Let’s stop once in a while and think about our pets. We chose to be pet owners. Dogs, cats and even giant-mutant goldfish need some attention, in addition to the minimal scoop of pet food twice a day. I often find myself shutting my door to work on the computer, and realize that my two dogs are sitting on the other side just waiting for me to play or give them attention. It doesn’t take much. Tanner likes to play keep away with a ball. He is very proud of having me chase him and as much as he taunts me with his ball, I am “unable” to catch it. I let him win tug-of-war. Tanner and Ellie like to hunt around the house for snacks that I hide, or play hide and seek to find me when I hide. (They aren’t very good at hiding though. ) I am sure I could walk them more or give them some extra attention, but at least I am aware of this and make an effort – many pet owners don’t, and it shows.

People who buy cute puppies, and then just tie them out and ignore them when they get older are not very responsible. But, there are a lot of pets at the pound, and I won’t be too judgmental about those marginal pet owners – it is better than the alternative. If you care about your pet, and give it the attention it needs, it will thrive and have a happier and longer life. There is a real similarity between people and pets. Both will thrive on attention and interaction; and, you can see the stunted mental and sluggish physical state of pets and children who are just left alone to eat cereal and watch TV all day.

In March, there was a pet food recall. It comes as a shock that many people are still buying pet food that is soaked in wheat gluten; and this is often tainted with melanin. And, both the cheap brands (like Ol’ Roy which has hardly more nutrition than sawdust, and is sold in bulk at Wal-Mart) and the expensive brands (like IAMS and Eukanuba) are affected.

Wheat gluten is a staple in pet food recipes as it contains many different proteins. Companies that use wheat gluten are able to make the claim that their products are “protein rich� or “enhanced to help with muscle growth.� Doesn’t sound like the type of supplement I’d want to feed my puppy. What’s even more disturbing is the fact that melanin has been identified largely as a contaminant in the affected foods and that companies outwardly admit to using melanin in efforts to drive up protein counts, thus selling more product.

My challenge to pet owners is to be aware of what impacts the health and happiness of your pets, and give them a little more attention this month.

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