Showing posts with label Pet Products. Show all posts

What Pet Food Labels Really Mean

When it comes to pet food, sometimes not a lot. The food name is the first part of the label noticed by a consumer and for that reason, fancy names are used to emphasize certain features of a food. AAFCO has established four rules about ingredients:
I95% rule: at least 95% of the food must be the named ingredient. For example, "Chicken for Dogs" or "Beef Cat Food" must be 95% chicken or beef, respectively. If the food is "Chicken and Rice Dog Food", the chicken is the component that must be 95%. If there is a combination of ingredients such as "Chicken and Liver for Cats", the two together must make up 95% of the total weight and the first ingredient must be the one in higher percent in the food. Commercial pet foods rarely fall into the 95% category as that much protein is not beneficial for all pets. In fact, most pets tend to thrive on a more balanced diet that includes whole grains and vegetables in addition to wholesome cuts of meat and this is the foundation of Halo Spot's Stew recipe. 
II25% or "Dinner" rule: when the named product contains at least 25% but less than 95% of the total weight, the name must include a descriptive term such as "dinner". For example,"dinner", "entrée", "grill", "platter", "formula" are all terms that are used to describe this type of product. For example, "Chicken Dinner Dog Food" must contain at least 25% chicken. This food could contain beef and possibly even more beef than chicken. It is important to read the label and check what other meat sources the product contains.
III3% or "With" rule: this one is tricky. Many times the "with"label identifies extra or special ingredients, such as "Beef Dinner for Dogs with Cheese" is a food containing at least 25% beef and at least 3% cheese. But beware of this type of "with" label: "Dog Food with Chicken". This dog food need only contain 3% chicken! Don't confuse that with "Chicken Dog Food" which must contain 95% chicken. Confusing, right? 
IV"Flavor" rule: in this situation, a specific percentage of meat is not required, but it must contain an amount of flavor sufficient to be detected. For example, "Chicken Flavor Dog Food" may contain a digest or enough chicken fat to flavor the food, but there will be no actual chicken meat added to the food.


Purina Friskies is a registered trademark of of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Pedigree is a registered trademark of Mars, Incorporated.

Source: Halopets

Cat Tunnel Sofa

South Korean designer Seungji Mun has created a sofa concept that is designed to keep your cat happy as you sit back and relax. Dubbed the Cat Tunnel Sofa, the concept tries to provide a fluid harmony between the daily activities of pets and their owners. “For humans, the cat tunnel sofa is just a comfortable sofa, but for the cats, it is their playground and a comfortable bed,” Seungji Mun said.
The Cat Tunnel Sofa features a play tunnel that runs along the arm, back and side of the sofa. The creative design not only compliments the sofa’s modern appearance, but also provides a playground specifically created for the way cats behave. Cats can run through the tube, jump into the three different openings or cuddle up and sleep in a protected spot where they won’t be disturbed.
“We tried it out and the cats took a fresh interest in the cat tunnel at the first time,” said Mun. “And later on they did go into the tunnel and took rest and played.”
The play course gives pets the opportunity to stay close to their owners while they watch television or socialize on the sofa. It also offers a unique way for cats and their owners to spend some playtime together. “My favorite feature of the Cat tunnel sofa is the tunnel which looks like pipe,” said Mun. “Through [the] pipe, cat and human communicate each other. The pipe is for human's comfort, but at the same time it becomes playground for the cat.”
South Korean designer Seungji Mun has created a sofa concept that is designed to keep your...
While the sofa is still in its concept phase, Mun anticipates that it should soon be available for sale on the pet dedicated website M Pup
Source: Seungji Mun via Designtaxi