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Picky Kitty: How to Encourage Your Cat to Eat
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Picky Kitty
How to encourage your cat to eat
Dear Ms. Kitty: My cat Charlie has always been a picky eater. He got sick and had to go to the vet. Now he acts like he wants to eat but licks his lips and just walks away. How can I help him? — Finicky in Frisco
Dear Finicky: Cats are known to be picky eaters, but with good reason. Outdoor cats hunt solo, rather than in packs like dogs. The wrong food could kill them, so being wary of
new foods helps them survive.
Cats do best on a diet that’s roughly half protein and about a third fat, with very few carbohydrates. A high-quality diet with protein as the first ingredient and no byproducts or fillers is usually best.
STRESS HUNGER STRIKES
Stress may also lower cat appetites. Most cats return home after a vet visit in a fear state—from the ride, the handling and invasive procedures. Stroking him with a piece of your clothing helps remove foreign scents. Playing with him can reduce his fear and help him settle back into home life, especially if you have other cats.
As most vets will tell you, eating something is better than not eating. The most thoughtful prescription diet won’t do any good if Charlie won’t eat it. For example, there are at least five different companies that provide prescription diets for kidney disease alone, including kibble, pâté, chunks in gravy and even a raw formula. If Charlie doesn’t like one kind, try asking your vet about another.
If he continues to have a low appetite, start by falling back on old favorites to get him eating again. You can gradually transition back to that prescribed diet later.
BRINGING THE YUMMY BACK
Gently warming cold food from the fridge is always a good idea, as a cat in the wild would not usually eat chilled food.
Congested cats can’t smell their food, which may decrease their appetites. A fishy-smelling food can sometimes help with that.
Baby food often revives a cat’s appetite. Just be sure to get a brand like Beechnut that contains only meat and broth without harmful spices or fillers. Many companies are making pureed food with the same consistency as baby food. Look for packets with the word “mousse” on the label, or squeezable tubes of blended meat.
Food with gravy is often ineffective for keeping weight on cats, as they often lick the gravy but leave the meat. The gravy may make food more appealing to disinterested cats, however, and entice them into eating again.
Don’t smorgasbord Charlie. Offer one tempting food at a time. Too many choices at once may lower his appetite.
Some cats like to be encouraged with petting or hand feeding. You can gently offer wet food on a spoon or your finger.
Toppers can help too. These can include nutritional yeast, fish flakes, crumbled treats, freeze-dried meat treats or tuna or salmon juice.
ASK MS. KITTY
This free helpline is offered by Happy Cats Haven and Colorado Cats Boarding. Submit questions at www.HappyCatsHaven.org HEALTH CONCERNS
If Charlie is chunky, please monitor him closely and act quickly if he stops eating completely. An overweight cat who suddenly stops eating is at high risk for hepatic lipidosis, or fatty liver disease—and could die within days.
If Charlie is dehydrated (the skin on his shoulders stays up when lightly “tented” or his gums are sticky), he may need fluids. Fluids can sometimes help cats feel less nauseous and hungrier.
Pain can also cause decreased appetite, especially pain in the mouth. It may be subtle, but his face may reveal his discomfort. The Feline Grimace Scale is a chart that can help you monitor his face for pain.
If you ever get a new kitten, gradually rotate new proteins in and out of his diet so he gets exposed to a variety of foods. A cat who likes variety will have the resiliency to better withstand a phase of diminished appetite. You’ll set him up for a lifetime of food flexibility and be able to respond quickly if you ever have trouble with appetite or supply chain issues. Your picky kitty can grow into a contented cat! ■
How sugar worsens autoimmune diseases and 3 easy ways to take control of your health
We’re seeing more research about how sugar spikes cause your body to attack itself with more vigor. Autoimmune disorders are exacerbated by eating a lot of foods and beverages that are high in sugar.
The same goes for both refined and complex carbohydrates. This is contrary information to what many nutritionists believe, but I recommend keeping refined carbs out of your diet and complex carbs to a minimum.
Sugar also increases T Helper-17 (Th17) cells, which leads to suppressed immunity and more self-driven autoimmune attacks. Sugar ultimately leads to increased rates of obesity and health problems including heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, asthma, low back pain and arthritis.
If your own body is killing itself, you don’t stand a chance. You can modify the self-driven attack with the choice to avoid foods and beverages that contain sugar or other sweeteners which often produce the same glycemic high in the body. A recent study showed that high glucose intake from an excess of sweets spawns a lot of free radical damage and Th17 overactivity.
