how to convince your friends to feed their cats better?

Hi. I'm wondering if anyone else has this problem, or if anyone can suggest a solution.

Y'ALL are very savvy about your cat's nutrition, and know all about grain free and high quality, etc.

But most vets don't talk to their clients about it, they just give Science Diet kibble. 

So... the general public, including my real-life friends, don't think twice about kibble (and probably think raw diets are preposterous). I have a friend who thinks Fancy Feast is, like, gourmet cat food, haha.

How do I convince my friends to feed wet, grain-free, high quality foods? Most people I know are like, "well, my parents' cat ate purina for their whole lives and she lived to be 18", or... the one thing my friend says that angers me the most is, "well at least purina chow is better than what she would be eating out on the street." :\

I keep telling them that this will reduce vet costs in the long run. But realistically, people don't think about the future, and are lazy. I certainly am that way regarding my own health lol, but I really like my friends' cats and I want them to be healthy!

Any suggestions?

You can try to gently educate your friends on what a species-appropriate diet for an obligate carnivore means. Sites like http://www.catinfo.org/, http://www.littlebigcat.com/, http://healthypets.mercola.com/ may help. However, it is a very difficult thing to do. Most people take it as criticism and become defensive. I have found that it's important to be non-judgmental and approach it from a scientific basis. I ask these questions.

Would you agree that a cat is an obligate carnivore?

Did you know that an obligate carnivore MUST get its nutrition from animal based sources?

Why would any grains, vegetables or fruit belong in an obligate carnivore's diet?

Thanks! "gently" is a great suggestion lol though being gentle does not come easy for me haha.

You are totally correct about being defensive, it's too bad. For example, one of my friends is being overcharged by using the Petsmart vet plan, and I just very briefly said, whoa are you sure about that? It seems very expensive. And she gave me this look and said, "well I'm just telling you what *I* do. You can do whatever you want." which is superior frustrating b/c she's a great friend in other ways. and after that convo, I don't feel like lecturing her or sending her links :\ maybe just let it go? 

Well, being that Fancy feast is meat-based and grain-free (the Classic varieties anyway), if they're feeding that it's not bad at all! But basically, people will feed their pets whatever they want to, and, yes, it is better than what they'd eat on the street and definitely better than not eating at all. So as long as they're feeding their pets, don't sweat it too much. If they complain about hairballs or smelliness or frequent barfing or urinary problems or whatever, you can certainly tell them what worked for your kitties. . ..

True, but I'm saying she thinks Fancy Feast is TOO good for her cat. And she thinks wet is unnecessary and silly. 

My other friend's cat vomited recently, and I told her it was because of the corn in the food, but she wouldn't listen. A perfectly healthy kitten should not vomit. Yet this girl.... sigh. 

The vomiting could be hairballs or IBS/IBD too.

My friends know me as the crazy cat lady who is passionate about her cats' nutrition. I've gotten several owners to completely drop dry kibble and onto a wet diet; some dog owners are gearing up as we speak for raw. What sold them? When they walked in my house and saw two litter boxes for 3 indoor only cats and ZERO smell. The coats of my cats are incredible too. The cost savings are great too!

I tell people about raw, I also tell them that wet is a fine choice for now. Raw can come in later. But for now, especially with cats, wet is much better. And my friends like what they are seeing. They've been talking to their vets that also approve of wet and species appropriate food.

BTW, when I say raw I also mean home-cooked.

OMG, thanks Peaches! I think you've stumbled on the perfect solution: bragging about our healthy kitties' poo!

tnyc said:

OMG, thanks Peaches! I think you've stumbled on the perfect solution: bragging about our healthy kitties' poo!

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I literally tell people, "Yes, as a matter of fact my cats' s__t doesn't stink." :lol3:

I do warn against feeding an unbalanced raw/homecooked diet though, and heavily.

This is a hard question.

People don't normally take unsolicited advice kindly. It's human ego to not want to admit we are wrong. Unless your friend(s) specifically asked for advice, I'm afraid they are more likely to, at best, ignore you and at worst, tell you to mind your own business. If you think about it, it's the same as telling another parent how to raise their kids. 

People have different reasons to feed their cats what they feed. Dry food is cheap, convenient. Some people are really financially tight but want to keep a cat. Are we to tell them they should not love an animal just because they can't afford good food? Yes, we think that loving an animal means wanting the best healthy food for them, but not everybody thinks that way.

The unfortunate thing is that pet food manufacturers have got the marketing down so well that many people have no idea alternatives exist. Go to any vet clinic and you see rows upon rows of Hill Science food. These companies sponsor vet schools around the country, in return for promoting their products. Can you blame the average layperson not to know about healthier choices for their furbabies?

