stella & chewy's on backorder everywhere

[stephanie42]

i'm still frustrated.  all local stores that carry stella & chewy's are completely out of any cat varieties.  i can't find it online either.  so for now we're back to canned merrick and wellness core, and i'm adding in some frozen nv cat rabbit and chicken.  i think i'm just going to start cooking for them again because i don't like having to depend on another company like this.

 

[karma2222]

Give it a week or so .... A lot of shipping companies take time off over the holidays and stores are very busy and sometimes just don't have time to get orders in because they are too busy helping customers. I would talk to the manager at the store you normally go too and tell them about the problem and see if they can tell you when they are getting their order in and maybe even call you when in comes in. You will have better success as well if you are talking to independent stores and not the large chain stores - they tend to care more about the individual customer.

 

[stephanie42]

Give it a week or so .... A lot of shipping companies take time off over the holidays and stores are very busy and sometimes just don't have time to get orders in because they are too busy helping customers. I would talk to the manager at the store you normally go too and tell them about the problem and see if they can tell you when they are getting their order in and maybe even call you when in comes in. You will have better success as well if you are talking to independent stores and not the large chain stores - they tend to care more about the individual customer.

large chain stores in my area don't carry stella & chewy's.  i also have a special order in at one local store - i put in the order 7 weeks ago and still have nothing.  all the local independent stores tell me the same thing - they place orders and they get nothing, not even an explanation of why they're not getting any shipments of cat food.  when i emailed stella & chewy's i got a form response that it was just due to the popularity of the food - that was 11/17/2014.  and none of the local independents have it.  so i'm starting to think it's a bigger problem than it being 'popular'.   

 

[kritterkat]

I'm beginning to think the same thing, make my own food and stop relying on pet food companies.  I understand things happen but it's been months.  I asked our local healthy pet supplier if they knew what was going on and they said they haven't been told, all they know is they just can't get it.  Time to start researching other alternatives.

 

[kritterkat]

 
Yowser - the S&C dog version for kitties?! I actually used it (rabbit) briefly to get the cats off of kibble, however, I remember calling S&C about this and they practically chewed (no pun intended, lol) me out on the phone for giving their dog version to the cats - way too many veggies plus the olive oil in the dog formula, they said, wasn't good for kitties.

I continued it for a bit but when I noticed my guy was having bloody stools, I stopped it immediately. 

Thanks for sharing that, I'll definitely steer clear of the dog food.  If Stella can't keep up with the cat food production I suppose it's time to find an alternative before the cupboard goes bare. 

 

[sophie1]

 
I'm beginning to think the same thing, make my own food and stop relying on pet food companies.  I understand things happen but it's been months.  I asked our local healthy pet supplier if they knew what was going on and they said they haven't been told, all they know is they just can't get it.  Time to start researching other alternatives.

That's my experience also.  I'd been relying also on Primal grinds to make up food, but even that supply has been interrupted over the holidays.  I'm also glad I went the homemade route, which I did initially because it cut my food costs in half.  It's also why I tried Honest Kitchen, which doesn't seem to have the same supply problem.  Right now I'm relying on Hare Today and My Pet Carnivore for the raw materials, but if they started getting supply disruptions I'd buy a grinder and use Dr. Pierson's partial-baked chicken thigh recipe.

The supply issues seemed to start with Bravo's Balance recall, but might there be another reason for it?  Like, are there new regulations choking off raw food production?

 

[kritterkat]

 
i'm still frustrated.  all local stores that carry stella & chewy's are completely out of any cat varieties.  i can't find it online either.  so for now we're back to canned merrick and wellness core, and i'm adding in some frozen nv cat rabbit and chicken.  i think i'm just going to start cooking for them again because i don't like having to depend on another company like this.

Stephgas, I just received a back in stock email and Only Natural Pets has a few varieties back in stock, thought you might like to know.

 

[kritterkat]

 
That's my experience also.  I'd been relying also on Primal grinds to make up food, but even that supply has been interrupted over the holidays.  I'm also glad I went the homemade route, which I did initially because it cut my food costs in half.  It's also why I tried Honest Kitchen, which doesn't seem to have the same supply problem.  Right now I'm relying on Hare Today and My Pet Carnivore for the raw materials, but if they started getting supply disruptions I'd buy a grinder and use Dr. Pierson's partial-baked chicken thigh recipe.

The supply issues seemed to start with Bravo's Balance recall, but might there be another reason for it?  Like, are there new regulations choking off raw food production?

The lack of Stella & Chewy's cat food definitely isn't due to holidays as it's been going on literally for months.  I would also love to cut my cat food budget, one of my cats can't have chicken but I'll take a look at Dr. Pierson's recipes.  So even with the cost of having raw frozen shipped, the total food cost is still less than raw dehydrated?  I've looked at some of the already-prepared frozen cat foods but the shipping was out of reach.  

