What are they missing?? LOL! My cats having eating, treats, sleeping, grooming, being petted, playing in a pile of shredded tissue paper left over from Christmas, watching birds and squirrels, going in the backyard for walks while being held, chasing each other around the house, wrestling, .... Is there more to life than that??

They don't get to hunt. I think that's the biggie.

They're not missing a thing. Playing with toys takes the place of hunting. There is the occasional unlucky anole or gecko that finds its way indoors. I like to think I rescue most of them before any damage is done.

The most we ever get is a fly, which is big excitement. And apparently mighty tasty.

CindyMac and mayflowers, this very morning I pondered the very same subject, of what joys my cats might be missing by living their lives within 1250 sq.ft. Not much, except cars and other deadly objects. I have (screened) doors and windows open for fresh air. There is always some spot in the house with sunshine streaming in and they know exactly where and when. There's food and water aplenty. Two jumbo litterboxes. Toys and paperclips and toilet paper to shred. They race around the house without a care. A bug on the wall, no matter how small or high up, is cause for yowling and flinging themselves as high as they can jump. It's actually very annoying. They were born to a feral mother and fostered at a very young age. They've never known "outside." They are happy and content, IMNSHO.

And I don't have to worry about them out in the big world. I've had cats disappear and it's not a good thing to go through.

I can see why human elimination diagnostic diets start with a few things and then add one thing at a time to see if it's tolerated. I printed out the ingredients of the two cans that triggered extreme barfing, one Instinct and the other FF. I tried to compare ingredients. A few were easy to match (salt, taurine, potassium chloride), whereas others either didn't match or there was "artificial and natural flavors" (FF, natch) and pumpkin and artichokes (Instinct). Artichokes!!

I suspect I could spin my wheels looking for the culprit. The Instinct duck formula (barf) has less fat than the chicken (no barf).

I'll have a conversation with my vet.

I haven't read all the replies, so if this is a repeated suggestion please forgive.. We have 2 cats that are coming up on 3 years of age.. They've always had a grain free kibble like Canidae Pure or Taste of the Wild but recently we started adding some wet food to their diet as well, Canidae Lamb Pure with chicken.. It's grain free with minimal ingredients and the cats really like it. Maybe having strictly soft is just too rich for them over all and a mix of both kibble and soft would work better in their systems. So far, it's been a really good option for our cats.

cattyles

"Cat
physiology requires that they extract fluids from their food. This is
impossible when they eat dry food. It's not an opinion. Vets are not
well informed when it comes to cat nutrition. If you choose to feed your
cat dry food after having all of the correct info, that is, of course,
your choice. But I don't thinks it's cool to talk others out of it, that
are trying to do the right thing."

May I ask what is your expertise? Are you a vet? A medical doctor? What is your degree?

Just my 2 cents, but I suspect dry food is good w/ younger cats, but as they age, the issues can start to surface....?

I and others have posted numerous links and references on the other thread. Those links were also reposted by different people in response to anecdotal arguments. I am usually a lurker because I started reading gw to learn more about decorating and remodeling and seldom posted. What I have studied a great deal about, is cat care and nutrition. I am very happy to help those that wish to transition their cats to a healthier diet. However, I'm not going to repeatedly defend facts against anectdotal stories.

Linelle, your kitties are loved and they have a wonderful life! I know you will do your best for them.

I and others have posted numerous links and references on the other thread.

So your expertise would be the internet?

I really appreciate everyone's input and sharing the trials and tribulations of cat food. We all want what's best for our kitties. I will continue to explore transitioning my guys to wet food, whether in whole or to supplement their dry food. Your suggestions are helpful. I'll be interested in my vet's opinion since she knows my cats firsthand. When food that's supposed to be better for my cats causes both of them to throw up multiple times, it's time to take a step back and try to figure out what's going on.

If your cat will eat a wet food diet, great. If you're willing to keep trying foods until you find the ones they enjoy, good for you and your cats! (You as in the universal you). My cats are four and two. I only recently gave up because of throwing away too much canned food. I don't feel guilty because I tried my hardest. It just became too expensive and wasteful.

How much water is in one can of cat food? Or one mouse for that matter? If my cats drink a few ounces of water a day, I think they do get enough water with a dry diet. They also eat one 3 oz. can of Against the Grain grain-free food between the two of them, which has a lot of moisture.

