19 Cats And Counting

Experienced Senior Marketing Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the marketing and advertising industry. Skilled in branding and strategic planning, advertising, digital engagement and influencer marketing.

Transcript:

 

00:00:02.080 --> 00:00:03.880
Announcer: This is Pet Life Radio.

00:00:03.880 --> 00:00:04.980
Announcer: Let's talk pets.

00:00:23.146 --> 00:00:25.526
Linda Hall: Hello, my cat-loving friends.

00:00:25.526 --> 00:00:36.786
Linda Hall: My goodness, but Rita and I try to learn as much as we can about so many areas of cats, but there is one area that will confuse even a genius, and that is our cat's food and nutrition.

00:00:36.786 --> 00:00:38.486
Linda Hall: Do we need all this?

00:00:38.486 --> 00:00:42.126
Linda Hall: So we have Chad Wethal with us today.

00:00:42.126 --> 00:00:49.646
Linda Hall: He is the Senior Global Marketing Manager, Pet and Lifestyle for Cargill's Animal Nutrition Business.

00:00:49.646 --> 00:00:50.846
Rita Reimers: Boy, that's quite a title.

00:00:51.546 --> 00:00:53.186
Linda Hall: I'm like, yes.

00:00:53.186 --> 00:01:02.766
Linda Hall: So we're gonna see if we can make sense of some of this cat food stuff and what we're supposed to be feeding our cats and what's really going on as soon as we get back.

00:01:02.766 --> 00:01:04.446
Linda Hall: And this is a word from our sponsor.

00:01:06.346 --> 00:01:08.806
Announcer: Take a bite out of your competition.

00:01:08.806 --> 00:01:13.626
Announcer: Advertise your business with an ad in Pet Life Radio podcasts and radio shows.

00:01:13.626 --> 00:01:20.826
Announcer: There is no other pet-related media that is as large and reaches more pet parents and pet lovers than Pet Life Radio.

00:01:20.826 --> 00:01:27.706
Announcer: With over 7 million monthly listeners, Pet Life Radio podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms.

00:01:27.726 --> 00:01:37.166
Announcer: And our live radio stream goes out to over 250 million subscribers on iHeart Radio, Audacy, TuneIn and other streaming apps.

00:01:37.166 --> 00:01:44.006
Announcer: For more information on how you can advertise on the number one pet podcast and radio network, visit petliferadio.com/advertise today.

00:01:48.406 --> 00:01:51.446
Announcer: Let's talk pets on petliferadio.com.

00:02:01.227 --> 00:02:03.147
Linda Hall: Welcome back to 19 Cats and Counting.

00:02:03.167 --> 00:02:08.247
Linda Hall: I am your co-host, Linda Hall, here with my gorgeous blonde bombshell.

00:02:08.247 --> 00:02:09.687
Rita Reimers: Should I do the beauty queen wave?

00:02:09.727 --> 00:02:15.127
Linda Hall: My partner, yes, yes, my ride or die doing the queen's wave, Rita Reimers.

00:02:15.127 --> 00:02:17.147
Rita Reimers: And I have Miss Lulu here.

00:02:17.147 --> 00:02:22.927
Rita Reimers: I don't know if you can see her, but she's cuddled up against your side of the screen again, Linda, she's dying to meet you.

00:02:22.927 --> 00:02:24.567
Linda Hall: I can't wait to meet her.

00:02:24.567 --> 00:02:28.607
Rita Reimers: Lulu is one of our latest intakes at the Carolina Sanctuary.

00:02:28.707 --> 00:02:37.367
Linda Hall: Yes, so I got to ask, you have been in the cat arena space long before me.

00:02:37.367 --> 00:02:41.267
Linda Hall: Does this nutrition stuff make sense to you or do you need to talk to Chad as much as I do?

00:02:41.267 --> 00:02:46.267
Rita Reimers: It's guesswork and almost every day, I look at my cats and go, are you still hungry?

00:02:46.267 --> 00:02:46.967
Rita Reimers: Am I overfeeding?

00:02:46.967 --> 00:02:47.567
Rita Reimers: Am I underfeeding?

00:02:47.567 --> 00:02:48.787
Rita Reimers: Are you getting everything you need?

00:02:48.787 --> 00:02:49.867
Linda Hall: Are you eating the right thing?

00:02:49.867 --> 00:02:50.587
Linda Hall: Was this okay?

00:02:50.587 --> 00:02:54.687
Linda Hall: Yes, let's get Chad in here and see if he can clear some of this up.

00:02:55.027 --> 00:02:56.687
Linda Hall: Hello, Chad.

00:02:56.687 --> 00:02:57.687
Chad Wethal: Hey, everyone.

00:02:57.687 --> 00:02:58.547
Chad Wethal: Thanks for having me.

00:02:58.547 --> 00:03:01.147
Linda Hall: Thank you so much for joining us.

00:03:01.147 --> 00:03:08.627
Linda Hall: So I suppose we should start with an explanation of what it is that Cargill is all about and what it is that they're doing.

00:03:08.627 --> 00:03:09.467
Chad Wethal: Yeah, absolutely.

00:03:09.467 --> 00:03:18.607
Chad Wethal: So as you mentioned, my mouthful of a title, I'm a global marketing manager here within our Cargill Animal Nutrition business.

00:03:18.607 --> 00:03:32.387
Chad Wethal: And specifically the group that I work with, the team that I work with, provides pet food brands or manufacturers with nutrition and ingredients that they then use to make their pet foods, treats and supplements.

00:03:32.387 --> 00:03:51.507
Chad Wethal: And Cargill as a whole is really involved in the global pet food industry, truly from the farm all the way to the bowl or the dish, from ingredient sourcing through various points along the value chain and all the way through delivering finished products to pet bowls and dishes.

00:03:52.027 --> 00:03:53.527
Linda Hall: Awesome!

00:03:53.527 --> 00:03:56.387
Linda Hall: What is it that you do within that realm?

00:03:56.387 --> 00:03:57.267
Chad Wethal: Yes, absolutely.

00:03:57.267 --> 00:04:05.287
Chad Wethal: So I'm within marketing and I work on a very specific type of ingredient called post-biotics.

