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Mud Bay’s Short Guide to Healthy Food for Katy Patterson, DVM, Mud Bay’s Director of and and , and Lars Wulff, Mud Bay’s Co-CEO n the 1970’s, many Americans is the largest retailer Ibelieved that astronauts’ headquartered in the Pacific NW powdered orange drink was as and one of the largest in the world good for them as orange juice. focused on natural food for cats They also believed cat foods and . We hope you find this were all the same—the only brief introduction to natural diets thing that mattered was that for cats useful. your cat ate it. And we hope you stop by Fifty years later, most one of our stores. Americans know fresh We’d love to hear about your orange juice is healthier than sugar cat and help you identify natural water and some cat foods are better foods that will help her stay healthy for their cat than others. and tempt her palate. What many US cat owners don’t know is that feline nutritionists have What’s a Mud Bay? recently begun creating foods that In the 1990’s, Mud Bay was one emulate the natural diets cats ate of the first retailers to embrace before commercial was natural cat and . Today, invented. These nutritionists have Mud Bay is the largest pet retailer ushered in a golden age of natural cat headquartered in the Pacific NW food: today’s cat owners have more, and one of the largest in the healthier (and better tasting) choices world focused on natural food for than they had even ten years ago. cats and dogs. In the 1990’s, Mud Bay was one of the first retailers to embrace natural cat and dog food. Today, Mud Bay Hunt—Eat—Groom—Sleep

y , cats are carnivorous Bpredators. Their life in the wild follows a four-part cycle that’s repeated up to ten times per day.1 Understanding this natural cycle can help cat owners modify their felines’ behavior and improve their health.

Hunt. All need food and water, but cats are desert Groom. Cats hunt by stealth, and animals, and they adapted to satisfy it’s hard to be stealthy when you’re their water requirement without smelly. Cats groom after eating to drinking—simply by eating their stay odor-free. natural food: fresh, raw meat (which Sleep. Once their tummies are full is about 70% water). Cats get fresh and their fur and whiskers are clean, meat by hunting (a skill they learn cats sleep to gather energy for their from their mothers). next hunt.

Eat. Cats eat as soon as Here’s one way cat owners can use they’ve killed their prey. this knowledge to better care for This prevents spoiling their companions: requiring a cat to and minimizes the hunt before she eats (playing with need to defend interactive toys, hiding her food bowl their meal from etc.) improves her , helps other predators. her build muscle and lose weight and enables her to lead a happier, more

1 is description of cats’ lives excludes the breeding behaviors that complicate fulfilling life. this simple four-part cycle. 2 Natural diets and conventional diets

nlike , cats can’t -rich or low-moisture Usurvive on a composed diets many US cats eat today: solely of plant products. They Carnivorous Carb-rich require specific found only Natural Conventional in tissue, including , Diet Diet and preformed Moisture 70% 10% A. High Moderate Cats’ carnivorousness is evident from High Moderate one end of their body to the other— Carbs Very low Moderate from teeth that are perfect for tearing Many , including (but incapable of grinding plants) to Mud Bay’s staff vet, believe the high a short, acidic digestive tract that’s incidence of , urinary disease optimized for raw meat (but does and many other diseases that afflict little with uncooked plant material). modern cats are directly related A house cat’s natural diet—small to these differences between cats’ prey—is around 70% moisture. The carnivorous natural diet and the remainder is about 55% protein, 35% carb-rich diet many modern cats are fat and less than 2% . now fed. Interestingly, this is quite close to the diet that house cats choose for themselves if given the opportunity.2 What’s surprising is how different this natural feline diet is from the

2 Hewson-Hughes AK, Hewson-Hughes VL, Colyer A, Mitter AT, Hall SR, Raubenheimer D, Simpson SJ. Consistent proportional macronutrient intake selected by adult domestic cat (Felis catus) despite variations in marcronutrients and moisture content of foods. J Comp Phy B. 2012 December; Available from: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00360-012-0727-y/fulltext.html 3 Cats are what they eat...