It seems generally the consensus that grain-free cat food is good. I'm not sure why, but I'll accept it.

I assume that if a food, e.g., Fancy Feast, doesn't claim to be grain-free, it isn't. I'm looking at the list of ingredients on the variety that made my cats throw up. How does one identify the grain? I don't see it. Is it the 1.5% crude fiber listed under nutritional information?

I think the problem with grain is it can lead to diabetes and skin allergies. Most of the supermarket brands of dry cat food is mainly grain, such as corn. Our neighborhood kitty uses my garden to poop and it was very light yellow. I knew she wasn't getting enough protein because our cats have dark poop, so we feed her daily too. She has eaten a lot of my cats' rejects over the past two years. She's not a picky eater!

It wasn't too long ago that canned cat food was a huge no-no, remember?

Anyway, I have 3 cats and the all suddenly stopped eating their nightly canned food.

I think it was last summer they became picky eaters regarding canned. I'd buy FF in all varieties. The kind with gravy was out, they all hated it. Rather, they liked the gravy but they wouldn't touch the meat.

None of them had any problem eating the solid wet food. One of my cats would take a few bites and that's all she wanted. I've switched brands, and they walked away from it too, even though they "ask" for it every evening!

WTH?? I too have been throwing away a lot of cat food. They eat the dry just fine, and the three of them would live in a bowl of water if they could. lol. BTW, since cats seem to prefer water out of the faucet (from my experience), I have a cute water bowl for the cats sitting next to it. :) I'm not worried about them not getting enough liquids.

Something is going on though. They turn away from the food they loved and won't even take a bite.

About throw up. As gross as it is I always put my glasses on and inspect, ever since one of my cats from years ago threw up pin worms. The worms that look like spaghetti. ICK.

Linelle, it is my understanding that Fancy Feast Classics are grain free.

marlene, no kidding? I only buy FF Classics and it doesn't say that anywhere on the can, yet it's not showing up in the first few rows of ingredients. Most "premium" cat foods tout being grain-free, so I wonder why FF doesn't.

On the other hand, their Hill's Science Diet Optimal Care dry food lists Whole Grain Wheat and Corn Gluten Meal as #2 and #3, after Chicken #1. They love this food. Dark poop.

Oakley, I *do* remember when canned food was a big no-no. I thought I was being virtuous eliminating it from their diets. What happened?!!

Sometimes I can inspect the barf and other times I just don't have the stomach for it, like the night I was midway through dinner when both of them cut loose in the same room I was eating in.

marlene, I just did a little googling about FF being grain-free, and it seems that the Classic varieties are grain-free. Who'da thunk it?

What are the meat by-products in FF? Whatever it is, it doesn't sound good.

I've bought cat food labeled human-grade, but we'd have to be in the Apocalypse for me to open a can and dig in.

Good for your kitties, switching to canned food! It is not just the water, it is the levels of protein & carbs. There is an epidemic of feline obesity, diabetes, feline lower urinary tract disease, and inflamm/irritable bowel disease/syndrome that all have been linked to dry food.

Great article from the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

http://www.catnutrition.org/uploads/6/4/4/5/6445971/zorans_article.pdf

It sounds like you are changing brands and flavors on a daily basis???

As everyone knows cats can vomit from hairballs, eating too fast, illness, and food allergies, among other things.

FF, Iams, Purina ProPlan, Science Diet are mid-range canned foods I've had success with, both at the feline shelter where I volunteer and my own pets.

I feel your pain! I've been going through trying to find and make suitable food for my three kitties (siblings from the same litter) for over two years now. One cat has significant issues and after much vetting most likely has IBD. I've spent an immense amount of time on countless sites reading up on cat food ingredients, cat diseases, their dietary needs, etc., etc. I've spent a ridiculous amount of time picking out commercial food and preparing homemade food. After tons of uneaten wasted food and vomit to clean up I am not much further than when I started!

The only thing that has made a significant difference is daily prednisolone and monthly B12 shots. I still give probiotics and continue to try to find foods that are well tolerated and eaten. I don't want my young cat to be on steroids for the rest of her life.

I think cats and dogs are much like people when it comes to health. Some people can eat crappy, drink heavily, smoke, and live into their 80s. Others do everything "right" and still have chronic health problems when statistics say they shouldn't. Some cats can eat the cheapest "wrong" food and still get along very well.