00:04:05.287 --> 00:04:15.487
Chad Wethal: And post-biotics are kind of a newer ingredient to the pet food space, but they've been safely used in animal nutrition for decades.

00:04:15.487 --> 00:04:23.967
Chad Wethal: And really the quickest way to think of a post-biotic is, you know, you're probably familiar with a probiotic.

00:04:23.967 --> 00:04:24.627
Linda Hall: Yes.

00:04:24.627 --> 00:04:28.387
Chad Wethal: Which are the live microorganisms that live in the gut.

00:04:28.387 --> 00:04:34.207
Chad Wethal: One of the key roles of those organisms is to produce post-biotics.

00:04:34.207 --> 00:04:37.627
Chad Wethal: And these post-biotics deliver something called metabolites.

00:04:37.627 --> 00:04:42.207
Chad Wethal: So things like amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, etc.

00:04:42.207 --> 00:04:48.227
Chad Wethal: They deliver all of those to the gut that can then be absorbed through the gut and used for energy and other life functions.

00:04:48.327 --> 00:04:58.107
Chad Wethal: So the really benefit of the post-biotic is that you're getting these metabolites served directly to the gut with every serving.

00:04:58.127 --> 00:05:15.007
Chad Wethal: And so I work with our proactive health ingredients such as that, that then our customers use to put into their pet foods, their pet treats and pet supplements so that our pets or cats are able to have those health-backed benefits with every meal.

00:05:15.007 --> 00:05:19.327
Rita Reimers: I never thought about where they get their supplementation from when they're making pet food.

00:05:19.327 --> 00:05:28.707
Chad Wethal: Yeah, you know, it's interesting, you know, long gone, I think are the days of, you know, that diet is just like some nutrients, like, you know, you kind of throw in the bowl.

00:05:28.707 --> 00:05:43.007
Chad Wethal: There's a lot of advancements that really happen in the pet food space, you know, and claims and unpack are, you know, they're not just there to be pretty logos and pictures and icons, right?

00:05:43.007 --> 00:05:52.667
Chad Wethal: They actually have a lot of meaning and carry a lot of value and lots of validation goes into those claims that are put on to our pet food packaging.

00:05:52.667 --> 00:05:55.787
Chad Wethal: You can't just put anything on a pet food label.

00:05:55.787 --> 00:06:01.987
Chad Wethal: It actually has to be backed by a substantiation and be in line with the FDA.

00:06:01.987 --> 00:06:21.967
Chad Wethal: And so, yeah, and I think definitely in the most recent years, you've seen a lot more advancements and more health and proactive health packed into our pets' nutrition and even in places where you might not normally think of it, such as your complete food that you're giving them every day and maybe not even thinking about it.

00:06:21.967 --> 00:06:25.247
Linda Hall: That's what stopped me from making, trying to make my own food.

00:06:25.247 --> 00:06:26.227
Linda Hall: I was just going to talk about it.

00:06:26.227 --> 00:06:28.827
Linda Hall: Yes, because we did.

00:06:28.827 --> 00:06:29.387
Linda Hall: We tried.

00:06:29.927 --> 00:06:36.147
Linda Hall: In our course in animal behavior, we learned about macronutrients and micronutrients and it made my head hurt, Chad.

00:06:36.147 --> 00:06:42.247
Linda Hall: It was the only part of the entire curriculum that I was like, get me out of here, I'm lost.

00:06:42.387 --> 00:06:43.827
Linda Hall: I can't do this one.

00:06:43.827 --> 00:06:47.307
Linda Hall: So it's a lot of information that goes in.

00:06:47.307 --> 00:06:48.347
Rita Reimers: We still passed with honors.

00:06:48.347 --> 00:06:48.867
Linda Hall: We did.

00:06:48.867 --> 00:06:50.367
Linda Hall: We got the answers.

00:06:50.367 --> 00:06:56.287
Linda Hall: But it's not as simple as just making a meal like you do for your human family members.

00:06:56.307 --> 00:07:03.707
Rita Reimers: No, whenever I hear people feeding like just human tuna, human chicken, I cringe because I know they're not getting what they need.

00:07:03.707 --> 00:07:05.267
Linda Hall: Yes, exactly.

00:07:05.267 --> 00:07:15.987
Linda Hall: So I was reading on Cargill's information about the study that you did, with cat paw rents, as I like to call them.

00:07:15.987 --> 00:07:17.947
Linda Hall: Can you tell us about that study?

00:07:17.947 --> 00:07:19.587
Chad Wethal: Yeah, absolutely.

00:07:20.947 --> 00:07:25.727
Chad Wethal: So we're very much a data insight driven organization.

00:07:25.727 --> 00:07:31.827
Chad Wethal: And one of the things we like to do is we develop new ingredients, nutrition for any pet in this case.

00:07:31.827 --> 00:07:45.967
Chad Wethal: Cats, we were really noticing, as I'm sure you're well aware, a sizable gap in the amount of information available on cat food and treat shoppers, especially in comparison to our dog parent counterparts, right?

00:07:45.967 --> 00:07:54.527
Chad Wethal: And so we really believe that one of the best ways to uncover the needs of any consumer group is simply just to ask them.

00:07:54.527 --> 00:08:01.347
Chad Wethal: So we conducted a survey, a consumer survey, and it was about a thousand cat parents.

00:08:01.347 --> 00:08:07.067
Chad Wethal: In this case, we looked across the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and France.

00:08:07.187 --> 00:08:09.207
Chad Wethal: Those were kind of our focus area.

00:08:09.207 --> 00:08:21.567
Chad Wethal: And really, as a nutrition company, we did this survey because we really wanted to understand what their perceptions are of how nutrition plays a role in supporting cat health.

00:08:21.567 --> 00:08:38.387
Chad Wethal: But we also wanted to learn, you know, what is it at the forefront of their minds when it comes to the cat's health and whether or not they think that they have or believe that they have the nutrition options available to them to actually support their cat's health in the way that they feel is best.

00:08:38.387 --> 00:08:40.567
Linda Hall: And so what were the results?

00:08:40.567 --> 00:08:49.087
Chad Wethal: Yeah, I mean, just like a lot of studies, in many cases, these types of surveys are more validating in terms of like what you think you already know.

