Archive for July, 2006

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

How To Fool God

Monday, July 31st, 2006

Two pastors who had not seen each other for several years met at a conference they were both attending. When the workshop they were in broke for lunch, they sat down to catch up on old times. The conversation eventually turned to their respective ministries as one asked the other “Jack, how many people in your church would you say are serving?” The younger pastor responded “about 30% of my people are involved in the work. What about your church Bob?” Bob responded, “I would say about 100% of my people are serving.”

A bit taken back by the response, Jack blurted out “100%? That is unheard of. You have 100% of your people serving the Lord? That is wonderful my friend!” Bob quickly corrected him, “Serving the Lord? Oh no Jack, I have 100% serving, but only about 50% are serving the Lord. The other 50% are serving the World.”

The poignant point the pastor was trying to make was that there are just too many Christians who play church. They put on a good show on Sunday morning, but when it comes time to tithe, to visit the sick and shut-ins, or to knock on doors to invite people to church, they can’t be found. They don’t want to be found. They are putting on a show for others, so that they appear to be spiritual.

A Pastor was visiting a young mother in her home. They had just sat down for tea when the back door flew open with a “crash” and in came a very excited little nine year old named Johnny.

From where he entered the room, Johnny could not see the Pastor sitting at the dining room table; he could only see his mother. Gasping out words in short breaths after apparently running some distance, he excitedly ran in yelling “mama, mama, mama…I was just out in the (breath) back yard and I was (breath) playing with my (breath) ball and bat and (now breathing better) I saw this big rat run out of the ditch and I threw my bat at him and I thumped him right on top of the head mama. And then, and then I ran over and picked up my bat and I hit him again and then I kicked him and jumped on him and then I pulled his tail and then and then…”

Johnny’s word trailed off momentarily as he came around the corner and saw the Pastor sitting at the table. He was obviously surprised by the Pastor’s presence, but without skipping more than a few beats, Johnny quickly became very pious, almost angelic in his demeanor, as he continued in a subdued and softer voice “and then uh, um, the Lord took him home mama.”

Just like Johnny, many of us try to paint a better image of ourselves than what we really are. We want people to think more highly of us that we think of ourselves. It is easy to fool people. It is easy to fool yourself. But you can never fool God. I suppose that is an admission that the title is a little disingenuous, but did you really think there might be a way to fool God? Proverbs 15:3: warns us that “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good/”.

You just can’t fool God. He searches the hearts and knows our thoughts. God sees everything. Perhaps more importantly, he sees through everything as well. Our attempts to make ourselves look pious and holy when we are not is nothing less than wasted effort as God sees right through it.

Fortunately for us, God does not deal as harshly with attempted deceit as he did in early church times. In the book of Acts we are introduced to a married couple by the names of Ananias and Sapphira. These two conspired together to lie to God and as a result, their very lives were required.

Playing church and trying to project a picture of ourselves that is false is tantamount to lying to God. Christians need to be real. Successful Christian living can only come by being who we are and allowing the Holy Spirit to work on our defects. If we are faithful and honest, God will grow the person inside of us that he wants us to be.

If we remember that the eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding OUR evil, it might go a long way for us to try to live up to the image we want everyone to have of us.

The author is a retired Coast Guard Officer with over 32 years of service. He is also a Baptist Preacher and Bible Teacher. He helps those grieving the loss of a pet to understand the Biblical evidence that proves they live on. His most popular book, “Cold Noses at the Pearly Gates” delivers hope and comfort to the reader in a very gentle, yet convincing way. Visit at http://www.coldnosesbook.com for more information and tips or write to Gary at petgate@aol.com

Posted in Audio-Video, Computers-and-Technology, Finance, Taxes | No Comments »

Can Essential Oils Cause Breast Cancer?

Monday, July 31st, 2006

In February of 2007, a study linked some essential oils to a rare medical condition known as gynecomastia, or swelling of the breasts, in pre-pubescent boys. The story got a good bit of “air time” but what no one seems to be talking about are the implications of this study for breast cancer survivors.

