Wrong dry food for over two months!

[Antonio65]

I'm shocked!
This morning I realized I had been feeding my cat Giada "dog dry food" instead of "cat dry food" for over two months!

I had been feeding her the usual dry food for months, then I ordered it again in December, and instead of adding to cart the usual cat food, I purchased the same brand, but dog food. Same label, same name, same package colors and logo, the two packages are just the same. The only difference is that the dog one has the package a little bigger and the kibbles are bigger too. I wondered why they had made the kibbles bigger, but then I accepted the fact. The sack is 2 kg, so I used to transfer a smaller amount in a more compact container, and when this morning I emptied the sack completely and was going to dispose of it, I saw the label "dog food".
I was shocked, terribly shocked

Now, I've checked both lists of ingredients and food analyses, and the two foods are quite the same, apart for a slightly different balance of proteins, fats, ashes, and the lack of Taurine in the dog food! Giada is eating wet food as well, so it shouldn't be a big lack.

I can't believe it!
The only excuse I may have is that due to the Covid I had, I haven't been able to focus on things properly in the last months, and still I am not, but the same...
Hopefully nothing wrong happened to my kitty.

 

[verna davies]

It could happen to any of us especially if the packaging is the same. I'm sure Giada is fine, you would have noticed by now. Let's hope she doesn't start to bark

 

[Antonio65]

It could happen to any of us especially if the packaging is the same. I'm sure Giada is fine, you would have noticed by now. Let's hope she doesn't start to bark

This is what I told my wife today, Giada isn't barking yet

 

[Antonio65]

The two packages side by side, not identical, but very similar

 

[Maurey]

Oh wow, that''s really subtle :< I can appreciate wanting to build a brand image, but a slightly more obvious distinction between cat and dog food would be really useful.

Since your kitty hasn't had any symptoms, I wouldn't worry, but definitely switch back over to cat food asap, given that the dog formulation lacks taurine.

 

[Beholder]

When I used to feed Blue I made that mistake as well. Luckily I realized before I opened the can, but it was easy to mistake when shopping online. I got the big can of Flatland Feast because they sold the big cans for the chicken recipe, so I thought I was saving money. I guess I should have noticed the wolf

 

[cat nap]

Wow, this is such an informative thread.
Thank you for posting it Antonio65 .
and to the others who posted images of the similar looking products, too.
I'm near sighted and wear glasses, plus my attention to detail is not that great...so I doubt I would even notice a difference.

Antonio65 ...I think you should really email the company.
They should send you another cat food bag...or at least some coupons towards the price of another bag.
That just pushes the lines of... misleading advertising, to me. They should at least have different colours for their bags.
I couldn't even tell if it was a cat or dog...since they are jumping the same way...on the label.

Their new advertising motto should say, "biologically appropriate food...for either cat or dog...but you'll have to guess, based on our vague artistic outlines....from people who like to play pictionary all day"
(actually I take that back, I have played pictionary...and the drawings were much better)

 

[cat nap]

When I used to feed Blue I made that mistake as well. Luckily I realized before I opened the can, but it was easy to mistake when shopping online. I got the big can of Flatland Feast because they sold the big cans for the chicken recipe, so I thought I was saving money. I guess I should have noticed the wolf

Thanks for posting those photos B Beholder .
How can they give it the same name...Flatland Feast...with entirely different animal photos on it.
I wouldn't even notice the wolf and lynx being different, either. And the same colour.

You know there must have been an 'interesting marketing' meeting going on at that company.
"Hmmm...how can we get consumers to buy more of our products."
"I know...let's...use same name, colour and similar looking wild animals to confuse people"
"Great idea. Bonuses all around"

 

[Beholder]

Thanks for posting those photos B Beholder .
How can they give it the same name...Flatland Feast...with entirely different animal photos on it.
I wouldn't even notice the wolf and lynx being different, either. And the same colour.

You know there must have been an 'interesting marketing' meeting going on at that company.
"Hmmm...how can we get consumers to buy more of our products."
"I know...let's...use same name, colour and similar looking wild animals to confuse people"
"Great idea. Bonuses all around"

Agreed. They do it with tons of their other foods as well.

I feel like they might have done this for people with dogs and cats that might want to feed everyone the same flavor of food? I don't know, that's the best reason I could think of. I would think once people realized they were feeding the wrong food they would inquire for refunds, so I don't see how that would help the company.

 

[Maurey]

Jeez, this feels like lazy graphic design. These companies should take a page out of TikiPet's book. TikiCat and TikiDog are obviously from the same company and line, but it's really hard to mistake one for the other.

 

[cat nap]

Agreed. They do it with tons of their other foods as well.

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I feel like they might have done this for people with dogs and cats that might want to feed everyone the same flavor of food? I don't know, that's the best reason I could think of. I would think once people realized they were feeding the wrong food they would inquire for refunds, so I don't see how that would help the company.

Wow.
I guess it does make sense, if you see your dog loves eating his food, and then you think..."yeah, maybe my cats will love that flavour, too."

Yes, you're right about the confusion and asking for refunds...that would not increase their sales.
(Unless you're like me, who would forget where they placed their receipts, procrastinate, or not bother with asking for a refund. Since I have both dog and cats...it wouldn't be so bad.)

But it would make the company stand out in the people's heads. You kind of don't forget your mistake if you've done it once.
And then are more cautious, the next time.

Thanks again, for posting those photos.
I get totally confused when the same company and brand...suddenly updates and changes the colour on their bags...since then I'm no longer sure if it's the same food or not.
Looking at those photos...makes me aware now...that I have to pay more attention.

Jeez, this feels like lazy graphic design. These companies should take a page out of TikiPet's book. TikiCat and TikiDog are obviously from the same company and line, but it's really hard to mistake one for the other.

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Lol. I do like that graphic design.
They are both so cute.
You kind of feel happy, just looking at them...and want to buy them...so you can get that same expression from your cats or dog.

 

[Antonio65]

Since your kitty hasn't had any symptoms, I wouldn't worry, but definitely switch back over to cat food asap, given that the dog formulation lacks taurine.

Yes, I'm feeding her another kind of dry food from the same brand, chicken instead of fish. This is what I have at home now, it was was she used to eat last summer, before the vet told me that *probably* my kitty was intolerant to poultry. Well, she occasionally had this dry food in the past months, and nothing happened to her poops, so I think it was just a vet's guess.

 

[Antonio65]

Antonio65 ...I think you should really email the company.
They should send you another cat food bag...or at least some coupons towards the price of another bag.
That just pushes the lines of... misleading advertising, to me. They should at least have different colours for their bags.
I couldn't even tell if it was a cat or dog...since they are jumping the same way...on the label.

I think I will email them and let them know.
I was going to email them in December, when I saw that those kibbles were bigger than the ones I used to know, but then I let the thing drop...

 

[Sean35]

Yeah I wouldn't have noticed either. At least you weren't like that guy on Twitter who was using dog shampoo for months.