00:08:49.087 --> 00:09:11.887
Chad Wethal: And I think this was definitely the case, you know, in this study, some kind of high note, high level notes are it really didn't reveal that I believe nearly half of cat parents did in fact say that they're concerned about their cats developing a health condition, which, you know, I think in the grand scheme of things, I think some people generally tend to think that cat parents are less in bowl than maybe dog parents are.

00:09:11.887 --> 00:09:14.027
Rita Reimers: It's really the opposite.

00:09:14.027 --> 00:09:14.707
Chad Wethal: But exactly.

00:09:14.707 --> 00:09:22.527
Chad Wethal: And I actually have two cats ourselves, we have a 16 year old cat named Toby, and a two year old cat named Sylvester, right?

00:09:22.527 --> 00:09:31.127
Chad Wethal: And we're always keep an eye on them, or actually our seven year old daughter, she's more, she's far more alert of changes in their behavior, even even though we are.

00:09:31.547 --> 00:09:36.967
Rita Reimers: Well, that makes sense, she's kind of down on their level, she sees things from their perspective a little more, right?

00:09:36.967 --> 00:09:38.467
Chad Wethal: She's our cat manager.

00:09:38.467 --> 00:09:39.367
Linda Hall: I love it.

00:09:39.367 --> 00:09:50.207
Chad Wethal: But really, you know, when we look at all these concerns, you know, we saw things like vomiting, immune strength and diarrhea, those are some of the leading contributors to what they're actually concerned about.

00:09:50.207 --> 00:09:58.047
Chad Wethal: And these are pretty universal, but there were actually a couple of kind of interesting regional differences when we looked more closely.

00:09:58.047 --> 00:09:59.927
Rita Reimers: Yeah, I'd be very interested in that.

00:10:00.087 --> 00:10:04.087
Rita Reimers: We talked to people from all over the world, so this is really fascinating.

00:10:04.087 --> 00:10:16.207
Linda Hall: Yes, and we see a few differences in the way, you know, it tends to be that the UK lets their cats out in the garden more, and it seems to be a safe thing as opposed to the US where we're like, keep your cat in.

00:10:16.207 --> 00:10:27.867
Linda Hall: But when it comes to the basis, what we have found, whether we're talking to someone in Iran, they're all worried about the same thing, or Kansas is that cat lovers are committed to their cats and will do anything.

00:10:28.287 --> 00:10:32.227
Linda Hall: So were there any differences between countries in the study?

00:10:32.227 --> 00:10:32.687
Chad Wethal: Yeah.

00:10:32.687 --> 00:10:37.007
Chad Wethal: A couple of just kind of observations on some of the health characteristics.

00:10:37.007 --> 00:10:41.207
Chad Wethal: For example, in the United States, they tended to be more concerned about cat anxiety.

00:10:41.207 --> 00:10:45.927
Chad Wethal: This was not a top attribute in the other markets that we evaluated.

00:10:45.927 --> 00:10:51.907
Rita Reimers: Well, that makes total sense why everybody who calls us is talking about cat anxiety, so that fits.

00:10:51.907 --> 00:10:53.307
Linda Hall: Yeah, we see that, Chad.

00:10:53.307 --> 00:10:55.387
Linda Hall: We can back up your research, let me tell you.

00:10:57.047 --> 00:11:08.647
Chad Wethal: Yeah, in the UK, there was actually far more incidents of them being concerned about dental issues, and that was actually not something that was of concern in other markets as well.

00:11:09.147 --> 00:11:14.447
Chad Wethal: It's just interesting how you see some consumers think about things a little bit more.

00:11:14.447 --> 00:11:21.827
Chad Wethal: Then when you look at them beyond what they're concerned about with their cat, you think about the product attributes.

00:11:21.887 --> 00:11:23.467
Chad Wethal: Like you said, some things are universal.

00:11:23.747 --> 00:11:26.367
Chad Wethal: The one such thing is ingredient quality.

00:11:26.367 --> 00:11:31.907
Chad Wethal: That was by far the number one most important attribute when they were thinking about making a purchase.

00:11:31.907 --> 00:11:35.487
Chad Wethal: Ingredient quality was universally the most important consideration.

00:11:35.487 --> 00:11:41.167
Chad Wethal: And then amongst the group, that was followed by of course price and then the product's actual format.

00:11:41.167 --> 00:11:44.347
Chad Wethal: But again, we saw some regional outliers.

00:11:44.347 --> 00:11:48.907
Chad Wethal: For instance, in France, the brand's reputation was the top three factor.

00:11:49.467 --> 00:11:55.147
Chad Wethal: And then actually for German cat parents, taste and palatability was the top factor.

00:11:55.147 --> 00:11:59.847
Chad Wethal: Which going into this, we kind of thought taste and palatability would be a top three across the board.

00:11:59.847 --> 00:12:08.087
Chad Wethal: Because you always, you know, one thing about the pet industry, if the cats or your dogs don't like it, that is like number one, a brand is going to not have a product pass go.

00:12:08.087 --> 00:12:13.587
Chad Wethal: If they're doing product testing and the dog or cat doesn't love it, it does not pass go.

00:12:13.587 --> 00:12:16.207
Chad Wethal: Because if they don't love it, nobody's going to buy it.

00:12:16.207 --> 00:12:18.407
Rita Reimers: That's good because think of that lady we talked to yesterday.

00:12:18.707 --> 00:12:20.847
Rita Reimers: She's trying food after food after food.

00:12:20.847 --> 00:12:24.487
Rita Reimers: Her cat won't eat anything except the food he's allergic to.

00:12:24.487 --> 00:12:31.927
Rita Reimers: So yes, good taste is important because a cat will starve versus a dog will eventually eat that cat won't.

00:12:32.127 --> 00:12:35.107
Rita Reimers: They'll starve themselves before they eat something they don't like.

00:12:35.107 --> 00:12:53.247
Chad Wethal: I think one other really cool thing for us as a more research-centric organization, we actually did find that about 70 percent of the US cat parents that value research-backed claims were actually seeking claims that are supported by cat-specific research.

00:12:53.247 --> 00:13:02.967
Chad Wethal: So for us, this is really validating because a lot of pet food brands still, you know, it is still quite common to leverage general pet research to cover both dogs and cats.

