Yep, our cat has one too.  She's a little over 10 and we discovered it a year ago. Our vet said the same thing.

We currently only have a cat, but are going to get a dog soon.  When I was a kid there was never a time when we didn't have both cats and dogs, and they all got along just fine. Well... there were occasional scraps, but there were with my brothers and I too, and we all came through more or less unscathed.

I think the key is supervision until they get used to each other, and a little extra attention for the animals with "seniority" until things are normal.

Oh, and in my experience, you probably don't need to worry about the dogs hurting the cats... it's the other way around!

Since it isn't about the money, how about donating it (if you win) to animal related charities?  As a former shelter volunteer, I can assure you that the need is real, and at the local level at least, all of the money goes to caring for animals (as opposed to in the pockets of guys in suits).

...But, I'll take this mix as opposed to "no info", which is how it use to be.  Thank goodness for the blogs and sites like this.  We would be lost without the opportunity to share info, and to sort through everything out there, filter, apply good science, and finally make some informed choices.

Yeah, absolutely. Information is power... it's a cliche, but that doesn't make it any less true.

In this so-called "information age" that we're living in, one of the biggest challenges is sorting fact from fiction.  Any moron can have a website - and usually does. Yet the best, most up to date, and least biased info is generally on the web as well. It certainly isn't in the oldspaper (newspaper), or on the idiot box.  I think the key is to keep a critical mind, and not give in to appeals of authority and other irrational arguments. If an 'expert' (Dr., Vet., 'net poster, etc.) is correct, their statements will stand up to scrutiny.

That's funny.  But the cat may not be too far off on that one, since marshmallows are made of gelatin, which is bone protein, and they sometimes have egg white in them too.  So, marshmallows are basically protein, with simple sugars and starches added.  Maybe your cat was attracted to the protein.

It was quite funny. I never really made the gelatin-protein connection, but that makes sense.

I think it can be compared to parents and children.  I wise and caring parent is not going to allow their child to live on candy and fries, even though that may be what the child wants.  Our pets are the same.  The desires of pets and children are obviously not always the best thing to follow when it comes to planning their diet. 

Yeah, I agree.  It's amazing how many parents I see giving in to their children on the "I want _____", although in fairness, my only 'children' have been animals so what do I know.

... It also makes you think about the way humans eat, and how what we desire and enjoy is not necessarily what is good for us.  I suppose it can be the same for an animal.  Good grief, I'd say my cat is a classic example of that. 

Yeah, that's true.  People - especially North Americans - love to eat what isn't good for them. When was the last time you were just craving a salad?! No? How about fries?  It seems the same is true for animals that live with people. Dogs will eat chocolate, and cats will drink antifreeze. Cats will also eat flowers, some of which are poisonous to them.

I once dropped a marshmallow on the floor, and the cat came over and started licking it!

I like the idea of feeding cats a natural diet, but only one that's scientifically sound. There needs to be a reason based on nutrition to include ingredients, beyond just the observation that cats will eat them.

You're getting a great deal on canned food. 89 cents!! The cheapest place here sells the turkey for 1.19/can and the mackerel for 1.29/can.  I can't get California Natural cans any cheaper than 1.29/can, and the cheapest food they have is Felidae at .99/can. So consider yourself lucky!

That's exactly what I was thinking!

So does anyone know where there is a recall list with brand, flavor, and date info that is NOT PDF?

The FDA 'official' recall list is on their website
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/petfoodrecall/

Menu Foods
http://www.menufoods.com/recall/

American Nutrition
http://www.americannutritioninc.com/

Chenango Valley
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/chenango04_07.html
and update
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/chenango05_07.html

My cats threw up Felidae Wet both times I fed it to them. No more for them. I use Wellness now and no more puking.
A side note: Just because the ingredients sound good on paper doesn't mean the quality is good. Not poisonous, just bad. Conversely, just because something is manufactured by Menu foods doesn't mean it's poisonous either.

Yeah, I know, but without the benefit of a laboratory in our kitchens...  the label, the sharing of experiences on the 'net, and some educated guesses are what we have to go on. Well, that and the all-important barf-test.

Still, the reason I won't be buying any more is the same as yours - my cat can't keep it down. It's not really a judgement or indictment.

I don't know, but I think the answer is no.  The reason I think that is companies like Natura are specifically naming the South Dakota plant as being recall-free (thus safe).

Not surprising.  The thing is, you've got to know who Paul Watson is.  He is famous for making inflammatory statements, but his is a noble cause.  And he's tireless.  His tactics are questionable, but he has devoted his entire life to protecting sea mammals, and has many successes to his credit.

Reading his Wiki doesn't even come close to conveying what a 'character' he is. My favorite quote is his response to a Canadian Navy spokesperson who asked (in a public format, either TV or print... can't recall), "what does Watson know about running a submarine?" (in reference to his recent acquisition of one). Watson's response was, "since World War II, the Sea Shepherd Society has sunk more ships, boarded more ships, rammed more ships, and blockaded more harbours than the Canadian Navy, so they’re not in any position to judge what we can or cannot do with a submarine.”

Hi Colin, thank you so much. I've gotten to be protective of some anonymity on line because i hare such a distrust of the Bushies & the loss of our civil liberties. I'm in Tacoma, quite a ways away. 

Yeah, I've got a pretty healthy distrust of Bush et al too, although my bigger issue with them is their staggering lack of competence. I accept the fact that in a democratic republic my elected officials may have an ideology different from mine, but I don't suffer incompetence well. This whole pet food mess happened because our food supply wasn't adequately monitored by the government agency charged with that very task. The responsibility for that failure sits with the Bush administration who diverted money from actually protecting us, to their Middle East misadventure (which is making us even less safe).

I don't normally like to go off on political tangents on message boards devoted to other topics, so that's the last I'll say about that... well... we'll see

Anyway, take care of yourself.  I'm not a doctor, but seeing some light seems encouraging. 

Yup. That's the way I felt about their canned food. (I never tried their dry.) I felt the same about their manufacturer, Evangers, as well. I wonder if the store owners have any feeling about Evangers? Just curious.

OK, I asked them, and the answer was that they still like Evangers. Their issues were specifically with the companies (3 of them) that they were discontinuing. Without getting into specifics, they had some quality issues that they felt were not satisfactorily dealt with.

... I live in the 4th (I think) biggest city in Washington state...

Hey Geff,  I don't really know which city is 4th largest, but I'm in Bellingham, and if you're anywhere around here let me know if there is anything I can do for you.