Like we humans, our pets are what they eat.  Sadly, the vast majority of commercial pet foods available on the market today are appallingly substandard in quality.  Most are full of chemical additives, artificial flavorings, and “4D” (dead, dying, diseased and disabled) meat and meat by-products.

Fortunately, there are other options.  There are a number of companies that make super-premium quality pet foods, without chemical additives or meat by-products, and generally using human-grade meat.  These foods are generally not available in grocery stores or in the larger pet supply chain stores, but they can be found in independently-owned pet supply stores all across the U.S.  Many can also be found online at web sites such as the Only Natural Pet Store.

If you want to know if a pet food is really high quality, you can learn how to read and evaluate the ingredients list on pet food labels. Here is a comprehensive list of articles that will help you understand pet food. Please also support this website by purchasing your pet food and supplies through our shop for natural foods for pets.

• Understanding Pet Food Ingredients
• What’s in pet food?
• Pet food labels
• Pet Food Standards and Regulations
• How Pet Food Is Made
• Harmful ingredients in pet food
• Nutrition-Related Diseases for Pets
• Pet Food Company Secrets
• What Consumers Can Do

The number of super-premium foods available on the market is growing.  Read more about holistic pet food here.

Homemade Diets

There is a growing movement of people and holistic vets who are choosing to bypass commercial pet foods altogether and prepare homemade diets for their pets.  These are generally – but not always – raw food diets, also known as BARF diets (Bones And Raw Food).

Below are some web sites and mailing lists where you can learn about the advantages of a homemade/BARF diet for your pet, and how to get started.

• API’s Sample Diets for Pets
• Celestial Pets
• Feline Future
• Holisticat
• Pat McKay Animal Nutrition
• The BARF Web Ring
• The BARF Mailing List
• The Cat BARF Mailing List
• The Dog Nutrition List

Do your homework before starting your pet on a BARF (or cooked) homemade diet!  Proper handling of the raw ingredients, and proper supplementation with vitamins and minerals, are critical in order to ensure that you are feeding a healthy, well-balanced diet.