We've just spent $1,000 on one of our neutered male cats as it had an UTI. Although it is still quite young, it will now be on a special Science Diet for the remainder of its life, as it appears to be prone to getting struvite crystals in the urine.
On a slightly different topic, I was looking at some products on eBay that were made of 'raccoon dog' fur. As I was concerned that this was just another name for dog fur, I googled raccoon dog, with some extremely distressing results. It is horrific what is being done to these poor animals in the name of fashion. If you are empathetic to animals and cannot cope with the stress of knowing what happens to them, I suggest you don't do any research on the matter, but let me save you an unanswered question, by saying they are definitely not dogs. There are in fact, fake puppies and kittens sold in pet shops and other less than morally conscious shops, that are made of real animal fur. Why anyone would wish to own a fake puppy or kitten - sometimes complete with battery operated similated breathing - made from the fur of a real animal is beyond my comprehension.
