volume 1- 2006     01-16-06  

Is your cat on the 'Prowl'?
Winter news! Finally it's here- we have just launched our first blend of Cat Food- Prowl! Read on for more info.

We hope to warm you up and keep you healthy in this post holiday winter newsletter edition. We have warming recipes, intro to Prowl, charities news, Invigorating supplement focus and more.

Please keep the suggestions coming. We value your opinions, thoughts, and article ideas. Send your thoughts to service@thehonestkitchen.com .
  • Health, and Donations
  • Stores that Shine
  • Prowl it is Here!!!
  • In the Kitchen
  • Winter thoughts
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    Health & Nourish tips for winter

    Winter is a time for rest and rejuvenation but it can also signify a period of over indulgence for ourselves as well as our pets. Many animals find themselves the lucky recipients of hoards of table leftovers during the holidays and while healthy table scraps are a good thing in moderation, an excess can lead to the development of potentially harmful health conditions.
    One common ailment to affect domestic pets at this time of year is pancreatitis, which can occur almost without warning, after the consumption of excessive amounts of fat and protein, or overly rich foods. For more on Pancreatitis condition see our archived article. Click here!.
    A more sedentary lifestyle during the winter months, can also contribute to weight gain and reduced fitness levels.
    We recommend a fairly bland diet for post-holiday detoxification to help re-balance vital organ systems and restore optimal health. Please see our nourishing, cleansing recipes below for some delicious menu ideas!

    WWF
    For the coming months, our selected charity is the World Wildlife Fund's Conservation Action Network, helping to raise awareness of endangered species of Great Cats and Wild Canids around the world. More about this vital campaign can be found at takeaction.worldwildlife.org. As we feed our domesticated cats and dogs with delicious meals, it is important to remember that there are many related species who are battling for survival. The WWF campaign will receive a donation from The Honest Kitchen based on profits from sales of all Double Packs in the coming months. To order the Double Pack of your choice, Click here!

    Thanks to your orders, we have been very proud to donate a portion of the profits from sales of our Double packs to the following charitable organizations during the last year:

    Heifer International – aiding victims of the Asian Tsunamis through agricultural programs.
    The ASPCA – Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month
    American Humane – Be Kind to Animals Week
    Unicef - Aiding children in Niger
    Hurricane Katrina Animal Welfare Fund – ongoing assistance for Animal Victims of Hurricane Katrina

    You may have noticed some of the other happenings here at the Honest Kitchen. We have released our newly redesigned labels, revamped our website, and moved our product to a state of the art shipping warehouse. We hope that our efforts to improve our products and service are paying off for you and that you realize your suggestions really do count.
    Please keep your suggestions and comments coming, we are truly a different sort of pet food company, we listen and care about you and your pets.

    To read more about how different Honest Kitchen really is Click Here! We are not your typical pet food manufacturer.


    Stores, Stores, and more Stores

    Before we introduce all the new locations you can find Honest Kitchen diets throughout the continental US and beyond, we would like to congratulate our 'Resellers of the Month'. We have received so many great nominations for 'Reseller of the Month' that we had to choose two. Please keep your nominations coming. We would love to hear how you were first introduced to Honest Kitchen.

    Dogma Catma
    142 University Ave
    San Diego, CA 92103
    Tel: (877) 364-6222
    Visit Dogma Catma Here!

    Since its inception, the who's who of dog owners frequent the ever-friendly San Diego local store in Hillcrest, offering an array of products for your four-legged friends. Collars, leashes and beds galore, not to mention they do a fabulous job of educating their customers on better quality nutrition. Carl Gustafson and Tim Oliver, co-owners of this fine store, have carried The Honest Kitchen since last Spring and continuously have remained on in the top for sales each month.

    Pet Sage
    2391 South Dove Street
    Alexandria, VA 22314
    Tel: (703) 299- 5044

    Pet Sage is located in historic Alexandria, VA, does a wonderful job at promoting the Honest Kitchen foods. According to Terri, Pet Sage's owner, the reason HK diets move so quickly in the store is due to educating the customers, asking the key questions about the health issues of the customer's pet, and offering educational seminars. Due to the amount of nutritional education Terri and her staff offer, the store has earned the trust and referral of local veterinarians. The upcoming seminar at Pet Sage is on Feline nutrition. Prowl is sure to be in the 'spot light' at this seminar. Visit Pet Sage Here!