Over 50% of all female breast cancers are what doctors call “estrogen-driven” or “estrogen dependent” cancers. Basically this means that these types of tumors are stimulated by the presence of estrogen and this is why many women are put on anti-estrogen drugs like tamoxifen after undergoing cancer treatment.

For years, cancer researchers have known that some common foods like soy can mimic the effect of natural estrogen in the body. This is the reason that many menopausal women are advised to increase their consumption of foods like soy. By mimicking estrogen, soy helps relieve symptoms like hot flashes. This is also why a growing number of health professionals are now counseling recovering cancer patients to avoid foods like soy. The science is sketchy but some feel that the same chemicals that make soy so good at relieving hot flashes may also increase a susceptible patient’s risk of a relapse, especially if she’s consuming a great number of estrogen-mimicking foods.

But few women are counseled about the potential dangers of products like toiletries and cosmetics that also contain estrogen-micking chemicals. What does this mean for you? If you’re a woman who has been diagnosed with breast cancer or you have been told that you’re at increased risk for estrogen-driven cancers, you must talk to your doctor about the safety of products containing essential oils like lavender and tea tree.

Why not just talk to the herbalist at your local health food store? The vast majority of herbalists, aromatherapists and even most naturopaths are “certified” through some type of multi-level-marketing company or correspondence course–and not through a legitimate medical institution. They simply do not have access to the same level of scientific research that your doctor uses.

Only your doctor is qualified to evaluate your risk of estrogen-driven cancers. Talk to your primary care provider or gynecologist for more information on botanical products like essential oils and their potential role in the development of breast cancer.

Lisa Barger is a traditional naturopath specializing in natural health education. To learn more about Ms. Barger’s belief in “Empowerment through Education” or to take a free online natural health class see her website, http://www.LisaBarger.com

Posted in Casino-Gambling, Insurance, Writing-and-Speaking | No Comments »

Home Schooling On the Rise in Virginia Schools

Monday, July 31st, 2006

Over the years, the Virginia schools (like many school systems across the nation) have been losing their public school students to home schooling. Henry County, for example, has seen an increase in home-schooled students from eight to 99 over the past 11 years.

In April 1999, the nation watched in horror the news reports on Colorado’s Columbine High School shootings, where 12 students and one teacher were fatally shot and 24 others were wounded by two teens who then killed themselves. Afterwards, the Virginia schools saw a steady increase of applications from parents who wished to home school their children.

Though the number of children who are home schooled has continued to increase within the Virginia schools, the reasons have changed. Though school violence and security remains to be a primary concern of Virginia schools’ parents, they now have a variety of other reasons, including:

• Too much emphasis on the standardized testing now required within the Virginia schools, fearing their children are being taught only to pass tests rather than a focus on actual learning that is retained and useful later in life; home-schooled children are not required to take the Standards of Learning (SOL) tests;
• The ability of Virginia schools’ children to adjust to the middle and high school environments; many parents home school their children during the middle school years and place them back into the Virginia schools for high school;
• Virginia schools’ parents’ perception of negative influences within the traditional school environment; this is especially true for families with strong religious beliefs; and
• Some Virginia schools’ parents simply want to keep their children at home for a longer period, placing them back within the Virginia schools for high school.

Religious Exemption. If a parent applies for release of their child from the Virginia schools for religious reasons, they are exempt from enrolling their child in any other form of education through age 18. They may wish to do so and can, but they are not required to do so by the Virginia schools. If they do enroll the child elsewhere or home schooling, they also are not required to keep the Virginia schools apprised of the child’s progress.

