Pet Lovers & Pet Professionals ~ Why Join Our Life's Abundance Team?!

1. Because You Love Pets: People often say that it’s a privilege to be able to earn a living doing something you love and are passionate about. I’ve met many people who are in all sorts of occupations, and have told me they would rather work with pets because that’s what they truly care about. Is that your story? We are offering people just like you the opportunity to earn an incredible income while helping pets in the most fundamental way . . . premium nutrition. 

2. Because We Offer the Best: When you put your name behind something, it better be something good. People will remember you for what you do and what you represent. With most home based opportunities, people will see you and run the other way. Not so here. Friends, family, and the general public will respect your choice to become a pet professional and will want to hear from you. The Life's Abundance products will speak for themselves as they improve pets lives, making you look good and not ruin your reputation. 

3. It’s An Exploding Industry: Pet product sales are a $53+ billion dollar industry. Pet stores are opening up everywhere. Ever heard of the expression, “right place, right time?” We are setting a new trend with the massive internet market. 

4. Opportunity to Work From Home: In the United States, over 21 million people enjoy the benefits of working from home. No set time to start or end work, no commute, no dress code, and no one watching over you all day. Plus, there is minimal overhead, unlike the thousands of dollars normally associated with opening a traditional business. 

5. Ease of Engagement: If you’ve ever tried sales before, you know that it makes a huge difference in your success if you sell something that people want to hear about. We all know what it’s like to be confronted with a telemarketer, or an insurance salesman, or the stereotypical “car salesman”. No one wants to be viewed as a pushy salesperson, and you definitely don’t want to be rejected by friends and family. With Life's Abundance, you do not have this problem. Talking about the care and well being of pets is a welcome subject with most people. In fact, people will often thank you for making a recommendation because you will probably be the only person they’ve ever talked to who is knowledgeable in this area. This “ease of engagement” makes it easy to approach people, and you’re not viewed as a salesperson. 

6. No Inventory Requirements: Most home based opportunities require you to load up on inventory through personal purchasing requirements or “buy your way to success” programs. At Life's Abundance, we impose no such requirements. In fact, it’s unheard of to offer pet foods profitably without buying large quantities of food in order to get preferential pricing. 

7. Tools to Ensure Success: Professional E-Commerce Website, Business Center / Back Office, Automated Newsletter System, Catalog Quality Brochures, Product Samples, DVDs, Weekly Training Calls, Personal Websites allowed, etc. 

8. Excellent Ongoing Support: You will ALWAYS have an upline of reps who will support you in your business. Plus, you have access to our founders, Dennis and Carol Berardi, as well as Dr. Jane Bicks, our holistic veterinarian and product formulator. 

9. Huge Market of Pet Parents and Pet Professionals: Getting customers for our products is never a problem. Many companies rely on their distributors as the source of their sales, but not Life's Abundance. People actually want what we have to offer. In fact, it doesn’t matter if you’re not a good sales person, our products actually sell themselves. But our business also allows you to leverage your efforts by building a sales force. As I’ve already stated, people love their pets and would do anything to have the chance to work with them if they could. But, what’s more, there are thousands of pet professionals out there who need this program. This includes everyone from veterinarians to trainers, groomers to pet sitters, rescues, shelters, day care, pet photographers, and more. When presented with our business, they quickly realize that it makes no sense to sell any other brand. This is a network marketing business that actually works. 

10. You Need a Residual Income: Not only will you want residual income at retirement (and before), but you’ll want it to be consistent. Nothing beats the consistent residual income stream that our products can provide. People stick with pet products that work! Plus our fresh, home delivered products are very habit forming and convenient for your clients. Also, building a solid team of representatives who will continue to make you money is easy to do because people have a built-in passion for pets. No recruiting treadmill as in other opportunities. 

Learn More & Join Our Team Today @ www.PremiumPetFoodBiz.com 

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Raven is an engaging entrepreneur who encourages others to celebrate pets as part of the family, as well as keep them happy, healthy, and spoiled with her online specialty pet 
boutique ~  www.TheGiftedPet.com,  premium pet food business ~ http://www.PremiumPetFoodStore.com, and holistic healing therapies for animals ~ www.HealingOilsForAnimals.com

For questions and more information, please use the "Contact Us!" form.  Or, visit our Facebook page:  www.facebook.com/TheGiftedPet, or email us at Raven@TheGiftedPet.com

Cats Are Different ~ How a Cat's Nutritional Needs are Different from a Dog's

Our wonderful life-supporting planet is home to a remarkably diverse and complex spectrum of living organisms. And although all living things do share some common traits and similar biochemical pathways and cellular functions, there are many notable differences that make each creature stand out from the crowd. So even with the thread of sameness joining all the planets’ life forms, diversity and difference makes us take note of each creature’s uniqueness. Maybe that’s why the cat is America’s favorite housepet . . . cats are different!

