My kitty also gets fatty acid supplement....

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1 hour, 53 minutes ago

Lack of folate, also called vitamin B-9, may triple the risk of developing dementia in old age, according to a study published Tuesday.

Researchers in South Korea measured naturally occurring folate levels in 518 elderly persons, none of whom showed any signs of dementia, and then tracked their development over 2.4 years.

At the end of the period, 45 of the patients had developed dementia, including 34 diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, said the study, published by the British Medical Association's Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

When the researchers, led by Jin-Sang Yoon of Chonnam National University in Kwangju, South Korea, remeasured folate levels, they uncovered a strong link with the dementia.

Even after other factors were taken into account -- including age, disability, alcohol consumption, weight change -- "the onset of dementia was significantly associated with an exaggerated decline in folate," the researchers concluded.

Folate and folic acid, another form of the compound, are essential for the creation of new cells in the body.

The compound occurs naturally in leafy vegetables such as spinach, turnip greens, lettuces, dried beans and peas and in certain fruits.

An study published last year in The Lancet showed an improvement in short-term memory, mental agility and verbal fluency among persons over 50 who took a daily dose of 800 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid. The US recommended daily dose is 400 mcg.

Taking folic acid before conception and throughout the first trimester helps a mother ensure that her child will not develop certain brain and spinal cord defects, including spina bifida, according to previous research.

Thank you to everyone who helped me through these last couple of weeks with my beautiful cat with bone cancer. We finally put her to sleep yesterday and it was very difficult for us but for her it was very quick and nontraumatic. The hardest part for her was the ride down to the vet's because she hates/hated that part. We then took her to the cremation place and should have her ashes back within a week. I didn't write until now because my heart is still very sad. I still haven't picked up her "things" around the house but will probably try to do that tonight or I may only be able to do a couple of things at a time, but that's okay.

I wrote about our milk prices here and it got me thinking how we probably won't have to buy as much milk now or the whole roasted chickens at Costco we used to buy for her. She would share some with us but it was really Mochi's chicken. She would come running in from outside whenever we cooked chicken too. Plus she would do what we called "praying to the refrigerator God" for something good to eat, she would sit in front of the refrigerator doors and just stare at it or sometimes rub up against it until we opened it up and found something in there for her.

We hadn't been able to let her outside for a month or so so that she could warm herself in the sun, so I think she is very happily sunning herself right now, in no pain.

She sounds sweet! I swear by a liquid called Ration Plus. I first got it for my equines who had weight problems and gas. It's a prebiotic that works in their hindgut to regulate things...makes food stick to the ribs and helps with things like diarrhea and gas. I also give it to my dogs now and again and even my old senior cat. I put it right on their food and they gobble it right up.

HOWEVER, it does not state anywhere on their website or the label that it is appropriate for cats. I just wrote to them actually, just now, to find out if it was safe for felines. I know I've been feeding it to my cat now for over a year, one or two times a week as a top dressing on his food, and haven't had any problems and he looks great. I will let you know what they say about it.

Here's their company website: http://www.rationplus.com/dog.html
but I buy it from pet places because it's usually cheaper that way.

She's an 8 year old Exotic Shorthair Persian named Charlotte. Her little tongue sticks out all the time, 'cuz her face is so flat & her mouth is so small. She's tiny - and only weighs about 5-1/4 lbs. right now. Needs to gain a pound or two.) She's a total cuddle-bug!

(She just came out to say hi to me - she was annoyed with me earlier because I had to give her a pill. Not easy with that tiny little mouth!) Whenever I'm on the computer, she sits on the back of my chair and "helps".

Oh and I love your "blanket" on your bed? Can I have that? It looks so luxurious especially this time of night after typing all day! What a life! I want to be a cat in my next life!

This is our cat! This is around the holidays, and my 7-year-old thought she'd jazz her up a bit, but I'm not so sure she is liking it. She does like having pictures taken though!

I need some advice from all the cat experts out there. A week ago a very nice black male kitty adopted us and since he was so mellow and got along with our dog, we decided to keep him. I took him to the vet for the first time last night to get checked out and get shots. The doctor noticed an area between his shoulder blades that was a little flaky and a little fur was starting to come off. She thought it might possibly be ringworm but couldn't tell yet. Honestly, I didn't even notice this (and I've been petting kitty a lot) until she pointed it out, and it really didn't start flaking until we got to the vet. Today in the same area he has a very small patch of hair loss and still has some flaking but I don't see a lesion like ringworm. Could it be that the lesion just hasn't shown up yet? If it is ringworm, what can I use on it without having to go back to the vet? I already spent a lot of money there yesterday and I do want to take care of kitty, but we do have limited funds. Oh yes, and to my surprise, this kitty who has been outdoors for who knows how long is very clean and actually does not have fleas! And yes, we did try to find his owner, but no one has called.

I have been over there at various times of the day and making sure I was there at the regular times I had seen him previously (sometimes 4 times in a single day!) and have not seen him again.

I have waited in my car for him and gotten out to call *kitty.* I still have the carrier in my car and I am ready to bring him home. I have put out 2 cans of really yummy canned food over there for him, but they have gone untouched. I sure hope the little guy is okay. I will continue to watch out for him!