More food, treats aimed at keeping aging felines healthy
Every time I go to the pet store for supplies and treats for my felines, I am shocked by the added new products in both food and treats.
Most of the new products are higher end with premium ingredients. The names of these new products are eye attracting and are promoted with buzz words.
Feline vitality, feline youthfulness, indoor youthful and extra omega with cosequin are just a few of the phrases to catch our attention to try a new product.
The bottom line is that all of the food manufacturers are appealing to our desire to keep our aging felines younger longer. Did you know there is even a product called CatSure to give fussy and older felines more nutrition? This is the feline version of Boost.
With all these new inroads in nutrition and medical care, senior terminology needs to be rethought. I know half my felines are 11-plus, and I consider them middle-aged.
They all still play and chase each other, and some of my older felines can beat the youngest up and down the stairs. Better food, treats and medical care is a real game changer in the extension of feline lives.
Did you know that The Buddy Foundation has an entire cat room dedicated to older felines. At Buddy, we give our felines an extra chance of getting a good home, as our definition of senior is 7-plus years. That really is not even middle-aged by today's standards. Our 7 and upward felines are usually passed over as ancient.
How can Buddy reeducate the people that visit us to adopt? I guess the answer is an open invite to come to The Buddy Foundation and ask to see the felines in Room Four and in the feline condos that require prescription food.
This week, I would like to introduce you to several of our middle-aged and senior felines. Any feline age 7 or older also has a special adoption fee so that you might think about adopting more than one. All but one of these felines is a variation of red tabby. We all know in the feline world that translates to extra sweet and friendly.
Featured felines:
• Sundance: Sundance is a dark red tabby that is about 10 years old. He was abandoned in a hotel room, locked in his carrier on a very hot day. He was abandoned with his younger sibling Butch, who will be a featured feline even though he is a youngster.
Sundance will greet anyone that extends a hand with head rubs. He loves the attention and will follow you around a room until he receives it. This guy loves to meow at you when you pet him.
• Butch Cassidy: Butch was left behind with Sundance. He is 3 years old and is an exquisite blue tabby. These two are a great pair and are already adjusted to each other.
• Simba: Simba is a 12-year-old buff or champagne tabby that did not get a full dose of the red gene. Simba is a front-paw declaw that was returned to Buddy after 10 years in a home. His only mistake? He was no longer the baby of the family once the human baby arrived. Simba is a sweet love that greets and loves attention.
• Benji: This guy is a light red tabby that is 15 years old. He is another sweet boy with a sad story. Benji lost the only home he knew when his owner went into an assisted living situation and could not take him. No one from the family wanted to keep Benji either. Benji and Simba are together in senior Room Four and get along. Anyone have room for two older red boys down on their luck?
• The Buddy Foundation, 65 W. Seegers Road, Arlington Heights, is a volunteer nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization, with all funds directly assisting its animals. For information, visit thebuddyfoundation.org or call (847) 290-5806.