The only advice I have to offer is for the people trying to give their cats medication. Get a bag of small empty gel caps (#3 extra small work well). They work wonders for pilling cats. It covers the bitter taste of many pills, makes the pill easier for you to hold, and easier for the cat to swallow. Hiding pills in food doesn't work for many cats... they aren't as easily fooled as dogs. :) Also, reserving the cats favorite treats for pilling time makes it go much easier. Mine likes freeze dried chicken breast. I give a little bit of treat, a squirt of water from a syringe, pop the pill in, a little more water, then another treat and lots of petting. I do her pill in the bathroom (less distractions) at the same time every day so it is now routine. In fact when I come upstairs she is already sitting on the toilet in the dark waiting for me. A few days and some patience on both our parts is all it took. The vet tech's suggestion of tightly wrapping the cat up in a towel for pilling only lasted one day and was disastrous. Calm demeanor, patience, baby steps, and tasty rewards worked far better.

Even if your cat doesn't need medication, it would probably be a good idea to practice pilling cats with empty gel caps to get both you and the cat comfortable with it. Desperately wrestling with a sick scared cat to try pill them is no fun for anyone.

I have tried to do the same thing regarding grooming with all my pets. Don't wait until they NEED nails trimmed, ears cleaned, teeth brushed, etc. to try it for the first time. Getting them comfortable with you doing these things before they need them done is so much easier. The younger they are when you start the easier it is too. Techniques that work for vet techs and groomers often only work for them because the animal is already scared of them and nervous. At home patience and rewards is the way to go.

molanic, when I got my two cats (litter mates) I had every intention of starting them out early having their teeth cleaned and nails trimmed. It's my own fault for slacking. I can maybe get three claws trimmed before they bail on me.

Zephyr gets liquid prednisolone every 4th day. Since I live alone, it's more do-able for me, cat scruff in one hand, syringe in the other. He doesn't like it one bit, but we follow up with treats immediately after and doesn't seem to hold it against me.

It's kind of discouraging that you've done so much research about food and plugged away at it so long and are still without a solution. All I know right now is two varieties of different brands made them sick as dogs and won't be tried again.

What a timely thread! I have been experimenting with my 13 year old Cali's diet, as she, too, has a delicate stomach. We're in a remote rural area and my shopping choices are limited, so Chewy.com was a revelation to me. I ordered my first shipment today and set up autoship.

I also read with great interest and relief everyone's input. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Sand plum, Chewy is awesome. You order one day and it arrives the next day or two. Also my DD ordered food and two days later it was never delivered even though there was a delivery confirmation. They sent a replacement out as soon as she called with no questions. A couple of days later Fedex delivered it (they originally delivered to lwrong address). She is calling tomorrow to tell them the original was now delivered. I've only heard and experienced great things with them.

mdln- the 2002 article you link mostly describes how cats are very different from dogs and are true carnivores... (i briefly visited the website linked above- although that particular article was written by a vet, the large disclaimer at the bottom of the website stating that the content of the website is written by a lay person with absolutely no veterinary training.....)

cats will die if they eat dog food whereas dogs could quite happily survive on catfood... catfood- dry and wet- is formulated with their body chemistry in mind.

a (well educated) previous vet of mine told me that from his experience there seemed to be a correlation between the wt of pet owners and the wt of their pets.... he found that more often overwt humans also had overwt pets... he suspected from their feeding/reward habits and decreased activity levels.

just like with people, obesity can have many very negative affects on animals...

the pet food business is a big business! i would love to know what the profit margins are on some of these brands. i do feed my cat a 'high quality, grain free' dry food though i'm not sure that that is necessarily a healthier choice than non 'grainfree'-our cat is currently a 10 yr old indoor cat that is of a healthy wt with no known disease or allergies- as she ages, should her health change, i may have to alter her diet...

I think both types of food each have their own benefits and caveats and as with any living animal, each one is individual and will react differently to types and brands. The reason we started mixing soft food with kibble is because within a very short time I kept hearing stories about urine crystals, how painful they are for the cat, how expensive it is for treatment and that an all kibble diet seemed to be a contributor. Typically when that happens to me, I take that as a warning about whatever the issue is and will make a change to avoid the potential problem.