00:13:02.967 --> 00:13:12.747
Chad Wethal: And I think this insight really supports the need for our industry to put more resources behind cat-specific research, because we all know cats are not dogs.

00:13:13.127 --> 00:13:19.907
Chad Wethal: And we can even see now from these insights that this is really something that cat parents are seeking and can place a value on.

00:13:19.907 --> 00:13:21.087
Linda Hall: I'm guilty of that.

00:13:21.087 --> 00:13:27.227
Linda Hall: And I told Rita, if I go to a company and the dog is on their front page and there's no cat to be seen, I get off of it.

00:13:27.227 --> 00:13:28.267
Rita Reimers: I'm gone.

00:13:28.267 --> 00:13:34.127
Linda Hall: They may have the best product in the world, but I'm like, you didn't represent my feline friends, so I'm gone.

00:13:35.687 --> 00:13:36.287
Linda Hall: We know our dog.

00:13:36.287 --> 00:13:38.527
Rita Reimers: I kind of feel that way about that.

00:13:38.527 --> 00:13:41.887
Rita Reimers: I won't name that pet sitting app that's named after our dog's name.

00:13:42.327 --> 00:13:42.847
Linda Hall: Exactly.

00:13:42.847 --> 00:13:43.267
Linda Hall: Yes.

00:13:43.267 --> 00:13:44.347
Linda Hall: It's like it's so dog-centric.

00:13:44.347 --> 00:13:46.647
Rita Reimers: They do cat sitting, but how would you know?

00:13:46.647 --> 00:13:47.607
Linda Hall: But it's dog-centric.

00:13:47.607 --> 00:13:48.407
Linda Hall: Exactly.

00:13:48.407 --> 00:13:49.127
Linda Hall: Exactly.

00:13:49.127 --> 00:13:52.707
Linda Hall: So I know we have to take a break soon, but I'm going to leave you with a question.

00:13:52.707 --> 00:13:54.707
Linda Hall: We've got about two to three minutes.

00:13:54.707 --> 00:13:55.627
Linda Hall: Okay.

00:13:55.627 --> 00:14:02.967
Linda Hall: When we go to the pet food aisle and we're looking at cat foods, there's hairball formula and aging and indoor.

00:14:02.967 --> 00:14:04.047
Linda Hall: And blah, blah, blah.

00:14:04.047 --> 00:14:06.067
Rita Reimers: And why don't they make one to do it all, okay?

00:14:06.067 --> 00:14:06.487
Rita Reimers: Right.

00:14:06.487 --> 00:14:07.087
Linda Hall: Exactly.

00:14:07.087 --> 00:14:08.667
Linda Hall: Do you find validity in that?

00:14:08.667 --> 00:14:10.687
Linda Hall: Or should I be looking for these kinds of things?

00:14:11.827 --> 00:14:16.387
Linda Hall: Is this what we should be looking at, these specific problems?

00:14:16.387 --> 00:14:16.667
Chad Wethal: Yeah.

00:14:16.667 --> 00:14:29.207
Chad Wethal: I mean, I think definitely one of the trends that we see, not just within the feline space, but within the broader pet space is just the idea of personalization and targeted solutions.

00:14:29.207 --> 00:14:36.187
Chad Wethal: So I think a lot of consumers are really wanting that specialized approach.

00:14:36.187 --> 00:14:45.367
Chad Wethal: I think there's a tendency or a sentiment that like a one-size-fits-all, like my cat isn't average, my cat isn't like every other cat, right?

00:14:45.367 --> 00:14:47.707
Chad Wethal: All of our pets are specially unique.

00:14:47.707 --> 00:14:55.607
Chad Wethal: And I think in a lot of ways, we want to provide that special diet that we think best fits their need.

00:14:55.607 --> 00:15:16.307
Chad Wethal: I think the easiest or not the easiest, the most scalable way to date, right, has been to have more specific claims or certain portfolios of products that each have, you know, maybe a little bit of a different customization to it, like indoor cat, senior cat, kitten, you know, active, like, right, like, so that's kind of the most scalable way.

00:15:16.307 --> 00:15:38.367
Chad Wethal: But even now, you're seeing, like, really interesting things happen where a lot of brands are exploring, you know, personalized diets, right, where you kind of provide the information, they formulate it and you get kind of a customized diet, even down to the microbiome, right, like, formulating, that's kind of a newer kind of place that the industry is kind of exploring.

00:15:38.367 --> 00:15:40.347
Rita Reimers: I've noticed some chatter about that.

00:15:40.347 --> 00:15:48.107
Chad Wethal: Yeah, you know, because we're all of our microbiomes are, it's microbiome, essentially, like a unique fingerprint, like, right?

00:15:48.107 --> 00:15:49.847
Chad Wethal: So it's, they're all unique.

00:15:49.847 --> 00:15:56.347
Chad Wethal: And even if you have multiple cats in your home, even if they're eating the same thing, they have different genetics, they have different needs.

00:15:56.347 --> 00:16:02.027
Chad Wethal: And so you might not even be able to provide the same diet to two of your same cats.

00:16:02.827 --> 00:16:11.287
Chad Wethal: So I think there's kind of a desire to customize diets and probably an over complication.

00:16:11.287 --> 00:16:12.687
Linda Hall: I agree with that one.

00:16:12.687 --> 00:16:15.187
Linda Hall: Yeah.

00:16:15.187 --> 00:16:18.487
Rita Reimers: Let's take a quick break here for one of our awesome sponsors.

00:16:18.487 --> 00:16:22.707
Rita Reimers: And we'll be right back to learn more about the pet food industry.

00:16:22.707 --> 00:16:24.207
Chad Wethal: We'll be right back.

00:16:26.407 --> 00:16:29.307
Linda Hall: Hey, it's Linda Hall from 19 Cats and Counting.

00:16:29.667 --> 00:16:32.847
Rita Reimers: And I'm Rita Reimers from 19 Cats and Counting.

00:16:32.847 --> 00:16:35.847
Rita Reimers: You know the expression that cats have nine lives?

00:16:35.847 --> 00:16:38.007
Rita Reimers: Well, what if you can give them one more?