Other Exceptions. In order for parents to home school their children, other than under the religious exemption, they must meet one of four requirements developed by the Virginia schools:

• Requirement 1 — Effective July 1, 2006, the parent, who will be teaching the child, must have a high school diploma and provide to the Virginia schools a description of the curriculum he/she plans to use for the child. The child does not have to meet Virginia schools’ graduation requirements and receives no diploma; however, progress must be shown to the Virginia schools at the end of each year.
• Requirement 2 — The parent, who will be teaching the child, must have a current teacher certification and provide to the Virginia schools a description of the curriculum he/she plans to use for the child. The child does not have to meet Virginia schools’ graduation requirements and receives no diploma; however, here too progress must be shown to the Virginia schools at the end of each year.
• Requirement 3 — Parent enrolls child into a Virginia schools’ recognized correspondence home school. There are approximately 19 such schools across the nation. A list may be obtained from the Virginia schools. Correspondence schools are private businesses that operate as schools, charging for their services. They usually cost $800 to $1,200 annually per student, though some charge as much as $4,000 a year. The more you pay, the more services you get, including report cards, transcripts and diplomas. Though coursework is administered by the parent, he/she has no educational level requirement. The child meets the graduation requirements of the correspondence school; however, progress must be shown to the Virginia schools at the end of each year.
• Requirement 4 — No educational level must be met by the parent teaching the child. They must provide to the Virginia schools a description of the curriculum he/she plans to use for the child, which must include the Virginia schools’ SOL in language arts and mathematics. The child does not have to meet Virginia schools’ graduation requirements and receives no diploma; however, progress must be shown to the Virginia schools at the end of each year.

Description of the curriculum in requirements one, two and four above includes a list of the subjects that will be taught and the textbooks that will be used for language arts and mathematics.

In all four requirements above, the child’s academic progress must be proved to the Virginia schools either with SOL test scores (the child would have to submit to testing by the Virginia schools and score above the 23rd percentile) or through a provided a portfolio of the child’s work.

Patricia Hawke is an expert researcher and writer on real estate topics such as economics, credit improvement tips, home selling advice and home buying preparations and education for relocating families. For more information please Virginia Schools

Posted in Ecommerce, Love, Relationships | No Comments »

Is eLearning Right For You?

Monday, July 31st, 2006

Despite a considerable amount of publicity surrounding the teaching technique know as eLearning, there is little doubt that it hasn’t lived up to its full potential as of yet. Even though the primary benefits of eLearning, cost and flexibility, remain extremely attractive, most individuals have not been exposed to this newer learning process.

This teaching and learning technique has evolved over the last ten years into a highly effective method of education. The original concept on its own was not well developed, but over time, elearning has emerged as an important part of a successful “blended” learning approach.

While the more traditional learning methods are useful, they are beginning to become a thing of the past. The eLearning process has begun to overshadow these traditional learning approaches. Integrated with these more traditional methods, eLearning has become the preferred method of teaching in a number of different scenarios.

What is eLearning?

Elearning is a general term that relates to training of all sorts that is delivered through a single computer, with the use of devices like CD ROMs, mobile phones, digital television, Internet and wide area networks. In many cases, Elearning is considered an effective and efficient system of self-paced personal training.

The major advantages of eLearning are the minimal cost per student and the extreme flexibility afforded with this method of training. It’s available via the Internet 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, whenever the student has the time and interest.

Who Uses eLearning?

The potential users of the eLearning system range from young to old. Has your child ever needed help with their math or geography? Have you ever wanted to learn more about how to start a home business?

In the past, you would need to contact the local learning center to help your kids with their studies. Then you would have stopped by the local library, or book store, to find books on starting a home business. But with eLearning, this is no longer necessary.

Businesses are also big users of the eLearning process, with employee training being a priority for many companies. Previously, businesses were forced to conduct training sessions en mass. As you can imagine, the disruption was considerable and lost work time prohibitive. However, Internet based elearning programs stepped in to fill these needs. Employees can now be trained at a fraction of the previous cost and when time permits - a real win-win situation.

There are also elearning programs that provide for specialized training in high tech occupations and industries, such as, telecommunications, pharmaceutical, and software and hardware development.

What are the Equipment Requirements?

In most cases, the core requirements to participate in the eLearning experience are a computer, an Internet or broadband connection, Adobe Acrobat Reader, and any supplemental reading materials. Some courses may require additional software, but in today’s internet environment, most can be found for free or at minimal cost.

Despite the numerous advantages of eLearning, the method may not be for everyone. Because of its flexibility, this approach generally requires some level of self discipline. So for those who feel more comfortable in a traditional classroom setting, with fixed assignments and scheduled testing, you will be more successful in this environment.