very cell in a cat’s body is The strongest reasons to Emade up of the nutrients that feed the right diet may came from her diet. be invisible Thriving vs. surviving Owners quickly notice the immediate When one or more of the consequences of a diet that isn’t a nutrients a particular cat needs perfect fit for their unique cat: , are missing from its diet (or in diarrhea, hairballs and a wide variety insufficient quantity or in an of behavior problems including not unusable form), some of its cells using the cat box—issues that can can’t function as nature intended. often be improved with a switch to a And when a cat eats a diet that diet that’s a better fit. contains chemicals or unusable Harder to see—and harder to reverse— nutrients, its organs work are the long-term effects of a diet overtime to eliminate them. that isn’t a great fit. Obesity, cancer By contrast, when a and damage to joints, kidneys, cat is fed a minimally , heart or digestive system processed diet that’s can be exacerbated, or even rich in high qual- caused, by a sub- ity meat optimal diet.3 and contains all the other nutrients it needs, its cells are more likely to function well, 3Stei EL, Bauer JE. Nutritional adequacy of diets formulated for companion animals. JAVMA September 2001; 219(5):601-604. spend less energy expelling , Bontempo V. Nutrition and Health of Dogs and Cats: Evolution of Petod. Veterinary Research Communications August 2005;29(2):45-50. and experience optimal health. Patton R. Ruined by Excess, Perfected by Lack: e paradox of pet nutrition. Nottingham University Press, Nottingham, UK 2011.

4 ...and they behave accordingly

arents often say that feeding a higher level of moisture, more Pyoung children a lot of sugar fiber and prebiotics can improve affects the way they behave. the health and function of a cat’s There’s a similar digestive system and reduce connection between diet or eliminate pooping and behavior in cats. outside the box. Behavioral challenges Wool sucking often vanish when (pica) is the the nutritional cause consumption of is identified and cloth or other things addressed. Here are a that aren’t food. few examples: Frequently, this behavior is directly Feline aggression is frequently a connected to a diet that’s deficient in result of a diet that’s deficient in one one or more nutrients and disappears or more nutrients. In some cases, with the addition of the missing cats seem to respond to a dietary or a switch to an entirely deficiency by aggressively guarding different diet. their food supply. In other cases, deficiencies may make cats feel irritable or grumpy, leading them to act aggressively with other animals or with people.

Pooping in inappropriate places is often a result of . Transitioning to a diet that includes

5 Variety makes nutritional sense...

n the wild, cats typically eat a manufacturer’s unique foods are a Ivariety of different kinds of poor fit for one another. prey: rodents, birds, snakes, even insects. Cats seem to enjoy this Variety reduces food dietary variety when they do the sensitivities hunting themselves—and they True food allergies seem to affect seem to like variety just as very few cats. But many nutritionists much when their owners do believe that cats that are fed the same the hunting for them. ingredients for long periods, can develop sensitivities to those ingre- Variety reduces dients—with health issues as a fre- the risk of a diet quent result. These food sensitivities mismatch (frequently to plant-based ingredients) In the wild, eating different seem to be preventable—simply by kinds of prey reduces the recreating cats’ natural dietary variety. risk of dietary deficiencies or excesses. A cat owner can reduce Variety now reduces risk in a similar way by spreading frustration later his cat’s diet among different Cats aren’t born liking a variety of manufacturing plants. Cat foods foods. They learn to like different may look similar, but every cat food manufacturer has its own unique combinations of ingredients and manufacturing processes. Spreading a cat’s diet among different manufacturers reduces the risk that a cat’s unique needs and a particular

6 ...and contributes to health and happiness smells, tastes and textures from their mothers (or their owners). If you accustom your cat to different types of food (pate, stews, minces, raw frozen, freeze-dried and kibble) made from a variety of ingredients now, you’ll make it a lot easier for both of you to make dietary changes later in your cat’s life if they’re needed to Nutritional science and keep your cat healthy. premature feline death Nutritional science is In 1987, scientists at UC Davis pub- lished a ground-breaking study that incomplete showed that tens of thousands of cats We’ll know things about feline were dying prematurely each year from heart disease caused by insuffi- nutrition ten years from now that we cient taurine in their diets. (Taurine is an don’t know today. And even today, that’s abundant in meat feline nutritionists disagree on how and fish, but not in plants.) Today, best to feed cats. A varied carb-rich cat foods are made with added taurine—problem solved. But diet reduces your cat’s what other connections between nu- dependence on a trients and long-term have potentially yet to be discovered? Until scientists incomplete nutri- have learned everything there is to tional approach. know about cats, we recommend that owners look to both science and na- ture for guidance and avoid dependence on a single nutritional approach.

