Mary Allen
It is very important to many owners that their cats eat food that is as healthy as possible. Some also think of the animals from which the food was made.
Animal welfare, ecological and health reasons are leading more and more people to partially or completely forego meat – or at least to limit their consumption to “organic products”. In many households, this leads to the following irritating situation: people nibble Fairtrade muesli and sizzle organic corn on the cob on their grill – and at the same time feed their cat meat from foreign factory farms. Switching to a purely vegetarian diet is one way of escaping the dilemma. However, because the cat is a pure carnivore, this approach is highly controversial (read more here).
Another option is to only buy organic cat food. In this way, animals are still fed to the Büsi – depending on the quality of the seal, one can be sure that the animals for slaughter were well cared for before they died. However, you have to pay careful attention to whether references such as “natural”, “organic-appropriate” and “environmentally friendly” are justified or merely to be seen as a good marketing strategy.
Products marked with the Bio Suisse bud and those with the Demeter label promise the greatest care in dealing with nature and animals. Purely with regard to animal husbandry, KAG Freiland comes off best.
“Normal” local organic products or organic products certified by the EU have to meet slightly less stringent requirements than bud feed. According to information from Martina Battini from the control body bio inspect, there is an equivalence recognition between the Swiss and the European organic regulation – the corresponding products are therefore equivalent.
3 to 5 Francs Per Cat and Day
Whether you want to buy cat food from animal-friendly husbandry – or can – depends not least on the price. However, since cats differ greatly in terms of stature, living conditions, and eating habits, exact cost estimates are difficult. In addition, the necessary daily rations for a non-pregnant average cat vary greatly depending on the quality of the food, namely from around 130 to 300 grams per day (the higher the quality, the smaller the amounts required).
If the animal-friendly husbandry of the later slaughter animals is a major concern, Hutter & Schmid AG in Gais AR is the right address. The company has been producing bud cat food since 1992. Feeding a cat this food costs between three and five francs a day. It is cheapest if you order a nine-kilo package with portions of 500 grams for CHF 197.70 (including shipping costs).
Products without the bud and only labeled “organic” promise animal-friendly husbandry of the animals for slaughter. However, most organic cat food does not seem to be produced in Switzerland but in the surrounding EU countries. The Yarrah and Defu brand products are well-known.
The fact that these have been produced in accordance with EU organic guidelines can be seen from the corresponding logo (white stars on a light green rectangular background), the code of the inspection body, and the reference to the origin of the goods.
Ordered online and from a wholesaler, our research at the end of August for the organic product “Defu Katzen Pate Sensitive” resulted in daily feed costs of between CHF 2.55 (cats weighing three to five kilos) and CHF 5.50 (six to seven kilos). This is provided that the product is also ordered in large quantities (32 times 100 grams).
Rely on Actions
Anyone who consistently relies on promotions and large orders save a lot of money. For example (also at the end of August) certain feeds from the EU organic brand Yarrah were so cheap that daily costs of one to two francs arose. However, it must be remembered that cats are tricky guests at the table – and that a purely cost-controlled large order can therefore be risky.
Bulk order or not: Even the cheapest organic feed cannot keep up with cheap products – and certainly not those that have been awarded the Bud label. For example, an XXL jumbo pack of Felix wet food (88 x 100 grams) currently costs CHF 29.90. With the recommended daily amount of three bags, the daily costs are just one franc.
Not Ready Yet
The manufacturer Pure Naturfutter in Vienna, for example, has stopped the production and sale of the 100 percent organic line that was sold in Switzerland. Reto Caminada, Managing Director of the company vitality concept and responsible for sales in Switzerland, states that customers were not willing to pay the necessary price, although this was set extremely low in order to be able to be competitive. According to him, a 200-gram can cost CHF 3.40.
By the way: The Swiss company Kori Kusa from Willerzell SZ does not produce organic cat food, but its products are made from 100 percent regional meat. The owners claim that Switzerland has one of the strictest animal welfare laws in the world, guaranteeing that the animals are fed and kept in an appropriate manner. According to the recommended quantities purchased as part of a subscription, the daily feed costs for a five-kilo cat are around CHF 5.50.