Our last two cats were on strictly soft food. And even though they both lived long healthly lives, I found the continued price gouging by pet food manufacturers to be extremely aggravating. They were too old for a change and it wasn't cheap to feed them. Between the cost of litter and canned food for 2 elderly cats, it was expensive and feeding the cats we have now both is a good compromise.

@ busybee, The link was intended to be to the article - NOT the website. If you prefer to read it on the AVMA site, here is the link.
http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/pdf/10.2460/javma.2002.221.1559

i commented on the original source you linked---

but, i did read the article and it certainly didn't particularly promote wet food at all as i sortof outlined in my other comments...

Honestly, it's an article by a vet, published in the recognized official journal for vets. That means that the word has been out, officially, of important, accepted changes in cat nutrition since the article was published. If you want to continue feeding your cat dry food, or food with grains, that is entirely up to you. But why scoff at the facts like they are some new, wacky ideas?

The large pet food companies have worked hard to keep everyone feeding their pets trash (literally, the trash grain and animal scraps scraped off the floor). It's more expensive to make quality food. Quality food is richer and takes some adjustment by kitty tummies.

All the anecdotal evidence in the world does not change facts. You can feed children trash and they will grow into adulthood. But why would you? I really do feel obligated to share the facts about cat nutrition. I have done that, trying to ignore the rudeness of one poster, and trying to reasonably answer the reasonable questions of everyone else.

I have a love of cats and all animals and no other ulterior motive.

Speaking of giving our kids medicine (well I think someone was speaking about that :-)), there are many drugs (prednisone included) that can be compounded into a transdermal gel. My Oliver could not/would not be pilled so this was extremely helpful. Most medications can also be compounded into liquid form.

Back to testing after a few days' break due to Barfpalooza.

FF Chicken (Classic) was devoured on the spot and stayed down. Now, instead of a cupboard full of random selections, I'm developing a Yes! and No! list.

I have done significant research on cat nutrition as well, and am in the same camp as cattyles. As a cat owner, you can make whatever choices you want, just as we all make different food choices for ourselves. But dry food is just not as good for them. This is current thinking and most more progressive vets will say this. I volunteer at an animal shelter and the medical staff there says this. Many vets know little about cat nutrition and only know what the pet food companies have told them. That's why it makes sense to educate yourself, just as it makes sense to educate yourself about your own diet. If you have no desire to do so, that's fine too. But some people here seem to have a real vested interest in a closed mind.

I would go slow, Linelle. Maybe introduce one or two new foods per week.

cattyles, going slow is my plan. Yesterday's food was only 1/8 of a 3-oz. can per cat, basically a heaping teaspoon. I reduced the amount of dry accordingly. I never mix the two together as in my experience it creates a mess and if they don't like the wet, the whole meal is rejected.

Anyway, using the 1/8 method, a small can will last 4 days, as for now I'm only doing this at night. If they like a certain food, and it stays down, I'll increase the amount slowly. I have three FF varieties, all chicken and/or turkey. My unscientific experience is that most cats prefer a variety of canned flavors.

I remember reading somewhere that Science Diet taught the nutrition classes for vets. Now there's a conflict of interest.

I hope I'm not included in the closed mind category. I tried for two years with my cats, but you can't force a cat to eat. Maybe you'd feel differently if you were throwing money in the trash like we were, Sas. There were some quality wet foods they did like that they eventually stopped eating altogether. They loved a Wellness chicken and turkey food and then quit it cold turkey. The formula probably changed, as I've read that's a problem as companies get bought and sold. I bought Fancy Feast Chicken Classic last week and Gracie, who used to like it, will no longer eat it. One other pate she'll eat some of is Trader Joe's chicken, but that does have rice in it.

I think we were spending about $250 a month on cat food. Their Origen dry food cost $22 for a 5 pound bag but it lasts three weeks because there are no grains or fillers. They eat less because they're getting more protein.

http://www.orijen.ca/products/cat-food/dry-cat-food/cat-kitten/

I think one of the problems we had, and maybe the main contributing factor, is I tried to give them only wet but DH was sitting up in his office giving them dry food and treats. Honestly, it pissed me off that I was working so hard to make wet feeding successful while he was undermining it by treating his babies. He's worse of a cat nut than I am. Gracie is a small cat with a small appetite so she would just hold out until Dad brought out the dry food. Now they just get a little wet food morning and night.