00:16:38.007 --> 00:16:42.807
Rita Reimers: The Give Them Ten movement is on a mission to help give cats an extra life.

00:16:42.807 --> 00:16:43.627
Rita Reimers: How?

00:16:43.627 --> 00:16:45.427
Linda Hall: With spay and neuter.

00:16:45.427 --> 00:16:48.967
Linda Hall: Spaying or neutering your cat helps them live a longer, healthier life.

00:16:48.967 --> 00:16:52.327
Linda Hall: And it helps control the free roaming cat populations too.

00:16:52.327 --> 00:16:59.607
Linda Hall: You can learn more about the benefits of spay and neuter and meet Scooter, the neutered cat, at givethemten.org.

00:16:59.607 --> 00:17:00.947
Rita Reimers: That's givethemten.org.

00:17:06.627 --> 00:17:07.807
Announcer: Let's talk pets.

00:17:08.707 --> 00:17:09.727
Announcer: On Pet Life Radio.

00:17:11.067 --> 00:17:13.267
Announcer: petliferadio.com.

00:17:22.606 --> 00:17:24.846
Rita Reimers: And we're back with 19 Cats and Counting.

00:17:24.846 --> 00:17:30.126
Rita Reimers: By the way, those of you keeping track, yes, I'm back up to 19 Cats, but on another topic.

00:17:30.126 --> 00:17:43.526
Rita Reimers: Let's get back to talking with Chad about what his company Cargill is doing to research pet ownership and cat ownership and have that influence how the pet food industry operates.

00:17:43.526 --> 00:17:49.626
Linda Hall: So we have said just amongst ourselves that we're finally starting to see more and more representation for cats.

00:17:50.406 --> 00:17:58.846
Linda Hall: It used to be specific for dogs, and then your cat was like this afterthought that you just grabbed a bag of food and threw out there some food for them.

00:17:58.846 --> 00:18:02.826
Linda Hall: So are you seeing these changes in this growth as well, Chad?

00:18:02.826 --> 00:18:03.086
Chad Wethal: Yeah.

00:18:03.086 --> 00:18:10.726
Chad Wethal: I mean, one of the really great things for the industry is that it's making significant advances for our cats.

00:18:10.726 --> 00:18:26.346
Chad Wethal: I think we've all been in either a pet food store or grocery store aisle, and you see the dogs have multiple aisles and the cats have a half of an aisle that they share with the birds and the hamsters.

00:18:26.346 --> 00:18:37.766
Chad Wethal: I think one of the really exciting things is when we look at new product development, which could be anything from a new product launch or a channel expansion, what have you.

00:18:37.766 --> 00:18:48.226
Chad Wethal: When you look at new product development for cat foods and treats, they've actually grown over 10,000 new products were actually launched just in 2023.

00:18:49.266 --> 00:18:53.686
Chad Wethal: Twice as many as the year before and three times as many as 2020.

00:18:53.686 --> 00:19:02.606
Chad Wethal: So you're really starting to see, you know, really a lot of explosive growth in the cat nutrition space.

00:19:02.606 --> 00:19:14.146
Chad Wethal: And really, when we're starting to then look at the trends in that space, you know, we're, you know, we're starting to see a lot of momentum and focus on cat health and targeted solutions.

00:19:14.146 --> 00:19:21.746
Chad Wethal: So, you know, when you think about cat health, we're starting to see things like weight management, a lot happening in the weight management area.

00:19:21.746 --> 00:19:23.846
Rita Reimers: Our indoor cats are fat.

00:19:23.846 --> 00:19:24.586
Chad Wethal: Yeah.

00:19:24.586 --> 00:19:24.926
Chad Wethal: Yes.

00:19:24.926 --> 00:19:33.946
Chad Wethal: And then interestingly, like I've seen data on like what the reality of cat obesity is, and then what odor's perception is, right?

00:19:33.946 --> 00:19:36.806
Chad Wethal: And it's not exactly matched, right?

00:19:36.806 --> 00:19:44.586
Chad Wethal: So there's even perception that our cats aren't as overweight as maybe they are, or we don't really know what the correct weight really should be.

00:19:44.586 --> 00:19:55.686
Chad Wethal: So we're seeing a lot of movement there, and particularly in the area of like things like nutrient utilization, ways to help cats feel more full, right?

00:19:55.686 --> 00:19:59.186
Chad Wethal: Like adding some lean protein, some fiber-rich types of ingredients, right?

00:19:59.266 --> 00:19:59.986
Chad Wethal: So they're not...

00:19:59.986 --> 00:20:02.386
Chad Wethal: we know that cats are grazers, right?

00:20:02.386 --> 00:20:07.066
Chad Wethal: Like we know that they're not like dogs, they don't just fork it all up in a single like serving, right?

00:20:07.066 --> 00:20:08.586
Chad Wethal: Like they like to kneel.

00:20:08.586 --> 00:20:12.006
Chad Wethal: And so we can kind of control that a little bit more.

00:20:12.006 --> 00:20:14.966
Chad Wethal: And then we're also seeing a lot of growth in gut health solutions.

00:20:14.966 --> 00:20:26.346
Chad Wethal: So, you know, we kind of touched on the gut microbiome earlier, but, you know, we work with postbiotics, prebiotics, probiotics, all the biotics, you know, really taking a more active role in these claims.

00:20:26.346 --> 00:20:27.446
Chad Wethal: And even supplements, right?

00:20:27.506 --> 00:20:31.226
Chad Wethal: Like we all, I don't know if any of us have tried to give a cat an old-fashioned supplement, right?

00:20:31.226 --> 00:20:32.566
Chad Wethal: Not a pleasant experience.

00:20:32.566 --> 00:20:34.326
Linda Hall: Exactly, not hardly.

00:20:34.326 --> 00:20:34.806
Linda Hall: Yeah.

00:20:34.806 --> 00:20:40.626
Chad Wethal: But we're starting to see kind of similar to how we've sneak, you know, vitamins and minerals into our kids and gummies.

00:20:40.626 --> 00:20:51.766
Chad Wethal: Like we're starting to see functional treats really start to pop up as supplements, tastier, there's some more, you know, it looks like a treat, it smells like a treat, tastes like a treat, but it's really got like active ingredients.

