CAT AID The American Red Cross has released “Cat First Aid,” a 100-page book that provides step-by-step instructions for handling emergency and routine health situations for pet cats, including choking, disaster preparedness and cardiac arrest. It includes a DVD. Both are available through your local Red Cross chapters/. CAT DIABETES The University of Missouri-Columbia has just completed research about feline diabetes and presented their findings recently at the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Conference in Seattle. According to the study, whether a cat is fed dry food or wet food is less important in the fight against feline diabetes than the amount of food it is served. Approximately 40% of all middle-aged cats are overweight. Some animal nutritionists have claimed the higher levels of starch and carbohydrates in dry food may be causing an increase in feline diabetes than higher-protein wet food. Veterinarian and research director Robert Backus, an assistant professor of the small animal nutrition program at the University of Missouri disagreed. Two test groups were formed. One ate dry food and one ate canned food. At the end of the trial, there was no difference in the participant’s glucose-tolerance levels. Similar results were received from cats younger than three and older than 3 years of age. The conclusion is people tend to over-feed cats and the resultant excess weight leads to diabetic conditions. According to Dr. Backus, cats should only have 18 to 20 percent body fat. Although the findings determined dry food is not the cause of feline diabetes, dry food diets do account for more weight gain in cats than diets of canned or wet food. Cat owners should, therefore, be diligent about keeping their cats weight in check. | 