This extraordinary four-legged feline has, for all of recorded time, evoked wonder and surprise, superstition and affection, damnation, and deification. From pharaohs to philosophers to paupers, the companionship of and affection for cats has been a result of the cat’s unique ability to make us humans gaze in awe and admiration.

Eons of special environmental circumstances have forced the cat to evolve some interesting and individualized biochemical activities. Let’s take a peek at how unique the cat is inside, in that mysterious universe of liver and kidneys and glands and fluids where a million chemical reactions are going about their biological business in silent obscurity. And to make our little peek at the inner workings of the cat more interesting, let’s contrast a few of the cat’s biological activities to those of our next most favorite companion the dog.

In so many obvious ways, cats look, act, react, and respond differently than dogs. You never see a cat happily wag its tail; a dog’s reflexes are quick, a cat’s reflexes are incredible; dogs are doers, cats are watchers. These differences are easily noted by simple observation. Now let’s explore some of the unseen microscopic world of the cat ~ the invisible world of metabolism and chemistry that is just as real as those traits we can see with our eyes.

To begin with we must get a good grip on two terms . . . carnivore and omnivore. The cat is considered by scientists to be a strict carnivore and the dog is considered to be an omnivore. Both species are in the Class Mammalia and the Order Carnivora, but here’s the difference: The cat cannot sustain its life unless it consumes meat in some form. Dogs, however, are able to survive on plant material alone; they do not have to consume meat. But always keep in mind that dogs do best and by nature are primarily meat-eaters. Just because by definition they are omnivores (can digest and utilize plant and animal food sources) does not mean that plant material alone makes a good source of nutrition for the dog. Far too many dogs have been undernourished by those cheap grain-based dog foods. And grain-based cat foods are even worse!

So a good way to think of it is that cats are carnivores, dogs are omnivores, but they both have evolved as hunters of other animals in keeping with their nature as meat-eaters.

There are numerous chemical substances that are required for a cat to remain alive. These substances, some very complex chemical molecules and some very basic and simple, must be provided along the internal chemical reaction pathways at all times. Like other living plants and animals, the cat can manufacture most of its own required substances within its own body’s chemical factory. For example, Vitamin C is a requirement for life sustaining processes for us Mammalia, and dogs and cats make plenty of their own within their body’s chemical factory ~ the liver. We humans don’t make enough within our body chemical factory . . . so to keep ourselves alive we have to find some Vitamin C already made (preformed) somewhere in our environment, gather or capture it, then eat it. Without the Vitamin C, we would die.

Dogs and cats don’t have to worry about gathering, capturing, and eating other preformed Vitamin C. They don’t care where their next grapefruit will come from because they make all the Vitamin C they need inside their own personal chemical factory.

On the other hand, there are numerous nutrients and chemicals that cats need that they can only acquire if they eat animal-derived tissues. That is, they need to prey on other living creatures that do make the essential chemicals that cats don’t! Out of necessity, the cat has evolved ways to hunt down, capture and eat this prey in order to "borrow" the prey's nutrients.

Outlined below are just a few of the unseen, but still very real biochemical differences between cats and dogs. Look these over, and you will be even more convinced that cats are different!

VITAMIN A ~ Also called retinol, this vitamin is required at the cellular level by both cats and dogs.

Cats ~ Process little or no enzymes that will break down the plant-produced carotenoids. Must eat preformed active Vitamin A (that is, Vitamin A that already has been converted from carotenoids to its active form by some other creature such as a mouse or rabbit). Here’s a good example of why cats are called strict carnivores . . . they need to eat some other animal in order to "borrow" its active Vitamin A!

Dogs ~ Have enzymes in the lining of the intestine that can break down plant carotenoids and convert these into active Vitamin A.


NIACIN ~ An essential B vitamin (essential means must be eaten, can’t be made inside the body’s chemical factory.)

Cats ~ Can obtain Niacin only by eating the preformed vitamin. Cannot convert Tryptophan to niacin.

Dogs ~ Obtain Niacin in two ways. One is by converting a dietary amino acid call Tryptophan into Niacin, and the other way is by eating preformed Niacin.


