Do You Think A Major Pet Food Industry Overhaul Will Happen Anytime Soon?

She's a witch

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Thank you very much for the detailed answer! Right now I know close to nothing about homemade food so impossible to know if I can manage it or trust myself with it but I have added it to the things of things I will research. :-)
Back in Luxembourg I used to occasionally buy a grocery store beef and I would just cut it and give it to my cats to supplement their usual canned diet. That was a great introduction to feed raw diet to my cats, as the difference in their behaviour and energy level was really noticeable and it motivated me to research more. I would do the same if I l lived in Turkey, as I'm sure you have an excellent meat quality over there and access to good butchers. I actually remember seeing stray cats being fed raw meat when I was visiting Istambul, and I was really impressed with it. Then there is this cat:
Have you visited the raw feeding sub forum? It's great source of information.
 

MissClouseau

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Back in Luxembourg I used to occasionally buy a grocery store beef and I would just cut it and give it to my cats to supplement their usual canned diet. That was a great introduction to feed raw diet to my cats, as the difference in their behaviour and energy level was really noticeable and it motivated me to research more. I would do the same if I l lived in Turkey, as I'm sure you have an excellent meat quality over there and access to good butchers. I actually remember seeing stray cats being fed raw meat when I was visiting Istambul, and I was really impressed with it. Then there is this cat:
Have you visited the raw feeding sub forum? It's great source of information.
Haha I love that video! Hima doesn’t eat raw meat right now. Even when she was a stray in my yard she was one of the only two cats who had no interest in raw meat. Also she has a strong poultry preference especially chicken. But we’ll see, we’ll see...
 

kittyluv387

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This is why I do homemade raw. Some of the higher end cans are so expensive that it's not really more expensive for me to make my own raw. Of course the difference is raw rabbit. Raw homemade rabbit is expensive since actual rabbit meat is scarce so I buy from Hare Today.

Most cat owners just don't care that much. My one friend refuses to even feed her cats friskies pate once a day because it's "expensive." When her husband feeds them he does give them the pate but he's out on travel most of the time. They do pretty well financially.
 

cheesycats

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No, I actually think because of this grain free propaganda set up by the big three theres going to be a spike in grain filled foods. Grain free foods won’t improve and companies that don’t offer grain in now will come out with grain in (taste of the wild has a grain in food for dogs (possible cat as well) coming next year to petco). Because no one is actually using common sense with this subject and asking for high meat, less processed foods and instead are being scared into carb loaded grain filled foods by vets who are brain washed by the big 3, i am already seeing marketing (I work for a pet store) that is aimed at uneducated ppl. For instance at my store we receive “wholesome grains” signs for dog food. They were for pro plan (wheat and soy), hills (corn), and Royal Canin (corn wheat soy you name it) and I don’t believe these foods contain any type of “wholesome grains” as the signs say. Not to mention the signs also went up on foods that read similar to this “chicken, brown rice, peas, pea fiber...etc”. So not only are they saying corn is a wholesome grain, they’re not even trying to accurately educate customers on the main issue, peas and carbs. Peas and carbs are still all over some of these foods. As if the magical brown rice is the cure to all cases of dcm or something. I’m just frustrated. I really wish ppl would take the time to look at this issue non objectively and actually read the full fda report and the cases that have been reported. If they did they’d be quick to find that dcm is being found in dogs on all kinds of foods, including hills prescription diet, proplan, and other grain filled grocery store foods along with grain free foods. The mass hysteria that has been caused by this is absolutely insane and I’ve had to leave a couple different dog food forums and Facebook groups simply because the only thing anyone was allowed to promote was the big three. Not having it. These companies have a minimum budget to get foods to meet aafco standards (which are crap standards to begin with) and the “science” they use is biased, easily manipulated, and made up on a strict low low budget.
Another thing that needs to be done is more conclusive studies on raw feeding and less processed food feedings, however the big 3 will NEVER fund these studies because they cost to much and they know the average everyday person is content with being told a 30 lbs 70$ bag of Royal Canin is the best of the best. Mars is the largest petcare company on earth. And there’s a reason why. They make some of the most abysmal quality foods and slap the largest price tags on them. I don’t care how much time and “science” was spend making a Royal Canin formula. Nothing makes me believe that sad sad ingredient list is anything near real science or worth the price. I’d be more inclined to speak with a vet nutritionalist and have a homemade diet prepared for my animals. It would likely be the same price as feeding that junk the big 3 make.
fortunately I think the pet industry has come far. It’s proof that ppl are wanting better for their pets. I think it will take more time though. The only foods that used to exist were the big 3 in the beginning. Now look at the few great brands who are out and making foods as biologically correct for our pets. These are the companies we need to support. Not companies who call biased, manipulated, minimally funded feeding trials “science”.
End rant. Im annoyed:argh:
 

