While skimming the TV listing this afternoon, I saw a show called Animal Attractions on my local NJN (kinda like PBS/Public Access, but for New Jersey) station. The show was mainly about dogs (of course) but the synopsis mentioned a segment about feline nutrition, so I had to watch.
When the (very short) segment finally came around, it was about overweight cats and what healthy treats you can offer instead of the usual pound-packing snacks. What did they suggest? Green beans, carrots, and apples.... oh, and of course, almost every scene had a bag of Science Diet somewhere in the shot, with the logo nice and visible. I understand all about TV show sponsors and whatnot, but c'mon.. at least offer /something/ useful.
If you're going to have a segment on nutrition, perhaps they should.. I dunno.. offer suggestions on things that are actually GOOD and appropriate for cats? They showed clips of cats eating voraciously from their bowls, which were, of course, filled to the brim with kibble (which is probably WHY the cats are overweight to begin with). No mention (or visuals) of wet food, not a word of (gasp!) raw food, and no advice on healthy treats for carnivores. It's things like this that perpetuate the ignorance cats are just fine and dandy with a diet chock full of grains, vegetables, and meat flavorings. Joe Schmoe on the corner, who doesn't do much research on his own, sees a show like this and it only reinforces the misinformation provided by the pet food industry.
They even showed a bowl of milk, saying that "This is like your cat eating five cheeseburgers" but didn't mention that cats aren't even supposed to drink milk.
I'll admit, before Niko came into my life, I was "cat stupid". But I did my homework, I got advice from people who've owned cats for years, and of course, found this wonderful forum. I wish more people would take the time to do a little research, especially those that are supposed to inform pet owners on health and nutrition. If you're going to offer bad advice, it's better to offer no advice at all.
Why aren't there more shows on feline behavior and nutrition? I was under the assumption that here in the States, more people have cats than dogs, as family members. Where are /our/ voices heard?
When the (very short) segment finally came around, it was about overweight cats and what healthy treats you can offer instead of the usual pound-packing snacks. What did they suggest? Green beans, carrots, and apples.... oh, and of course, almost every scene had a bag of Science Diet somewhere in the shot, with the logo nice and visible. I understand all about TV show sponsors and whatnot, but c'mon.. at least offer /something/ useful.
If you're going to have a segment on nutrition, perhaps they should.. I dunno.. offer suggestions on things that are actually GOOD and appropriate for cats? They showed clips of cats eating voraciously from their bowls, which were, of course, filled to the brim with kibble (which is probably WHY the cats are overweight to begin with). No mention (or visuals) of wet food, not a word of (gasp!) raw food, and no advice on healthy treats for carnivores. It's things like this that perpetuate the ignorance cats are just fine and dandy with a diet chock full of grains, vegetables, and meat flavorings. Joe Schmoe on the corner, who doesn't do much research on his own, sees a show like this and it only reinforces the misinformation provided by the pet food industry.
They even showed a bowl of milk, saying that "This is like your cat eating five cheeseburgers" but didn't mention that cats aren't even supposed to drink milk.
I'll admit, before Niko came into my life, I was "cat stupid". But I did my homework, I got advice from people who've owned cats for years, and of course, found this wonderful forum. I wish more people would take the time to do a little research, especially those that are supposed to inform pet owners on health and nutrition. If you're going to offer bad advice, it's better to offer no advice at all.
Why aren't there more shows on feline behavior and nutrition? I was under the assumption that here in the States, more people have cats than dogs, as family members. Where are /our/ voices heard?
