stuff:

 

Menu Food President and CEO Paul Henderson claims he's pissed.

The recall list:

 

Wet foods we offered at MadCat not affected by any recalls, nor made at any affected facility:

 

Brands not included in recall that use Menu Foods for wet food production:

 

Brands that refused to disclose supplier information:

Recall Information Center - an FYI from MadCat

Keeping them healthy...

With all this talk about where the melamine will show up next, it is easy to lose sight of how easy it is to avoid all this nonsense and keep your animals healthy. We have cats and dogs too. We sweated this thing hard -just like you did. Here's what we're doing:

 

  • We stick with grain-free holistic nutrition whenever possible. It's more biologically appropriate than grain-based foods, our animals stay healthier, and (for the most part) this recall barely affected us.
  • MadCat has since discontinued all wet foods made with gluten-fillers. Although we never promoted them, we feel better about not selling them altogether.
  • We are bringing in several new high-quality dog and cat foods (canned, kibble, and raw-frozen) to insure our clients have a broad selection of healthy options to meet their needs.

 

At MadCat we are keeping the heat on the people that supply our foods to insure that the foods we use and recommend are free-and-clear of the sorts of issues the recall has brought to light.

Please feel free to call or stop by any of our stores to learn more about the recall, quality pet foods, and how you can make sure your animals are healthy and safe!

Recall resources:

Chicken Soup cans - out!

We now know the fifth (and final) recipient of the Wilbur-Ellis contaminated shipments - American Nutrition Inc. This company manufactures all of Diamond's canned food products (at this time).

Even though the recall was limited to select types of cans, we have pulled all ANI canned product (Chicken Soup) from MadCat shelves - permanantly. We still feel comfortable using and recommending their dry food.

'The dry foods are made in Lathrop, CA at a Diamond-owned and operated plant and they are certain that no RPC or wheat gluten has been added to any of those products. - hat-tip to Pet Food Express

The story is not over with Diamond Pet Foods and American Nutrition. We are working with both companies to develop a public understanding of what really happened and why. The burden is really on Diamond to be more candid and direct about how it gets what it wants into a can with their name on it.

 

Why did we drop Iams, Eukanuba, and Pro-Plan?

We took a look at these brands early in the recall. They were all involved for the same reason - they all use lots of cheap grain-fillers (glutens) in their foods. We had carried these brands for some time, while never actually recommending them. We wanted to be more consistant with our offerings and recommendations.

We also dropped Nutro and Science Diet canned products from our assortment, although we will still stock a limited amount of their dry food (provided Madisonians continue to ask for it). All of these brands are considered " major national brands" and can be found at most big-box food warehouses (as well as at many gas-stations).

 

 

Why did we drop PetGuard?

We contacted PetGuard as soon as the recall hit to get information regarding who makes their canned food. They repeatedly denied our requests and the requests of our clients to disclose this information. They simply hid behind the fact that they are not on any list. We were sad to see this happen.

This represented a great break in trust and we were no longer comfortable carrying or recommending their foods. Our clients are demanding transparency and we support them 100%. This was widely reported in a poorly written Wisconsin State Journal article regarding the local effects of the recall.

MadCat's Initial Press-Release:

Cat Food Recalled After Kidney Failure, Deaths

Madison, Wisconsin, March 18th, 2007 — MadCat Pet Supplies today removed selected three-ounce pouches of Nutro moist cat food from our shelves after learning of animal deaths correlated to the feeding of products sharing the same ingredient source, particularly wheat-gluten. Although many Iams and Eukanuba moist foods have also been included in the recall, the affected products are not carried in our stores.

MadCat will exchange or refund any purchases of affected product without hassle. We encourage any users of Nutro pouch products to check the expiration dates and return any products that expires in December ’08 or later. Exchanges are possible even if the product was not purchased at MadCat.

At MadCat we take the health and nutrition of cats and dogs seriously. We take the well-being of our clients and their companions seriously. We recommend grain-free nutrition for a reason. Whether it is Go Natural, Chicken Soup, Iams, Nutro, or Authority (PetSmart's private-label), every food-poisoning issue we have seen comes from grain-related toxicity.

Contact:
Ted O’Donnell
MadCat Pet Supplies
608.209.5527 phone
608.833.5884 fax
ted@felineunderground.com
www.felineunderground.com

Voted “Madison’s Favorite” pet store in 2006 by Isthmus readers, MadCat Pet Supplies is Madison’s most trusted source for food and advice regarding cat and dog nutrition. MadCat was founded in 2002 and operates three retail stores in Madison, Wisconsin.



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