    Thank you Dogma Catma and Pet Sage for coming on board! To show our gratitude, the stores will receive a 20% discount on there next order!

    Our Store directory grows, and grows. We have even grown out of the continential US! We now have a distributor out of Anchorage, Alaska. Windriver Kennels 907.737.3931. And our distributor on the Big Island of Hawaii, K9 Mama Tel: (808) 325-3201, has added several new locations that the island can find Honest Kitchen diets as well.

    Honest Kitchen is also being distributed in the Colorado mountains. Wholesome Pet Supplies of Colorado will be servicing stores in Breckenridge, Summit County, Vail, Steamboat Springs and Aspen. (970) 333-1045


    Below is a list of new resellers and veterinarians that are now carrying Honest Kitchen diets. Is there one near you?

    Planet Dog (Retail store) Portland, ME 207.347.8606
    The Animal House Newcastle, ME 207.563.5595
    Abby's Dog Depot- Westport, MA 508.730.1199
    Geronimo's Nantucket, MA 02554 508.228.3731
    Pet Barn Worcester, MA 508.831.0262
    Pet Barn Holden, MA 508.829.8200
    Pawsitively Natural Humarock, MA 781.837.0850
    Especially for Pets Medway, MA 508.533.0275
    Especially for Pets Westborough, MA 508. 366. 9696
    Food for Pets Amherst, NH 603..673.7387
    Hope Veterinary Services Brooklyn, NY 718.852.4219
    The Wagging Tail Cape May, NJ 609.886.5995
    For Your Canine, Inc Schiller Parl, IL 847.671.6844
    Call of the Wild Chicago, IL 773.539.1088
    Gone To The Dogs Grooming Normal, IL 309.451.1638
    Animal Feeds and Needs Arlington Heights, IL 847.437.4738
    Wigglyville Chicago, IL 773.528.3337
    Barrington Kennels Lake Barrington, IL 847.381.6009
    End of the Leash Mukwanago, WI 262.363.3338
    Pequot Lakes Animal Hospital Pequot Lakes, MN 218.568.5095
    The Dogwoods Mt. Horeb, WI 608.798.2772
    One Lucky Mutt Wildwood, MO 636.458.8838
    Lola & Penelope's Clayton, MO 314.863.5652
    SitStay.com Lincoln, NE 402.467.3428
    Blue Hill Dog & Cat Shop Longmont, CO 303.651.2955
    Veterinary Housecalls Arcata, CA 707.822.8387
    Cali' Whole Pets Santa Cruz, CA 831-475-0688
    2 Dogs and a Cat South Lake Tahoe, CA 530.541.2322
    Motherspring Willits, CA 707.459.3438
    K9 Raw Diet Bell Canyon, CA 818.888.6983
    City Pet Supply Cannon Dallas, TX 214.252.9973
    Bark Avenue Reno, NV 775.824.3647
    Pet Palace Alpharetta, GA 770. 751.9212
    For Pet's Sake Dothan AL 334. 699. 2072
    Animal House of Distinction Jupiter, FL 561. 746.9055
    Bark Avenue Pet Specialties Sebastian, FL 772. 388. 3066
    Cape Dog Bakery Cape Coral, FL 239. 542.9663
    Critter Cafe Marco Island, FL 941. 389. 8488
    Earth Pets Natural Pet Market Gainsville FL 352. 331.5123
    Four Legged Gourmet Wilton Manors, FL 954. 561. 3796
    Fuzzybutz Dog Day Spa & Boutique Neptune Beach, FL 904. 241. 4426
    Groom At The Inn Naples, FL 239. 530. 3647
    Healthy Paws St. Petersburg, FL 727. 822. 7297
    Holistic For Pets Sarasota, FL 941. 378. 4367
    Paws On The Avenue Lake Worth, FL 561. 588.6533
    Pet's Best Miami, FL 786. 573. 4898

    Salty Dog Sitka, Alaska 907.747.1024

    Paws University Kailua-Kona Hawaii
    Up Country Pet Center Kealakekua, Hawaii 808.322.3399

    For our complete store directory Click Here!


