Pet stores are now touting to purchase only holistic or organic pet foods, but for cats even these can contain toxic ingredients. Here is a list of the good and the bad as you read the labels of your pet food. No one pet food is great, we can only get as close as we can.

BAD INGREDIENTS: KNOWN TOXINS TO CATS (and dogs)
* Yucca
* Alfalfa
* Ethoxyquin
* BHA
* BHT
* Garlic
* Onion
* Carrageenan
* Propyl gallate

Cat food should have ZERO fruit and vegetable.
Dog food toxins to add to the above:
* grapes and raisins
* broccoli

INGREDIENTS NUTRITIONALLY POOR OR DETRIMENTAL OVER TIME
* Flax seed and flax seed oil and other seed oils
* All "by-products" (also called "derivatives" in some countries)
* "Tallow" or "beef tallow" as a fat source
* Rosemary extract, marigold extract and the like
* Herbal ingredients in general
(unless specifically researched as positive for cats/dogs)

NON-NUTRITIVE OR IRRITATING INGREDIENTS
* Non-fermentable fiber such as cellulose, psyllium gum, wheat bran, xanthan gum, gum karaya, oat fiber, peanut hulls, soy hulls, citrus pulp, lactulose (the last two are good for dogs but unusable by cats)
* Wheat products

If your label uses any of these... why would you ever buy it again? These can have an accumulating effect and could cause progressive diseases, kidney failure, etc. But do not take our word for it, do some serious research... not just something found on a dot com or vet site. Check the research papers yourself and make an educated decision. If you need help, all of this info can be found at the CATWELL Yahoo Group.

* High percentage of specific animal proteins (not "meat" without specifying source) from prey size animals (chicken, fish, eggs rather than beef, lamb, etc for cats.)
* Animal protein must be the first listed ingredient
* Minimum 0.1% percentage of magnesium (in dry food that has 10% moisture)--as magnesium chloride, not magnesium oxide
* Calcium pantothenate higher on the list than pyridoxine hydrochloride
* Fish oil such as salmon oil (or less ideal, fish liver oil)
* Fermentable fiber such as beet fiber or rice bran. (Second choice options: carob bean gum, locust bean gum, citrus pectin (but not citrus pulp), sugar cane residue)
* Lack of any toxic items listed in the section above
* Preservation with Vit E and/or Vit C only (not yucca or rosemary extract or toxins)
* Minimum 34% protein (in dry food with 10% moisture)This means that currently only specific kitten foods are acceptable options for all cats.
* Dry food needs to be fed round-the-clock for cats available 24/7.
* Cats need some carotene and plain cooked pumpkin is the best source known currently.
* A source of intestinal bacteria including bifidus is desirable, or acidophilus.

SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD OPTIONS SUGGESTED:
Canned salmon, preferably, low sodium canned in spring water.
Sardines, preferably no salt added, in spring water (Eg Brunswick brand)
Egg, raw beaten with a little water, or lightly cooked. (In proportion to animal size. Remember 1 egg for a human is like 15 eggs for a cat.)
Any fresh meat used needs to be cooked at least on the surface of the meat for cats, to prevent the enzymes made by bacteria after slaughter from depleting feline nutrients when meat is eaten.
Surface cooking is also recommended for all pets for food safety reasons. (Freezing does not make it safe.)

This section is going to be a *work in progress* division. I will add things to it as time goes on.

Meanwhile, the three things you will need to get started are 1. a soft sounding clicker. 2. a thin target stick, something that is a foot or so long and could be as thin as a pencil. 3. treats that your cat absolutely can't live without. (grin)

The first thing you want to do is get the cat use to the soft clicker sound and teach him/her that it means *I'm going to get somthing really good*. When the cat is hungry, click the clicker and immediately give a treat. If the clicker is too loud and startles the cat, try again at a different time and then click the clicker behind your back or in your pocket to muffle it. You want to get the cat to associate the sound of the clicker with getting a treat. It won't take the cat too long to learn this. Popsicle and his sister picked this up within a few minutes. Practice this a couple times in the next couple days. Don't have long sessions, a minute of click/treat is enough at first.