Pet Food Marketing – All Hype

A trip down the pet food aisle these days will boggle the mind with all the wonderful claims made by manufacturers for their particular products. But what’s the truth behind all this marvelous hype? You might be very surprised…let’s take a look.

1. Niche claims. Today, if you have an indoor cat, a canine athlete, a Persian, a Bloodhound, a Yorkie, or a pet with a tender tummy or itchy feet, you can find a food “designed” just for your pet’s personal needs. Niche marketing has arrived in a big way in the pet food industry. People like to feel special, and a product with specific appeal is bound to sell better than a general product like “puppy food.” But the reality is that there are only two nutritional standards against which all pet foods are measured (adult and growth/gestation/lactation)-everything else is marketing. Your best bet is a food made with good quality ingredients that satisfies “All Life Stages.”

2. “Natural” or “Organic” claims. The definition of “natural” adopted by AAFCO is very broad, and allows for artificially processed ingredients that most of us would consider very unnatural indeed. The term “organic,” on the other hand, has a very strict legal definition that the USDA has ruled applies to pet food. However, some companies are adept at evading the intent of these rules. For instance, the name of the company or product may be intentionally misleading. For instance, some companies use terms like “Nature” or “Natural” in the brand name, whether or not their products fit the definition of natural.

3. Ingredient quality claims. A lot of pet foods claim they contain “human grade” ingredients. This is a completely meaningless term-which is why the pet food companies get away with using it. The same applies to “USDA inspected” or similar phrases. The implication is that the food is made using ingredients that are passed by the USDA for human consumption, but there are many ways around this. For instance, a facility might be USDA-inspected during the day, but the pet food is made at night after the inspector goes home. The use of such terms should be viewed as a “Hype Alert.”

4. “Meat is the first ingredient” claim. A claim that a named meat (chicken, lamb, etc.) is the #1 ingredient is generally seen for dry food. Ingredients are listed on the label by weight, and raw chicken weighs a lot, since contains a lot of water. If you look further down the list, you’re likely to see ingredients such as chicken or poultry by-product meal, meat-and-bone meal, corn gluten meal, soybean meal, or other dry protein. Meals have had the fat and water removed, and basically consist of a dry, lightweight, high-protein powder. It doesn’t take much raw chicken to weigh more than a great big pile of this powder. Not only that, but the “chicken” used in dry food is actually a slurry of about 90% water; so in reality the food is based on the protein meal, with very little “chicken” to be found.
This has become a very popular marketing gimmick, even in premium and “health food” type brands. Since everybody is now using it, any meaning it may once have had is so watered-down that you may just as well ignore it.

5. Special ingredient claims. Many of the high-end pet foods today rely on the marketing appeal of people-food ingredients such as fruits, herbs, vegetables, and a variety of supplements such as glucosamine or probiotics. However, the amounts of these items actually present in the food are small and not therapeutic. Fruits and vegetables are usually scraps and rejects from processors of human foods-certainly not the whole, fresh ingredients they want you to picture. Such ingredients don’t provide a significant health benefit and are just a marketing gimmick.

It’s a jungle out there…Pet food marketing and advertising has become extremely sophisticated over the last few years. It’s important to know what is hype and what is real, so you can make informed decisions about what to feed your pets.

If Your Pet Gets Lost

First, don’t panic, get organized.

It’s much harder to find a small pet than a large one, and even harder to find a cat than a dog. Chances are, your pet is frightened and may be hiding to protect itself. This means it will most likely keep quiet, too. A dog might bark or whimper if he hears you calling his name, but a cat almost never responds. It happens, but it’s more rare.

The first thing to do when you notice your pet is missing is to look close by… inside your home, your yard, your neighborhood. Call out his name so he knows you’re nearby. He might come running to you, or possibly might run home. Be sure to leave a pet door open if he uses one, or have someone at home to watch for him and to answer the phone in case anyone calls.

Check with neighbors to see if they will let you look in garages and outbuildings. I found one of my cats in the garage next door after the neighbor had just taken some things out there and didn’t notice that a cat ran in. Another time, I found my lost cat in my own garage. I had forgotten I had just been in there and didn’t notice his quick dart behind me.

If you don’t find your pet right away

If you haven’t prepared anything before, go ahead and do it now. Make a poster on your computer, or simply tape a current photo onto a sheet of paper, then write with a marker the pet’s name and description, then your name, address and phone number. If you are offering a reward, mention that, too. Make copies of this poster and put them up in your neighborhood, perhaps at community bulletin boards in the supermarket, laundromat, convenience store, etc.