Remember, learning starts with the learner, not the teacher. If the eLearning experience sounds right for you, then why not take advantage of the multitude of elearning opportunities available to you on today’s Internet. You’ll be glad you did!

Learn more about eLearning by visiting http://www.learningforsuccess.net where you will find even more information on locating the best online educational programs for your lifestyle, the advantages of accreditation, distance learning degrees, law enforcement training online, online nursing classes and much more.

Posted in Arts-and-Entertainment, Ecommerce, Music, Spirituality | No Comments »

How To Get A Better Job By Blogging (Part Two)

Monday, July 31st, 2006

I don’t have to tell you how tough the job market is out there. But you now have the tools to break into just about any job you want, just by starting a blog on that subject.

This article is Part Two on the subject of how to leverage the power of blogging to become a recognized authority in whatever field you can become qualified for.

Here is my personal example. About ten years ago, I was a general practice attorney with a small law firm. I really had no specialty at all, but in law school I had taken every estate planning and tax law class that was offered. I really wanted to get a new job with a much better law firm and practice estate planning.

The problem was, my post law school experience was not in estate planning. I spent a lot of my own personal time studying estate law and I kept up on new changes in the law, but I had only written a few wills and one trust. Most of my legal experience was in unrelated areas of law.

Unfortunately, this was ten years ago and I had never heard of blogs and did not have the tech skills to set up a traditional website.

So, looking at this problem from the vantage of, “if I had only known what I know now,” here is what I would do now if I were seeking the same job change.

A job seeker today who wants to enter a new field, or wants to move up in an existing field, only needs to start writing a blog on that topic. Post four of five new articles every week and in six months or so this job seeker will become a recognized authority in that field.

Now, add writing online articles on that topic and publishing those articles on various article submission sites or article banks like Ezine articles, goarticles, articlecity or searchwarp, and the traffic to your blog and your search engine rankings go way up.

Suppose an employer reads one of your articles or visits your blog. Do you think this employer will have any trouble with the fact that you have no actual on the job experience in this field if your knowledge shows through from your articles and your blog? Hardly.

What does it take to succeed with this strategy? You need to have a genuine, real interest in the new field and you must be willing to study this topic on your own to become a real expert in this field. Then you must commit to writing no less than four or five new articles every week on this topic.

Remember what employers are looking for. They want to be assured they are not hiring someone who lacks the qualifications to do the job. But actual on the job experience is not the only way to gain those qualifications. If you are committed to becoming an expert on your own, your blog can show the world what you know.

COPYRIGHT © 2007, Charles Brown

Nothing drives more traffic to your website faster than online articles. Each article can create hundreds of inbound links pointing to your website. But what if you do not have the time or skill to write 10, 20, 50 or 100 articles on your own? Hire Platnum Member, Charles Brown, to ghost write your articles for you. Visit his site at http://dynamiccopywriting.blogspot.com or contact him at charbrow(at)gmail(dot)com.

Posted in Arts-and-Entertainment, Health-and-Fitness, Music, Supplements | No Comments »

Testing All Texas Schools Athletes for Steroids? It Could Happen Soon

Monday, July 31st, 2006

Professional athletes have been in the news a lot over the past few years, either being accused or admitting to taking performance-enhancing drugs. Major league baseball has taken several hits with accusations being brought against some of their top players, such as home-run king Mark McGwire, who took the fifth amendment to not incriminate himself during Congressional questioning on the subject. Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants, Jason Giambi of the New York Yankees, and Olympic sprinter Marion Jones are a few others, who have been accused of taking performance-enhancing drugs. More than 20 athletes were thrown out of the 2004 Olympic Games for “doping violations”, and at least two gold medal winners forfeited their wins and medals for using such drugs.

The abuse of steroids is most common among professional athletes and bodybuilders, who feel the pressure to win against daunting competition. The abuse of steroids has become so prevalent that President George W. Bush called upon professional athletes, team owners, and coaches to stop all players from taking the performance-enhancing drugs. Though the effects of long-term use of steroids is enough to cause concern with often permanent and dangerous physical and emotional effects, it has been shown that teen athletes now are using steroids at an alarming rate — to the point that it has the attention of Congress and the President of the United States.

