22/07/2026
Very well put - always trust the science, not the sales patter!
I have just seen an advert for a pet food brand in which the founder tells us he has owned over 20 dogs in his life, so he “knows dogs"
And a few days ago one where three self-proclaimed 'ex-finance bros' set up a cat food brand after one of them made home-cooked meals for his own pet for a while.
Still, it makes a change from the usual 'we sat around the kitchen table and did our own research' origin stories I suppose.
But while I am all for people being enthusiastic about the nourishment of our pets and I understand the marketing appeal of a good story, these aren't the things that are important when making healthy, balanced and safe food for our animals.
That comes from someone who is properly qualified creating the diet, so we know it contains everything needed to thrive.
Qualifications should be a PhD in Small Animal Nutrition, a Veterinary Board Certification in nutrition or, at the very least, a Masters in the subject backed up by a relevant degree.
It comes from strict manufacturing processes to ensure food safety.
It comes from robust quality control and testing at every stage of diet creation so the company knows exactly what is in their meals and can quickly highlight and correct any inconsistencies or problems.
It comes, ideally, from food trials on the finished product before it is released for general sale. And although this isn't within the reach of every company, it should always be part of their future plans.
I appreciate these aren't as eye-catching as a personal tale of discovery from the founders but they are far more important.
And while they may not be in the sponsored ads, they should always be clearly discussed on the website, and if they are not, I would not choose to feed that diet to my pets.
So before you are persuaded to sign-up for a delivery or subscription and entrust the health and wellness of your pet to these companies, please check out the website very carefully, make sure these questions are answered and they are more than just good marketing
