Build a Better Bowl - Enrich Feeding Time

On: 8 November 2021 

Is your pet bored of their daily bowl? Make mealtime exciting again with drool-worthy meal options.

 

Your pet might go crazy for dinner, but do they get bored of eating the same food every day? Have you ever asked them? 

Well, we have, and it turns out our pets do enjoy a variety of tastes and textures at mealtime. Keep reading to find out why. 

BACK TO THE (QUALITY) BASICS 

You can’t go wrong with quality kibble food as a base for your pet’s diet. It’s easy to store, it's great value and, let us not forget, it satisfies your pet’s never-ending desire to crunch! 

Your pet’s ancestors’ diets often contained bone, so some mealtime crunch is often greatly appreciated by your pet. 

At Pet City, we stock a large range of high-quality dry food ranges that have been nutritionally balanced by experts. Plus, there’s a specific food for almost any need your pet has – joints, digestion, mature-aged, allergy-friendly – the list goes on!  

 Shop our range of high-quality dry dog food and cat food online or in-store. 

 

WET FOR THE WIN

Adding wet food to mealtime is a great way to introduce a variety of tastes and textures to your pet’s diet. And pets go crazy for it! Wet food often contains larger portions of fresh meat - which your pet is biologically drawn to, as a carnivore. So a combination of dry and wet food is a no-brainer to keep pets happy. 

Try gradually introducing a combination of wet food to your pet’s kibble. It won’t be long before they start to materialise at the sound of the can/pouch opening!  

Black hawk wet dog food

royal canin wet food pouches

ziwi peak new zealand natural wet dog food

advance australian made wet dog food cans

 

AIR DRIED (Your pet’s air fryer equivalent – but better!)

ZIWI takes a modern twist on the centuries-old technique of naturally preserving meats – air-drying! ZIWI’s air-dried recipes contain 96% meat, organs and bone – offering the benefits of a raw diet with the convenience of dry food. 

ZIWI's air-drying technique locks in the nutrients and flavour from high-quality raw ingredients that will have your pet drooling for more! Try adding a handful to your pet’s regular diet for the ultimate flavour boost that they’ll love. 

ziwi peak chicken air dried food

ziwi peak beef recipe air dried

ziwi peak air dried east coast

ziwi peak otago valley air dried dog food

 

FROZEN (NO, NOT THAT FROZEN)

The popularity of raw/frozen meal options for pets has skyrocketed over the last few years as more and more pet parents choose to combine dry and raw foods for the ultimate go-to bowl of goodness! Your pets will love the combination of raw flavour and kibble crunch. 

But why raw food, you ask? Dogs and cats’ digestive systems are different to ours in that they can handle larger portions of raw meat. Frozen meal options like Proudi and Big Dog are formulated to emulate the diets consumed by wild cats and dogs. That’s right – your smoochy poochy or cuddly kitten is WILD at heart.

Like most foods, you’ll want to gradually introduce raw foods into your pet’s diet, especially if they’re not used to them. You can let your raw patties thaw in the fridge for a few days before mealtime, then combine your preferred dry and frozen foods for your pet’s dream meal combo.

big dog raw dog food barf

proudi carnivorous vege-free raw diet

leading raw life stage specific raw dog food

ivory coat raw dog food superfood recipe

 

SUPPLEMENT IT UP

Sure, many of our pet foods are complete and balanced by nutritional experts and these diets are often more than enough to keep many pets living healthy and happy ol’ lives. But pet supplements can be a great way to boost nutritional support for pets with special needs. For example, older dogs or tri-pawds can benefit from joint supplements, while others can benefit from digestive or calming supplements. 

Always consult with your vet to see if they think your pet could benefit from supplements. 

Paw Osteocare joint support chews

pawesome organics hemp cbd oil with tumeric

paw complete calm supplement

vetafarm predamax carnivore supplement

 

SENSORY SNOUTS

Pawed pets love a full sensory experience – licking, sniffing and chewing all rank as 10/10 activities! So why not enhance their feeding experience to keep your pets engaged and entertained at mealtime? 

Slow feeder options like Scream slow feeder bowls and Lickimats provide a textured surface for your pets to eat off and they offer a multitude of benefits. Textured feeders: 

 

· Provide a source of mental stimulation for your pet 

· Keep pets engaged and entertained for longer 

· Encourages licking which naturally releases endorphins and promotes a calming behaviour 

· Improves dental health and reduces stinky breath 

· Mimics natural feeding habits of licking and chewing to extract food (which is really rewarding for pets!) 

· Help to slow down food gulpers and extend the joys of food time 

  

So, there you have it - mealtime definitely doesn’t have to be boring! A mixture of textures, smells and flavours will excite the senses and enrich your pets' feeding experience. Upgrade your pets' mealtime and you'll achieve favourite hooman status in no time. 

Note: Take care to follow serving recommendations and your vet’s advice when introducing new foods to your pet’s diet.