Talien

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No, I actually think because of this grain free propaganda set up by the big three theres going to be a spike in grain filled foods. Grain free foods won’t improve and companies that don’t offer grain in now will come out with grain in (taste of the wild has a grain in food for dogs (possible cat as well) coming next year to petco). Because no one is actually using common sense with this subject and asking for high meat, less processed foods and instead are being scared into carb loaded grain filled foods by vets who are brain washed by the big 3, i am already seeing marketing (I work for a pet store) that is aimed at uneducated ppl. For instance at my store we receive “wholesome grains” signs for dog food. They were for pro plan (wheat and soy), hills (corn), and Royal Canin (corn wheat soy you name it) and I don’t believe these foods contain any type of “wholesome grains” as the signs say. Not to mention the signs also went up on foods that read similar to this “chicken, brown rice, peas, pea fiber...etc”. So not only are they saying corn is a wholesome grain, they’re not even trying to accurately educate customers on the main issue, peas and carbs. Peas and carbs are still all over some of these foods. As if the magical brown rice is the cure to all cases of dcm or something. I’m just frustrated. I really wish ppl would take the time to look at this issue non objectively and actually read the full fda report and the cases that have been reported. If they did they’d be quick to find that dcm is being found in dogs on all kinds of foods, including hills prescription diet, proplan, and other grain filled grocery store foods along with grain free foods. The mass hysteria that has been caused by this is absolutely insane and I’ve had to leave a couple different dog food forums and Facebook groups simply because the only thing anyone was allowed to promote was the big three. Not having it. These companies have a minimum budget to get foods to meet aafco standards (which are crap standards to begin with) and the “science” they use is biased, easily manipulated, and made up on a strict low low budget.
Another thing that needs to be done is more conclusive studies on raw feeding and less processed food feedings, however the big 3 will NEVER fund these studies because they cost to much and they know the average everyday person is content with being told a 30 lbs 70$ bag of Royal Canin is the best of the best. Mars is the largest petcare company on earth. And there’s a reason why. They make some of the most abysmal quality foods and slap the largest price tags on them. I don’t care how much time and “science” was spend making a Royal Canin formula. Nothing makes me believe that sad sad ingredient list is anything near real science or worth the price. I’d be more inclined to speak with a vet nutritionalist and have a homemade diet prepared for my animals. It would likely be the same price as feeding that junk the big 3 make.
fortunately I think the pet industry has come far. It’s proof that ppl are wanting better for their pets. I think it will take more time though. The only foods that used to exist were the big 3 in the beginning. Now look at the few great brands who are out and making foods as biologically correct for our pets. These are the companies we need to support. Not companies who call biased, manipulated, minimally funded feeding trials “science”.
End rant. Im annoyed:argh:
I feel the same way, it's ridiculous. One of my Cats had struvites a while back and my vet wanted me to put her on hill's c/d, I took one look at the ingredients and flat out said no way. The worst part was looking at what it was supposed to do, the label said that it increases urine acidity to dissolve crystals, which is what raw food does, and my Cats were on a raw diet.

I asked my vet what I would gain by switching over to a lower quality food with terrible ingredients and was basically told that ingredients don't matter, only the nutrients do. That about floored me.
 

lisahe

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No, I actually think because of this grain free propaganda set up by the big three theres going to be a spike in grain filled foods.
Unfortunately, what you say about grains is exactly what I've been expecting.

MissClouseau MissClouseau , are there any premixed nutrients you can buy? That's what I use to make cooked food. I just don't have the time and patience right now to buy everything on my own and mix it so a premix works great.
 

1 bruce 1

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We'll most likely just see different filler added. There MIGHT be some higher quality canned foods with just meat, but it would probably be over $2 a can.

More than likely we'd probably just see more people shifting toward the commercial raw food.
Or, even worse, if commercial raw is too expensive making an unbalanced raw or cooked diet at home without any thought going into the formulation.
Plain raw meat and nothing else is not a good diet for a cat (or a dog), and cooked meat with >50% being vegetables and rice in the absence of variety, calcium, offals, supplementation, etc., isn't either. Dogs seem to survive better on a thrown together meal plan but cats can't.
The original grain free foods from what I remember were more expensive than they are now, and did contain a lot more meat. When the market expanded (well, blew up really) it's like the competition blew up and that's when the addition of all these vegetables and legumes came in. Legumes will jack up the protein content of the food, so looking at the GA will tell you it's "high protein" and when we humans think protein, we think "meat".
 

