What’s a Pet Foodie you ask? Real People sharing Real Food with Real Pets. Very simple.
Pet Foodies are pet food consumers that have an enthusiastic and healthy interest in providing their pet(s) with real food as a supplement to their commercial diet and extend to former pet food consumers that now provide real food as a complete diet.
Pet Foodies asked…why? Why can’t I give my cat or dog a bite of my steak? What in the world is wrong with giving my pet some real food? Does everything have to be boring brown and round (kibble)?
The answer is, of course you can give your cat and dog healthy bites of people food. There is absolutely nothing wrong with pets eating real food.
We’re not re-inventing the wheel! Pets have been eating people food since…well, since the caveman shared food with the cave-dog and cave-cat. However since the commercialization of pet food, we’ve seen a drastic decline in the number of cats and dogs that are provided with even the tiniest amount of real food. Just a few short decades ago dinner tables all across the world shared their meal with the furry family. Today it’s almost considered taboo to dare give the dog or cat a bite of your steak. Children are often scolded…”You did what? You gave the dog your broccoli! OMG, call the vet!” It’s gotten to a point where we have become afraid – frightened to share some real food with our pets!
Well…no more! Once considered as pet food rabble rousers, today we’re part of a movement to bring our pets real nutrition from real food. Bring back the Doggie Bag! And let’s not forget our Kitties too! We’re Pet Foodie’s and we’re Proud!
This isn’t rocket science. It’s food; Real Food = Real Nutrition. As example, a single tablespoon of roasted chicken will provide your pet with 18 amino acids, 16 vitamins, 10 minerals, protein and healthy fat. Steamed broccoli provides your pet with Vitamin A, Niacin, Riboflavin, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and is a great fiber source.
Anyone (and I mean anyone!) can supplement their pet’s diet with real food everyday. Just a couple of bites of real food each day replacing a couple bites of commercial food. Real food (real nutrition) used to supplement your pet’s commercial diet.
Got questions? The Pet Foodie Handbook’s got answers. Click Here to view.
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
What’s in Your Pet’s Food?
Is your dog or cat eating risk ingredients? Chinese imports? Petsumer Report tells the ‘rest of the story’ on over 2500 cat foods, dog foods, and pet treats. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. www.PetsumerReport.com
2013 List
Susan’s List of trusted pet foods. Click Here
Have you read Buyer Beware? Click Here
Cooking for pets made easy, Dinner PAWsible
Find Healthy Pet Foods in Your Area Click Here
Lynne Fowler, Oodles of Doodles Rescue
July 11, 2013 at 10:46 am
What a great resource. I am going to share it with all my foster moms and adopters. It’s going in the Go Home Packet we send with our dogs to their new homes.
Thank you, Susan, for ALL you do.
Luther
July 11, 2013 at 12:08 pm
The problem with human food is the sodium content. We as humans consume way more salt or sodium that what our pets can handle or filter thru their bodies. I do caution to omit the salt and not to feed pork (ham / bacon). Items in general were the sodium contrnt cannot be rinsed off.
My brother learned this the hard way with his Chesspeak Bay Retreiver, named Banjo.
Susan Thixton
July 11, 2013 at 12:11 pm
In the handbook it explains to avoid salty/sugary foods – salt as a seasoning only (small amounts).
june lay
October 25, 2013 at 4:29 pm
Fresh foods such as chicken, sweet potato, broccoli, barley or oats, do not have significant sodium. Processed foods, canned foods, etc do. Using fresh food cooked from scratch allows the control of sodium.
russ
August 27, 2016 at 3:38 pm
i always give my aussie raw veggies cabbage,potato skins,sweet potato,homegrown squash,zucinni,rice,for carbs never any corn fish,beef chicken,loves sardines as a treat for reward being a service animal and instead on bones frozen melon rinds watermelon,cantelope,and honeydew great for teeth and does not wear them down like bones and i know whats in them unlike leather tanning solutions.
june lay
October 25, 2013 at 4:26 pm
I recently started giving my precious Sophie, my little adopted Poodle home cooked food. It took me a bit of work to calculate ingredients to offer her the desired calories, all the right proportions of nutrients etc., but now everytime I feed her I am rewarded knowing I am giving her the best possible food for her long term health.
I am also rewarded when I now see her going from picky eater no matter what dog food, to her eating every bit but the bowl!
easy easy recipe, 5 days worth frozen and thawed each nite. Best thing I ever did. And I dont have to worry about recalls, ingredients from china, or quality of food.