00:20:51.766 --> 00:20:57.926
Rita Reimers: Yeah, if I'm allowed to say like pet honesty, we love those calming treats for cats and our cats love them.

00:20:57.926 --> 00:20:58.566
Chad Wethal: Absolutely.

00:20:58.566 --> 00:21:08.366
Linda Hall: But when we were first researching calming treats, we bought so many treats that our cats wouldn't eat, Chad, that I said, I'm done, I'm not buying another treat.

00:21:08.366 --> 00:21:13.886
Linda Hall: Fortunately, pet honesty offered us for free to try anything in their line, which is why we ended up with that.

00:21:13.886 --> 00:21:19.206
Linda Hall: But yeah, I had given up, I didn't think, they're like little erasers, right?

00:21:19.206 --> 00:21:23.166
Linda Hall: And my cats won't eat them and I threw a lot of money in the trash can.

00:21:23.166 --> 00:21:25.426
Linda Hall: So the palatability is important.

00:21:26.706 --> 00:21:32.766
Chad Wethal: Yes, it's a lot about not just, and that's a really amazing thing about the pet food industry.

00:21:33.026 --> 00:21:35.346
Chad Wethal: It's not just about the pet.

00:21:35.346 --> 00:21:50.746
Chad Wethal: A lot of the growth is about us as pet parents and how we feel with the products that we give our pets, and what that emotional experience or feeling and full experience is for us as well.

00:21:50.766 --> 00:22:03.526
Chad Wethal: And it's just a lot more pleasant if we can give them a treat or a supplement that they like and we're not having to force it or sneak in, and then they filter it out anyway.

00:22:03.526 --> 00:22:07.906
Linda Hall: Treats are supposed to be fun rewards, not punishment to be crammed on your throat.

00:22:07.906 --> 00:22:09.666
Chad Wethal: Right.

00:22:09.666 --> 00:22:18.706
Rita Reimers: Like when people have to give their cat a pill and they put it inside those little pill pocket treats to try to fool them, it does the first time or two, but after that, no.

00:22:18.706 --> 00:22:22.126
Linda Hall: Yeah, they eat around it or yes, exactly.

00:22:22.126 --> 00:22:29.926
Linda Hall: And actually just in the food, you know, if I think 20 years ago, because I'm in my late fifties, so, you know, I'm up there a minute.

00:22:29.986 --> 00:22:34.606
Linda Hall: 20 years ago, your choice was the bag of whomever's food on the shelf.

00:22:34.606 --> 00:22:39.886
Linda Hall: And now we're getting all this stuff that raw and whatever that can be sent to you.

00:22:41.386 --> 00:22:45.006
Linda Hall: Holistic and organic and yes, prescription.

00:22:45.006 --> 00:22:47.186
Rita Reimers: Yeah, it's confusing.

00:22:47.186 --> 00:22:48.906
Linda Hall: Yes, it is.

00:22:49.366 --> 00:22:54.626
Linda Hall: So what should cat's parents be paying attention to specifically?

00:22:54.626 --> 00:22:59.266
Linda Hall: What can we do to help our cats to live healthier, better lives?

00:22:59.266 --> 00:23:03.346
Chad Wethal: Yeah, so kind of like on the point of you just having more options available.

00:23:03.346 --> 00:23:17.986
Chad Wethal: I mean, the good news in our industry is that, you know, of those new product developments that I kind of mentioned, the explosion, more than half of those foods and treats actually are including what we call proactive health claims.

00:23:17.986 --> 00:23:25.126
Chad Wethal: So think of things like your gut health and digestive health, immunity, eye health, brain health, you mentioned calming, right?

00:23:25.126 --> 00:23:30.386
Chad Wethal: So, you know, that more than half of them have all of that sort of like built in to the product.

00:23:30.386 --> 00:23:43.266
Chad Wethal: So I think if there is today, if there is a specific health concern that a cat parent has, there is very likely a nutrition solution on the market that could really help support it.

00:23:43.266 --> 00:23:56.226
Chad Wethal: But you know, one plug of course, that we'll always make is regardless of the product, you always work closely with trained pet nutritionists or your veterinarian to really develop those custom nutrition plans.

00:23:56.226 --> 00:24:00.826
Rita Reimers: Oh yeah, so if you Google, you will find opposite information.

00:24:00.826 --> 00:24:01.146
Chad Wethal: Dr.

00:24:01.146 --> 00:24:02.826
Chad Wethal: Google is not your friend.

00:24:03.526 --> 00:24:05.406
Linda Hall: No, Google, you're 100% right.

00:24:05.406 --> 00:24:08.926
Linda Hall: Yes, we go to do research for a blog and we're like, oh, blah, blah.

00:24:08.926 --> 00:24:11.986
Linda Hall: And then we run across another site that says the exact opposite.

00:24:11.986 --> 00:24:17.326
Linda Hall: And so we're throwing up our hands and waiting to talk to an expert like you that can fill us in correctly.

00:24:17.326 --> 00:24:22.466
Linda Hall: The last thing we want to do is continue to disseminate bad information.

00:24:22.486 --> 00:24:22.846
Chad Wethal: Exactly.

00:24:22.846 --> 00:24:29.306
Rita Reimers: The thing is too, it's hard to find feline nutritionists and feline nutritionists that don't cross an arm and a leg.

00:24:29.506 --> 00:24:40.466
Rita Reimers: So it hurts hoping the pet foods, you know, take the need for that out of the equation and give us more information about their products, the nutrients they contain and the proper feeding amounts too.

00:24:40.466 --> 00:24:42.906
Rita Reimers: That's very perplexing for pet parents.

00:24:42.906 --> 00:24:43.466
Chad Wethal: Yeah, absolutely.

00:24:43.466 --> 00:25:06.706
Chad Wethal: And I would say I would just kind of add that, you know, just really seeking out professional sources, you know, like yourselves, like your veterinarians and you know, manufacturers have a lot of information on their websites, even on the pack, a lot of regulatory, there is a lot of regulatory restrictions in what, like I said, what pet food companies can say and cannot say.

00:25:07.006 --> 00:25:07.406
Rita Reimers: Yeah.

