Nam,
Sorry to hear about your experiences.  It can be so scary when your babies get sick!  I went through all of this during the initial pet food recall in March 2007 with Nutro packets.  It is great you didn't wait to get your cat care.  My 5 poisoned babies are alive, but it has been so costly and time consuming!  I dealt with Nutro's insurance company, and it took over 6 months and hundres of tear-filled phone calls to get reimbursed for less than half of my expenses, which topped $10,000 (and counting).  Hopefully they have learned and will be attending better to their customers now, since they have so much a stake.  It was the hartford insurance company I dealt with.  I am not sure they are still representing them, as last I heard from my rep there, they were even severing ties with Nutro due to their behavior during the recall.  It was negatively impacting the reputation of hartford to be associated with Nutro. 

I was required to send in the packets (which lucky the FDA had already gotten from me and tested).  I had numerous letters from all the vets that saw the cats, ultrasound results, letters from the vets that read the ultrasounds at Cornell, receipts and on and on and on.  I think they just decided to pay up because my story made the news and radio all over the area, since I had so many sick cats.  So please make sure you are documenting everything and all the costs to help your baby recover.  And don't give up.

Please do not be discouraged by wet food from this experience.  I attribute some super high quality wet foods to being a lifeline for my boys, Wellness, Ziwi Peak, Weruva.  Dry food were recalled, too.  It is no safer than wet.  Also, avoid ALL brands that were recalled.  If it happened once that they lost control of their supply chain, it can and will happen again.  It just goes to show that some companies don't have the controls in place to monitor the origins of all of their ingredients, and that as we see can cause loads of problems. 

Please take care and know your cat will get better!! 

Great results with my kidney failure boys with the fish and venison.  It is pricey but nice that they need to eat less since the moisture content is low.  I divide 2 cans between 6 of them 3 times a day.  It is in my food rotation (Wellness, Weruva, By Natures Organic) and feel it has helped keep my cats at a stable weight. 

In honor of my 5 precious cats, ranging in age from 8 years to just 18 months.  All victims of the pet food recall.  Also all survivors by the grace of God. 

Snoop Dog, a grouchy cymric age 8
Bert and Ernie, loving brothers age 7
Sherman, my shy snowshoe age 6
Wally, my crazy DSH age 18 months

My only hope is that we can continue to sustain your lives for years more to come.  Please know your daddy and I will continue to always be your kidneys the best we can.  We will do whatever we can for you. 

A year ago today when you all were lifeless and about to succumb to the poisons, there was never a second thought about our decision to fight and not give you up.  Hearing you purr at the site of us as you lay too weak to get up was all the inspiration we needed.  The vet sent you all home with us that day to die.  We had other plans, and the fight of our lives ensued.  It has been a bumpy road but as I sit at the computer today with two of you fighting to get on my lap, I am overcome with greatfulness to all those who cared, to all those who helped. 

To the medical teams, to the vet staff, to our family and friends.  A special thank you to my husband who supported us and was so strong through this all.  You are an amazing man for being the caregiver and fluid administrator and home cooked food dishes cleaner upper.  I couldn't ask for more.  And to Itchmo for giving me a trusted outlet for information and support beyond what I ever imagined.  We are making a difference.  You have all made a difference in the lives of 5 quirky rescue cats that everyone else gave up on.

On this sad day we are all thinking of all the unique lives cut short by this tragedy, and those humans that loved and cherished them.  Let us never forget.

Hi Everyone-

Quick recap of my continuingly maddening situation.... 
My 5 babies fell gravely ill in March from recalled food.  After much work, we have brought their levels back down and they have been doing much better for the last number of months.  We've continued with the blood tests and with the help of a change in diet (Of course) some supplements (epakitin) and fluid treatments, they are in the ranges of "high normal" in their BUN and CRE levels.  In June, their levels had finally started to decline thanksfully, but just this week they are up slightly, and now with the added mystery of having high sodium??  Was wondering if any of you either might know the sodium ratios of the following foods, or if you have any suggestions or thoughts as to what can cause this and how to fix it. Thanks! Here is the list of what they have been eating on a rotating basis, listed from most to least in their rotation:

Wellness Grain Free Canned
Merrick Canned
Weruva Canned
Ziwi Peak Canned
By Natures Organic Canned
Tiki Cat Canned

Home Cooking:
Dr Harveys Feline premix (cooked with organic chicken, organic lamb, organic turkey, or organic beef and flax seed oil, wheat germ oil, and sunflower seed oil)

Supplements (not all given at once of course):
PetAg Taurine Tablets
Canine Cavier Norwegian Sea Kelp
Dr. Harveys Multivitamin and Herbal Supplement


Also, they eat no treats and drink only filtered water.  And acting normal, as in no icrease in water consumption.  Any ideas you have would be greatly appreciated!!!!!

Hello-

From Ohio, I tried this brand right after my 5 boys got out of their extended stay in the ICU from the recall.  They were not interested in it at all.  I kept trying it because I liked the ingredients and it seemed safe, but I opened a can that had a piece of plastic shrink wrap-like material in it (I visually inspect everything I feed) and haven't tried since.  I ordered it online so unsure of its origination. 

Hi-

From Ohio, I tried this brand with my 5 ARF cats, none were interested.  It did, however, look and smell very much like a wholesome product.  i was surprised they were not interested.

Writing in from Ohio...

