LOUIS, Oct. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The pet experts at Purina are partnering with. Pet owners may have a harder time than usual searching. Cats are still being adopted at the same rate as they were during the peak of pandemic.[13][14]. There is a shortage of cat food in supermarkets because of the high demand for the product. Some canned cat foods have been hard to come by in recent months. A chicken by-product meal is a high-quality protein byproduct of poultry slaughter and is used in the production of pet food. Please note, comments must be approved before they are published. "Many countries import ingredients such as meat, minerals, and vitamins that are used to manufacture pet food," explained Dr. Maureen Murithi, a veterinarian who contributes to hepper.com. Between humans and animals, priority is always given to humans. News reports of Nestl Purina and Freshpet pet food shortages in Pennsylvania began surfacing in early February, but the problem crosses state lines, according to recent investigations. Anthony said these will continue to be challenges as we continue to deal with COVID-19. It could be that demand for the product has outstripped production, or there could be a problem with the supply chain. 232. 4 photos. Veterinarian and behaviorist Paola Cuevas of excitedcats.comrecommends this process: The idea, said Dr. Cuevas, is to give the cat, and his digestive system, an opportunity to gradually adapt to the new food.. Its scary to walk into your local pet store, the one you can always count on to carry your cats food, and find your kittys favorite minced fish and shrimp entre completely out of stock. As the PFI states "PFI and its members support efforts to fight climate change, but current policies create a government-driven market advantage to the energy sector and a disadvantage to companies purchasing ingredients for pet food.". Nestl Purinas reputation as a poor pet food brand has only gotten worse since it was purchased by Ralston Purina. The Purina ONE SmartBlend Performance line, on the other hand, is more nutritious and healthier for your pet, so it should be a better option overall. The shelves are almost bare. After around 11 days of transitioning, you can safely feed only new food. So whos to blame for the canned cat food crunch? Meat is one of the most important ingredients which is used in the making of cat food. One brand that used to sell pet food in 5- and 15-pound bags cut their product to 4 and 12 pounds while keeping the price the same, Lane said. Morgan echoed other pet store employees who said they frequently have issues stocking particular items, but werent having problems keeping food on the shelves in general. One pet food bank saw a 700% increase in requests for dry dog food in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the year before, and Trader Joe's discontinued several pet food products altogether due to the challenges companies are facing meeting demand. A broken ankle. There is probably another sweet little kitty in your neighborhood who also wont eat anything but XYZ Brands Whitefish Pat, too. Cooking for your cat is a very loving thing to do. How to Keep Your Cat Well-fed During the Cat-food Shortage? Pet food was the main reason for this growth, with $42 billion in pet food sales in 2020. You can find a directory of board-certified veterinary nutritionists on the American College of Veterinary Nutritionists website: According to Dr. Sehaj Grewal of The Melrose Vet, you can also purchase "from scratch" food prepared by someone else. Some of the major reasons include the shortage of aluminum, preventing all manufacturers from selling dry cat food in cans. Its an impact on shelters and peoples own personal animals if it becomes harder to find in the stores.. Pet owners, on the other hand, will have to make do with what they have until that day comes. [9] [10]. Cat food is a crucial part of a cats everyday life. People have gone crazy for hard seltzer. Currently, there is a massive shortage of beef in the market. Diapers shortage 2023: What is the future outlook of diapers? Is Friskees Extra Gravy Pate Cat Food Any Good, What Is The Ash Content In Blue Wilderness Cat Food. Market Realist is a registered trademark. *If your pet has been injured or killed by a coyote, please contact the Los Angeles County Animal Control at (562) 940-6898 for immediate assistance. This is the only situation that can get tricky during a time like this one. People are blaming the pandemic for the same reason. FREE US SHIPPING Have questions? You will have to do more to ensure that your cat is getting enough water if you switch to dry food. Its happening more frequently, Morgan said, but I dont think its happening with such a frequency that the whole industry is disrupted., A lot of the time itll be one specific protein, because a lot of our food is protein-based, said Shiloh Lane, assistant manager at the Bark by the Park pet store in Lakeview East. Another problem is when the meat and other ingredients are sourced outside the borders of the US. The shortage is due to a variety of factors, including a fire at a Friskies factory and a decrease in the amount of fish available for use in cat food. Nestl Purina Petcares decision to discontinue the older Purina ONE SmartBlend line makes sense. Aluminum shortage is the bigger problem affecting your ability to buy wet cat food right now, so lets address that issue first. It's not just the ingredients though, increasingly pet food manufacturers have nothing to put the food into even if they can make it! As many of you have probably already noticed, the recent COVID pandemic has led to a pet food shortage that could last until 2022. This surge has remained high while other pet adoptions tailed off meaning a lot more families are still choosing to make cats a permanent part of their household. Her blog, Kitty Contemplations, helps cat guardians better understand and care for the special beings they share their lives and homes with. Its also possible that Purina is deliberately limiting availability in order to create a sense of urgency and encourage customers to buy more quickly. Nestl should be embarrassed for purchasing Ralston Purina. During the coronavirus, a lot of production units had to shut down. Divide your