What are we really feeding Fluffy?

Over the past week you hear about it everywhere; on the 6 o'clock news, on the radio, and all over the internet. What are we Americans feeding our beloved pets? The everyday cat food most people don't think twice about giving their loving kitties is creating a huge health problem to our fuzzy little friends; organ failure and death.

Although all of the affected food has since been recalled, what can be said for all the people who stock up on their pets favorite flavor? Menu Foods, the company responsible for producing and shipping out millions of cans and pouches of wet cat and dog food has since recalled over 60 million containers of food after 11 animals so far have become sick and died. Channel 7 website provides a complete list of recalled pet foods, codes and descriptions so that people at home who might have stocked up will be able to reassure themselves that the food is OK. This website also shares many sad stories that are becoming more and more familiar as the days pass. Officials in charge of the massive recall stress the importance of having your animal checked out immediately if you suspect any differences in behavior after eating food that may have been affected by the rat poison. (For more information, Recalls).

This story has been heard around the United States and has become so popular that stories are popping up everywhere. Newsweek was among many of popular magazines, television shows, and even local papers who had turned their headlines and attention to this tragic and scary story. (Newsweek)
Our local paper, Fosters Daily Democrat has been running headlines all week about families and their pets who are affected by this horrible problem. It catches the attention of anyone listening, glancing over headlines, or scanning the channels for something interesting to keep their attention.
For some reason, after I just finished the last part of the Frontline series I have really opened my eyes to how the media catches the public eye with human interest stories, or stories that somehow touch us in a way that makes us as humans want to listen and find out more. The way that the media and headlines can influence us floors me, for I never really paid much attention to the media's techniques and strategies before this class. A headline involving animals will most likely catch almost everyone's attention, therefore leading that person to want to pick up that paper and read more, or continue watching that specific channel or listening to that station. Its crazy how it all works. At least with this much publicity I hope many animals are saved due to their "humans" new knowledge about their food.