 

[stephanie42]

 
Stephgas, I just received a back in stock email and Only Natural Pets has a few varieties back in stock, thought you might like to know.

they appear to have some fish varieties (we don't feed fish to the cats) and turkey.  samantha had trouble with the turkey last time, not sure why but we've only been feeding chicken and duck stella & chewy's.  thanks though

 

[kritterkat]

 
they appear to have some fish varieties (we don't feed fish to the cats) and turkey.  samantha had trouble with the turkey last time, not sure why but we've only been feeding chicken and duck stella & chewy's.  thanks though

Drats!  I don't feed fish either but both of mine love and do great on the turkey.  Ah if it were easy we wouldn't know what to do with our time, would we now?

  

 

[maureen brad]

I tried to buy the Turkey today but they were out. My cats do love the Duck, Duck Goose. By the way the first listed ingredient on that is Turkey! I have to hide it in a sealed container as Desmond will bust into the pantry ( door doesn't shut well) and eat the bottom out of the bag to get to it. I wish that Stelly-n-Chewy's frozen food for cats was sold here but they only sell the dog frozen.

 

[kritterkat]

 
I tried to buy the Turkey today but they were out. My cats do love the Duck, Duck Goose. By the way the first listed ingredient on that is Turkey! I have to hide it in a sealed container as Desmond will bust into the pantry ( door doesn't shut well) and eat the bottom out of the bag to get to it. I wish that Stelly-n-Chewy's frozen food for cats was sold here but they only sell the dog frozen.

I just went back on All Natural Pet and the 8oz turkey is back ordered, but the 12oz looks to be available.  Their layout is a bit confusing but if you look at the box next to 12oz turkey, it's clear so you can type a quantity in.  Also when I searched the site for the turkey a picture of a bag of chicken came up, hopefully just a quirk.  My confirmation says turkey.  Our local shop can get the frozen, I just don't have space to stock up on it.

Desmond sounds like my Benjamin!  Although I can leave Stella on the counter in the bag and he won't touch it, he's become a counter surfer.  I blame it on the hyperthyroid appetite.  Maybe a search is in order for how to keep kitties off the kitchen counter.

 

[s2media]

I heard they're supply issue was due to a damaged drier machine.  The place I made an order from said they're starting to get more stock in the next week or two.  

 

[LTS3]

The local pet store here has Stella and Chewy's in stock again

 

[stephanie42]

not really yet around here.  one local store has chicken and salmon in stock but i don't give my kittens fish.  i ended up just cooking for them again.  it's a lot cheaper for three of them since i have all the supplements already.

 

[maureen brad]

Stella and Chewy's is officially now where ! I just can't find any at all. My local store manager said that they were focusing on Dog food as the cat food does not sell anywhere near as well.

 Stella and Chewy's says that isn't true but cannot give me any idea when it will be available. I am glad I feed my cats more than this food or I would be kind of angry with them.

 I do notice there is plenty of their dog food on the shelves.

Color me frustrated

 

[lisahe]

Thank you for the update, Maureen! But uh-oh, we're nearly out of Duck Duck Goose and I was going to ask the local store to order more for me... we just use a little of it every day: for our cats, it's kind of like adding herbs to the pizza sauce, you know? They seem to think their raw food tastes bland without a few nuggets of Stella & Chewy's.

Sad to say but what your local store manager says about dog food over cat food fits with what I keep hearing from stores here, too: people just aren't that interested in raw food for cats. But they love buying it for dogs.

 

[LTS3]

I wonder if your pet store would be able to order the Stella and Chewy's as needed for you? I kow the pet store here does that for items they don't normally carry in stock all the time.

Maybe it's time to try a different brand of freeze dried raw until Stella and Chewy's sorts out their issue. I always see Vital Essentials at the store: http://www.vitalessentialsraw.com/#!kitty-nibblets/c7e8 There's also NV Instinct and Primal Pet, Feline Natural,  Steve's Real Food (frozen and freeze dried), Sojos,  Dr. Harvey's Oracle, OnlyNaturalPet's brand.

 

[lisahe]

Thanks for those alternative ideas, @LTS3... I'm going to check with a couple local stores first. Maybe someone still has Stella & Chewy's in stock or can order it.  If not, hmm. Woe!

Have you tried any of those other foods? Actually, maybe I'll see if I can get some samples.

It can be risky trying new foods on these oh-so-particular cats and spending $20 or more for a bag of something they won't eat... ouch!

 

[LTS3]

 
Thanks for those alternative ideas, @LTS3... I'm going to check with a couple local stores first. Maybe someone still has Stella & Chewy's in stock or can order it.  If not, hmm. Woe!

Have you tried any of those other foods? Actually, maybe I'll see if I can get some samples.

It can be risky trying new foods on these oh-so-particular cats and spending $20 or more for a bag of something they won't eat... ouch!

I tried the NV freeze dried before. The cats seemed to like it ok. Only downsides are that the NV is available in just 3 formulas and only in 3 oz bags. There's a coupon here if you want to tgive it a try: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/290985/natures-variety-raw-coupons I have not tried the other brands but the Vital Essentials one looks pretty good.