    What's All the Purring About?

    Prowl-

    We are delighted to announce that Prowl, our brand new dehydrated raw cat food is finally available! A special thanks goes to all those felines who offered their taste testing input.
    Prowl is a grain-free diet, made with 60% Human Grade hormone-free chicken, plus eggs, potatoes, yams, flaxseed, zucchini, spinach, honey, cranberries (for urinary tract health) and rosemary.
    This recipe has been formulated to meet the AAFCO cat food nutrient profiles for adult maintenance and can be fed as a stand alone diet, or as a nutritionally balanced base for home made raw or cooked cat food.
    Keep in mind, cats really enjoy a varied diet and it may be wise to rotate between several different meats as a tasty addition to Prowl, for your cat.
    Just like all The Honest Kitchen's diets, Prowl must be hydrated with warm water before serving. One tablespoon of Prowl will make about ˝ oz of fresh food when hydrated. Hydrated food is a great choice for cats since it provides them with plenty of fluid which is vital for their delicate urinary and excretory systems.
    Dry kibble-style cat food is not a good choice for most cats! Grains are a very poor choice for felines who are obligate carnivores and can digest only a very small amount of vegetable ingredients in their diet.

    Did you know that it is mainly cats who eat kibble, that trigger allergic reactions in sensitive humans? It seems that years of eating an unnatural type of food, causes a change in their composition that turns cat dander into ‘allergens'. Raw and natural fed cats are rarely causes of allergic reactions for humans.

    Converting cats to new diet can be tricky! Dry kibble can be addictive to cats and we all know felines have a way of demanding what they want.

    Some cats will convert easy to the new fresh food diet- they may have been waiting their whole lives for exactly this, while others may have a tough time with it. Cats are texture creatures, and part of the beauty of Prowl is that you can amend your cats meal to the texture of their liking. Prowl does meet the nutrient requirement for cats set by AAFCO, but like our dog diets you can add in up to an equal amount of additions with out disrupting the nutrient ratio.
    Some suggested add ins; additional fresh meats, (chicken, turkey, beef, rabbit, etc) raw, cooked, partially cooked, again to your cats liking. Raw chicken necks and backs make a big hit, and crunch with some cats, bones must always be fed RAW. Another big hit are organ meats; we suggest organic if available, especially if feeding liver. Organic yogurt, fresh fish (easy on the canned tuna, this tends to be high in sodium), cottage cheese, sardines, etc. Like dogs, you do not want to feed onions, NEVER cooked bones, or raisons, and a limited amount of garlic for cats.
    In the transition, you can mix Prowl with what you are presently feeding while your cat gets aquanted. For those already feeding a fresh food diet, there may be no transition period at all. For the finicky ones, the transition may be slowly and you will need to have some patients.

    Tough love is needed for some cat owners in this transtion from addictive kibbles. You NEVER want to go longer then a 24 hour period without food for your cat, 12 for overweight cats. If overweight cats stop eating for extended periods of time they can develope a serious liver condition called Fatty Liver Syndrome, or Hepatic Lipidosis.

    Here are some great resources for feeding cats what they were meant to eat:

    Bright Haven Center
    The Goldsteins' Wellness & Longevity Program, by Robert S. Goldstein, VMD and Susan J Goldstein
    The New Natural Cat, by Anitra Frazier
    Raising Cats Naturally, by Michelle T Bernard


    What's cookin (or warming)!

    A Prowlin' Good Recipe

    In celebration of the recent launch of our Prowl Cat Food, we're pleased to feature a delicious recipe this month, with Prowl as the base. This nutritious menu idea will be sure to delight the feline in your life!

    4 tbsp Prowl Cat Food
    1 raw or lightly scrambled Egg
    1 tbsp plain yogurt
    4 chicken gizzards, whole or ground.
    ˝ tsp fresh parsley

    Hydrate the Prowl with 4 tbsp of warm water and allow to sit for a few minutes. Beat the egg (cook lightly if desired) and stir into the Prowl. Pour this mixture over the chicken gizzards. Add the yogurt on top and garnish with a small sprinkle of parsley.

    Warming up, the beauty of Buckwheat!