Parents, too, are gravely concerned — and for good reason. A federally funded annual survey of teens’ drug use by the University of Michigan, called Monitoring the Future, showed that in 2002 three percent of high school seniors had reportedly taken steroids at least once. Other sources report that as many as five percent of teens between the ages of 12 and 17 have taken it. That is 1.1 million of our children across the nation.

Texas Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst wants all Texas schools’ athletes to be the cleanest athletes in the nation and is proposing that all Texas schools’ athletes be randomly tested for steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.

Texas schools has a sports program with more than 700,000 participating students — more than any other state. Dewhurst’s proposal would cost about $2 million annually, which would be provided to the Texas schools through state funding specifically for the random drug testing program.

Reactions to Dewhurst’s proposal have been mixed within the Texas Schools. A few local school district officials do not believe such testing is necessary. Mike Owens, head football coach of Texas schools’ Robert E. Lee, located in East Texas, stated that the “cost would not be worth the outcome”, believing that the Texas schools have more of a problem with street drugs, such as cocaine and marijuana. If the Texas schools tested for those, he would be all for it; but he does not believe performance-enhancing drugs are that big of a problem within the Texas schools’ athletic programs. He backed up his beliefs by stating that Texas schools’ coaches see their athletes daily and would notice a change in physique and would see the mood swings associated with such drug abuse. He further suggested the money would be better spent on education about the misuse of such drugs.

Some Texas schools already do random drug testing with their athletes. Lindale, Chapel Hill and Whitehouse are three such Texas schools districts, though Chapel Hill does not test for steroids. Not only do they believe the random testing keeps the athletes clean, but they also hope that it gives the students a reason to say no.

Texas schools’ student athletes had the most surprising reaction to Dewhurst’s proposal. Many said they would not mind being tested. They know that such drugs makes for an uneven playing field and would like to keep their Texas schools’ athletic programs clean. There always is the temptation to use performance-enhancing drugs to gain strength and bulk in order to get the advantage over your competition. It has become especially tempting, knowing that so many professional athletes has used them.

Patricia Hawke is an expert researcher and writer on real estate topics such as economics, credit improvement tips, home selling advice and home buying preparations and education for relocating families. For more information please Texas Schools

Posted in Advertising, Business, Ecommerce | No Comments »

How To Get A Better Job By Blogging (Part One)

Monday, July 31st, 2006

If you’ve ever been out there trying to get a better job, I don’t have to tell you how difficult it is. But an extra layer of difficulty arises when you are trying to move up to a higher level in your career to a job you’ve never held before.

For example, if you are a general practice lawyer, who has studied estate planning on your own time, but have no formal experience in estate planning, how do you get a quality law firm to consider you for a specialized position as an estate planning attorney?

The answer: write a blog on the topic of estate planning.

Employers are looking for solutions to problems, not employees. You will only get hired if you are seen as the solution to a pressing problem that has to be solved, not if you are perceived as another person to be added to the payroll who must then be trained to do the job.

So begin your blog on the topic related to the job you want. If you want to move up to a job as a sports writer, start a sports blog. If you want to be hired as computer software sales person, start a blog on the type of software you want to sell.

Subscribe to Google NewsAlerts for current information on the topic your blog is devoted to.

One day after you do this, you will start getting emails from Google with links to news items and new web pages related to this topic. Open your word processor and copy links and small snippets of the text from these alerts and then add your own comments.

Within six months, if you post four or five new articles to your blog every day, you will have a high profile on the internet for your field. Soon, prospective employers will start seeking you out and be contacting you for more information.

The whole idea is to raise your profile and become a recognized authority in your field. And as an expert, you will have no problems breaking into a field you have already demonstrated that you are well qualified for.

COPYRIGHT © 2007, Charles Brown

Nothing drives more traffic to your website faster than online articles. Each article can create hundreds of inbound links pointing to your website. But what if you do not have the time or skill to write 10, 20, 50 or 100 articles on your own? Hire Platinum Member, Charles Brown, to ghost write your articles for you. Visit his site at http://dynamiccopywriting.blogspot.com or contact him at charbrow(at)gmail(dot)com.