Dee
May 28, 2015 at 10:51 am
I always used Blue Buffalo dry,NO MORE, they LIED TO US and our pets.I am now cooking for my dog, chic(real)brown rice, fruits(fresh) and veggies (fresh or frozen) fish, what I eat, no MORE CRAP, MY Angel, he is priceless, he is a golden retriever 8 yrs old. no more CRAP, trying not to use the word I want to.let’s take our pets diets back to healthy. we are their voices and money and words speak volume’s
Angie
July 11, 2013 at 12:27 pm
It’s sad that people don’t get it. If you are eating quality fresh food there is no reason NOT to share with your pets. If you are eating processed crap then please don’t share that, it’s as bad as feeding them low quality kibbles.
Donna
July 11, 2013 at 1:25 pm
These pet food companies advertise their foods with “human grade” ingredients. They plaster photos of meats, veggies and fruits on the packages and it becomes their marketing campaign. Yet, they seem surprised when some actually feed “real” food instead of commercial.
I laugh when visiting a vet and completing the patient history when the question comes up “do you feed your pet human food”. Answer: Of course, since 2007, that’s all they get. And, they are healthy. I don’t worry they way I did in early 2007 when my dogs were sick and our food was tested privately and came back with contaminants.
Pet Foodie – that would be me. A home-cook champion for my dogs since 2007. I’ll wear the label proudly.
Jeri
July 11, 2013 at 1:40 pm
We’ve been feeding raw and have eliminated chronic ear ailments, IBD episodes, and they have healthy teeth and our 14 year old acts 1/3 her age! Yes, it’s sad that people think “people food” is not for animals. There IS no “people food” nor is there “dog food” or “cat food”. There’s just FOOD – and it’s either edible and nutritious — or it isn’t.
Debby Mathis
November 25, 2013 at 5:25 pm
I haven’t gone to a raw diet, but I am in the process of changing my cats from commercial to home cooked meals. It is taking a little bit of doing to get them use to it, but I am confident it will work out. I noticed that when my cats eat the “real” home cooked food, they seem more satiated-they just seem more relaxed. There is less following me around the house begging for more food which only makes them fat and less nourished.
Jeri
November 25, 2013 at 6:46 pm
Debbie, Kudos to you for making the effort and hanging in there! So many give up on their cats because switching them can be…well, challenging, as I’m sure you know! We have two dogs and haven’t had to do this, but I have read from those who have had to that sometimes it takes months or even years since cats become addicted to what they’re fed! I’m sure you already have this information, but if you don’t — http://www.littlebigcat.com with Dr. Jean Hofve – is a great resource on cats and diets, etc… Best to you on your journey! Hang in there and don’t give up because it’s your cats who will be the winners for it!
Linda Pruitt
July 11, 2013 at 2:24 pm
I guess I am a Pet Foodie and have been for years. I feed my dogs twice a day. I add fresh fruit that is in season in the am….this morning they had blueberries mixed in their kibble. In the evening, I always add vegetables, what ever my husband and I are having. Tonight will be green beans. I always use fresh or frozen fruit or veggies.
Linda
Sandy
July 11, 2013 at 3:10 pm
We’ve learned over the years that our various kitties enjoy a variety of veggies and some fruit. Corn and asparagus are big favorites, also grilled squash. Once we came home to find an avocado pit on the table, our 2 cats had polished it off while we were at work! Of course their favorite ‘shared’ foods are the meat or fish samples.
june lay
October 25, 2013 at 4:33 pm
Be csreful, cats are obligate carnavores, meaning they require a high protein, some fat, and very little carbohydrates regardless if complex high nutrient. Dogs are not obligate csrnivores.
ellie
July 11, 2013 at 3:32 pm
There is a breed forum that I sometimes visit where certain people believe that feeding a homemade meal to a dog is equal to pet abuse. Raw feeding is totally taboo to them. Of course this attitude comes from their veterinarian.
As stated, feeding a dog or a cat is not rocket science. Do a little studying and give your pets some real food! If processed food is bad for humans then it certainly is bad for your pet.
Do a study on how kibble and canned foods are made. You won’t find that information on any pet food company’s website. That is the dirty little secret that no pet food company wants you to know.