1 bruce 1

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Back in Luxembourg I used to occasionally buy a grocery store beef and I would just cut it and give it to my cats to supplement their usual canned diet. That was a great introduction to feed raw diet to my cats, as the difference in their behaviour and energy level was really noticeable and it motivated me to research more. I would do the same if I l lived in Turkey, as I'm sure you have an excellent meat quality over there and access to good butchers. I actually remember seeing stray cats being fed raw meat when I was visiting Istambul, and I was really impressed with it. Then there is this cat:
Have you visited the raw feeding sub forum? It's great source of information.
That guy has to be a cat guy. He's so polite to ALL his customers :petcat:
 

Talien

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I would be damned surprised if there is. I will look it up though, thank you.
There are actually several premixes that you can add to raw meat. I don't recall what they are offhand because I've never used them, but I do remember seeing people talking about them in the raw food area.
 

MissClouseau

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Yeah, I guess that would complicate things a bit. I know some of them can be ordered online but whether they ship internationally or not is another question.
It wouldn't pass the customs in Turkey. Due to local laws food, cosmetics, medicine do not pass the customs. (Unless for medicine there is a prescription from a doctor and you also pay tax.)
 

ailish

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But there doesn't seem to be any consensus on many of the pet food issues. Grain is bad, never feed grain. No grain is bad, never feed no grain. Carrageenan, bad. Carrageenan, no proof it's bad. So how does one insist on healthy food, and how does a company make healthy food, if no one knows what healthy food actually is? The pet food discussion, much like the human food discussion, seems to be made up primarily of fads and unsupported claims that something is either the best food ever or sure to poison the eater and cut life tragically short.
 

Talien

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But there doesn't seem to be any consensus on many of the pet food issues. Grain is bad, never feed grain. No grain is bad, never feed no grain. Carrageenan, bad. Carrageenan, no proof it's bad. So how does one insist on healthy food, and how does a company make healthy food, if no one knows what healthy food actually is? The pet food discussion, much like the human food discussion, seems to be made up primarily of fads and unsupported claims that something is either the best food ever or sure to poison the eater and cut life tragically short.
If it's artificial, or requires a massive amount of supplements to make it "nutritionally complete", it's probably not very good.
 

Azazel

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But there doesn't seem to be any consensus on many of the pet food issues. Grain is bad, never feed grain. No grain is bad, never feed no grain. Carrageenan, bad. Carrageenan, no proof it's bad. So how does one insist on healthy food, and how does a company make healthy food, if no one knows what healthy food actually is? The pet food discussion, much like the human food discussion, seems to be made up primarily of fads and unsupported claims that something is either the best food ever or sure to poison the eater and cut life tragically short.
Well, we shouldn't be worried about feeding grains or carrageenan to cats in the first place. The only reason we even have these questions is because pet food companies use them as cheap fillers. Healthy food would mean ingredients that are fresh and appropriate for obligate carnivores with naturally low thirst drives. The only reason we even ask whether grains are healthy for cats is because pet food companies want to use grains to replace meat based protein so that they can make the most inexpensive food possible and maximize their profit.

Knowing that a cat is an obligate carnivore is not a fad or an unsupported claim. It's a scientific fact. The pet food industry wants you to be confused about these things. It's actually a lot more straight forward than that. The definition of an obligate carnivore is an animal who is required to eat fresh and raw animal flesh. Any basic science textbook will teach you that. It will also teach you that obligate carnivores do not have the physiology to digest plants.
 

Azazel

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Owned By The Animals – Almo Nature

This Italian pet food brand seem to have made the biggest change ever in the pet food industry. 100% of their profits goes back to help animals in need.
This is really not much different from other pet food companies. The ingredients are still not great and they’re encouraging feeding dry food to cats. I don’t see how this is a big change. The biggest change would have been something like Rad Cat - fresh organic whole raw meat and organs with no veggies or other inappropriate fillers and high in moisture and animal protein.
 

Luc

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This is really not much different from other pet food companies. The ingredients are still not great and they’re encouraging feeding dry food to cats. I don’t see how this is a big change. The biggest change would have been something like Rad Cat - fresh organic whole raw meat and organs with no veggies or other inappropriate fillers and high in moisture and animal protein.

Funny that there are two very different opinions on the very same fact. How can you possibly say that there is not much difference from other pet food companies ?! Out of 100s companies that make pet food can you name another one that gives 100% of their profit to animal causes ? If you can I'd like to know the name, but if you can't you are expressing your opinion, not actual facts.

Here are other facts:

Other pet food companies have been on the news for animal cruelty this one is listed on the peta website for being cruelty free >>> Search for Cruelty-Free Companies, Products, and More | PETA

It is also inaccurate when you write that they are encouraging dry food for cats. Almo Nature was the first company in the world to introduce a wet pet food line in 2000 after that every other company copied them, but Almo uses ingredients fit for human consumption. The dry food line followed afterward.
 
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