So which is it .... "vets are not well informed when it comes to cat nutrition" or "Honestly, it's an article by a vet, published in the recognized official journal for vets. That means that the word has been out, officially, of important, accepted changes in cat nutrition since the article was published."

cattyles

Honestly, it's an article by a vet, published in the recognized official journal for vets. That means that the word has been out, officially, of important, accepted changes in cat nutrition since the article was published. If you want to continue feeding your cat dry food, or food with grains, that is entirely up to you. But why scoff at the facts like they are some new, wacky ideas?

I was not including you in the closed mind category at all, mayflowers. Tons of money in the trash and a cat that won't eat is not a good situation.

Mayflowers, we've also tested the canned food market with the current 3. The boys have zero interest and Hanna only likes the juice created by me adding water. She'll be 18 in June and has led a relatively healthy life even with her diagnosis of kidney disease 2 years ago. She's on a special renal diet and Charlie eats hypoallergenic food because he has skin allergies related to food protein.

Simply stated ... one size does not fit all.

Thank you for demonstrating that you have no interest in having a thoughtful conversation, cindymac.

You have been presented information about vets not usually being well-educated on the evolving subject of cat nutrition, which you don't accept. So, you were provided info in the form of an article written by a vet that is well informed and published in the recognized journal of veterinary medicine.

Which is it? Do you really want information, or do you just want to argue?

It's very frustrating dealing with cat food. The list of ingredients that are listed as likely culprits that cause vomiting and diarrhea is quite long. Almost every commercial food regardless of price has at least several of those ingredients. Just trying to find foods without mixes of different meats is difficult. Why does it cost such a premium to get food with just one meat source?

In desperation I went the route of making my own cooked food with chicken thighs, hearts, liver, and a commercial additive to make it balanced. It looked pretty tasty to me. Well they didn't like that any better than canned food. I even made bone broth in my pressure cooker which is supposed to soothe and heal damaged tummies. That was sometimes eaten, sometimes not. None of the food changes helped with the vomiting though. My hopes to get them onto raw food eventually seem much less likely!

The only thing they eat well consistently is nice crunchy addictive kibble and treats. I've always gotten a higher quality kibble. Now they are on the limited ingredient turkey flavor Nature's Variety...$$$. They have never had the cheaper kibbles with a lot of grain. Maybe I should try that! :) Had I read about how addictive kibble was when they were kittens, I would have started them off with only wet food initially.

I had to laugh at the comment on how cats weight match their owners. My three kitties are from the same litter. IBD girl kitty is tiny and a little underweight, her one brother is large and overweight, and her other brother is just right. Funny thing is the chubby one doesn't even like treats.

The appetite disparity makes transitioning foods so much harder. I tried portioning out kibble into measured meals based on their weights instead of free feeding... and then replacing some meals with wet food to transition them. The big guy would get so hungry he would wolf down the kibble at meal time and then regurgitate it. The other two didn't eat enough at their meals and lost weight. Being a little hungry seemingly did not make them more apt to try new wet foods either....which was my hope.

Thank you for demonstrating that you have no interest in having a thoughtful conversation, cindymac.

You don't want a thoughtful discussion. You want everyone to take your word as gospel. Is canned food better than dry for some cats ... probably. Is a combination of wet and dry a good diet for some cats ... probably. Is dry food a good diet for some cats ... probably. It's NOT one size fits all.

I've had cats for the past 42 years. I've dealt with a myriad of situations with all of them. I've learned what works for each of their particular situations. Still, I don't claim to be an expert. I think it's dangerous to present yourself as an authority based on things you've read.

I just realized this thread was in the home decorating forum! Don't know why I didn't notice that before. I thought it was in the pets one. Just goes to show that no matter where you are and who you talk to people have problems with cat food. The pet food industry and veterinarians are obviously not doing a very good job helping us deal with cat dietary needs. Almost everyone I know with cats is dealing with serious food or digestive issues, much more so than with their dogs. I'm willing and able to put in the money and work to go homemade cooked or raw if it improves their health AND I can get them to eat it. Not everyone can do that though and finding decent commercial food should not be so difficult and expensive.

molanic, amen. I truly believe all of us here love our cats and only want what's best for them, given our resources and abilities.