Even the better companies that make kibble are still destroying any nutritional value that the food once had in order to create that “kibblized” form of “food.” They then have to add vitamins sourced from China to make sure your pet gets some nutrition from those well preserved dry chunks of what was once left over animal and vegetable parts.
It makes me so sad when I go in a department store and see people, who I’m sure love their pets, with big bags of of garbage food for their darling animals.
Jeri
July 11, 2013 at 4:21 pm
I concur! I think about that all the time. Of course, some don’t care, but many do and would adjust their thinking…if they only knew. Thankfully, the truth is getting out, thanks to this forum and others — and not all vets have been bought by the pet food industry. The best testimony is a healthy pet — and the vet cannot deny what they see and blood tests do not lie! Our conventional vet doesn’t recommend raw either…but I think his views are changing and I do think it’s because of clients who are “bucking the system”.
Julia
May 14, 2014 at 1:21 pm
You mean rendering? I have had animals my entire life, and just recently stumbled upon how their food is made; I was horrified!! The fact that these companies are feeding animals other animals that in my opinion, should be respectfully buried (they burn them if the facilities have the money), are instead sold to “pet render’s” who take the euthanized animals from pet shelters, from universities where they were used as guinea pigs, and labs that test and create biological viruses and/or have been injected with unknown diseases and germs, or genetically altered vaccines to test their safety for humans; then they BOIL ALL of them together in a giant vat, (that delicious gravy in wet food is the fat layer at the end of the boiling process from all those diseased animals!!!) and call it meat by-products in the ingredients list!!!!!!
So imagine, you have to have one of your furry friends put down but let the vet handle their remains; unless they specifically tell you they bury or cremate them, THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THE OTHER FUR PERSON IN YOUR FAMILY IS EATING THE PET YOU HAD EUTHANIZED!!
Unknowingly, we have turned our best friends into cannibals!!!!!
How f***** is that!!!??
I wonder if the people at purina feed their pets this shit; probably not!!!!
J Lynn
July 11, 2013 at 5:02 pm
For my dog’s birthday I made Quiche Cookies:
In a blender, 6 eggs, one pkg of frozen California mixed vegetables brought to room temperature, one can of spinach
Purée these items
Pour into a large bowl and add a can of chicken, half a stick of softened butter,
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, 1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
Mix well
Spoon cookies out on a buttered cookie sheet and bake at 350′ for twenty minutes, or till done.
I hope this is nutritious because I and my dogs loved them!
Marsha
July 11, 2013 at 6:13 pm
I have been supplementing my dog’s food with human grade meat, sweet potatoes. fruits and veggies for about 2 1/2 years. We have seen a significant drop in vet visits.
sebs
July 12, 2013 at 8:57 am
I guess i’m kind of a foodie too:) when we adopted our cats they were 2 so they had been fed dry & canned by their foster parents. I’m slowly working on getting them to eat raw; lenny loves it & ringo is coming around. Anyway when we have chicken or fish for dinner lenny gets some too; ringo won’t touch it. When i open a can of tuna they both freak out & get the tuna water (i buy the low sodium water tuna for them). Lenny also loves beef tenderloin; we share my steak; we both like it medium rare:)
Sandy
July 12, 2013 at 9:38 am
Snaggy, my black cat, has a little organic peanut butter every morning. The first thing everyone says when they see him is ” he has the most beautiful coat I have ever seen “. He will not touch a cheaper brand so he knows what is good for him. The vet said it was fine for cats not for dogs.
Jeri
July 12, 2013 at 12:54 pm
Peanut Butter is fine for dogs, actually. Mine get it frequently and it is a common ingredient in many cooked treats. (Unless your vet is a holistic/integrative vet who has studied nutrition from an objective source and not just what very little is given to vets in vet school and paid for by the pet food industry using their own materials, I wouldn’t worry too much!)
Tammy Baugh
July 29, 2013 at 12:55 am
I have bred and sold Kittens for about 11 years now. All of my cats and Kittens get to eat some of what I eat. I often tell new pet parents to feed their Kittens a little of what they eat. And you should see the look on some of their faces. They are horrified! It might be that they are not wanting their new pet to beg from them. Well then I’d encourage them to feed them!If they are too stingy to feed them they can move them to another room as they eat. And it may be they are totally brainwashed by their vets. But for whatever the reason, I am sure pets need to eat more than the same hard substance in a bowl poured from the same bag day after day after boreing day!