    Buckwheat has a very deceiving name, it is not in the wheat family, it is not even a grain. This is actually the seed of an herb and is gluten- free. It is known for its warming, yang properties and may be a welcome addition to your pet's winter meal.

    You should be able to find buckwheat at a health food store. Buckwheat comes in many forms: Kasha, Kasha Grits, Whole Buckwheat, Buckwheat flour.

    Buckwheat cream

    1 cup buckwheat flour
    2 tablespoon- Olive oil
    4 cups filtered water

    Add oil to skillet, under low flame add flour to brown, stir continuously with a wooden spoon (careful not to burn), after flour is brown allow to cool. Add water and heat over a high flame until it reaches boiling point. Lower flame and simmer covered 15- 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool to room temp and serve with a warm Honest Kitchen meal of your choice. This is grain- free and gluten free.


    Winter health thoughts!

    Fasting is an age-old concept, manifesting from droughts of food which proved to be unpleasant to our ancestors. In the end, fasting is a blessing in disguise, allowing the digestive tract to rest, a much deserved break. Fasting for us is much more difficult than for our animals…they don't have those opposable thumbs to open up the fridge at 3 am!

    Regular short fasts can emulate what a predator might go through in natural conditions, prior to domestication in which they go through conditions leading to lean or fat periods. These can also aid in general "housecleaning," giving the animal's digestive tract a break from normal. It is important that plenty of fresh filtered water be readily available for the animal during any type of fast.

    Fasting your companion dog a few days can provide even more benefits. For a dog who is experiencing a lull in their appetite, fasting for a few days can stimulate this. Also, this form of fasting helps detox and cleanse the body and rid old taste habits. This is especially recommended when switching from a dry food kibble to a fresh and/or frozen raw diet. Cats should not fast more then a 24 hour period, and no longer then 12 hours for an overweight feline. Longer fasts can lead to a condition only known in felines called Feline Hepatic Lipidosis.

    After the fast is complete, introduce foods slowly, not allowing the dog or cat to engorge itself once back in the ring, so to speak.

    If you would like more details on specific fasts, liquid or prolonged fasting, please contact us. We plan to offer more cleansing, fasting suggestions this coming spring.

    Invigor is our acclaimed antioxidant supplement. It contains a host of herbal compounds, phyto-nutrients and antioxidant ingredients, including Certified Organic Kelp, Hawthorne Berry, Olive Leaf, Astragalus, Watercress & Spirulina.

    Supplementation with an antioxidant is useful for young and aging pets alike, as well as those enduring the stress of travel, showing & competition or any type of illness, or weakness that affects the immune system.

    Kelp is a rich source of trace minerals, vitamins and antioxidants as well as Iodine, a mineral that is vital for the proper functioning of the thyroid gland.

    Astragalus is a popular herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine for its nurturing properties, immune system boost and support for T-Cell function.

    Hawthorne is most popular for its ability to support healthy heart and circulatory function. This herb's flavanoid properties may be useful to help prevent the breakdown of collagen; this is useful for disorders of bones, joints and cartilage (Arthritis, periodontal disease).

    Olive Leaf Extract is effective against a multitude of bacterial, viral and fungal diseases and strengthens the immune system. Olives are the foundation of a healthy diet in the Mediterranean where life expectancies are high.

    Spirulina is a "Superfood" loaded with antioxidants and a remarkable concentration of nutrients including protein, Beta Carotene, Vitamin B12, Iron & trace minerals. It also contains the fatty acid, GLA.

    Watercress is the subject of a number of current cancer studies to investigate its anti-carcinogenic effects. It is a potent source of the antioxidant Vitamins A, C & E. This herb is thought to have natural antibiotic and detoxification effects.

    Invigor is a pure herbal product and is very easy to use, just sprinkle on top or stir into your dogs' bowl of healthy food. This product contains no fillers or synthetic ingredients, no added salt, sugar, artificial preservatives, by-products, dairy or grain ingredients.

    The Honest Kitchen's nutritional products are not intended to diagnose, cure or prevent disease. Our web site, email communications and other correspondence are for informational purposes only and do not replace the expert care and advice provided by your veterinarian. Dietary and other healthcare changes should be made under the guidance of your vet, particularly when underlying health conditions exist.



           
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