how to convince your friends to feed their cats better?

[tnyc]

Excellent comments, LauraG! 

Here's what I think it ultimately boils down to: I pay a lot of attention to detail, I carefully research everything, and I want the best out of life. For me and my kitties. And most people are very "whatever" about most things, and those that don't care about their cat's food most likely are pretty whatever about their own nutrition, and other things in their lives.

So, while I don't wanna tell them how to live, it's also very hard for me to resist saying "I told you so!" later when problems do arise... hehe jk, I'm not malicious, but I do wish people would listen instead of learning the hard way.

But then again I'm not wasting my breath reminding all my friends to floss their teeth... I gotta resist the mom urge!!!

 

[fhicat]

I want to share a conversation I had with two colleagues as it is pertinent to this discussion.

I was talking to them about freezers since i was looking for one. I told them because I wanted to store meat in bulk. They were curious and wanted to know what could a college student possibly need with 51 lbs of raw meat. So I just mentioned in passing that I am feeding my cat raw meat. 

At this point they were in two camps; he thinks it's silly, and she wanted to know more as she has never heard of people feeding their cats that way. So I explained everything I know about dry food, wet food and raw food.

He said I was a crazy cat lady (or man - why is it it's always the ones with dogs who call us crazy, while it's okay for them to post 99 pictures of their dogs on Facebook every day, and nobody gives them grief.

 I've got nothing against dogs; I love them and work with them at the shelter). He said he will "never feed his dog such food."

"Why not?"

"I don't want him to get used to eating good food."

"Do you not like your dog or something?"

"No, I just think that dogs and cats need to know their place. They must not eat the same level of food as we humans do, because we are superior to them."

So yeah, don't be surprised with the kinds of answers people give.

 

[ldg]

Especially when we first start learning about species-appropriate feeding, it's hard not to be passionate about it. :rub:

The bottom line is that commercial cat food is convenient, and that's why there are roughly 80 million pet cats in the U.S. today. And how many people are there like me, feeding at least 11 cats in a TNR colony - and I don't think of those kitties as pets...

While I generally agree with LauraG's thoughts, I also believe cat food of even just a decade ago, let alone 20 or 30 years ago was generally healthier. Food science technology has changed so much, we're now recovering more of our food garbage for use in human food, which means what's available for pet food is even lower quality. We're also now many generations into cats eating highly processed foods with species-inappropriate ingredients, and just like in people, their systems are weaker, so health problems are more frequent.

...that just makes it all the more difficult (IMO) to not be passionate, at least so far as wanting people to want to feed to the best of their ability.

In the end though, lifestyle is often a major factor in our feeding decisions. If I were still commuting 1.5 hours each way and working in the office FT, would I be feeding timed meals, let alone raw? Doubt it.

As to helping friends and family, apart from all of the issues and suggestions mentioned, I realized quickly that my passion was the problem. Just because I went 100% raw doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. It's right for us. Same goes for any "food upgrade." And it doesn't need to be all or nothing. If feeding kibble, just adding a little canned food or raw meat treats helps kitty. I liken it to people food: I surely wouldn't want to subsist on dry cereal alone. Adding some canned stew is a big improvement! And we may live on pizza and frozen dinners, but we all feel better with a fresh apple or salad at times. Why wouldn't it be the same for our kitties? Only for them, appropriate fresh food is meat, LOL. So next time "you're" making chicken or a roast, instead of giving them nibbles after it's done and you're eating it, slice off those nibbles before you season and cook it...

:dk:

I think it's all much easier to understand if presented in terms of our own diet. And as you're realizing tnyc, if people don't care about their own diet and health, there's not much place to go with that.

 

[ldg]

The vet that recommended a raw diet also recommended the use of daily probiotics as a way to reduce the risk. It's not like cats eating commercial kibble and canned are free of vomiting and problems with diarrhea. Just spend a little time in the health forum...

 

[peaches08]

Very good points LDG. People like options and flexibility. So when I mention that they can give their dog/cat a chicken neck/gizzards/whatever once a week without having to fly out and buy a grinder/freezer/supplements, their eyes light up. Even just switching to canned (for cats, I truly don't know about dogs) is a step up. And I empower them by telling them how to read labels. It's so cute to see them again, "so I was in Winn Dixie and saw this brand of canned, it's almost identical to _____ brand..." people like to feel like they accomplished something!

I live on a Georgia island near Florida, and my vet is very supportive of raw. One of my friends that is interested in raw lives on the coast near SC. His vet claims to not know a lot about raw, but is supportive of a wholesome diet and wants my friend to give updates on the journey. So, it's true that vets are looking more at nutrition than before.

ETA: Another thing that I make a point of doing when discussing nutrition with friends is to put the focus on my cats, past and present. Even if I know about their cat/dog's skin condition, if I jump into a conversation about raw and how I could fix their dog/cat, I inadvertently come off as calling them an uncaring owner. I comment that my cats' coats improved, then let them inquire as to whether or not a diet change might help their cat/dog.

 

[lilin]

 
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?

I agree with the "gentle" suggestion. The most important thing is not to come off as sanctimonious.

I generally start statements with "I learned..." This establishes me as a fallible human being, who is learning all the time, rather than making me come off like I think I'm an all-knowing cat god.

People who love their animals don't want to feel judged or like they're being told they're a bad pet parent. I would certainly hate for someone to say that to me! I know I'm not perfect, but I do try my best. So do they, for the most part.

The thing I start with is usually that cats have a low thirst drive, and an all-dry diet can cause urinary and kidney stress for that reason. Not enough water! This is something simple and easy to confirm that leaves the door open for how much change they want to make. Maybe it will spark them to go whole-hog and get serious about kitty nutrition -- raw feeding, specific meal times rather than free feeding, home cooking, etc.

Maybe it will just make them consider feeding half wet food. But you know what? Even if that's as far as they ever get, kitty still benefits from it. It's an improvement.

The second thing I mention is the feeding schedule thing. First of all, it'll make it less likely that kitty will get fat and develop diabetes and other complications. But also, you'll save money on food in addition to future vet bills. Who doesn't like saving money?

After that, depends on how interested they are. Some people are really interested. Some people are not.

For those who aren't exceptionally interested, but still listening, I just give what I think are the best big-box wet food. They're affordable and easy to find at any supermarket. For someone who isn't all that open to more information, trying to push them will just make them defensive. Offering them easy and inexpensive options that will be an improvement for their cat is something they might actually try.

For the ones who are super interested, I add that I feed Pia commercial raw. And here's where I get to once again drive home that I'm a human being and I just do the best I can: I would like to home cook, but as a single adult with a lot of responsibilities, I do not have the time. I don't have the money for the initial outlay right now. I also don't really trust myself. Commercial raw is an excellent solution for me. And it's also pretty easy.

I accidentally bought some Primal raw for dogs, and I gave it away to my friend with a dog who has a problem with yeast in her ears. I have heard raw helps with this, so maybe she will find success with it and stick to it. You never know.