Why I started making my own food
Firstly, Canada has no regulations on pet food. Secondly, while the US does, the FDA is only technically capable of inspecting 11% of local products per year, and 3% of the imports. Thirdly, if this annual list of pet food fraud isn't enough, read on:
When I got my first rat in 2000, my Mom looked at the woody looking lumps in the Hartz bag and said, "Uh uh. She's not eating that." I was sent to the kitchen to get some peas and mashed potatoes out of the fridge, and a half sardine. Because I'd sneaked the mouse cage including said rodent into my closet in full knowledge of my mom's phobia, I had nothing to say. From that day a portion of the family meal was allotted to Squeak till she died.
When my first Rattery's litters started being born back in 2001, I needed to start looking for a larger solution to feeding. I'm glad I passed over the greyish-tinged or practically fluorescent seed mixes I spied first [I now know those lose over 1/2 their label nutrition on the shelf, hot transport trucks and warehouses]. I picked out Nutro Lite, one of the lower protein dog foods becoming popular with other rat owners, but switched after a few months. Something seemed wrong to me --ingredients such as chicken by-products, fat, corn glutens, animal 'digest', blood meal and flour -- and I'm sure glad that I did! Later there was a Nutro recall when over a dozen more companies recalled 5000 products after pets sickened and died from cheap ingredients imported from China.
Firstly, Canada has no regulations on pet food. Secondly, while the US does, the FDA is only technically capable of inspecting 11% of local products per year, and 3% of the imports. Thirdly, if this annual list of pet food fraud isn't enough, read on:
When I got my first rat in 2000, my Mom looked at the woody looking lumps in the Hartz bag and said, "Uh uh. She's not eating that." I was sent to the kitchen to get some peas and mashed potatoes out of the fridge, and a half sardine. Because I'd sneaked the mouse cage including said rodent into my closet in full knowledge of my mom's phobia, I had nothing to say. From that day a portion of the family meal was allotted to Squeak till she died.
When my first Rattery's litters started being born back in 2001, I needed to start looking for a larger solution to feeding. I'm glad I passed over the greyish-tinged or practically fluorescent seed mixes I spied first [I now know those lose over 1/2 their label nutrition on the shelf, hot transport trucks and warehouses]. I picked out Nutro Lite, one of the lower protein dog foods becoming popular with other rat owners, but switched after a few months. Something seemed wrong to me --ingredients such as chicken by-products, fat, corn glutens, animal 'digest', blood meal and flour -- and I'm sure glad that I did! Later there was a Nutro recall when over a dozen more companies recalled 5000 products after pets sickened and died from cheap ingredients imported from China.
IMAGE: Harlan Teklad-2014, probably the best commercial feed for rats. I say "feed" because to me it still doesn't look like food. I nonetheless use it if I'm gone all day or want to give them some ... "variety?"
I was then experimenting with high-end dog kibble with more normal sounding ingredients like brown rice, oatmeal, barley, peas, potato / Human grade chicken and lamb (which unknown to me were still waste products of the human food chain) and later Harlan Teklad-2014 mixed with a haphazard home made diet. After adoptors I'd argued with for feeding my alumni "too many treats" blamed me for obesity and sickness, I realized a connection between diet and the cancers rats are almost synonymous with --After all, here were the rest of the family all alive and well at my Rattery a year after their poorly fed ones died. Also interesting to note is, of my original rat litter, the 2 I adopted out --and then reclaimed from bad adoptors the same year-- were the only rats to get cancer ...suggesting that poor early life nutrition is the most irreversible .
It's 2017, and the general idea of a rattery had been forming for several years along with the never-ending dilemma of what to ('not'?) feed them? With the neverending list of recalls and pet food scams, that was all I needed to decide on home-made for good, and also all-natural. I'd been carrying a new and delicate variety of rat called a Harley (longhair), which were reported dropping like flies from health issues. Loving a challenge I took them on, but my golden intentions were moot with us living out of hotels all the time on business trips. When my first rat boy got sick just before 2, it was too late. I resolved to make it up to them by changing jobs so I could stay in Toronto.
I had to take part hours at work at first to begin the following dietary study, but I wasn't about to lose any more Harleys. I pulled in every study from every lab and scientific publication I could find. How is it working? Ask my rat Moe, the oldest known Harley in the world at 3 years old! It's because of Gus and Moe I'm able to gift you with his special diet
I was then experimenting with high-end dog kibble with more normal sounding ingredients like brown rice, oatmeal, barley, peas, potato / Human grade chicken and lamb (which unknown to me were still waste products of the human food chain) and later Harlan Teklad-2014 mixed with a haphazard home made diet. After adoptors I'd argued with for feeding my alumni "too many treats" blamed me for obesity and sickness, I realized a connection between diet and the cancers rats are almost synonymous with --After all, here were the rest of the family all alive and well at my Rattery a year after their poorly fed ones died. Also interesting to note is, of my original rat litter, the 2 I adopted out --and then reclaimed from bad adoptors the same year-- were the only rats to get cancer ...suggesting that poor early life nutrition is the most irreversible .
It's 2017, and the general idea of a rattery had been forming for several years along with the never-ending dilemma of what to ('not'?) feed them? With the neverending list of recalls and pet food scams, that was all I needed to decide on home-made for good, and also all-natural. I'd been carrying a new and delicate variety of rat called a Harley (longhair), which were reported dropping like flies from health issues. Loving a challenge I took them on, but my golden intentions were moot with us living out of hotels all the time on business trips. When my first rat boy got sick just before 2, it was too late. I resolved to make it up to them by changing jobs so I could stay in Toronto.
I had to take part hours at work at first to begin the following dietary study, but I wasn't about to lose any more Harleys. I pulled in every study from every lab and scientific publication I could find. How is it working? Ask my rat Moe, the oldest known Harley in the world at 3 years old! It's because of Gus and Moe I'm able to gift you with his special diet
Endless fraud: Gerber, and Gerber again, Nestle Purina, Beechnut (while owned by Nestle), and Blue Buffalo Current Pet Food Scandals - Dogfoodadvisor.com How Safe is your Food? - beforeitsnews.com Why You Don't Know What you're eating...- realfoodfakefood.com Menu Foods Melamine recall affects 160 brands - Wikipedia CBC DOCUMENTARY: A Dog's Breakfast --> |
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