Though I like the company Dogswell (maker of Catswell), we won’t carry their products in our Boston store because they are made in China.  I’ve spoken with them about it a few times, and I do trust their sincerity and integrity.  It’s not Dogswell that I don’t trust, it’s the lack of transparency in the food supply chain in China.

On Friday, Dogswell issued a voluntary recall on specific Catswell products that show the presence of propylene glycol, which is toxic to cats.   Propylene glycol is an approved food additive for dogs and humans, a fact which makes me want to sign my entire checking account over to Siena Farms (they already get a chunk of my food money, but I may as well stop resisting…no chemical food stuffs there).  Propylene glycol has its own self-promoting website:  www.propyleneglycol.org, where you can read all about its multiple uses, including that it “holds and dissolves active ingredients in a medium.”  Doesn’t that sound delicious?

Tainted food though is nothing to be glib about.  If you do buy Catswell products, please check your pantry for any products involved in the recall, and return them to place of purchase for a full refund.  So far, there are no reports of illness in cats associated with the recalled treats; and Dogswell/Catswell hasn’t reported how the chemical got into the cat treats.