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You know that the world has reached a new level of absurdity when people are fighting in a store over a case of canned cat food. I was speaking to one of our local pet supply outlet managers who told me she nearly had to break up a fist fight over 12 cans of Friskies. My own poor cats have been without their Fancy Feast Medley’s for weeks now and there’s none to be found online even; it’s a disaster!

Last week I wiped the shelves out at both the nearby Shoprite and Walmart locations of all their canned dog food and still only came up with about 60 cans all together; only 60 cans and we have 57 dogs on site at the moment! Thanks to those of you that responded to our social media plea for food, we really appreciate it!

I find myself spending hours wheeling and dealing for cat litter from whatever source has it in stock. Our normal distributor who normally brings us two to three pallet loads a week has been out of stock for more than a month. So now what? Pet supplies are the new toilet paper??? Craziness!

There are some high-end items on the shelves, but for those of you struggling to find affordable supplies, I have a few tips.

If you’re looking for canned food, I have been told to check the local flea markets and auction houses. Apparently people are buying up whatever they can get their hands on and reselling it at those type of outlets.

You may be able to use canned tuna or chicken as a temporary substitute but keep in mind that they have high sodium contents and should only be used in a pinch.

It would be better to cook up a supply of fresh of chicken, but then, you may find the shelves bare of that as well.

If you change your pet’s diet in any way, even from one brand to another, it may throw their digestive track off a bit. Be vigilant if you have to make a switch.

There are a few alternatives for cat litter, but they all have some disadvantages.

Hopefully our supply chains will start to recover more quickly as pandemic restrictions are lifted.

I also wanted to update you on “London,” the stray, lactating, mother dog that we highlighted in the column last week. Sadly, in spite of efforts to find her puppies, they were not located.

On the bright side, “London” has been adopted and will be heading to her new home once she’s spayed!

Shelter needs: Canned cat and dog food, non-clumping cat litter, peanut butter, spray cheese, cat nip, twin or throw size blankets, and gift cards for pet supply and grocery outlets.

Source: What to do about the limited supply of canned pet food and cat litter; update on ‘London’

Posted in 2022, SJRAS Articles