Now you can develop your own personal strategy to lower Th17 and improve your autoimmune condition with these three steps. Start now—your pain levels are at stake! If you have MS, your nerves are at stake, and if you have psoriasis, here’s how you can help yourself: 1. Change your diet - Completely eliminate all sugary foods—candy, IF YOUR OWN BODY IS KILLING ITSELF, YOU DON’T STAND A CHANCE.
DEAR PHARMACIST
sweets and refined carbohydrates like bagels and white rice. I would also greatly minimize complex carbohydrates—brown rice, beans, starchy vegetables like peas, and whole-grain bread. 2. Improve your lifestyle - Don’t eat too late at night and exercise at your level. Try to avoid stress and get proper sleep. Melatonin deficiency is associated with increased autoimmunity, so getting adequate rest should make life a lot easier. If you need help with sleep apnea, see a specialist. 3. Supplement your diet - Eating right will help with gut integrity, but sometimes it’s not enough. Consider nutrients that are known to reduce Th17 overactivity like chelated zinc, vitamin D, and folate (only the methylated form, not folic acid).
If you aren’t responding to your dietary changes within a few months, or you experience anything unpleasant, contact your doctor. ■
BY SUZY COHEN For more articles and advice, sign up for Suzy’s newsletter at www.SuzyCohen.com
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Bountiful Bags bless seniors in need
Silver Key’s Thanksgiving food drive inspires gratitude
By G. L. Yenne
“Nature is bountiful giving to man, All that we require, however She can.” – Roy E. Peterson
With food costs up as much as 11%, this year’s Thanksgiving staples will cost significantly more, making it challenging for seniors on a fixed income to prepare a traditional holiday meal with all the trimmings.
In its 26th year, Silver Key’s Bountiful Bags Thanksgiving food drive provides a complete Thanksgiving meal-in-a-bag for seniors in need. This year, the organization’s goal is to provide 1,300 bags for seniors and their loved ones in the community.
“If we can inject hope into people’s lives, we may be able to remind them of better times,” said Silver Key Chief Strategy Officer Derek Wilson.
The cheerful bright orange totes contain all the delicious ingredients needed for a Thanksgiving feast. Each bag includes instant mashed potatoes and gravy mix, stuffing, cranberry sauce, yams and a $5 King Soopers gift card so the recipient can select their own protein.
Wilson said that in past years, it was a challenge to hand an older person a heavy, whole frozen turkey. Even if they managed to get it home, it was difficult to handle during the cooking process and may be too much food to eat. The gift card allows seniors to pick the protein of their choice, as not everyone wants to eat turkey.
GIVING HEARTS
Sometimes seniors come to Silver Key for basic needs due to life circumstances but receive much more in the form of transportation, meals, home visits, health and wellness services and affordable housing.
Those who have received help from Silver Key are often the first to pass on the bounty and abun-
A Silver Key volunteer carefully fills a Bountiful Bag with delicious ingredients for a holiday feast.
Derek Wilson, Silver Key’s Chief Strategic Officer, prepares to fill a tote with Thanksgiving meal favorites.
dance.
This month, Silver Key may need help sorting and counting the donated food, filling the Bountiful Bags or handing them out, but their needs are ongoing.
“We can always use volunteers to assist us,” Wilson said. “There are many more tasks where we can utilize volunteers’ energy and efforts.”
Clients aged 60 or older who actively utilize Silver Key’s food pantry will automatically receive a Bountiful Bag.
Although items for bags are collected in October, Silver Key can use donations of food year-round. When you are grocery shopping, consider adding a few extra items to your cart and taking them to the food pantry at 1605 S. Murray Blvd.
DONATIONS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
1 in 10 seniors in Colorado do not know when or where they will get their next meal. Following are some examples of what monetary donations to Silver Key can purchase: • $25 buys one Bountiful Bag
Thanksgiving meal. • $50 provides five nutritious, delivered dinners through Meals on
Wheels. • $250 supports five clients for one month at the Food Pantry.
Silver Key has served on the front lines of the senior food insecurity crisis for the past 52 years. If you are a senior who could use a Bountiful Bag or other help, please call or stop by their office at 1625 S. Murray Blvd.
Apply in person with identification and proof of address and income.
For more information about volunteering or donating, call 719884-2300 or visit www.silverkey. org/bountifulbags. ■
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OLD FASHIONED
Submitted by Beverly Duzenack My grandkids were over this morning for breakfast. We were all sitting at the table—they with their iPhones and tablets and me with my newspaper—when they started joking that I was old-fashioned because I was reading the newspaper.
