What the heck is melamine? It’s a resin used in making plastic.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melamine

http://www.pesticideinfo.org/D.....Id=PC35459

MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) for Melamine:
http://www.sciencelab.com/xMSDS-Melamine-9924600
Toxicological Data on Ingredients: Melamine: ORAL (LD50): Acute: 3161 mg/kg [Rat]. 3296 mg/kg [Mouse]. DERMAL (LD50): Acute: >1000 mg/kg [Rabbit]

http://www.inchem.org/document.....108781.pdf
The toxicity of melamine is low. Repeated exposure resulted in urinary bladder stones and other lesions of the urinary tract. Bladder tumours occured only in male rates after prolonged irritation of the epithelium by the bladder stones. Melamine has a low acute and also low long term toxicity

Also used as a flame retardant on textiles:
http://www.pops.int/documents/.....20IPEN.pdf
Melamine and its derivatives display several toxic effects. These include changed electrolyte compositions of urine, teratogenic effects in fertilized rainbow trout eggs, and reproductive effects in snails and houseflies. (27) In addition, melamine caused chronic injury to the male rat bladder due to stones formed during exposure which correlated strongly with carcinoma. (28) The Danish report notes that there is no data on emission from products and that melamine appears to have low acute and chronic toxicity. The report concludes that, “…no adverse effects are envisaged from the level of exposure expected from the use of melamine as a flame retardant. At the level of exposure precipitation in the renal tubulus and in the bladder should not be a significant risk.” (30) In contrast, the German report describes the lack of data, presence in environmental samples and moderate organ toxicity of melamine and concludes it is a “…problematic substance.” (31)

http://pittsburghlive.com/x/pi.....00296.html

FDA CONFIRMS DRY PET FOOD COMPLAINTS; PETA CALLS FOR EMERGENCY EXPANSION OF RECALL TO INCLUDE DRY PRODUCTS

PETA News Conference Urges Consumers to Boycott Iams Over Possible Recall Delay and History of Cruelty to Cats and Dogs

Washington - With the FDA now confirming that consumers suspect dry pet food may have sickened or killed their companion animals, PETA will hold an emergency news conference on Friday and call on the FDA to immediately expand the pet food recall to include all dry varieties subject to complaints until they are chemically tested for safety. PETA will also ask the FDA to investigate Iams in order to find out if the company knew about the contaminated food before calling for a recall. Pennsylvania resident Yvette Faulkner-whose cat Sassafras suffered kidney failure and had to be euthanized and who states that Sassafras ate only Iams’ dry food-will speak at the news conference.

I assume my 17 year old precious kitty, Jinxy, was among the first victims of this nightmare. He had always been extremely healthy. I bought the food on 12/6/06 and took him to the vet because of remarkably declined health on 12/8/06. I was told that his levels were off the charts and he was dying of kidney failure. I put him down on 12/15/06. I was told this was due to his age. In my heart I never really believed that because he had always been so healthy. Now, in light of everything, I know he was murdered. He always slept on my pillow at night. Never leaving me any of the pillow. As much as I complained about it, I loved it just the same. It was our nightly ritual.

Luckily, my other 2 kitties do not eat wet food or they would be dead too. I still have the unused food in my pantry as evidence.

My best friend put down her kitty on 2/9/07 due to kidney failure. She discovered that she had fed her cat the tainted food as well.

At least now I know this wasn’t something I should have noticed sooner. Don’t get me wrong, I am livid about this entire senseless tragedy, it’s just that it gives me perspective.

I, too, wish for the people involved to eat the food that’s in my pantry so they can suffer just like my baby boy did. He was miserable in his last few days on this earth.

I miss him every day.