00:25:07.406 --> 00:25:28.246
Chad Wethal: So when you're reading information on, you know, a credible manufacturer brand's website, like you really should have, or a pet parent should really have confidence and assurance knowing that that information is factual, it's accurate, it's not likely to be biased.

00:25:28.246 --> 00:25:37.686
Chad Wethal: It would impose far more risk for a major manufacturer to publish inaccurate information than try to skew with a marketing message.

00:25:37.686 --> 00:25:49.746
Chad Wethal: So, you know, I would say, you know, there are times where we've heard a sentiment that, you know, they don't want to trust a brand or whatever the case is, but I would definitely still lean on our pet food manufacturers.

00:25:49.746 --> 00:25:54.406
Chad Wethal: They have a wealth of information, and a lot of it is not promotional information.

00:25:55.066 --> 00:25:58.346
Chad Wethal: It's factual, science-based information.

00:25:58.346 --> 00:25:59.726
Rita Reimers: There are certain brands I avoid.

00:25:59.726 --> 00:26:05.466
Rita Reimers: I won't name who they are, but I haven't read their pet labels recently either.

00:26:05.466 --> 00:26:07.286
Rita Reimers: Yeah, who knows if things have changed.

00:26:07.606 --> 00:26:20.726
Linda Hall: So, a quote off of the website, Cargill's committed to providing food ingredients, agricultural solutions and industrial products to nourish the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way.

00:26:20.726 --> 00:26:22.366
Linda Hall: So, love that.

00:26:22.366 --> 00:26:27.186
Linda Hall: So, can you expound it all on safe, responsible and sustainable?

00:26:27.186 --> 00:26:29.126
Rita Reimers: Who put you on the spot?

00:26:29.126 --> 00:26:29.566
Rita Reimers: Linda?

00:26:29.746 --> 00:26:34.246
Chad Wethal: Well, I actually would have to ask if I could answer.

00:26:34.246 --> 00:26:38.006
Chad Wethal: I don't think I have a great answer, and I don't know that I could answer.

00:26:38.046 --> 00:26:39.406
Linda Hall: Absolutely okay.

00:26:39.406 --> 00:26:41.306
Linda Hall: We've all got our departments.

00:26:41.306 --> 00:26:42.926
Linda Hall: But I love that because we do.

00:26:42.926 --> 00:27:00.626
Linda Hall: I mean, you don't have to be a cat parent to know that all of the things that you have spoken about, like gut health and things like responsibility and sustainability, those are big words that we're experiencing regarding everything, regarding our own health, our waste, our everything.

00:27:00.626 --> 00:27:11.386
Linda Hall: So I love that this is jumping into it now, because again, 20 years ago, we just bought the cheapest bag that was gigantic of dry kibble and just left it out, right?

00:27:11.386 --> 00:27:11.886
Rita Reimers: Oh, yeah.

00:27:11.886 --> 00:27:15.666
Rita Reimers: And I like when I was a kid, we had a dog, we just fed him anything.

00:27:15.666 --> 00:27:35.926
Chad Wethal: What I could say is as an example of, you know, what our commitment is to animal nutrition is, you know, when I mentioned the the pulse biotic ingredients that we have, and they are publicly available trade brand names, they go under the name of Epicore Pets, which can be actually found in both human supplements, as well as pet supplements.

00:27:35.926 --> 00:27:48.066
Chad Wethal: And also another ingredient called TruMune is that between our Cargill pet postbiotics, they are backed by a dozen pet specific research studies with universities.

00:27:48.066 --> 00:27:50.646
Chad Wethal: So and many of these are peer reviewed and published.

00:27:51.126 --> 00:28:08.746
Chad Wethal: And so, you know, it's really our commitment to providing, you know, back to the earlier point, one of the reasons we asked if cat specific research was important is because we do believe in species specific validation of our technologies and of our products.

00:28:08.746 --> 00:28:30.966
Chad Wethal: You know, if a customer, if a brand, you know, uses an ingredient in another species, you know, that's always on, you know, at their discretion, but our commitment to their customers and to our customers is that all of our, is that our products are going to be backed by research and all of the claims would be substantiated.

00:28:30.966 --> 00:28:48.946
Chad Wethal: So great amount, you know, what some people maybe don't realize is, you know, we recently just released some new cat research showing the benefits of our postbiotics in cat foods and treats and supplements, specifically demonstrating benefits in palatability.

00:28:48.946 --> 00:28:51.826
Chad Wethal: So it's actually a yeast-based postbiotic.

00:28:51.826 --> 00:28:53.766
Chad Wethal: So cats love yeast, right?

00:28:53.766 --> 00:28:55.686
Chad Wethal: So, yes, they do.

00:28:55.686 --> 00:29:06.346
Chad Wethal: A nice improvement in supporting palatability, supporting a diverse and rich gut microbiome, a balanced immune response and even firmer stools.

00:29:06.346 --> 00:29:09.586
Chad Wethal: So we kind of like to call it a elevated experience, right?

00:29:09.586 --> 00:29:13.006
Chad Wethal: From the food bowl to the litter box kind of a thing.

00:29:13.006 --> 00:29:18.186
Chad Wethal: But as an example, I mean, that was a research study that was a multiple years.

00:29:18.186 --> 00:29:25.266
Chad Wethal: It was done a while ago, but we needed to have many statisticians and PhDs review and validate the data, right?

00:29:25.266 --> 00:29:36.886
Chad Wethal: So, I mean, we're talking like two plus two, three years of research going into a single ingredient that is just a single ingredient used inside of a pet food, right?

00:29:36.886 --> 00:29:51.726
Chad Wethal: So when you think of these especially larger pet food organizations, and when you add up all of the time and the research behind a lot of the ingredients that go into their products, there's a lot of research in there.

00:29:51.726 --> 00:30:09.406
Chad Wethal: But anyways, regarding Cargill, that's just really where we're very core in animal nutrition, and that a really interesting way that we benefit the pet food industry is that a lot of our learnings are also learned on the livestock and larger animal feed site as well.

00:30:09.606 --> 00:30:16.206
Chad Wethal: So we have lots of cross-sharing between what we might learn in pigs and chickens might actually be interesting in dogs and cats.

00:30:16.206 --> 00:30:20.686
Chad Wethal: So we kind of go in that and do a pet specific studies, right?

