So maybe the pet food scare can't be blamed on China after all. The FDA announced that melamine, the same ingredient found in tainted kibble from China, has been used in animal feed ingredients made by a U.S. company. The ensuing recall involved feed made by Tembec BTLSR Inc. of Toledo, Ohio and used by Uniscope Inc. of Johnstown, Colorado.

Officials said that the melamine in animal feed does not pose any threat to human health, but this is still a very interesting development in the pet food scare. It was previously thought to be limited to China, and many people have been blaming the Chinese for inadequate labeling and quality control practices.

When the use of melamine in pet food was discovered in China, it was though that it had been added to show higher protein levels in the food. The American manufacturers are thought to have been using it to bind feed for cattle, sheep and goats.

Melamine has numerous industrial uses. It can be used as a binding agent, flame retardant, and is used in fertilizer in some countries.

Cage-free eggs are the latest forefront in the constant PR campaign of many leading retail companies to be seen as the humanest, the most animal-friendly, the most vigilant about the health of its products. As indication of the bigness of this particular buzz-phrase, several weeks ago, Burger King Holdings Inc. (NYSE: BKC) announced a switch to both cage-free eggs and pork products. So important is the issue that when Portland, Oregon fast food chain Burgerville broadcast their own switch to cage-free, local media cried, when will Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX) switch all the eggs in its products (including its popular breakfast sandwiches) to cage-free?

The answer could be far more muddled than (for instance) the coffee giant's recent changeover to hormone-free milk or trans-fat-free baked goods. Here's the thing: it's not necessarily assured that cage-free eggs are the be-all and end-all of chicken humanity. And the costs go far beyond a little extra space.

This is not to say that I disagree with cage-free eggs, quite the contrary: I recently began raising chickens (Bella, Mathilda and Twitter are now six weeks old, and were recently joined by baby "sisters" Gilda and Genevieve) much because of the considerable health and taste benefits of cage-free eggs. Ideally (and in my own backyard), chickens who are not confined to cages get more exercise and a more balanced diet, including greens (they love blackberry and dandelion leaves). The eggs are therefore packed with good vitamins, making the yolks more orange and the shells sturdier -- whether brown, white, or pinkish.

But not all cage-free chickens are raised equally.

Mmm, mmm, mmm . . . furry! First there were rats spotted at a Manhattan KFC/Taco Bell, owned by Yum Brands (NYSE: YUM). Not to be outdone by its east-coast rivals, a downtown Chicago-area quick eatery (a Quiznos, to be precise) was invaded by a coyote.

Patrons of the sandwich shop, open for business when the befanged friend burst onto the scene, were surprised to see the animal stroll in and recline in a cooler stocked with cold beverages. The manager was relieved to note that "It wasn't aggressive at all . . . it was just looking around."

Veterinarians will examine the animal and, if he is found to be healthy, release him into the wild.

Quiznos is the number-two sandwich chain in the world (trailing Subway), parented by privately held Quiznos Master LLC.

Beth Gaston Moon is an analyst at Schaeffer's Investment Research.