At my shelter, I can't even begin to tell you how many times I wish to tell a cat parent that they're doing something wrong. But we are trained not to do that. All we can do is offer advice if they ask for it. For example, just the other day a mother and a daughter were looking for a cat, and I happened to be helping them. The daughter has never lived with a cat before, so she was very excited about adopting one. She clearly has done her homework, but she was confused on what "brand" to feed her cat. I took that as a sign that she (and her mother, who was just there to give her daughter support) wanted advice. So I told her how I feel about dry vs wet, and I told her that wet food is like vegetables and fruits and meat, and dry food is Doritos.

Bless her little heart, she asked her mother if she can feed wet food exclusively to her cat. The mother was pretty open about it though, and they both went home with a cute 5-year-old calico. Unless they are specifically asking for advice, I think you're going to step on more toes than you intend to.

Thanks for that great response, fhi09. You are right, and this is definitely something I need to work on, butting out of other people's business unless asked

Also, it would be really great if there was more awareness about healthy options, SOMEHOW. It's terrible the junk they put into these foods. A lot of people assume the supermarket is fine to purchase pet food, but it's all crap!

I've had the opportunity to put in a few words - usually to strangers - just as unique opportunities arise.  You either get a response from the first little opener, of interest and openess, or a look that says you are a crazy wierdo - which is when you just move on to other topics, or move on wishing them good luck with whatever that brought them into your orbit.  It also helps that I write a cat blog, so I can quickly direct them for more info if they are interested without going on at length - most people seem really interested that I write a cat blog and I've caught a few dog people's interests!  

For friends and relatives, yep, it is a lot harder.  The few tactics I've tried all revolve around MY story or current experiences, as this is just chit-chat and not preaching (we can all laugh about my cats hiding bones in their boxes overnight!).  I also actively say if we do have a conversation that we all do the best we can with our circumstances, and we're all learning (and hopefully getting better!), and something about how I admire people who with limited resources, still try and feed feral cats - and of course any kibble is just great in this circumstance.  

Then the other thing I do is donate food.  Sometimes I buy or make something that my cats decide they won't have a bar of...I don't like to waste it, and people usually are open to helping you out so it isn't wasted.  And then they see how much their cats LOVE it!  It can open another conversational door, or just plant a few seeds.  Just remember it is all a journey.  I certainly didn't know or do what I do now even just 4 years ago!  My mum, bless her, thinks we are somewhat dangerously besotted with our cats (we arent having kids, so we call them, to much laughter, their fur-grandkids), but as I have shared my astonishment about what I've been learning - including massive conspiracy stories against vets here in Australia who have dared to speak out about pet food - she has adopted just a few little easy things for her cat.  And remarked about how amazed she is at how much he loves these things - like chicken necks a couple times a week (that one is easy as SO cheap), and a little towel lined box cubby outside for him.

Keep the friendship first...

I think too that someone's financial situation should be a consideration.  I know the Nature's Variety Instinct at the Petco close to me is $2.99 a can.  For two cats that would $6 a day, $180 a month.  Some people legitimately can't afford $180 a month every month for cat food.  Especially considering they also need to have some money saved for possible unexpected vet bills.  Some of the Friskies pates really aren't that bad, not as good as Nature's Variety but they aren't terrible either.  Where I live they are between 45 and 49 cents a can at the store closest to me.  Thet brings the cost for two cats down to $30 a month, a lot of people who can't afford $180 a month can afford $30 a month or a combination of the two.  I believe everyone should feed the best food that they can afford but not everyone can afford the very best.

Very good point about keeping friendships first. And about cats getting any sort of food at all. I also let people come to me after I say, "yeah, made a little beef/pork for the cats tonight" or "yeah, ground 17 lbs of chicken thighs tonight for the cats"...everyone loves their pets so they're curious, "why don't you just buy cat food from the store?" Then I explain what research I've found and how it helped my cats. The people that have been to my house jump right in praising my cats' coats and no odor. When interested, I point them to www.catinfo.org and here. Empowering them to do their own research and decide for themselves has been the best way for me.

tnyc said:

 
Thanks for that great response, fhi09. You are right, and this is definitely something I need to work on, butting out of other people's business unless asked

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On the other hand, as peaches, tammyp and Denice said, knowing to weave in that topic into a conversation is a great way to get them to at least consider and listen to what you have to say. Rather than just outright telling them they're doing it wrong, finding an opportunity to talk about feeding cats work much better.

