Felidae cat food is changing from a star-shaped kibble to a round circle. The formulation of the food is not changing, only the shape.
Felidae’s grain-free formulas already feature the rounded shape. The circular shape appears to be favored by cats and also minimizes kibble breakage, which can result in more crumbs and “kibble dust” at the bottom of every bag.
The change is a result of a study which compared acceptance of 5 different kibble shapes including X shaped morsels, triangle, triangle with hole, cylinder, and a flat round disc. The results indicated considerably better acceptance for the round kibble shape.
As the new shapes makes it way into bags across the country, a new sticker announcing “Cats Prefer Round” will be appearing on Felidae bags.
The circular shape may well be a shape that cats prefer. But, is it good for them? It has been shown that cats will eat any good tasting food regardless of shape. Small circular pebbles may be preferred. However, cats quickly consume the small shapes leading to overeating and indigestion which leads to health problems for many cats. Obese cats are not healthy cats. Obesity can shorten the lifespan of your cat. Eating quickly with out chewing their food promotes tartar buildup which leads to gingivitis. These dental issues when not addressed by costly dental care can also shorten the life span of your cat. When cats consume their food quickly they are more likely to vomit after eating which is unpleasant for both the cat and the cat owner. Frequent emesis can cause esophagitis and also promote poor dental hygiene. Each of which, if not addressed by costly intervention, can shorten the life of your cat. So, how can this change be good for anyone except shareholders of the companies making this change. Cats overeat. Their people buy more food. And you make more money. This change is not good for cats! It’s only good for the people who sell cat food and for cat care professionals who have to deal with the health related problems created by this change!
Sincerely,
Anita Quiroz
Thanks for your comments, Anita-
I completely agree with you that obese cats are not healthy cats, and that eating quickly is not something to be encouraged. I also believe that if the shape of kibble will encourage a cat to eat what is placed in the bowl more easily, rather than struggling with meals, that can be beneficial.
I’m not convinced that the shape change was done to encourage a faster rate of eating. My understanding is that it was a way to get cats to more efficiently chew their food.
I don’t share your opinion that the new shape will lead to over eating. Cat caretakers are still responsible for putting food in the bowl. As long as we do not overfeed our cats, they won’t overeat. It’s our responsibility to monitor our pets’ intake and control their weight.
I can certainly see your point in cases where free feeding is the rule of the household. We don’t endorse free feeding unless it is properly portion controlled. Just filling the bowl with food, regardless of kibble shape or size, can easily lead to overeating.