Jeri
July 29, 2013 at 12:33 pm
I’d bet it’s the vet brainwashing. Most – if not all – conventional vets are horrified at the prospect of animals getting real food — particularly if it’s raw. (We feed raw and while our vet isn’t a fan of it, he can’t deny the fabulous blood work or the fact that our dogs have no more allergies….or IBD episodes…or….
Kathryn DeLongchamp
November 25, 2013 at 10:54 pm
We’ve been pet foodies for the last 3-4 years, unknowingly. Our two rescue dogs were very picky eaters and we were concerned about contaminants/toxins in commercial dog edibles, so we reduced their kibble (high quality–not a grocery store purchase) and added a meat and vegetables to their dinner dish. Mornings they get added protein such as eggs, cottage cheese, peanut butter, toasted almonds. Evenings is usually roasted chicken or beef, sweet potatoes, peas, broccoli, black or pinto beans, carrots. One loves cantaloupe, watermelon, raw red cabbage & lettuce. They also get real food treats–fresh celery sicks, carrots, apples, banana,frozen peas, frozen berries, vegesicles included. We buy organic whenever possible. Sometimes they leave the kibble and only eat the people food, which is OK with us. They seem satisfied and we just had a vet check and both are in his words, “very healthy.” One is 8 yr, one 4 yr. and THRIVINg!
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james
December 28, 2013 at 6:40 pm
we have home cooked for our pets for years but as we are getting older we are looking at orijen treats and food. we make a stew with fresh veggies we buy everything from a health food market the meat as well as veggies and fruit. we also make a mean meat loaf with fresh ground chicken breast and lean beef fresh veggies and fruit (apple,blueberries, blackberries and some cranberries ) we buy the cranberries at the hoilday and wash and freeze them to last until next year we add fresh farm eggs and grind eggshell to powder to add to food or daily dose for size of dog.we make dog treats also but we are getting older and health issues just wondering if orijen is a good food? we have never used dog food even in the 1960’s.any comments?
Jeri
December 30, 2013 at 5:37 pm
I would go raw. You can buy raw balanced diets commercially (Bravo, Honest Kitchen, Primal, K9Naturals, and many others make balanced diets in raw form and have websites). If you want to make your own, try holistic vet Karen Becker’s wonderful little book, “Healthy Food for Dogs and Cats” (I don’t have the exact title in front of me, but you can find it on Amazon or the Mercola site – healthypets.mercola.com). Hope this helps!
Johanna @ Vegetarian Made Easy
January 9, 2014 at 9:05 am
Would you be opposed to me adding the “pet foodie” badge to the side of my food blog? I would link back to this page of course, but I thought it would be great for my readers to see and hopefully want to learn more about 🙂
Susan Thixton
January 9, 2014 at 10:27 am
That would be great! yes – you can use the pet foodie logo! Thank you.
Johanna @ Vegetarian Made Easy
January 9, 2014 at 11:28 am
Thanks!
Lynne Bailey
February 17, 2014 at 11:37 pm
Pet Parents, it is much easier than you may think to prepare a homemade diet for your pets. There’s so many resources to use. I found Dr. Basko’ s book the most helpful since it offers recipes for many different diets, both with restrictions and without.
I found my Vet was not helpful at all. He tried to encourage me to buy that high dollar commercial crap prescription food. The brand he just happened to sell in his office.
Well I refused and did lots of research. Susan helped me to contact Dr. Basko.(THANKS SUSAN!!) I couldn’t afford to go to his classes in Hawaii but I did buy his book. I’ll admit it took some tweaking of the various vegetables to get our dogs to eat a homemade diet.It also took education about meat products since we’ve been vegetarians for over 30 years. I also learned my food processor was my best friend during this process. The dogs aren’t able to pick out the veggies when shredded so finely.
They have been eating a homemade diet for around 6-7 months and they look great.Their fur is so shiny and no more skin issues. Less shedding and digging at their skin as well. Our Sheltie mix rescue girl is around 14 and she gallops and plays with her brother who is around 4-5 years old.
My message is don’t give up, keep trying until you find the right mix of ingredients. Also be willing to Vet shop until you find one that has a pet belief system that aligns with yours.
I’m unemployed and my wish it to find some way to make a difference in the lives of pets and pet parents.
I hope my information helps.