7 A Brief History of Cat Food

ntil about ninety years ago, Uevery cat in the world ate table scraps or what it could hunt. Around 1860, an American electrician named James Spratt launched the commercial industry when he hired a British company to bake biscuits for dogs.

There was little science to back up the claim, but the ads put kibble on the path to commercial success, and increasing numbers of US cat owners began feeding their kibbles made mostly from grain. In the 1990’s, the inherent carnivorous- Cats wouldn’t touch biscuits, but in ness of cats inspired some manufac- the 1930’s, the first canned foods for turers of kibbles and cans to increase cats were offered for sale. the quality and quantity of the meat In the 1950’s, the first extruded proteins in their foods. And in the kibbles were brought to market. 2000’s, a few feline nutritionists began Tasked with selling kibble to creating raw frozen and freeze-dried Americans who believed canned cat foods made almost entirely from foods were better, advertising high-quality meat—the first commercial agencies claimed that crunchy kibble cat foods explicitly designed to recre- was better for cats’ and dogs’ teeth. ate cats’ original, carnivorous diets.

10 Things to look for on a cat food label

rotein from high listed after the fat source. Pquality meat. Protein matters a lot to cats. Protein Moisture. Cats’ natural maintains muscle, and (unlike diet—small prey—is about humans) protein—not 70% moisture. Foods with carbohydrate—is cats’ high moisture content keep primary energy source. For cats hydrated and contribute cats, the more protein that to healthy urinary tracts and comes from meat and the kidneys. higher the quality of the meat, the better. What you won’t find. Much of what a cat owner needs Healthy . Look for healthy, to know about her cat’s food can’t specifically-named fats: chicken be found on the label. That’s why fat, sunflower oil, canola oil, for Mud Bay visits manufacturing plants, example. Avoid generically named analyzes formulas and quizzes fats (such as animal fat). Canned, company owners, diet formulators pouch, freeze-dried, dehydrated and and plant operators. raw foods get most or all of their fat from their meats—perfect.

What comes before the fat. On ingredient lists, ingredients are listed in order of weight before processing. With kibble, ingredients listed before the fat source generally have much more impact on the food than those

11 Mud Bay carefully evaluates 23

mong North American pet QUALITY CONTROL: How Afood manufacturers, Mud Bay do they control the quality of their has earned a unique reputation for foods? SUPPLY: How well do the care it takes in investigating they keep their foods in stock? companies and products. Here are EXPERTISE: What is their level the 23 criteria we use to evaluate foods before beginning to offer them to cat owners.

CAT HEALTH: How will the foods contribute to feline health? VISION: Does their vision for their company support Mud Bay’s mission? PEOPLE: How committed are the people running the company to of mastery? INNOVATION: their vision? INTEGRITY: Does How innovative is the company? the company act with integrity? SUSTAINABILITY: Are they VALUE: How much value do focused on sustainability? LOCAL: the foods offer to cat owners? Is it a Pacific NW company? STABILITY: How stable is the PARTNERSHIP: Will the company? PRODUCTION: company be a good partner for Do they make their own foods or Mud Bay? EFFICIENCY: How outsource them? efficiently can we deliver the food