ARGININE ~ A building block for proteins, it is an amino acid. Arginine is vital to many of the animal’s internal chemical factory’s functions. No Arginine and the entire factory goes on strike!

Cats ~ Are extremely sensitive to even a single meal deficient in Arginine and are unable to make their own Arginine within their chemical factory. Cats need lots of protein, and Arginine is involved in aiding the elimination of the protein waste products so the wastes don’t pollute the whole factory!

Dogs ~ Are not very sensitive to low levels of Arginine in their diets and produce enzymes internally that can aid production of Arginine.


TAURINE ~ An amino acid that is not built into proteins, but is distributed throughout most body tissues. Taurine is important for healthy functioning of the heart, retina, bile fluid and certain aspects of reproduction.

Cats ~ Must eat preformed Taurine. And since it is not found in plant tissues, cats must consume meat to obtain Taurine. Therefore, Taurine is essential in the diets of cats. Here again, meat has to be supplied to the factory so the Taurine can be extracted for its many uses.

Dogs ~ Make their own in their internal chemical factory.


FELININE ~ It is a compound made from a sulfur amino acid (SAA) called Cysteine.

Cats ~ Have a much higher requirement for SAA than other Mammalia and are the only creatures to manufacture the Felinine chemical. Felinine’s role in the overall function of the chemical factory is unknown, but like most factories whose wastes generate offensive odors, any Felinine present in the male cat’s urine alerts the neighbors that the factory is up and runnin’!

Dogs ~ Don’t know and don’t care what this stuff is.

DIETARY PROTEIN 

Cats ~ If fed a perfectly balanced and 100-percent digestible protein in a diet, the cat will use 20 percent of that protein for growth metabolism and 12 percent for maintenance. Here’s any easy way to say it . . . cats need more protein in their diets than dogs do.

Dogs ~ If fed a perfectly balanced and 100-percent digestible protein in a diet, the dog will use 12 percent of that protein for growth metabolism and only 4 percent of that protein for maintenance. Here's an easy way to say this . . . dogs need less protein in their diets than cats.


ARACHIDONIC ACID ~ An essential fatty acid that plays a vital role in fat utilization and energy production.

Cats ~ Cannot make their own Arachidonic Acid even in the presence of adequate linoleic acid. The reason cats can’t make Arachidonic Acid from linoleic acid is because the cat’s chemical factory (liver) contains no delta-6-desaturase enzyme to convert linoleic to Arachidonic. Tell your cat owning friends about this one. Tell them about the cat’s lack of liver delta-6-desaturase enzyme and they will think you’ve got a Ph.D. in biochemistry!

Dogs – Can make their own Arachidonic Acid if they consume enough linoleic acid by eating proper fats. Therefore, we can say that Arachidonic Acid is not an essential fatty acid for dogs.


FASTING AND STARVATION

Cats ~ Do not mobilize fat reserves for energy very efficiently and, in fact, break down non-fatty body tissues for energy. This upsets the internal chemical factory and can lead to a very dangerous feline disorder called hepatic lipidosis. Never put a fat cat on a starvation diet, it might just put the entire factory out of business.

Dogs ~ Can tolerate prolonged fasts and utilize fat reserves for energy.

So, there you have an insight into some of the invisible goings-on in our friend the cat. It should be obvious that a high quality, meat-based diet is imperative to a cat's wellness. There are no vegetarian diets for cats! And, feeding your cat a homemade concoction of meat may be a disaster. Often, the best recourse is to find a good quality meat-based diet for your feline. 

The next time you admire a cat's unique personality and behavior, and watch the way they egocentrically carry themselves for anyone to see, remember . . . hidden beneath that furry skin is another unique and vast universe. There is a veritable chemical cosmos inside your cat that's just as wondrous and magnificent as the cosmos above. You can't see it, but it's there, silently following the rules of nature to sustain our unique and valued feline friends. And it's that complex chemical cosmos, working it's fantastic magic, that prompts us cat lovers to say, truly . . . cats are different!

We love them all equally, which is why we feed them only the best . . . . safe, natural, premium food, treats and supplements!

