Messaging - How to Talk About Feline Nutrition |
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Page 1 of 2  After you start feeding a raw diet to your cats and see the beneficial results, you will want to encourage others to do the same. This is a natural urge that comes from wanting to share your discovery of a good thing. Like many of us, you may also have some emotions tied up in the issue. If you had been feeding an improper diet previously, especially dry food, it's only natural that you feel upset that you bought into the pet food industry's propaganda.Helping others to understand what is really going on can be tricky. No one likes to be told they are doing something wrong with the best of intentions, and that is basically what this message is. This is especially true when the mistake they have made may be harming the cats they care about. The realization that you have been hurting your beloved pet, perhaps for years, is a hard thing. Don't underestimate the power of guilt to keep people from accepting an idea. People are reluctant to change, and will only do so if they understand that there are overwhelming reasons why it must be done.
How you convey this message is important. Be too enthusiastic or emotional and you risk being viewed as a fanatic. No one likes to be preached to. Here are some messaging tips.
Don't assume people know the meaning of the terms you use. Most people are new to the whole idea of feeding a raw diet. Jargon just confuses your listener.
 Example: "I raw feed ground and frankenprey."Better: "I feed my cat a diet of ground raw meat and bone with supplements, and small whole pieces of meat, organs or cuts with small bones."
Example: "I feed my cat a BARF diet."
Better: "Cats evolved to eat their food raw, so I feed my cat Biologically Appropriate Raw Food. That's sometimes called B-A-R-F."
Don't assume people understand the issues:
Example: "Dry food is bad for cats."
Better: "Dry food is very low in moisture and cats need lots of moisture in their food to avoid urinary and kidney problems."
Example: "Most grocery store canned food isn't good for your cat."
Better: "Much of the canned cat food sold is made with fillers that don't work for a carnivore. Ingredients such as corn, rice, soy and wheat gluten. And they use low quality meat by-products or rendered ingredients."
 Don't use angry or accusatory language. Listeners may dismiss your arguments if you seem hysterical.Example: "Those money-grubbing, heartless multinational pet food companies don't care what garbage they foist off on unsuspecting consumers. And most people don't even bother to read what's in these horrible foods."
Better: "Large pet food companies primarily use ingredients that are left over from the human food manufacturing process. A great deal of marketing effort is used to convince consumers that these ingredients are good for their pets. "
Use positive language rather than negative commands.
Example: "You should stop feeding your cat dry food and only feed a raw diet."
Better: "Feeding a raw diet is easy and safe and there are many health benefits for your cat."
Don't turn your message into an accusation that the person is doing something horrible.
Example: "Dry food is the worst possible thing you could feed your cat."
Better: "Dry food has a lot of carbohydrates. Cats are much healthier when they are fed a diet with little or no carbohydrates – it's their natural diet."
Personalize your message with anecdotes and visual images.
Example: "A raw diet improves a cat's skin and coat."
Better: "I was amazed at how soft and silky Muffin's coat became after only a few weeks on a raw diet."
Provide explanations to ease your listener's concerns.
Example: "Don't worry about pathogens."
Better: "Cats evolved to eat a raw meat diet. They have short and acidic digestive tracts, so they are naturally resistant to bacterial pathogens."
Use inclusive language to help your listener identify with you.
Example: "Dry food is bad for your cat."
Better: "We know that the high carbohydrates and low moisture in dry food is bad for our cats."
 Address the listener's likely concerns with a personal story.
Example: "It's worth the extra cost to feed raw."
Better: "I thought it would be more expensive, but my cat eats less on a raw diet and now I'm not paying money just to feed her fillers and low-quality by-products."
Example: "It's not as easy as feeding dry food, but I do it anyway."
Better: "I thought it would be a lot of hassle, but it's really easy. I just thaw and serve. As easy as opening a can."
Talk about the positive effects of feeding a raw diet, both for the cat and the person.
"Since I changed to feeding a raw diet, the litterbox odor is gone."
"My cat has lost weight and has so much more energy now that she is getting a raw diet."
"My cat's teeth are so healthy now that I give her whole meats and small bones to chew, she may not need a dental for a long time, or ever."
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