00:30:20.686 --> 00:30:24.106
Chad Wethal: And validate it there and re-validate it and validate it again.

00:30:24.106 --> 00:30:30.026
Chad Wethal: And so that's really, I think, one of the great powers in a global organization like Cargill.

00:30:30.046 --> 00:30:33.106
Linda Hall: I love that Cargill is doing that.

00:30:33.186 --> 00:30:38.066
Rita Reimers: Can I make, can I make just a, I just have to say something regarding the yeast.

00:30:38.066 --> 00:30:39.626
Rita Reimers: Yes, cats love yeast.

00:30:39.626 --> 00:30:43.246
Rita Reimers: Don't everyone go out and give your cat baker's yeast.

00:30:43.366 --> 00:30:44.246
Rita Reimers: Don't blow up.

00:30:44.246 --> 00:30:45.946
Rita Reimers: We're talking nutritional yeast.

00:30:45.966 --> 00:30:48.566
Rita Reimers: I just have to make that clarification.

00:30:48.566 --> 00:30:50.946
Rita Reimers: I don't want to be responsible for any cat's gut issues.

00:30:50.946 --> 00:30:53.906
Linda Hall: I'm glad you said that because that would have exactly, somebody would have got yeast.

00:30:53.906 --> 00:30:54.246
Chad Wethal: Thank you.

00:30:54.246 --> 00:30:57.466
Chad Wethal: Yes, this is not a by-product yeast ingredient.

00:30:57.466 --> 00:31:10.486
Chad Wethal: It's actually, it's a super fascinating process where we actually in two fermentation facilities, actually both in Iowa, we grow the yeast strains as a probiotic.

00:31:10.486 --> 00:31:18.206
Chad Wethal: We heat treat them to extract the postbiotic metabolites that gets dried down into a powder.

00:31:18.206 --> 00:31:26.446
Chad Wethal: And then that powder is what is added to pet foods and treats and supplements to deliver those health benefits.

00:31:26.446 --> 00:31:27.306
Rita Reimers: That is awesome.

00:31:27.606 --> 00:31:30.226
Rita Reimers: I love that you're putting so much research into everything.

00:31:30.846 --> 00:31:32.286
Linda Hall: That's just what I was going to say.

00:31:32.286 --> 00:31:48.246
Linda Hall: Yes, we love hearing about companies really caring and treating our fur babies with the same care as our human babies, because I can tell you having both that they're equally important to me and their health and what I'm doing for them.

00:31:48.246 --> 00:31:53.646
Rita Reimers: Well, I haven't had human children and a lot of people that call us, their cats are like their kids, like for me.

00:31:53.646 --> 00:31:54.926
Linda Hall: Yes, 100 percent.

00:31:56.906 --> 00:32:02.586
Rita Reimers: I know some people who have had both and said, not Linda, but have said like if they had to do it all over, they would just do cats.

00:32:02.586 --> 00:32:04.366
Linda Hall: They just have to do cats.

00:32:05.646 --> 00:32:06.606
Linda Hall: That's hysterical.

00:32:06.606 --> 00:32:07.946
Linda Hall: Yes.

00:32:07.946 --> 00:32:11.066
Rita Reimers: Any last thoughts for us, Chad, before we wrap up?

00:32:11.066 --> 00:32:12.566
Rita Reimers: We'd love to have you back again.

00:32:12.566 --> 00:32:21.706
Chad Wethal: Yeah, no, I think we were really happy to learn more about cat parents, always looking to serve the market more effectively.

00:32:21.826 --> 00:32:25.466
Chad Wethal: And I think I'm very excited that cats are having a moment.

00:32:25.466 --> 00:32:27.186
Chad Wethal: I think it will be a moment.

00:32:27.186 --> 00:32:29.686
Chad Wethal: It will be a persisting moment.

00:32:29.686 --> 00:32:36.286
Chad Wethal: I think we're really excited about the growth of cats, not just here in the US, but all over the world.

00:32:36.286 --> 00:32:41.866
Chad Wethal: And we're really committed to helping cats live healthy and active lives.

00:32:41.866 --> 00:32:42.866
Rita Reimers: And longer lives.

00:32:43.326 --> 00:32:44.366
Chad Wethal: And long lives.

00:32:45.046 --> 00:32:49.166
Linda Hall: And we are so thankful for Cargill for doing that because we love our babies.

00:32:49.486 --> 00:32:52.526
Linda Hall: I think that was the best ending statement I've ever heard.

00:32:52.526 --> 00:32:54.286
Rita Reimers: Yes, it was.

00:32:54.286 --> 00:32:55.506
Rita Reimers: Definitely.

00:32:55.506 --> 00:32:56.746
Linda Hall: Two points for Chad.

00:32:56.746 --> 00:33:05.746
Rita Reimers: Well, I want to thank you, Chad, for being on our show and giving us so much hope that our pet food industry is just going to get stronger and better.

00:33:05.746 --> 00:33:11.826
Rita Reimers: And we'll help your choices out there in more different brands than we have now even.

00:33:12.286 --> 00:33:12.806
Linda Hall: Yes.

00:33:12.806 --> 00:33:18.546
Rita Reimers: And Linda, of course, thank you so much for being my forever BFF, forever and ever.

00:33:18.546 --> 00:33:18.886
Rita Reimers: Forever.

00:33:18.886 --> 00:33:21.666
Rita Reimers: I don't know what I'd do without you.

00:33:21.666 --> 00:33:23.126
Rita Reimers: Sorry for getting a little emotional.

00:33:25.166 --> 00:33:31.586
Rita Reimers: Of course, Mark Winter for giving us this opportunity on Pet Life Radio that we appreciate so much.

00:33:31.586 --> 00:33:33.006
Rita Reimers: Thank you so much.

00:33:33.006 --> 00:33:37.006
Rita Reimers: Just remember, everyone, every day is Caterday.

00:33:37.006 --> 00:33:38.986
Rita Reimers: See you next show.

00:33:38.986 --> 00:33:40.326
Linda Hall: Let's Talk Pets.

00:33:40.346 --> 00:33:42.346
Announcer: Every week on demand.

00:33:42.346 --> 00:33:45.006
Announcer: Only on petliferadio.com.