8 characteristics of every cat food to our stores? ALIGNMENT: Will Why we carry so many adding this food help us improve cat foods our overall selection of cat food? Mud Bay carries more than 300 RETAILERS: Where is the brand carefully selected raw frozen, sold? PACKAGING: Is the canned, pouch, dry, freeze-dried packaging effective, attractive and and dehydrated foods for cats. This sustainable? CHARACTER: Does variety enables Mud Bay’s staff to the brand fit Mud Bay’s character? identify foods that will contribute to UNIQUENESS: How unique the long-term health and tempt the are its nutritional characteristics? palate of almost every cat. SALES: How well do we expect Instead of treating sick cats, this food to sell? Mud Bay’s staff CONTRIBUTION: helps keep them healthy Can Mud Bay make a fair profit After years of treating sick cats, Katy selling this food? FULFILLS REAL Patterson, DVM, now spends much of her time analyzing cats’ diets, visiting How well does this food NEED: pet food plants and quizzing feline fulfill a real need for cats and owners? nutritionists. Her focus is helping select the cat foods Mud Bay will carry and enabling Mud Bay’s staff to help each cat owner who visits our stores identify the specific diets that are most likely to keep their unique cat healthy.

9 The Achilles heel of the modern cat…

s Mud Bay’s staff veterinarian Aknows firsthand, a urethral obstruction (inability to pass ) is among the most common reasons cat owners bring their animals to emergency clinics. Indeed, urinary tract disease is the single most common insurance claim for cats.4 But urinary More tract disease doesn’t just cost veterinary moisture insurance companies. Cat owners spend millions each year treating Cats are adapted their cats for the disease, and thousands to get most or all of of cats are euthanized because cat their water from moisture-rich owners can’t afford the cost. food (like small prey), and most Increasingly, veterinary research is cats that eat only dry foods (like coalescing around the idea that the kibble) don’t drink enough water to frequency of urinary tract disease keep themselves fully hydrated.9,10,11 in modern cats can be reduced by Moisture-rich cat foods (raw frozen, bringing cats’ diets more closely in line canned and pouch foods) act like with the diets their ancestors used to small prey, keeping adequate fluid eat: more moisture, more meat, higher moving through the urinary tract— quality meat and fewer carbs.5,6,7,8 which appears to lead to fewer 4 Petinsurance.com. [homepage on the Internet]. Top 10 Dog and Cat Medical Conditions of 2011. Veterinary Pet Insurance, 2012 [released 27 March 2012; incidences of urinary tract disease. cited 16 January 2013]. Available from http://press.petinsurance.com/press- room/346.aspx 5 Planting EA, Bosch G, Hendriks WH. Estimation of the dietary nutrient prole of free-roaming feral cats: possible implications for nutrition of domestic 9 Anderson RS. Water balance in the dog and the cat. J Sm Animal cats. Br J Nutr. 2011 October; 106:S35–S48. Practice. 1982 April. 23:588-598. 6 Markwell PJ, Bungton CT, Smith BH. e eect of diet on lower urinary 10 Prentiss PG, Wolf AV, Eddy HE. Hydropenia in the cat and dog: Abil- tract disease in cats. J. Nutr 1998 December; 128(12 Suppl). ity of the cat to meet its water needs solely from a diet of sh or meat. 7 Jones BR, Sanson RL, Morris RS. Elucidating the risk factors of feline lower Am J Phy. 1959 March. 196:632-635. urinary tract disease. NZ Vet J June 1997 June;45(3):100-8. 11 Kane E. Feeding behavior of the cat fed laboratory and commercial 8 Hodgkins EM. Your Cat. 1st ed: 167-176; 211-228; 2007. diets. Nutr Reas. 1981 March. 1:499-507. 12 …can be addressed by diet

More meat, fewer carbs Higher quality meat

High quality animal protein makes All meat is not created equal. Lower the pH of cats’ urine more acidic. quality meat ingredients can include Maintaining acidic urine throughout high percentages of ground up , their lifetime reduces the likelihood feathers and other parts that are low that most cats will begin developing in usable protein. When cats eat urinary crystals. foods made with low quality meat ingredients, their daily consumption Crystals are made from of minerals is likely to be higher. minerals. Diets that are rich in high quality Less pee outside the box animal protein (and Daily cleaning and providing as low in plant-based many boxes as there are cats in the carbohydrates) household plus one extra box are also reduce the both essential to keep cats peeing in likelihood of the right spot. Sometimes, however, crystals by a change in where a cat pees is the reducing the result of urinary tract disease: cats quantity associate urinary discomfort with of minerals cats have to process. where they’re peeing, and they try (The volume of high-quality meat- to avoid discomfort by peeing in based ingredients needed to fulfill a a different place. Maintaining the health of your cats’ urinary tract cat’s needs is lower than the volume reduces the likelihood that you’ll find of plant-based ingredients. Lower cat pee someplace it doesn’t belong. volume means fewer minerals.)