To make sure everyone has your number, hand out cards or posters as you search. Tape one to your front door, as well as your own car window.
Never put these into people’s mailboxes, as that is illegal. If no one is home, tape it to their door, or slip it inside the door in any way you can.
Be sure to leave one with your local police department and animal control agency, if there is one. If your town has a shelter or rescue group, contact them as well, along with your veterinarian. Another great contact to make is your local postal carrier. They know all the homes and often the pets. Also check with other delivery people, as they might spot your pet in someone else’s yard. This means the UPS driver, FedEx, pizza, newspaper and flower deliverers, meter readers, etc.

Don’t expect your pet to come running to you when you call, however. Remember, they are frightened and out of their comfort zone. They won’t know how to use what we might think of as good judgment, choosing to hide and be quiet instead. That is their instinct in the wild, so that is what they will do now.

If your pet is wearing a tag, so much the better. Identification is probably the most important thing you can do to help recover your pet. Even indoor pets occasionally slip outside.

Set a Trap

If you can, borrow a humane trap from the police department, the shelter, or anyone you can think of who might have one, and place it wherever the pet was last spotted, if possible. Otherwise, set it near your home. He may try to come home, but may not know how to get back in.
If he is not located the first day, stay in touch with all the agencies you contacted on the first day. If they seem disinterested, don’t get angry, but do be persistent. Be sure the police actually take a report. Some agencies don’t take pet loss seriously, even if there are dog fight clubs in the area. (I know too well about this one, but that’s another story…)

Here are other tactics you can use if things go beyond that first, hectic, disturbing day:
•    Place an ad in the local paper.
•    Ask the radio station to broadcast it.
•    Keep food and water by your house, in case he comes back. Don’t worry if other animals are eating it.
•    Hang something with your scent on it outside your house. Dirty clothes work well, and your pet may pick up on this and be attracted to it.
•    Post your lost pet on the many web sites that provide a lost and found service.

If someone calls you to collect the reward, be careful. Never go to their place alone, and never send money “up front” for them to ship your pet back to you.

Lastly, but sadly, many animals also get hit by cars, so you may need to check with the road maintenance people to be sure yours isn’t one of them. To save yourself alot of grief it’s best that you purchase a

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Ensure Your Pet Stays Fit and Healthy

It is important to minimize any trips to the vet for many reasons – and this can be achieved by ensuring your pet stays fit and healthy. Regardless of the type of pet you own, maintaining your pet’s physical and mental well-being is simply a matter of good grooming, exercise and diet – supported by regular health checks.

It’s difficult to resist feeding your pet scraps, but it’s more important to provide your pet with a balanced diet. Feeding them good quality food with all the nutrients they need can aid development, prevent obesity and ensure a good immune system. If you don’t maintain a healthy diet for your pet then this will only lead to poor health.

Some pet snacks are specifically developed to reduce tarter and plaque buildup. Cat and dog owners may still need to take their pets to the vet for regular dental checks, as bad dental health can adversely affect the overall health and well-being of your animal.

Active pets are healthy and happy pets – and maintaining a sensible exercise routine can help those pets with excess flab lose weight. Walking and running are great exercises for dogs and will increase flexibility and stamina. In addition, fun toys can keep both cats and dogs entertained by turning exercise into quality playtime.

As the warm weather approaches, it’s important to be prepared for nature and its effect on the health of your pet. Warmer weather brings insects that could harm your pet or cause discomfort; therefore, be aware of bees and wasps, as a sting can be distressing to cats and dogs. What’s more, flea infestations can affect both pets and your family, so remember to regularly treat your pet and home with a flea preventative.

In addition to showering your pet with love and affection, regular grooming can help your pet stay trim and healthy. Washing your pet will not only help reduce germs and prevent diseases, but it also ensures you are properly examining for potential problems that may cause pain and discomfort to them.

Keeping up-to-date with check-ups and vaccinations is essential to maintaining the health of your pet. It’s also wise to take out pet insurance, as emergency healthcare or prolonged health problems can be costly. The knowledge that your veterinary bills are taken care of can leave you free to concentrate on the well-being of your pet.

Being a responsible pet owner means taking care of your pet’s safety, health and cleanliness – and it is important to remember that taking good care of your pet doesn’t have to be a chore.