Posted in Health-and-Fitness, NLP-Hypnosis, Self-Improvement, Supplements | No Comments »

Dog Tricks: Keep Your Dog Sharp

Monday, July 31st, 2006

Dog tricks come in all shapes and sizes. From the kiss command to the jumping through a hoop command, dog tricks can be as simple or as complex as you want them to be.

Dogs like to be stimulated. Their whole genetic make up is to perform some kind of act; whether it be retrieving, herding, guarding etc. The modern dog is mostly a pet, and not a tool. There are still ranchers and hunters out there but the vast majority of people that own pets have them just for personal enjoyment.

Dogs are happy to be just pets, however they really become energized when they have a purpose. I’m a bird hunter and I have my Labrador to help me find and retrieve game birds. She’s eleven years old now and she’s slowed down a bit in her old age, but whenever we go near water or a field she immediately drops the years and becomes like an energized puppy again, sniffing back and forth her eyes bright with sharpness and vigor. She immediately becomes a hunter.

Retrieving and hunting is what she is made to do, and when she’s doing it you can almost see the generations of genetics clicking together making her a whole dog.

Teaching dog tricks can help keep this energy going in your dog no matter what type of dog you have. For instance you don’t need a hunting dog or a herding dog in order to successfully teach dog tricks. Any dog: mutts, hybrids whatever, can learn and enjoy performing dog tricks.

Start with the easy dog tricks. Teach the handshake and the play dead trick before the jumping through a burning hoop trick. Each trick you teach should build on the last trick you taught. For instance, if your dog is accomplished at the hand shake trick, modify it to become the high five trick. As with any dog training, teaching tricks should be taught with patience.

Important: Before you embark on dog tricks training you will need to have a good base of basic obedience training. Trying to teach dog tricks before there is a good base is useless and probably detrimental. Your dog should know how to sit, come, stay and be familiar with the release command.

For more on Dog Tricks and many other dog training topics, see my website:
http://dog-training-is-easy.com/

Posted in Automotive, Book-Marketing, Trucks, VOIP | No Comments »

Tips For Starting Or Running An Import and Export Business

Monday, July 31st, 2006

Trade makes the world go round. The world is a smaller place, thanks to the way in which import and export has changed. These days, almost everything is available either in shops or by order over the internet. It is, of course, possible to get great bargains if you travel and explore but this is time-consuming and expensive unless you buy in bulk and there are language barriers. People like their shopping to be as easy as possible, which is why they don’t mind paying a bit more for their purchases. This is where the importers and exporters come into play.

Import and export is a business you can easily do from home. You need very little to start up, just a computer and some common sense. There are great benefits in working from home, as you can imagine. You can choose your own hours and have great flexibility.

The first thing to do is to create contacts. This is even easier online than offline because you can talk to anyone in the world from the comfort of your home, using the Internet. You can browse online advertisements and buy in bulk using a credit card over a secure site. You can advertise and sell your products online. In fact, in some trading methods, you can buy and sell without even having to receive or ship the products yourself! As with any business, it is important to be efficient, keep perfect records and keep your customers happy. An unsatisfied customer will not return and might criticize your shoddy service on the internet, so don’t be a bad trader!

You need a business plan before you begin. You need to work out what you are going to trade, how you are going to trade, how much money you need to make, which countries you want to trade with (if you speak another language, this might help, although English tends to be widely spoken), what method of payments will you use and what about foreign regulations? You need to research everything. Don’t let the preparation put you off before you get started. Every new company requires adequate preparation and it will be worth it in the end, once your business is up and running well.

You need to decide what scale your business is going to run on – are you going to work alone, as a partnership or a limited company or something bigger, or will you start small and work your way up?
You should decide what kind of products you want to sell. This depends on what your interests are (it is easier to sell something you can rave about!), what you are knowledgeable about and, of course, what is available. If you buy in bulk, you can make good money but make sure you are going to be able to sell it again this end. If you plan well and are successful, you can make enough profit to cover your travel expenses and earn a good living too.

