An essential for your library - Michelle Bernard's groundbreaking book: "Raising Cats Naturally"
A "must read" book by Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins: "Your Cat - Simple Secrets to a Longer, Stronger Life"
Credits
Plenty of people deserve credit for helping me to locate resources for my continuing lay education on feline nutrition. Many were extremely generous with their time as I initially assembled the open letter to veterinarians, going out of their way to help share information on feeding cats properly. The online tutorial on foodmaking and other parts of this website devoted to caring for cats were enriched by ideas from many people. While none of them are responsible for any of my goofs, they deserve mention for how much they helped me along the way. They include:
- My dear husband, who not only assisted with the tedious job of snail-mailing my original open letter to hundreds of clinics and universities when I first got a bug in my bonnet on this subject, but who also: provides constant encouragement for my many weird pursuits; offers ample moral support when I'm inundated with periodic ill-informed or even nasty emails that I often run out of patience to answer; hasn't blinked an eye about the time and money that this site consumes; and is an enthusiastic cat foodmaking partner thus halving the time it takes to prepare it. No one is a faster chicken-skin-ripper-offer than he is. And pity the fool meat grinder that balks at a large turkey bone when he's at the controls. Thanks, sweetie.
- Scores of members of the Feline IBD e-group, who have been an extraordinarily valuable inspiration to innumerable people whose cats suffer with the same malady as my cat did. Without that group, and specifically without its long-suffering list owner, Lee Ellis I would quite likely never have sought out the answers that gave my cat a second shot at a quality life. He turned 13 in 2007 and if it weren't for Lee, I'm not sure he'd still be around, harassing me daily for raw chicken, rabbit, and turkey. Much obliged, Lee.
- Dr. Lisa Pierson, a California veterinarian who works unbelievably hard to save countless cats from misery, pain, and abuse through tireless and often heartbreaking rescue work. Dr. Pierson keeps me on the straight and narrow when it comes to interpreting and deciphering the professional literature on feline nutrition. She translates her compassion for animals into action every day, working her heart out to rescue, spay and neuter, love, and find good homes for cats. Dr. Pierson has her own terrific, information-packed website on feeding and caring for cats that everyone should read. Big gratitude coming your way, Dr. P.
- Michelle Bernard, whose book Raising Cats Naturally, is my most often-used reference aid on caring for cats gently and feeding them right. My copy of her book is so worn, dog-eared, and marked-up that I think I need another copy. Michelle is a very gifted writer who did cat caregivers an incredible favor by re-dissecting the work on home-prepared diets and going back to original source material on feline nutrition. Really, you should have this book. My hat is off to you, Michelle.
- Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins, who is not only the country's foremost veterinary expert on feline diabetes and the author of a groundbreaking book on cat care that takes on the corrupt, dominant paradigm in the way so many of us feed or cats, but who has also taken time from her busy practice to offer helpful guidance and sanity checks to yours truly more than a few times. Dr. Hodgkins took a courageous position at US Senate hearings in 2007 on the pet food recall and undoubtedly raised more than a few eyebrows among her peers. She rocks. Thanks Dr. H.
- Shelby Gomas, who used his own time and money to pay for a professional lab analysis of the nutritional breakdown the recipe on this site. This partial analysis tells us how one batch of this food stacks up against commercial food with regard to some key macronutrients in the raw diet. Moreover, Shelby also very graciously agreed to let me reproduce the information on this website. Shelby also makes and sells an amazing pre-made raw food that is the only raw food in this house I'd ever consider serving that I didn't make myself. When I want a break from foodmaking, I order from Shelby. Thank you, Shelby.
- Epiphanio Sanchez, whose web design talents are responsible for this site's ease of navigation, structure, and design. After years of struggling to create and maintain this site on my own, the universe gave me Epiphanio just in the nick of time. He is one of the kindest, sweetest, and most patient humans I've had the pleasure of running across. He's also a poet, musician, yogi, life coach and all around sparkly human being. Thanks, Epiphanio.
- And, of course, at least a couple of non-people are more than worthy
of mention, most particularly:
Duke, the kind-hearted, easygoing, and breathtakingly handsome cat who struggled so bravely with IBD for six long years before I finally got wise and figured out how to feed him. In 2007, we reached the point, at last, when more than half of his life has been IBD-free. I am grateful for what his illness taught me about feeding cats, and even more thankful for how he helped guide me, patiently, to make him well again as we tried an endless array of diets. He is the inspiration for this website and has been my best teacher about cats. If you found this website helpful, it's because of Duke. You rock my world, Dukie-man.
Nettie, the most petite package of spirited, unpredictable, sassy cat I've had the honor to live with. She brings a big fat smile to my face every day. She's a reliable supervisor and taste tester of raw food preparation in our house. Nettie won't even consider letting anything but raw food pass over her carnivore lips. She keeps us on our toes and the moment you think you can predict what she'll do next, she shifts gears. It's like having a new Nettie every single day. Attagirl, Nettie-cat.