieves" del concurso de Shows de Clubs durante el concurso internacional Frankfurter Festhallenturnier 2010. Doma clásica del más alto nivel va a demostrar Anja Plönzke de la yeguada Tannenhof e Ingo Jungblut va a causar suspense con saltos de altura.Imperturbables caballos percherones en extraordinarias situaciones y en una carrera contra ponys Shetland prometen poner la de piel de gallina y serán un factor de diversión. Una carrusel de doce Connemara-Ponys con una exigente coreografía completan la parte deportiva del espectáculo ecuestre, durante el cual, por supuesto, se van a presentar también algunos caballos de la colección.La subasta empezará el sábado, día 3 de diciembre, a las 15:00 horas.

Six New Breeds Debut At Westminster 2012 Six breeds will be making their Westminster debuts in 2012 now that they have been recognized by the America

AMERICAN ENGLISH COONHOUND (Hound Group)
The American English Coonhound evolved from Virginia Hounds, descendants of English Foxhounds. Originally these hounds were used to hunt fox by day and raccoons by night and were named the English Fox and Coonhound. Today's American English Coonhound is a wide-ranging hunter that possesses tremendous speed and endurance, and excellent voice. A strong and graceful athlete, he needs regular exercise to stay in peak shape. The breed's hard, protective coat is of medium length and can be red and white ticked, blue and white ticked, tri-colored with ticking, red and white, and white and black. The breed is pleasant, alert, confident and sociable with both humans and dogs.

CESKY TERRIER (Terrier Group)
The Cesky Terrier was developed to be a well-muscled, short legged and well-pigmented hunting terrier that could be worked in packs. The Cesky Terrier has natural drop ears and a natural tail. The Cesky is longer than it is tall and has a topline that rises slightly higher over the loin and rump. It sports a soft, long, silky coat in shades of gray from Charcoal to Platinum. The correct coat is clipped to emphasize a slim impression. The hallmarks of the breed should be unique unto itself with a lean body and graceful movement. They are reserved towards strangers, loyal to their owners, but ever keen and alert during the hunt.
ENTLEBUCHER MOUNTAIN DOG (Herding Group)
The Entlebucher Mountain Dog is a native of Switzerland, and the smallest of the four Swiss breeds. A medium-sized drover, he has a short, tri-colored coat with symmetrical markings. Purpose and heritage have resulted in an unusually intense bonding between the Entlebucher and his master. Prized for his work ethic and ease of training, he can transform from a high-spirited playmate to a serious, self-assured dog of commanding presence. The Entlebucher should not be considered a breed for the casual owner. The guardian traits of this breed require thorough socialization, and he will remain an active, energetic dog for his entire lifetime.

FINNISH LAPPHUND (Herding Group)
The Finnish Lapphund is a reindeer herding dog from the northern parts of Scandinavia. The breed is thought to have existed for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, as the helper dog of the native tribes. In modern day, Lapphunds are popular as family pets in their native Finland. They are devoted to their family, friendly with all people, highly intelligent and eager to learn. The dogs have a thick, dense coat that comes in a variety of colors and beautiful, soft, expressive faces. They are strong but very agile.
NORWEGIAN LUNDEHUND (Non-Sporting Group)
The Norwegian Lundehund – or Puffin Dog -- spent centuries on the rocky cliffs and high fields of arctic Norway hunting and retrieving puffin birds, an important meat and feather crop to local farmers. Uniquely equipped for their task, this little Spitz-type dog has at least six toes on each foot for stability in the near vertical environs where puffins nest. A flexible skeletal structure enables the dog to squirm out of tight spots or spread-eagle to prevent slips and falls. Lundehunds have a protective double coat, reddish-brown, often with white collar and feet and a white tip on the tail. Today puffin birds are protected and the puffin dog has taken up its new role as an alert, cheerful and somewhat mischievous companion.

XOLOITZCUINTLI (Non-Sporting Group)
The Xoloitzcuintli - "show-low" as it is commonly called - is the national dog of Mexico. Previously known as the Mexican Hairless, it comes in three sizes as well as a coated version - seen in the show ring only in the US and Canada. These dogs descend from hairless dogs prized by the Aztecs and revered as guardians of the dead. Over 400 years later, these dogs were still to be found in the Mexican jungles. Shaped by the environment rather than by man, their keen intelligence, trainability and natural cleanliness have made them a unique and valued pet today.