For more information or to request samples, visit our website at:

www.PremiumPetFoodStore.com


*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Raven is an engaging entrepreneur who encourages others to celebrate pets as part of the family, as well as keep them happy, healthy, and spoiled with her online specialty pet boutique (http://www.TheGiftedPet.com), and premium pet food business (http://www.PremiumPetFoodStore.com)

For more information, please visit her Facebook page to PM her (https://www.facebook.com/TheGiftedPet), or email her at Raven@TheGiftedPet.com

Heart Health for Humans and Pets

Heart Health Awareness Month is right around the corner, beginning February 1st. While technically concerned with human heart health, I think it’s vital that we expand the scope of the conversation to address canine and feline heart health, too.

Most people have a basic understanding of the risks of heart disease in humans, but when it comes to the heart health of our pet kids, that area remains a mystery to many.

In the following seven frequently-asked questions, we’ll consider the parallels between all three species (humans, canines and felines), to better understand heart disease.

How Widespread is Heart Disease?

Humans: In America, heart disease is the #1 cause of death. Annually, about 600,000 people die of heart disease, one in every four deaths.

Dogs and Cats: Although reliable statistics are not readily available for adult felines or canines, heart disease is not the pressing problem that it is for humans. That being said, heart problems are still common, with one in ten dogs developing valvular heart disease. As with many health issues, the risk for heart disease increases with age, especially for dogs over the age of nine (the age varies from breed to breed). When it comes to cats, tracking heart disease proves extremely challenging, as felines present virtually no physical symptoms from this condition.

What’s the Most Common Form of Heart Disease?

Humans: In adults, coronary artery disease is the most prevalent kind of heart disease. The main type involves plaque build-up in the arteries, which affects their ability to deliver blood to the heart. As the layers of plaque thicken and harden, blood flow to the heart is further restricted.

Dogs and Cats: The biggest difference here is that pet kids are not at-risk for coronary artery disease. While that’s good news, there are other medical conditions that dogs and cats face.

Dogs can suffer from mitral valve disease or dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Mitral valve disease describes a condition where a valve on the left side of the heart fails to close properly. The problem with this is that blood pools into the left atrium, rather than exiting the left ventricle. Older, small-breed dogs are more likely to develop mitral valve disease, and the condition is only worsened by periodontal disease. DCM weakens the heart muscle so that it pumps less vigorously and regularly, a condition more common in large breeds.

Cats, on the other hand, are prone to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Here, the walls of the heart thicken and the muscle becomes less flexible. The unfortunate result is that the heart pumps less blood. HCM is a genetic disease that is found in both pure and mixed breed cats.

What are the Symptoms of Heart Disease?

Humans: Symptoms vary depending on the disease, but patients with coronary artery disease often have chest pain, arm pain and shallow breathing. And, of course, there’s the big wake-up call of a heart attack.

Dogs and Cats: Dogs typically exhibit signs such as low energy, trouble getting comfortable, labored breathing and a low-pitched, chronic cough. On occasion, they might actually collapse or faint. Cats may also become lethargic, as well as sleeping or hiding more than is typical. Often, cats will also lose their appetite. If a blood clot is swept from the heart and travels down through the aorta, felines can suffer a painful, sudden paralysis in their hind legs.

Important note: If you experience any of these symptoms, seek medical assistance immediately. And, if your companion animal experiences any of these symptoms, seek veterinary assistance immediately.

How Do You Test for Heart Disease?

Humans: Doctors can choose from a variety of diagnostic testing, including blood exams, treadmill tests, electrocardiograms and imaging analyses.

Dogs and Cats: For veterinarians, a stethoscope is the most effective way to identify heart disease. That being said, it is difficult to detect an issue absent a murmur. Sometimes an x-ray, ECG or echocardiogram may shed light on an undiagnosed problem.

What Medications are used for Treatment?

Humans: If you were to be diagnosed with heart disease, doctors might prescribe a blood-pressure medication, a blood thinner or a cholesterol-lowering drug (among other things). Patients often use medications to make the heart beat more slowly and to relax blood vessels.

Dogs and Cats: Many of the drugs we use are also used by dogs and cats. Treatments vary according to the animal and kind of heart disease. The important thing to note is that there are treatments available, and new research is presenting new avenues for improvement.

Can Diet Help to Prevent Heart Disease?

Humans: Diet has a big influence on heart health. Eating foods heavy with saturated and trans-fats can raise cholesterol levels and contribute to plaque build-up in the arteries. Conversely, a diet rich in omega fatty acids, whole grains and fiber can help to lower bad cholesterol levels and help prevent heart disease.

Dogs and Cats: A healthy diet has not been proven to significantly alter the rates of canine and feline heart disease … however, much more research has been done on humans in this regard. It’s hard to overstate the importance of quality food and your companion animal’s quality of life.