cats dinner into four equal-sized chunks. We regret to inform you that Purina Friskies brand cat food is no longer available in 13-ounce cans. Most grocery stores are having a tough time keeping their shelves filled with canned cat food. Other than this, there has also been a rise in demand for pet food. Due to aluminum shortages and shipping issues, there is an abundance of canned food available on the market. It was an American conglomerate headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri that owned significant holdings in animal feed, food, pet food, consumer products, and entertainment. Take one chunk of the old food out, and replace it with one chunk of the new food. Aluminum cans are the perfect canvas for fancy designs. Higher pet adoption has boosted the demand while the supply hasn't kept pace. The pandemic caused a lot of problems in the supply chain. If you are considering preparing your own cat food on an ongoing basis, first consult a veterinary nutritionist. Trucking is more expensive, too. My co-worker and I run this site mainly to help inexperienced families currently taking care of their cats without professional guidance. During the lockdown, people were stuck at their homes and alone, so they adopted pets. 5 Main Causes & Remedies. Most meat used in cat food is off-cuts from human food. Aside from this, there is also a delay in shipping as well as delivering the cat food to the pet food factories. But with a little creativity and a little flexibility you can do it. Contact your vet to see what alternative foods will work with your cats condition first. Or maybe your cat has a sensitive tummy, and you worry that switching foods will cause an upset belly. We are disappointed in this decision because it allows us to focus on expanding our Friskies product line in 2020. If this problem says themes were a very long time, then call. Before COVID, meat processors often hired immigrant workers from Mexico, but changes in immigration laws have reduced access to that source of labor.[12]. The company cited declining sales and competition from other brands as the primary reasons for the decision. The stocks went out as soon as they were released in the market. The increase in the number of cat adoptions has also affected the cat food shortage. I cant speak to any companys pricing strategies, and we may find out later, when historians look back, about any possible price gouging that occurred during this strange time in history. A lot of these products are harder to come by for pet food manufacturers because of the favorable tariffs offered to companies making renewable fuels. This is due to the two known incidents that happened last year and this year. Jamie Middleton is a freelance editor and writer who has been editing and creating content for magazines and websites for over 20 years. This Purina Fancy Feast Chicken Feast Pat is rated 1 out of 5 because of the ingredients (she does not need corn and her fur is unhealthy; her feces smell awful and are soft), which is why I rate it a 1 out of 5. As the PFI explains, "PFI isactively communicatingwith the federal government about these disruptions and advocating for solutions to address and improve the US supply chain. [2] Detrixhe, John. And there is the Royal Canin, however, theres another Royal Canin cat food shortage. Nonetheless, Dunbar said its been a disturbing trend to watch. As a result, there is a rise in cat food demand. We have knowledgeable staff to answer your questions and we will try our best to meet your needs. It appears that the canned cat food shortage is impacting a few brands and not the entire industry. 168. The company has attributed the shortage to an increase in demand for their products, as well as a decrease in production due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To add to the problem, transportation issues mean that even when supplies do arrive at ports, there is still a long delay in unloading it from ships and getting it to the pet food factories. Due to the short supply of dog foods, their prices are rising, leading to another problem. Nestl Purina Petcare, a subsidiary of Swiss food giant Nestl, announced that its Purina ONE SmartBlend line of dog food will be discontinued, and that its Purina ONE SmartBlend Performance line will be introduced. It just may warrant you having a conversation with your veterinarian and then us pulling up multiple different suppliers to find which one is available where.. The scarcity meant the cost of meat increased too by 6.3% for meat supplies in 2021. The shortage is likely to continue until the supply of cat food catches up with the demand. A woman buys cat food as nearly empty shelves are seen at a Walmart store. "I'm in Weis right now, and I just got some cat food; they have a little more than ShopRite (right now)." Iowa State University professor Jonathan Phares who studies supply chains told Wifr.com (opens in new tab) that he believes that various different reasons are working together to make cat food scarce. This limited availability of cat food is now experienced in different states of the USA. Theres always something, Plomin said. However, by following these tips, you can make sure that your cat is still getting the nutrition they need. As many of you have probably already noticed, the recent COVID pandemic has led to a pet food shortage that could last until 2022. The Associated Press reports that pet food manufacturers are having difficulty obtaining enough chicken by-product meal, a key ingredient. Many pet owners have learned the hard way that their pets will tolerate only a specific brand or type of food. Despite this, there are many ways to sustain our cats health and diet at this time. You cant help but wonder, why is Fancy Feast out of stock everywhere?. On December 1, 2021, Purina will close its doors. The supply chain issues that are impacting the food supply chain in the U.S. were expected to get better in 2022. In an interview with a manager of a pet store last June 2022, he said that the shortage of wet and dry food might last up until 2023. The shelves are almost bare. According to a PetSmart employee, most companies are unable to manufacture their canned foods due to a shortage of ingredients. 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