This post is sponsored by Balanced Blends
Cats should be thriving, not just surviving. Yet the vast majority of pet food options is filled with species inappropriate ingredients chosen to meet the minimum nutritional requirements, at the lowest possible cost, while sounding increasingly “human appropriate” to appeal to buyers. We’ve domesticated our cats, but we’ve failed to bring the nutritional benefits of the wild in with them.
Cats are obligate carnivores and should be fed a diet that minimizes stress on their bodies. This includes, for example, avoiding plant ingredients such as carrots, potatoes, spinach, chickpeas, and other legumes that require the use of non-primary, inefficient digestive processes, thus introducing digestive stress.
Making a conscious choice to feed appropriately is the first step, but how do you identify what is nutritionally balanced and species appropriate?
Who regulates pet food?
In the United States, nutritional standards for “complete and balanced” pet food are established by AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials. ) The organization is charged with establishing and enforcing animal feed requirements across all fifty state governments. Its primary responsibility is to ensure the safety of feed for human food producing livestock. AAFCO states that “…it is the pet food company’s responsibility to formulate their products according to the appropriate AAFCO standard.” It’s this formulation of products performed by the industry that needs closer attention if we’re going to address the significant increase in cases of diet related illnesses.
Why you should be concerned
How concerned should you be?
In 2007, the contamination of species inappropriate grains used in pet food led to the largest pet food recall in history causing hundreds, possibly thousands of deaths. The true numbers will most likely never be known.
Currently, the FDA is investigating the species inappropriate “grain-free” alternative ingredients (starches, chickpeas, and other legumes) to determine whether there is a link to heart disease (DCM – dilated cardiomyopathy).
High levels of species inappropriate carbohydrates may be contributing to the feline obesity crisis, which in turn, leads to diseases ranging from diabetes to arthritis to heart disease.
You should be very concerned.
Surviving vs. thriving
We see these very same problems in the human food industry. Sure, we could survive on fast food, until heart disease, cancer or any other illness implicated with poor nutrition gets the better of us. But we would thrive on a balance of quality nutritional ingredients. The difference for us is that we can make the choice of what food we buy for us. Since our cats can’t choose, it’s up to us to make the right choice for them.
Like with humans and fast food, there’s a reason our cats often love inappropriate recipes and ingredients. There’s a $1 billion industry creating food attractants that can make cardboard seem as amazing as ice cream, or steak, or whatever you need it to taste like. The same is true for pet food.
You are the advocate for your cat’s health.
You are the advocate for your cat’s health. That means acknowledging that cats are obligate carnivores who require a diet based on wholesome species appropriate foods, without chemical attractants. A complete and balanced diet consisting of meat, organs, and the minimal amount of supplements needed to complete the diet, checks all the boxes.
About Balanced Blends
Balanced Blends creates species appropriate pet food for cats. Their high-protein Species Balanced™ recipes are 97.5% USDA inspected and approved animal ingredients, combined with a minimum amount of supplementation. No species inappropriate ingredients included: no grains, ‘grain-free’ alternatives, starches, carbs, chickpeas, or other legumes.
Pets are family. Carnivores hunt. Choose to feed appropriately™.
For more information, visit BalancedBlends.com
*FTC Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, which means that I was compensated to feature this content. Regardless of payment received, you will only see products or services featured on this site that I believe are of interest to our readers.