I've found pretty much the same with people I've talked to. Unless they're very interested in caring for their cat and uneducated regarding cat nutrition, most of the time they don't care and won't listen. I found one person at work that loves cats but is not very bright. She does not make a lot of money, but I've convinced her she should go to Costco and get Friskies. She's the only person I've been able to talk into wet food. Everyone else would rather spend as little as possible or says their cat is a kibble addict and they don't want to spend the time converting them. I am waiting to see what happens when one of these people run into health issues like a UTI.

FWIW: I have better luck pointing people to videos, like those Dr. Becker makes.  That way, less effort is required (unlike reading pages and pages of a web site) - and maybe something they hear will inspire them to learn more. PLUS - it comes from a credible source - a veterinarian, and not you.  That way, they can't get as offended by YOU.

I'm sure that assuming people are lazy and not very bright comes through on the lectures about cat food and that yes, it is human ego that would respond adversely to that.

There are so many cats without homes, or people who just turn out cats because they are moving and don't take the cats with them, or feel that cats can fend for themselves. And then you have cats who breed more and more cats because they don't have owners or owners who take care of spay/neuter.  How lovely that there are people who keep their cats fed and cared for with cushy beds a sunny window and a warm home. Every kitty deserves such a life. And your friends are helping provide that. Lectures and scolding probably aren't the way to go considering.

Cat food is really expensive. We probably spend more on the cat food than on the human food every month (six cats and now a new rescue who arrived with a broken pelvis) 

If someone is feeding their cats wet food and even if it doesn't meet your standards, it's still better than dry. And while they may have ingredients you personally would rather not feed your cat--or would never dream of feeding to your cat--the attitude projected onto your friends has to be, without a doubt, tiresome.

Yeah, I wish that Purina didn't use artificial flavors in their canned foods. And yeah, not knowing exactly what the "meat by products" includes is unsettling.  Comfort can be taken that Purina is a huge company that probably figures that killing or poisoning pets is bad for business---and so aren't going to do that. In fact, it was one of the companies that was not affected by the problems with poisonous melamine imported from China and re-labeled "gluten". That affected plants that made universally shunned grocery store brands sold at Wal-Mart and grocery stores as well as Iams, Eukanuba, California Natural and another premium brand whose name I cannot recall now.  Since that disaster that killed a lot of people's pets, there have been premium pet food brands that have had problems with quality control on ingredients they use in the production of their foods. Luckily those problems are rare, and what a lucky kitty that can get a good solid, safe premium food at every meal.

And yes, I had a cat that lived to 19 eating mostly wet Purina foods. The present ones eat mostly Wellness with some rotation among other premium brands. That said, not all premium brands have consistent formulation or any amount of palatable quality. And cats will choose to eat nothing rather than eat something they consider unfit. Let that go long enough and then someone will end up with an issue of an anorexic cat with fatty liver disease.

It has also occurred to me that there is some marketing going on by people vested in some of the top of the line foods in promoting various problems with certain ingredients common in lower cost foods.  Making your own, or serving raw can also come with some challenges too. Of course you want the kitty to get the nutrients they must have, like taurine. That can be hard to do for the average cat owner.  And my vet, part of a practice that serves cats exclusively, said that her raw diet cats can end up with parasitic infections from the meats and so she generally advised against it. Of course that was based simply on the statistics of what she encounters as a veterinarian.

So....that's just to say that what works for some doesn't work for others. I'm just glad that people love their kitties and try their very best to take care of them. They are likely not indifferent to the cats, but annoyed by the preaching.

Agreed with your general thrust LauraG.  Just two points I'd like to correct in the pursuit of accuracy (and not putting anyone off raw feeding through misinformation):

Making your own, or serving raw can also come with some challenges too.   Of course you want the kitty to get the nutrients they must have, like taurine. That can be hard to do for the average cat owner.  And my vet, part of a practice that serves cats exclusively, said that her raw diet cats can end up with parasitic infections from the meats and so she generally advised against it.

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So, taurine is in meat.  No problems at all if you feed raw meat cause its there, and you haven't cooked it out or used preservatives that destroy it.  Taurine for raw fed cats is easy peasy. Most of us also add some heart to our meal plans also, as this is particularly high in taurine.

Re your vet advising against raw because of pathogens, yes, I'm sure she has come across this, but it begs the question why - as in what condition was the meat, and did the people freeze it?  Again, it is pretty easy to feed raw safely; fresh human grade meat, and freeze for three days.  This kills parasites.  Doesn't kill all pathogens, but the risk of those are pretty small if the meat quality/freshness is good.

You can also buy powdered tasteless taurine, and pretty much any other supplement.

What parasites were found, lauraG?