What About Exercise?

Humans: Yes, definitely! Exercise lowers the risk of heart attack and reduces stress, another risk factor for heart disease.

Dogs and Cats: The kinds of heart disease commonly found in cats and dogs can't be avoided through exercise. But, as with people, regular exercise will improve overall health and help prevent obesity in pets. 

And don’t forget what researchers, healing experts and therapy animals have been demonstrating for decades … that by taking care of a dog or a cat, you’ll also be taking care of your heart.


Visit our Life's Abundance Blog Archives

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Raven is an engaging entrepreneur who encourages others to celebrate pets as part of the family, as well as keep them happy, healthy, and spoiled with her online specialty pet boutique (http://www.TheGiftedPet.com), and premium pet food business (http://www.PremiumPetFoodStore.com)

For more information, please visit her Facebook page to PM her (https://www.facebook.com/TheGiftedPet), or email her at Raven@TheGiftedPet.com

Pet Parents ~ How Many More Recalls Will It Take?

Many pet parents usually don’t give a second thought about what they are feeding their pets . . . that is until we all hear about a recall in the news. We check to see if our pet food is on the list, and when it’s not, we breathe a sigh of relief. Don't you think it’s time that we stop burying our heads in the sand and hoping there isn’t something wrong with our pet food, and instead start ensuring that something is right with it?! 

Have you ever read the label on your pet's food or treats?  Not just a glance . . . I mean REALLY read the label from start to finish?!  What are some of the ingredients?  Wheat or Wheat Gluten? Corn or Corn Gluten?  Bone or By-Product Meal?  Artificial Colors and Flavors?  BHA and / or BHT? Propylene Glycol?  Do you even know what half of these ingredients are, or what harm they can cause to your pets?!  

Wheat and corn can contain aflatoxin, which is a fungal toxin that commonly contaminates maize and other types of crops during production, harvest, storage or processing.  Wheat and corn are also highly indigestible for most pets and can cause great stress on their digestive systems, as well as their kidneys.  These grains are also the cause of food allergies in many of our precious pets.

Bone meal and by-product meal tend to keep us guessing as to which animal they may come from.  What if your pet has a beef allergy, yet the food or treat label is non-specific as to which animal these "meals" or "by-products" came from.  Do you really want to take that chance?  

The same thing goes for artificial coloring, which has no nutritional value and is designed specifically as visual marketing to pet parents . . . not to the pets!  And, did you know that the dyes that are used have not been subject to testing for safety?  The most common ones are Yellow #5, Yellow #6, Red #40, Blue #1 and Blue #2, which have been known to be contaminated with cancer-causing substances and may even cause death, as these additives are toxic to our pets.  The discussion regarding their lack of nutritional value, as well as their potential hazards has been swirling about for years, yet no one has done anything about banning these substances from your pet's food, or from our own foods, for that matter.

BHT / BHA are NOT natural preservatives and can also cause health problems in your pets, as can Propylene Glycol, which is better known as the key component in newer automotive antifreeze.  Why are using a known toxic substance to preserve moisture in our dog's food and treats?  It has already been shown to cause anemia in cats, and has been banned by the FDA for use in cat food and treats.  

Did you know that there have been more than 110 FDA recalls since 2007?  



Check to see if your pet's food or treats have been recalled on the FDA website by logging on here: 
 http://www.fda.gov/animalVeterinary/safetyhealth/recallswithdrawals/default.htm

Keeping our fur kids safe begins with giving them the best food and treats possible ~ Natural, NEVER RECALLED . . . Corn & Wheat-Free, No GMOs, Gluten-Free, NO Artificial Colors or Flavors . . . just real food with vital nutrients prepared under the highest standards.

If you're ready to stop taking chances with your pet's health (and possibly your pet's life), then shop our line of premium pet food, treats, nutritional supplements, and pet care products.  If you could feed your pets premium pet foods & treats that will provide them with abundant nutrition, and may help ensure longer, healthier lives for your precious fur kids for about the same or less than you are currently spending on food & treats, why wouldn't you?  Safety is our primary objective! When it comes to product safety and quality ingredients, we don't do shortcuts. In fact, we act as if your pet's life depends on us. 

Request samples, ask questions, and learn more about true premium nutrition for your furkids by visiting our website ~ http://www.PremiumPetFoodStore.com

You'll be so glad you did . . . and, so will your pets!


Life's Abundance . . . paving new roads to wellness every day!