Nature's Variety?

[sharky]

Originally Posted by darlili

Thanks for the reply - I was curious as there are so few certified feline nutritionists out there, as I understand it (about 50 in the US, if I remember right), I wondered how companies arrived at their formulas.

I agree that tracing ownership can be much more, ah, challenging than one might think at first.

Technically you and I could .... they basically put something together and get the micro and macros checked at a lab

 

[korina]

Originally Posted by darlili

I think we also shouldn't assume because a company says they are wholistic, organic, grain-free, small, super-premium, or privately owned that they're guaranteed to be safe or of better quality, IMO. Especially if your pets don't thrive on it, or just don't like it!

Luckily I live next to a store that carries and orders EVERYTHING. Post recall I switched my cat to Evangers from the internet(thanks to Sharky) then I found the store in my city, started buying Mericks, Korina rejected Evanger for Merricks, then I started with NV, and to be honest she LOVES with much rigor every food they make.
My cat is a bengal, and tends to eat very vigorously so you can tell when she likes something.

To balance though I try and get her to eat something else every other can (no tummy problems for her) but if she had her way she would have NV instinct Chicken for breakfast and Rabbit for dinner.

I think we all have the same goals here, we just want the safest food for our cats (and when we have time for ourselves).

And I would pay considerably more for that peace of mind.

Its just too bad we can't get an organization like the Organic or Fair Trade certifications for the premium pet food industry.

 

[korina]

Originally Posted by sharky

if it says formulated to meet the AFFCO profiles then it was NOT tested

I had no idea, I will be inspecting my cans tonite

Korina
I learned about the rabbit from my vet when the RAW food company she was using stopped sending rabbit "looking for a new supply"... When it came back in stock the company WHEN asked answered it came from China ... I then went off to research, as their are pet site s dedicated to the recall and food safety out there ... And found out that nearly all rabbit was Chinese ...

Wow, you know what gave me false comfort? I remember the "Roger And Me" documentary Michael Moore made 20 years ago, while in rural Michigan he talked to a women selling Rabbits as "Pets and Food".
The woman infamously snaps the neck and skins the rabbit while being interviewed.
So in my silly mind I figure "Wacky women at side of road skinning rabbits" was the worst case of the source, being that NV is in the rural midwest somewhere.

Deer is another curious one as up to 50% of captive " farmed " have the wasting disease and up to 30% of wild

Okay, now your freaking me out Sharky!
I KNEW to avoid Deer meat (speaking to a person that avoided giving my cat any beef until recently when I realized my cat is too old to be effect by mad cow)
I just went to Wikipedia, claims the CDC cant' prove its transmittable to humans, ok, blood pressure down but not buying deer meet again.
Thank god my dad was not a hunter, Ive eaten deer like 5 times in my life

Today most companies are NOT very forthright in even saying where they can or who owns them... For this site it likely would turn into IMO material so unless one of the MODS tells me it is a great Idea I wont be putting up that thread ...

Well, I assumed from previous conversations here that Merrick, Nature'sVariety, and Evangers were all independent manufacturers and canners.

I don't know, like I said above my dream would be some kind of certification committee similar to the old California Organic(pre-FDA) or the Fair Trade group.
I know we represent a niche of a niche of pet owners but their needs to be some control, some justification to paying up to 3x the prices of Petsmart premium brands like Nutro(which I fed until the recall).
So far I am trusting these companies based on their marketing, Sharky's approval, and the fact that the shop I go to is very customer oriented and are more than open to talk about the companies they carry from a somewhat objective perspective.

I just see it that as humans pay more attention to the sources of their foods and the processes, these will hopefully transfer to the care of their pets.

Five years ago I never would have imagined things like cage free eggs and free range chicken would sell, let alone exist. Or that the FDA would regulate Organic farming.
My kitty is a pacifict like me

, we can afford it, so how long do I have to wait for free range chicken for my little Korina

Sharky, are there still active websites dealing in the nitty gritty of the companies that you mentioned?

And again, thanks for the info, whether you know it, or like it or not, you have had a large influence in Korina's diet the last couple years (and thats a GOOD thing!)
And for that Im gonna stick an old picture of her (no reason really).

-george-(thats my name)

 

[sorscha]

I saw on a post where some were feeding their cats wellness. I too used to feed mine that until I read a very recent study on dog and cat food. Wellness has ingredients from China, based on that alone I have stopped feeding my cats this food.
The study did point out natures variety, earthborn, nutro and a few others are safe for pets. Just wanted to share.