Anne mentioned something extremely important that relates to everything from cat food to the vitamins and supplements we take ourselves -- without scientific evidence and rigorous studies, we're left with opinions and anecdotes. Unfortunately, there's an irrational and strong anti-science bent in this country, and a frightening number of people don't understand the difference between good data and anecdotes.
Know anyone who takes Airborne? I do. I've got a family member who swears by the stuff, and several other people I know are convinced it works. The story is always the same: "Well, I took Airborne, and I didn't get sick." That's an anecdote. And just because you didn't get sick doesn't mean the Airborne protected you, or that you would have fallen ill if you didn't take it. The idea that a teacher in her basement came up with a potion that cures the common cold -- something the world's brightest minds have been unable to cure or prevent -- is absurd. Incredibly, ridiculously absurd. Yet the packaging and marketing makes that appeal to people, which is why that company ultimately lost a class action lawsuit for its baseless claims, and for using a "study" that "proved" Airborne's efficacy. (Problem is, the "study" was performed by a shell company owned by the people who make Airborne.)
We're seeing a bit of that anecdotal, anti-science bent in the cat nutrition category, with major cat food brands and dry food standing in for big pharma. You've always got to have a big conglomerate to hate and blame, and a "holistic" approach that is supposedly better. The danger is when people give up real, necessary treatments in favor of herbal supplements. This is what we see with vaccines and autism, right? On the one hand, you've got real scientists doing real controlled studies and compiling real data; on the other, you've got "celebrities" (I use that term loosely) like Jenny McCarthy and RFK Jr. who are out there stirring up anti-vaccine hysteria based on anecdotes and fear. McCarthy doesn't even have a high school degree. RFK Jr. has never worked a real day in his life, and his greatest accomplishment is having an exalted last name.
I'm prone to spending a lot of money on top-shelf wet cat food, although I also feed dry food. I like to have it in my kitteh's bowl overnight and in the early morning so he doesn't wake me up by slapping me in the face or attacking my hands. Do I know for sure that Blue Buffalo, for example, is really better than Friskies or 9Lives? Nope. I'm depending on the advice of an expert (the nutritionist who wrote the catinfo site) and my own instincts that natural ingredients are better for my little guy. But like Anne said, that's not proven. There isn't good science in this area, for whatever reason.
And that's why she made that point about not jumping on other people for their nutrition choices. Until we really know for sure, we're all just making educated guesses based on what experts (and a whole lot of would-be experts) are telling us. I think the vast majority of people are just trying to do right by their pets.
Know anyone who takes Airborne? I do. I've got a family member who swears by the stuff, and several other people I know are convinced it works. The story is always the same: "Well, I took Airborne, and I didn't get sick." That's an anecdote. And just because you didn't get sick doesn't mean the Airborne protected you, or that you would have fallen ill if you didn't take it. The idea that a teacher in her basement came up with a potion that cures the common cold -- something the world's brightest minds have been unable to cure or prevent -- is absurd. Incredibly, ridiculously absurd. Yet the packaging and marketing makes that appeal to people, which is why that company ultimately lost a class action lawsuit for its baseless claims, and for using a "study" that "proved" Airborne's efficacy. (Problem is, the "study" was performed by a shell company owned by the people who make Airborne.)
We're seeing a bit of that anecdotal, anti-science bent in the cat nutrition category, with major cat food brands and dry food standing in for big pharma. You've always got to have a big conglomerate to hate and blame, and a "holistic" approach that is supposedly better. The danger is when people give up real, necessary treatments in favor of herbal supplements. This is what we see with vaccines and autism, right? On the one hand, you've got real scientists doing real controlled studies and compiling real data; on the other, you've got "celebrities" (I use that term loosely) like Jenny McCarthy and RFK Jr. who are out there stirring up anti-vaccine hysteria based on anecdotes and fear. McCarthy doesn't even have a high school degree. RFK Jr. has never worked a real day in his life, and his greatest accomplishment is having an exalted last name.
I'm prone to spending a lot of money on top-shelf wet cat food, although I also feed dry food. I like to have it in my kitteh's bowl overnight and in the early morning so he doesn't wake me up by slapping me in the face or attacking my hands. Do I know for sure that Blue Buffalo, for example, is really better than Friskies or 9Lives? Nope. I'm depending on the advice of an expert (the nutritionist who wrote the catinfo site) and my own instincts that natural ingredients are better for my little guy. But like Anne said, that's not proven. There isn't good science in this area, for whatever reason.
And that's why she made that point about not jumping on other people for their nutrition choices. Until we really know for sure, we're all just making educated guesses based on what experts (and a whole lot of would-be experts) are telling us. I think the vast majority of people are just trying to do right by their pets.