Melanie
June 12, 2014 at 8:02 pm
It saddens, sickens and downright scares me to think of what i might be feeding my babies and WHAT can i feed them and be comfortable with feeding ?!
brit
October 13, 2014 at 3:18 pm
Hi Lynne, so you think Dr Basko’s book is worth buying? I am curious what he recommends as a calcium supplement, for some reason I could not see that on anything he has written so was concerned. Some books I have read are totally worthless, it should be such a simple thing to do and they make it difficult.. I make all my own dog food too btw and usually cooked but certain items are fed raw too. I do rotate meats/fish and add small amounts of organic organ meats. I use Animal Essentials Calcium supplement if I don’t have egg shells handy (I rinse/dry them and put them in my coffee mill and store in a small glass jar). brit
jill
May 11, 2015 at 6:29 pm
For the past 15+ years I’ve been feeding my dogs and cats real food. They get organic, pasture raised and finished meats, bones and organs. I feed a raw balanced (80%meat, fat, skin, cartilage/10% edible bone/5% raw liver/5% other secreting organ (heart/lung/gizzards are fed as Meat, not organ) Prey model diet!
What do the look like? They ooze health, small, non stinky poops, no doggie odor, no trips to vets for hot spots, ear infections, ect. They are not targets for fleas, ticks, flies or mosquitos. Judges ask how I condition them because they are solid muscle and shiny coated. Vets ask how I keep their teeth bright white and gums clean….and I just tell them they all get a balanced raw diet of meat, bones and organs!
Ellie
June 4, 2015 at 12:24 pm
Let me see….how do you define raw? Raw is raw! Raw pet food is meat in it’s most basic form! Freeze dried raw meat is still raw meat.
I am so tired of the government strong arming people into complying to their definition of anything and everything. You can see that this is an all out war against the raw pet food industry. The veterinarian association came out with their declaration of war last year and now the FDA is backing them up.
While there are some very good raw pet food companies out there due to the expense I make my own raw meals for my pets. The FDA will never force me into feeding highly processed garbage to my pets. The pet FEED industry would like us to think that to feed your pet a nutritionally balance diet you need a degree in rocket science. Apparently we don’t need a lot of education to feed ourselves but to feed our pets we must conform to the industry’s highly processed waste product diet.
I would like to think that someone was watching out for those who want to feed their pets a commercial brand of raw food but the FDA has proven it’s incompetence and bias and is in no way a trustworthy agency that consumers can depend on.
C.P. Hines
June 4, 2015 at 12:43 pm
After completing some research, finding your website, and purchasing your book, I am now cooking for all 4 of our rescued Jack Russell’s (one who is currently struggling with kidney failure). Two of our furkids had allergies and their coats and skin were rough; our Dexter was so bad he was on a waiting list for a new allergy medication! We were not buying inexpensive dog food either, we were purchasing a better named dog food at $86 per bag. After cooking for them for about a month, we began to notice more energy and a change in their coats. I am happy to report that Dexter is no longer on the list and their skin and coats are clear. I am also convinced that our little Harvey who is suffering from kidney disease is still alive because we have been cooking for him and have him under the guidance of a Holistic Vet.
Susan Thixton
June 4, 2015 at 1:32 pm
Thank you C.P. for your comment and testimonial for home cooking!
Bonnie B
August 21, 2015 at 1:13 pm
Susan…do you still have you list of all the dog and cat foods….what is in them and which ones have flagged ingredients….I have looked all over the website and don’t see it. When you talk to Kim K. (the next time) ..tell her we miss her ….hope everything is working out for her since she closed her store.
Thanks
Susan Thixton
August 21, 2015 at 1:40 pm
I will tell Kim – I talk to her often. She is going to try to attend the next AAFCO meeting and begin a new career as a advocate (not that she wasn’t before). I think what you are looking for is Petsumer Report – some reviews are posted here under ‘Pet Food Reviews’ but most are posted on the Petsumer Report website (PetsumerReport.com). It is a subscription product – $17.95 a year.
Margie
April 19, 2016 at 1:24 pm
Can someone help. I’ve recently discovered just how bad pet foods and treats can be. My poor shin Tzu had to go to get after I had unknowly been giving him dog treats that had onion in them. I would like to wait h him to a healthy home cooked food but am not sure of portion sizes and what not does any one have a recipe for him that would be easy to make and store
Susan Thixton
April 19, 2016 at 2:09 pm
Hi Margie – I would suggest you investing in a good cookbook (pet food cookbook). The book will guide you on how to make the meals balanced (provide all the nutrients) and portion size for your dog. There are many good books out there.