“Grandpa,” they said. “Everybody today uses a tablet like ours instead of the newspaper.”
I looked up from my paper.
“Let me see that!” I said.
I guarantee that fly never knew what hit him.
A GOLFER’S PROBLEM
Submitted by Larry Anderson A golfer whose car broke down flagged down a passing bus and climbed aboard. He sat down on the bus next to a little old lady, his pockets bulging with golf balls.
The lady looked quizzically at him and his bulging pockets. Finally, he explained, “It’s golf balls.”
She quickly replied, “Does it hurt as bad as tennis elbow?”
THE THIRD WISH
Submitted by Maynard Hesselbarth A man was sitting alone in his office one night when a genie popped up out of his ashtray and said, “And what will your third wish be?”
The man looked at the genie and said, “Huh? How can I be getting a third wish when I haven’t had a first or second wish yet?”
“You have had two wishes already,” the genie said, “but your second wish was for me to put everything back the way it was before you made your first wish. Thus, you remember nothing because everything is the way it was before you made any wishes. You have one wish left.”
“Okay,” said the man, “I don’t believe this, but what the heck. I wish I was irresistible to women.”
“Funny,” said the genie as it granted his wish and disappeared forever. “That was your first wish, too.”
DEAD DUCK
Submitted by Beverly Duzenack A woman rushed into a veterinarian’s office with a limp duck in her hands. As she laid her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird’s chest.
After a moment or two, the vet shook his head and said, “I’m sorry. Cuddles has passed away.”
The distressed woman wailed, “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I am sure. Your duck is dead,” the vet replied.
“How can you be so sure?” she protested. “You haven’t done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something.”
The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room. He returned a few minutes later with a black Labrador. With Cuddles’ owner looking on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He looked up at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head.
The vet patted the dog on the head and took it out of the room. A few minutes later, he returned with a cat. The cat jumped on the table and delicately sniffed the bird from head to foot. The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly and strolled out of the room.
The vet looked at the woman and said, “I’m sorry, but this duck is certifiably dead.”
He turned to his computer, hit a few keys and produced a bill, which he handed the woman. The duck’s
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owner took the bill and cried, “$150? $150 just to tell me my duck is dead?!”
The vet shrugged, “If you had just taken my word for it, the bill would have been $20, but with the Lab Report and the Cat Scan, it’s now $150.”
GRANDMA’S HOUSE
Submitted by Jamie Shaffer A 6-year-old was asked where his grandma lived.
“She lives at the airport,” he said, “and when we want her we just go get her. Then when we’re done having her visit, we take her back to the airport.”
STOP SMOKING
Submitted by Sylvia Orvis A man with a sore throat went to see the doctor.
The doctor examined him and said, “Do you smoke?”
He said, “No, I’ve never smoked in my life.”
The doctor said, “That’s a pity, giving up smoking would have really helped.”
BUBBA CALLS 911
Submitted by Angela Spinella Betty Jo passed away suddenly, and her husband, Bubba, called 911. The operator told Bubba that she would send someone out right away.
“Where do you live?” asked the operator.
“Down here at the end o’ Eucalyptus Drive,” said Bubba.
“Can you spell that for me?” asked the operator.
There was a long pause. Finally Bubba said, “How ‘bout if I drag her on over to Oak Street and you pick her up there?”
NEW MUSIC
Submitted by Robert Ashton Singers of the ’60s are revising their hits with new lyrics to accommodate us aging Baby Boomers.
New releases include: Herman’s Hermits: “Mrs. Brown, You’ve got a Lovely Walker” Ringo Starr: “I Get By with a Little Help From Depends” Bee Gees: “How Can You Mend a Broken Hip?” Roberta Flack: “The First Time Ever I Forgot Your Face” Johnny Nash: “I Can’t See Clearly Now”
Paul Simon: “Fifty Ways to Lose Your Liver”
The Commodores: “Once, Twice, Three Times to the Bathroom”
Procol Harum: “A Whiter Shade of Hair”
Leo Sayer: “You Make Me Feel Like Napping” The Temptations: “Papa’s Got A Kidney Stone” Abba: “Denture Queen” Helen Reddy: “I Am Woman, Hear Me Snore”
Lesley Gore: “It’s My Hormones & I’ll Cry If I Want To” Willie Nelson: “On the Commode Again” ■
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