I feed this to my cats on occasion that are recovering from the recall (Nutro).  They love it.  One is particularly picky...he still misses his cuts in gravy but I can depend on Tiki Cat to be gobbled up.  Their quality assurance procedures are excellent and very reassuring.  And although fish is not a recommended food item, it appears the fish they use is wild caught and heavy metal tested.  I feel comfortable feeding it to my babies.  Interestingly, it is not made in the US, but in a country with even more stringent procedures for food production. 

Writing in from Ohio...
My cats alternate between this food, Merrick, Wellness, Weruva, Tiki Cat, and a home cooked diet of Dr. Harveys premix and organic meats.  They are very fond of the By Nature's Organic food, much more so than the Castor and Pollux organic variety, which they won't even touch.  It has a consistent look, smell, and consistency and high quality ingredients.  Only downside, its VERY expensive, $1.79 for one 6 oz. can.  With 6 mouths to feed, that becomes expensive, but it is still better than the $11,000 I paid in vet bills to save them from Nutro.  They are worth it.  Although, if I had the time and money, they would strictly eat Dr. Harvey's.  Even my fussiest, most sick kitty adores that stuff and eats it every time without fail.

Just Me-

Hello!  I hope you have good luck with your pet food purchases, no matter where they come from.  This is such a tough thing for everyone.

Thanks for asking about my kitties.  They are generally all doing well.  We have good days and bad days, but we are finally developing our own routine for IVs, cooking, feeding, etc.  I have learned the true heartfelt joy of having animal companionship.  While my fiancee and I get sad or I cry about the needles we have to use on them or what these animals have been through, it is the cats that are the first by our side to offer comfort.  My Ernie has got to be the most affectionate, dear cat ever!

My battle rages on with Nutro, although I have to say their insurance company is being responsive.  Four months later and nothing yet, but hopefully soon.  At least the 10k wasn't spent in vain, since i have my boys to go home to every night still.

Take care of yourself~

Hi Martha-

You sure are correct, you never know who you can trust.  It is, however, nice to know that a company that is not affiliated with the products they are selling is making an attempt to help us research and find products that are safe.  Others may differ, but I feel better when a 3rd party is trying to ensure safety rather than the company itself making me empty promises. 

Actually Waggintails does guarentee the origination of what they sell.  For example, I bought some organic treats for my dog and they emailed me a few days later, explained they were misled, the product was produced in China, and would gladly accept the product for a refund at their cost if I should choose.  Another time, they pulled many of their best selling products of the site until they verified their quality standards.  That's great service.  Its tough for everyone, but personally, I can't buy a product that has had a recall, having been caught twice with Nutro first and then Canine Caviar, and 5 cats still sick.  When even the super premium brands like Natural Balance and Canine Caviar have recalls, it may be that everything is a gamble. 

To put shipping in perspective, I just recieved a 15 lb of Merrick dog food, 8 - 12 oz. cans, 24 - 13.2 oz cans, and 24 - 5.5 oz cans and treats for 28$ UPS 3 day ground.  Sure, the $28 is wasted but until I can get this stuff at a store near me, most people are stuck with this route. 

The most important thing we should all do is speak with our wallets and make a difference in what big box stores are selling and show companies how important trustworthy brands are to us. 

Good thinking-

I wish we had the resources to help out myself....5 sick cats and still over $10,000 in unpaid vet bills, but I know I will never forget what an invaluable place this has been for us to get info and support when it felt like nobody else understood what we were going through.

Itchmo, you are are my hero. 

Hello-

My cats, all 5 recovering from near death by Nutro, have been eating this intermittantly with Tiki Cat, Wellness, Felidae, some of the Organics and Innova.  They LOVE it.  I shop only at WagginTails.com, and they request nutritional info and quality and processing info from each company they sell.  Click on any of the varieties and you can get the Weruva quality assurance statement.

http://www.waggintails.com/store/Search.php?sstring=weruva

I was skeptical about the fish content as well, but if it as they say, it is wild caught and tested completely even for heavy metals. 

I have been alternating foods every meal and my cats are doing great.  Some home cooking included so that way if anything happens, hopefully this "dilution" effect will save them.  They are doing remarkable with the changes in food, it has increased their appetites even, like they are excited now to see what they will get next.

Hello everyone-

I have had a WONDERFUL experience each time I get food from Waggintails.com.  They have nutritional analysis and quality insurance statements from EVERY company they sell from.  Their policy is:

Provide your quality assurance process in writing or we won't sell your product

The shipping is pricey but it arrived quickly and it is always just what I ordered.  They do not sell any products from China even.  Its like they do all my homework for me.  I tried Tiki Cat and Weruva recently, and was so impressed with both the food and the website.  I will be supplementing my home cooking with these foods. 

Sharon,

Thank you.  I will be thinking of you and your furry babies as well.  I am weak right now with fear and worry, I check this site now before each and every meal I give them, just to be sure.  I am on my way back to the emergency with 2 tonight, not eating again and vomit.  I hope this ends soon.  I can't watch them go through this torture anymore.

Hi-

I know this is only a local site, but my story was shown twice (once when the recall first broke) and one just last week with the expanded recall.  Here is the link:

http://www.wkyc.com/video/player.aspx?aid=34468&bw

All 5 are still ill, twice over.  But aren't they are photogenic!
My heart goes out to all of you.  This needs to be national news DAILY to get the word out there.  Too many people still don't know the scope of this.