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My Exploration of the world!

Back at grandmas

Well we are back at grandma's. She had to have a total hip replacement done and dad is taking care of her till she can walk and climb stairs on her own. We came out on sunday last week . Grandma's cat Mac is here and I get along great with him. There is much more room to romp and run and a huge flight of stairs to run up and down. Now that she is home I have to be carefull when chasing Mac around not to jump up on her leg! Yesterday Mom and Kana came over. Kana was so out of sorts she does'nt like the car ride. She does'nt like the new surroundings even though she has been here before. She was growling at me and really hissing and growling at Mac! Now she is doing fine.

On another note we are going to be moving but don't know where. Mom lost her job cause the company she was working for is doing horibly and laying off people all over the place. She might have a line on a job in California near Sandiego. If that does'nt work out then she will look elsewhere. I don't know how I will feel there but where mom and Kana go dad and I will follow.

Scarry Information we found!

So today my dad was looking for first aid information for us cats. He is putting together a feline first aid kit, well 3 of them really, to keep in the cars and house.
Anyway he stumbled on som information on a study on a corelation of pop top cans for cat food and feline hyperthyroidism. Dad and his family have lost lots of cats to this! is has only been since the use of these cans became wide spread. His parents used to buy only canned food . before that they never had a single cat with the problem in their 50+ years of having many cats!
It scared him and me. He feeds us mostly dry food but every so often he buys us a can of wet food for a treat. Now it is only foil bags or non pull tab kind for Kana and me.

Here is some of the info we found!


"Even such seemingly safe items as cat food packaged in pull tab tin cans have been statistically linked to hyperthyroidism; although the connection is far from proved, suspicion has fallen on the use of bisphenol A, another phenol based product as discussed above, to seal such cans.[24] " Wikipedia

A study in the March 15, 2004 AVMA Journal (Edinboro, et al.) pointed out a correlation between the use of pop-top cat food cans and the subsequent development of hyperthyroidism in cats. This study merely points out a statistical correlation and doesn't prove that this relationship is certain but if you wish to be cautious about the possibility there is no harm in switching to cans that have to be opened with a can opener. Most cat foods are available in both types of cans, although it may be necessary to buy bigger can sizes to avoid the pop-tops.

When they make pop-top cans they line them with a chemical called bisphenol-A. I think it seals the lid under the pop top. Anyway, this chemical is hypothesized to be the cause of hyperthyroidism related to the use of pop top cans. It isn't used in regular cans that have to be opened with a can opener. Four or five years ago a study of hyperthyroidism showed a correlation between feeding cats canned food and hyperthyroidism. This was further studied in a report published this year (March 15 2004 AVMA Journal) which asked what kinds of cans were used and it was noted that the increase in hyperthyroidism is only in cats fed from pop-top cans. The major difference between the cans is apparently the use of this chemical, so it is thought to be the culprit. Before that is confirmed further study will have to be done, though - and like all these types of studies it is conceivable that something entirely different will be found.

Mike Richards, DVM
6/11/2004 Vetinfo4cats.com



This one was definitely new information for me. But apparently, research came out a few years ago, indicating that the pop-top cans on cat food -- actually, the chemicals lining the pop tops -- can pose a thyroid danger for cats, contributing to risk of feline hyperthyroidism. You can read what Dr. Michael Fox had to say about it here, and see an abstract describing the original research from the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.


Lining of pop-top Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. cans has been linked as a possible contributing factor to the epidemic of feline hyperthyroidism (Epidemiologic study of relationships between consumption of commercial canned food and risk of hyperthyroidism in cats by Charlotte H. Edinboro, DVM, PhDJ). The reasearch suggests that overall consumption of pop-top canned (compared to dry) food at various times throughout a cat's life has been associated with greater risk of developing hyperthyroidism. In Error! Hyperlink reference not valid., increased risk was associated with consumption of food packaged in pop-top cans or in combinations of pop-top and non-pop-top cans. In male cats, increased risk was associated with consumption of food packaged in pop-top cans and age.


Pop-Top Cans Increase Hyperthyroidism Risk, Study Says
January 9, 2004
A study published in the March 15, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association found that cats who are fed canned cat food have around three times greater risk of developing hyperthyroidism than cats who eat only dry cat food. The risk is greater for female cats. Strangely, the study found that cats who were fed canned food packaged in pop-top can had a far greater risk of developing hyperthyroidism than cats who were fed canned food packaged in non-pop-top cans. The authors suggest a link between the lacquers used to line steel cans and hyperthyroidism in cats. Because the lids are more flexible, pop-top cans use a different type of lacquer than cans that require a can opener. This lacquer has been shown to pass into the food. Since almost all canned cat food available today is packaged in pop-top cans, presumably it would be better to use those in foil pouches. Recent studies have implicated the high carbohydrate levels in dry cat food with obesity, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses.

SO be carefull and let people know!

long time -Christmas time in a new place.

Wow it has been a long time since I got on here. This new town and my sister keeps me so busy! mom and dad put up the christmas tree. they keep shooing Kana and me away from it. they think i am going to attack it like I did when I was small. Kana looks like she wants to it is out in the middle of the floor as there was no corner to put it. I will try not to eat it. Kana and I are looking forward ther first Christmas . Santa brought me great stuff last year.
well gotta run mice are wating!