13 Are cats finicky by nature?

ost cat owners think You eat it because it’s what you recognize Mcats are finicky by as food, but it doesn’t engage your instinct nature. In truth, much of the for hunting and eating meat. finickiness that American The foods that are the most cat owners struggle with is palatable to cats mimic wild anything but natural. prey: high meat protein, strong Imagine the food routine of a odor and a meat texture. The desert predator …12 commercial cat foods closest When you’re hungry, you to this are frozen raw meat stalk and kill your food. diets, cans and pouches. Cats raised on kibble You eat the acidic meat may prefer kibble immediately, full of moisture to everything and at a temperature of 98 degrees. else, but most can be restored to their Your highly developed sense of smell natural, moisture-rich, meat-rich diet and sensitivity to texture were imprinted with patience and persistence. by your mother during your first weeks of life, and they help you identify what Mud Bay supports adoption in your desert environment is good to eat. with healthy food and cold cash. Now imagine the food routine of an Most dogs and cats adopted from shelters average American cat… around Puget Sound go home with cou- You live in an environment without the pons for natural foods from Mud Bay. stimulation of the hunt or chase. Your When these coupons are used, Mud Bay food is hard and dry, and it neither makes a donation to the shelter. Since smells nor feels anything like fresh meat. 2001, Mud Bay has donated more than $333,000 to organizations that contribute 12 e predatory, carnivorous nature of cats may make some cat owners uncom- fortable. We believe the welfare of cats depends on owners’ informed understand- to the well-being of animals. ing and that the food choices humans make for their omnivorous selves should be separated from the food choices they make for their carnivorous companions. 14 Mud Bay has been helping dog owners feed healthy foods since 1988

ur company began in 1988, Othe year Elsa Wulff bought a small farm store on a hill above Mud Bay just outside of Olympia, Washington. Today, there are Mud Bay stores all around the Pacific Northwest and we’re employee-owned Our original store on Mud Bay Road, outside of Olympia and operated, but we’re all still doing Visit any of our stores for more information the same thing: helping owners feed on solutions to common yet vexing problems healthy foods to their animals. that arise when caring for your cat.

Employee-owned Mud Bay shares information, decision-making, profits and company ownership with the members of our staff. We don’t charge extra We put a fair, low price on everything we sell— and we almost always set the prices of our pet foods below the everyday prices of every other major retailer in the area. We research everything we sell Mud Bay has earned a unique reputation for the care we take in investigating companies and products. We guarantee satisfaction We guarantee everything on our shelves. If a cat, a dog or an owner is unsatisfied with anything we sell, we’ll happily buy it back.

15 The best way to keep a cat healthy is to feed it a well-made, carnivorous diet...

hat’s why Mud Bay staff give cat owners Tcustomized nutritional recommendations and why Mud Bay stores carry more than 300 healthy and fairly priced natural cat foods. We’d love to help you choose the diet that makes the most sense for you and your cat. Where is Mud Bay? There is a body of water called Mud Bay in Puget Sound (and at low tide, it really is very muddy), but we’ve established and staffed Mud Bay stores in communities all around the Pacifi c Northwest.

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We’re not veterinarians Mud Bay and its sta strive to help dog and cat owners improve the health of their animals and to increase the happiness owners experience in caring for their animals by provid- ing natural foods, well-made supplies and useful information. Mud Bay and its sta do not diagnose or treat speci c conditions, and the information provided by Mud Bay’s sta , publications, website and other media are not substitutes for treatment by a veterinarian. A great vet is an invaluable resource, and we recommend that owners discuss diet and other changes in the care of their animals with theirs.

©2018 Mud Bay, Inc.