Pet parents have both the privilege and responsibility to take care of their pets. We often hear about pet parents that love their pets like their own children. Each and every pet parent has both an idea of what pet parenting perfection is and the reality of what they are actually able to provide. But how do does one know if their efforts are enough?
The idea for this article came recently when someone commented on a Poli Pet post that showed one of our customers adding Renew to dry kibble. The comment read:
"No one who understands how bad kibble is would feed it to their dog if they loved them."
Firstly, not all kibble is bad. Kibble has made more progress in quality and effectiveness in the past couple of years than ever before. That being said, raw feeding may be the healthiest option for many pet parents. BUT raw feeding also might be the most expensive. And the most time consuming. For some of us, it may be the only option.
Love for our pets isn't defined by the sum of what we are able or unable to provide.
Several years ago, my friend fell on hard times. Everything all at once. Divorce, lost job, family member passed away ... but he still had his dogs. All three of them. Prior to losing his job, he provided the best of the best for his pets. He spent more on his pets than he did himself. So when he stopped by and asked for enough money to buy a bulk bag of kibble, I knew that was his only option.
What I didn't question was whether he still loved his dogs. He still would do whatever it took to provide for them including asking me for help. His budget was far from being able to afford much of what he previously provided. But his heart arguably belonged more to his dogs than ever. What we provide for our pets during times of duress is a better measure of love than what we provide during the easy times.
If you are doing your best with the resources you have to provide for your pets, then we stand with you.
Life isn't easy. Things change. Our budgets, our time, our knowledge. Improve over time, put the effort in and be passionate about your pets. Each relationship is unique and we shouldn't question or judge someone else's love for their pet based on their decisions for nutrition, supplements or care.
How we speak to each other matters. Imagine if that comment above was phrased differently. Instead of "No one who understands how bad kibble is would feed it to their dogs if they loved them", what if this person had commented "I've seen a lot of benefits from feeding raw over kibble. Message me if you'd like to learn about transitioning from kibble". No judgement, just potential assistance in helping this person take care of their pet.
We should be building each other up instead of bringing each other down.
The expectations on us as pet parents is great. The perceptions from others are fleeting. The reality is we love our pets and will do the best we can with what we have. And for that, we stand with you.
If you have questions about pet supplements or care, please reach out to us. Or even if you just need a little encouragement along your pet parent journey. We are here for you and for them.
If you are ready to join a community of pet parents who support each other, then we invite you join our group here:
JOIN THE POLI PET GROUP
Let's improve the lives of pets worldwide, together.
