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Welcome to the Balanced Blends newsletter!
We hope everyone is staying warm, and that everyone's ready for the end of the year, which is quickly approaching. Don't forget - a great New Year's resolution is to feed a species appropriate diet! ;)
Let us know what items you’d like to see us cover! We'd love to hear about cool animal rescues in your area, or stories that are local that others would appreciate hearing!
Shoot me an email - christina@balancedblends.com =^..^=
Animal News
Photo by Timo Volz on Unsplash
St. Louis, Missouri Bans Declawing
-St. Louis is the tenth municipality, and the first Midwestern city, to ban declawing. This followed a 21-1 vote from the St. Louis Board of Aldermen last Friday, and went into effect immediately. Great job, St. Louis!
https://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/declawing-banned-in-st-louis/
Photo by Charles on Unsplash
Dogs Process Numbers Using a Similar Part of Their Brain Compared to Humans
-A study from Emory University published in Biology Letters found that dogs use a similar neural mechanism to humans to process numbers. No training is required for them to do this, which provides insight into how the human brain has evolved over time. This is a fascinating read!
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/12/191218153339.htm
Recalls/Health Warnings
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
No, Really, Don't Eat Romaine from Salinas, California
-As of December 1, 2019, there are 138 cases of E. Coli in 25 states, and the traceback investigation shows one common location - Salinas, California. Please, if you plan on eating some leafy greens this holiday season, make sure you check their origin!
https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-e-coli-o157h7-outbreak-linked-romaine-salinas-california-november-2019?utm_campaign=Outbreak_Romaine_Ecoli_12192019&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
Food Safety Complains Rise in December
-Food safety complaints rise in the month of December, with food poisoning being top of the list, followed by foreign bodies in the food, then allergic reactions. Apparently calamari is a top offender. Why the increase? Busier venues, more temp staff, and bulk cooking items means safety procedures aren’t necessarily being followed. Maybe think twice about going out to eat at this time of year?
https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2019/12/food-safety-complaints-expected-to-rise-this-month-anti-waste-efforts-continue/
Cute Stuff!
Balanced Blends Has a New Family Member!
-Okay, I'm a little biased about this week's cute stuff, but I wanted to share our new family member - Larry! For those who may not know, John and I volunteer with a feral cat organization, and we feed at a colony twice a week. Larry was the "front cat" - he hung around at the front of the property, greeting the feeders when they arrived, and generally being adorable. Last week, he presented with a hurt paw, so John and I took him to the vet. After his appointment, he needed a place to recuperate, and then, well, we *really* didn't want him to leave. I spoke with the head of the colony, who spoke with the head of the organization, and we were given permission to adopt him. Yay, Larry!
You can read more about Larry's origin here:
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2767856399934279&id=405942369459039
Non-Profit of the Week
In North Carolina, the law states that if an animal is sick, injured, or blind, it may be immediately euthanized in an animal control facility. That's why, in 2005, a mother-daughter team found themselves inadvertently starting the Blind Cat Rescue. While at a volunteering event at a local PetSmart, they opted to take in a blind kitten whose owner was going to leave him in a parking lot if the shelter wouldn't accept him. This led to them taking in more blind cats, and quickly realizing that just because the cats are blind doesn't mean they don't act like typical cats.
The sanctuary also accepts cats who are FELV+ and FIV+, as there are misconceptions that these cats cannot live with non-infected cats.
https://blindcatrescue.com/about.htm
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