I just realized this thread was in the home decorating forum!

:) Well, it is in the "Discussions" section. I didn't realize there was a pets forum. I actually like having OT discussions with the regular GW members.

As I mentioned in my OP, the catalyst for my wet food quest was my friend's cat almost dying from a urinary blockage. Fortunately, he survived, at considerable $$$ expense. He was put on a strictly wet diet by the vet. My friend "W" and I talked about it at length, I trust her, and I adore her cat. Online I read from a variety of sources and all signs pointed to wet being better for cats, hands down. So here I am, trying to do the right thing by my dear kitties. I'm not gonna give up, but neither am I gonna stress the entire household. We'll get there eventually.

Zephyr is on presnisolone which can (and does) cause weight gain. He's not obese, but it's at his upper limit. My vet is very strict about cats' weight. His twin, Bessie, is small and lithe. She has the typical sagging stomach, but it's not fat. They eat the same food although I'm sure Z helps himself to some of hers. Me, I've been about a size 4 my entire life. :)

Linelle, back in the early 80s both of our male cats developed struvite crystals on two separate occasions. At that time high ash/magnesium content in food was implicated as the culprit. That eventually was disproved. On our vet's recommendation we finally chose surgery to shorten their urethras. That took care of it. There was never a reoccurrence and Jake & Mort lived to 18 and 19 respectively.

urinary problems with cats

Cats on a corn diet are going to have problems. Most cats get dry food sold in supermarkets, which has very little meat. Look at Iams for instance. That's supposed to be a better brand. Corn meal, corn grits, and powdered cellulose are right after chicken and chicken by-products on the ingredients list. It's only been in the last few years that you can buy grain-free dry food with high-quality meats like Origen.

Linelle, the urinary issues is another reason I wanted to transition my cats to wet food. Two of them are boys and I too had read about the horror stories that the dry food causes some male cats in that regard. I also had read that any wet food was better than dry food. But, the vets I saw didn't seem to feel that way. When they were kittens one vet basically told me to not stress myself out about it and to feed them whatever cat food I could afford that they would eat and it would most likely be fine.

When I mentioned an interest in raw food to several different vets they all expressed disapproval and stated it would most likely give them salmonella. That is contrary to everything I've read about the wonderful trans-formative effects of raw diets written by other vets and cat experts. My gut tells me that food that is closest to its natural form that their bodies evolved to process is most likely best...just like with people. But, I still am not comfortable trying raw unless I can at least get them off kibble first.

One vet tech told me I should be glad my cats like dry food because it cleans their teeth...hmmm. I'm pretty sure that myth has been debunked for quite some time now.

So much conflicting information out there. Trying to sort through it all is exhausting.

Mine eat 90% Rad Cat raw and a variety of other wet foods the other 10%. For treats, (for scratching appropriately etc), I use the freeze dried chicken and turkey. One of these days, I'm going to make their raw food myself and save some money.

My vet believes in wet food, but not raw. His reasoning is that he doesn't trust the meat industry in this country enough to feel comfortable about quality/safety standards if the meat is not cooked. I don't know what to think about this, as I don't really trust the meat industry in this country either. My sister, who lives in Australia, feeds raw, as do most cat owners she knows.

My cats eat the freeze dried chicken/turkey treats as well. They love them, but it is interesting that when I go to the shelter to volunteer and bring treats with me, a high percentage of the cats there totally reject the freeze dried treats and only go for the cheap ones.

Sas - in February, Rad Cat began high pressure processing all of the poultry products. I didn't really worry before, but I do find it reassuring. Canned is soooo much easier, though.

i think it's perfectly fine for those who wish to feed their cats nothing but canned or raw or homemade, etc... nothing wrong with that!!! (that i know of!!)

i also think it's appropriate to alter a cat's diet to adjust for changing needs if they develop a disease state!! never argued that!

it is important to keep pets at a healthy weight-- if you don't, they are more prone to different health problems!!! it is cruel to allow them to become obese!!!

what i object to are claims that are made as if they are 'gospel truth' when they just plain aren't!! or statements such as 'cat physiology requires that they extract fluid from their food' ... and, claiming that a linked article supports a canned food diet when it really doesn't!! that's wrong!

i personally wouldn't choose the raw route because i want to lessen the risk of anyone in my house getting salmonella/ecoli/etc....