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L'il Bite of the Day - Ergonomic Kibble Seems Kinda Silly

9/23/2013

3 Comments

 
Picture
Breed-specific diets - including those that boast "ergonomic" kibbles (I kid you not) specifically engineered for different breeds of cats - are a marketing gimmick. 

Just for kicks a few years ago, I spent a little quality time dissecting the claims made on some of the pet food company websites that began aggressively marketing "breed-specific" diets. Just a handful of the implicit and explicit conclusions one is led to draw from the ‘technical articles’ and explanations they offer:

  • All breeds are quite fine eating nothing but dry food.
  • The shape of the kibble is paramount to ensuring that each cat gets what it needs. Maine Coons, for example, ostensibly benefit from especially large-sized kibble, according to one company, whereas Persian cats do best with kibble that’s shaped like an almond.
  • Corn gluten meal is a perfectly reasonable primary ingredient in the diet of an obligate carnivore.
  • Chicken meal is appropriate as the primary ingredient for all cats.
  • Outdoor cats, perhaps owing to the “greater stress they face,” have a greater need for corn gluten meal.

Our cats don’t need a specially-shaped kibble and they never have. All they’ve needed is a diet that respects the fact that they’re carnivores. 


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3 Comments
Dr. Jeannie link
9/25/2013 01:01:21 am

It seems super silly to me that cats should be eating kibble at all! Talk about NOT being species specific - cats are carnivores!

Reply
Anne link
9/25/2013 02:50:33 am

You'll definitely not get an argument from me on that one, Dr. Jeannie! It's clear that kibble became "mainstream" because it was convenient - and now we're having to unwind all that old habit to begin re-educating ourselves, our vets, and others about the fundamentals of a cat's biology.

Reply
Carole Milligan link
9/25/2013 02:00:32 am

The marketing efforts directed at consumers boggle the mind. If people take a moment to think, they should realize that the shape of the food does not equate to nutrition. If they think a little more, they should understand that corn meal etc. is not appropriate for carnivore cats.

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