Visit the B2B Marketplace for Trade Leads and International Trade info.

Posted in Health-and-Fitness, News-and-Society, Religion | No Comments »

Is My Cat Eating Correctly? (Part One)

Monday, July 31st, 2006

1) How many times a day do you feed your cat?

Since cats cannot be exercised like dogs can, the only way you can influence your cats weight is by controlling the amount and type of food he or she eats. If the cat is being fed individual meals several times daily, there is often a tendency by the owner to offer the daily supply of food on several occasions rather than divide up the daily feed into several meals. This can also occur with cats fed dry food ad lib. Cats usually regulate their food intake, but continual exposure to large quantities of food may lead to over-eating and subsequent obesity if too many calories are consumed.

In short, both several individual meals a day and ad lib feeding are fine, it is the total amount offered per 24 hour period which is the important figure.

Kittens should be fed small meals at regular intervals due to their tiny stomachs. Four or five meals are recommended at eight weeks of age, decreasing to two at six months of age.

2) Is your cats diet manufactured specifically for cats or do you give human food?

Some cat owners like to ‘spoil’ their cat by feeding them human food as the bulk of their diet. Others have tried feeding their cat regular catfood, but find their ‘fussy’ cat won’t touch it, and prefers to wait for the inevitable human food offering, which soon becomes the staple diet.

Is it really unhealthy to feed cats human food though? Of course it depends what food. Remember that cats are carnivores, and require a high proportion of meat in their diet. They simply cannot adapt to a low protein diet, and will lose bodyweight if deprived of it. In fact, as a species they are relatively unique; a deficiency of the amino acid, arginine, in a single meal can lead to symptoms of lethargy, hypersalivation and vocalisation. Arginine is required by the cat to produce urea, a waste product resulting from the breakdown of protein.

Another essential nutrient for the cat is the amino acid, taurine, which the cat cannot manufacture sufficiently by itself to meet its needs. The cat’s diet must therefore contain taurine in sufficient quantities. If a deficiency develops there is a high risk of serious and irreversible damage to major organs such as the heart and the eye. Taurine is found almost entirely in meat, confirming the fact that the cat is a compulsory carnivore.

Another disease of nutritional origin is that caused by cats eating raw liver regularly, who can suffer from a condition called hypervitaminosis A. Cats suffering from this can present with signs of lethargy, unthriftiness, a stiff neck and other skeletal problems. To play it safe, don’t feed your cat liver more than once a week.

Reputable cat foods are formulated after extensive trials by pet food companies to provide the mixture of protein, carbohydrate and fat that suits feline physiology best. It is easier, cheaper and possibly more healthy for your cat to be fed a reputable cat food diet, with occasional treats if desired (tuna, liver etc).

3) Which is better out of dry cat food or wet cat food?

Most vets recommend complete dry biscuit based cat food. This is because studies have shown that cats on dry food diets are less likely to suffer from dental disease than those on wet food from a tin or pouch. The physical motion of biting these biscuits helps prevent tartar from adhering to the surface of the tooth. However, even cats with no teeth can eat biscuit based food without a problem, as they just scoop up the biscuits with their tongue and swallow them whole. Another advantage of dry food is that it doesn’t spoil as quickly – useful for cats that are fed ad lib.

There are occasionally reasons why a wet food is preferable, as a method to increase the water consumption in a cat with a urinary problem such as cystitis.

Conservative estimates are that 25% of cats and dogs in the USA and UK are obese! Often owners are unaware of the health problems obesity can contribute towards, such as heart disease, arthritis and diabetes. As a result they don’t take the problem seriously. Furthermore, obese pets experience fatigue, exercise intolerance and heat intolerance leading to a poor overall quality of life.

visit http://www.WhyDoesMyPet.com/obesity to help you find out if your pet is overweight and learn the keys steps to beating obesity in your pet.

Dr Brooks BVetMed

Posted in Book-Marketing, Cycling, Mortgage-Refinance, Real-Estate | No Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »