CAT FOOD RECALL....IMPORTANT.

So far I've not heard of this disease down here [@Happygirl], Joker goes out and about, and always comes ok. It's sad they can't quite figure out what happened, poor cats and their families.

IMPORTANT UPDATE MEMBERS...................

Mystery of killer cat disease deepens

A potentially deadly cat disease outbreak remains a mystery after a recent probe found pet food recalled from a series of major retailers was not responsible.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has been investigating the spread of feline pancytopenia since June after 130 infections were reported in two months.

Typically, just one case of the disease, which rapidly decreases the number of white and red blood cells and platelets, is recorded a year.

Investigations led to the recall of three brands of hypoallergenic dry cat food produced by Fold Hill Foods, sold under the Sainsbury’s Hypoallergenic Recipe range.

Also affected were the Pets at Home Ava range and Applaws products sold by Amazon and other pet food shops.

But in a statement on Thursday, the FSA said: “No causative link between pancytopenia and the recalled cat food products has been established.”

The food regulator said they understood “how upsetting the past two months have been for cat owners and know how important it is that the cause of the recent feline pancytopenia cases is established”.

A multi-agency approach would continue to try and identify the causes of the outbreak, the FSA added.

Pets at Home said it was “deeply disappointed” that the FSA had been unable to find a definitive cause for the outbreak.

The retailer said: “Pets at Home has supported this investigation throughout, immediately implementing the manufacturer’s voluntary food safety recall and doing everything we could to alert all our affected customers.

“We recognise the pain and upset that this illness has caused, and our hearts go out to all the families whose cats have suffered.

“We are therefore deeply disappointed that the FSA was unable to find a definitive cause for the distressing spike in cases of feline pancytopenia.”

In June, Alex Padovano, a 26-year-old media executive, said her eight-month-old kitten Penelope had been “bleeding out of her ears and mouth” and may have died from pancytopenia after she fed it one of the affected products.

A blood transfusion, which cost £3,500, failed to save the kitten.

@nabob @Pinkaholic79 💖🦄🌺 @Paul - MenCanCleanToo @andym.aat @renatew5😺🐶 @Janet 💋🍰🍝🍹 @margaret.s @roz @Flotson @Flossy 🧁🧁🧁 @harryflatters and anyone interested.

UPDATE.............

At least 330 cats died from a mysterious illness investigators believe could be linked to recalled cat food, according to the Royal Veterinary College (RVC).

Vets across the UK have treated at least 528 cases of feline pancytopenia.

The illness causes the number of red and white blood cells and platelets in cats to rapidly decrease, causing serious illness which can often be fatal.

The true number of cases could be higher, it warned, because many cats who become ill may not be taken to a veterinary practice.

@nabob @Janet 💋🍰🍝🍹 @Flossy 🧁🧁🧁 @renatew5😺🐶 @harryflatters @roz and anyone interested

Pancytopenia: ‘Heartbreaking’ alert for cat owners as hundreds of pets die from rare illness

UPDATE......

Some 443 cats have been recently diagnosed with Pancytopenia 284 of who sadly died, ITV News reported.

Pancytopenia is a disease that occurs when a cat has very low white and red blood cell counts and may be caused by anaemia, bleeding, clotting, sepsis, blood cancer, bone cancer and immune system disorders, among other things.

The Royal Veterinary College has described this illness as “heartbreaking” - often affecting young kittens and frequently more than one pet in the same family.

The common potential cause for cats diagnosed with the illness is diet, vets have discovered.

A spokesperson for the Food Standards Agency said: “Working with the Royal Veterinary College, the Animal Plant and Health Agency and other government departments across all four nations of the UK, local authorities and the pet food supply chain, we are investigating a possible link between specific cat food products and feline pancytopenia.

There is no definitive evidence to confirm a link at this stage.

“No unsafe cat food has been identified but the manufacturer and brand owners affected, based on investigations so far, are taking the precautionary action of recalling and withdrawing cat food products that have been linked to affected cats.

“There is no evidence to suggest this outbreak of feline pancytopenia presents any risk to human health.”

@nabob @Pinkaholic79 💖🦄🌺 @roz @Janet 💋🍰🍝🍹 @renatew5😺🐶 @harryflatters @Flossy 🧁🧁🧁 @Flotson etc etc

UPDATE....There is now 130 cases now known to have had their cats die due to this.

@nabob @renatew5😺🐶 @Pinkaholic79 💖🦄🌺 @Janet 💋🍰🍝🍹 @margaret.s @roz ETC ETC

It does not matter to crows or dogs, cats or any feathered or furry animals, I must have the word 'Muggins' imprinted on my fore-heard. The crows, the female especially, comes and sits on the washing pole or on the utensil cupboard near the kitchen window and watches me and one of their calls, I am sure, means 'feed me and my crew'.

I don't shush them away but I have a special cage which I can put over the feeding table so only the little birds up to the size of a blackbird can get the food and I have various caged feeders on perches and branches to stop the pigeons, crows and magpies getting at the food. The big greedy ones get special scraps on two covered but open on all sides feeders.

It's quite funny the length the pigeons get to getting to the seeds in the other feeders. The clever ones wait and pick what the little ones discard and drop. @Pinkaholic79 💖🦄🌺 @Happygirl

Tilly is 13 years old now. When I found her and took her to the vets, her age was estimated at 4/5 weeks and should not have been separated from her mum. I found the little bundle and her brother and sister at the park entrance in bushes of the parking lot. A crying trio in a soggy cardboard box. That was in 2008 and good home was found for all. @Pinkaholic79 💖🦄🌺

Yes @renatew5😺🐶 it probably was, his almost 11 years old but still quite playful. Hope Tilly doesn't get a sting, not nice. Them crows can be scary tho.

@Happygirl I don't always tag as it was on same chat page. Was going to update about Joker today anyway. I called the vets and they said to keep an eye on it and make sure he ate. Firstly they wanted me to download an app to keep in touch, but I said I rather keep in touch via email. Anyway, I took a couple of pictures of his very swallen mouth and sent them. Was told if he hadn't eaten by sat morning, to call and bring him in. But Friday he managed to get outside. We could not get him back sat morning, but luckily I managed to see him and his mouth looked a bit better. It was afternoon by the time he came back in the cheeky sod. And fortunately tho the mouth a little swallen he started eating. So I emailed the vets again, I did query why his mouth became like that after his visit, I added maybe an abscess and it may have gotten unnoticed or just a bee sting. However, Joker has been fine, little swallen now, but he's eating ok, purring and loving his cuddles. Totally different from Friday when he was hiding under the bed. His gum is a little swallen but not bothered by it now. Will still keep an eye. I did bathe it with salty water and a cotton bud, that was the only thing I could think of at the time. Apologies for the long read 😉

@renatew5 dinner sounds wonderful. All we will be having is another stir fry. Flotson hates a traditional cooked 'dinner' so we never have one. It's not the same to cook it just for one.

Ah well, now we have 188 days and counting, that will give me plenty of time to polish the baubles.

And now I shall have a bash at the 'Daily Crossword, before starting on Sunday dinner. It's roast pork with crackling, cauliflower (had a beauty from Lidl yesterday), roast spuds and some carrots and homemade applesauce. @Flossy 🧁🧁🧁 @Happygirl

@Flossy 🧁🧁🧁 @Pinkaholic79 💖🦄🌺 @Happygirl couldn't see it on my tablet either so out it on desktop mode and there it was.

Very nice.

UPDATE. can see it in mobile mode now, thanks Flossy.

@Pinkaholic79 💖🦄🌺 Sorry it's only on laptops - might try and get it onto mobiles - it's a bit more difficult for me to do - must try harder - 4/10 for me.

@Happygirl Well spotted. I was just testing you to see how long it took you to notice. 10/10 you got it immediately.

Can't you tell that I get bored after midnight.

Hey @Flossy 🧁🧁🧁 what is with the 189 days until Christmas ha ha ha ?

Has any one else seen that at the top of our wanna chat site banner ?

@nabob @Pinkaholic79 💖🦄🌺 @Janet 💋🍰🍝🍹 @Tanith @harryflatters @Flotson @margaret.s @roz @renatew5😺🐶 and any one interested

It's awful what happened tho these cat owners. Hopefully something can be found and sorted soon, very soon.

Luckly I don't have any of the cat food listed. As a matter of fack my cat Joker has become really fussy with his food now, and need to figure out what he likes. On the bright side he had the vets yesterday and for his age, he's a pretty healthy cat.

Pet owner fears their cats died after eating dry food recalled over links to outbreak of rare disease

The Royal Veterinary College is investigating the "spike" in severe cases after more than 130 were recorded since April.

A pet owner who fears their cats died after eating food linked to an outbreak of a rare disease has told of his family's anguish.

Andrew Kay, 45, told Sky News the deaths of ragdolls Bell and Blue had left a "real hole" in his children's lives after the animals are believed to have succumbed to pancytopenia.

More than 130 cases of the rare illness, which causes blood cells to rapidly decline, have been recorded since April alone, as the Royal Veterinary College announced it will investigate the "spike".

Major retailers including Sainsbury's and Pets at Home have recalled dry food products, manufactured by Fold Hill Foods, over links to the outbreak as a precaution.

The list of products, released on Wednesday, has since been updated to include more items on Thursday.

The Food Standards Agency and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) warned cat owners not to feed their pets the affected products.

No unsafe cat food has been identified but Fold Hill Foods and retailers acted as a "precaution", a government spokesperson said, adding: "There is no definitive evidence to confirm a link at this stage."

Mr Kay says he fed his cats, both nine months, Applaws Cat Dry Chicken - one of the products feared to have been contaminated - which is also stocked by Amazon.

Both cats were put to sleep in May.

Bell was poorly first, becoming listless and suffering from diarrhoea, which was treated with antibiotics, said Mr Kay, a chiropractor from Essex.

"She seemed to perk up a bit but then took a turn for the worse, she started bleeding around the gums," he told Sky News.

"Then she started fitting and having seizures, she was spiralling out as my daughter put it.

"She was bleeding internally and not able to clot, and having strokes."

A vet offered to perform a blood transfusion but sadly could not save Bell.

Blue, despite being more "robust" than his companion, fell poorly soon afterwards.

"It was obvious he had the same thing as Bell," Mr Kay said.

"The vet asked if the cats could have come into contact with any toxins.

"Having spoken to the vets they say if they had been exposed to toxins we suspect it could be the food."

Mr Kay said the experience had been devastating for wife Shanaaz, their 12-year-old Max, and 10-year-old daughter Maya.

"The children have been very accepting as horrific as it has been, and it has been horrific.

"It's left a real hole, a gap in our family, we have lost two members of our family.

"We had another ragdoll, Charlie, who got run over this year so Bell and Blue were going to be our forever pets, we were going to breed them.

"But it wasn't meant to be."

Now the family have vowed not to get another pet until the cause of the outbreak has been determined.

Dozens of cat owners have voiced their concerns on social media - with many claiming their animals had died after eating potentially contaminated products.

Sky News has contacted Fold Hill Foods for comment.

In a statement, the company said on Wednesday: "As cat owners ourselves, we fully understand how upsetting and stressful this situation is for families and although diet has not been confirmed as the cause, we would prefer to act now to ensure the absolute safety of cats."

A Few of the cats mentioned above........................