Why it’s time to focus on ingredients…in your pet’s food

You do your best to only buy groceries that include the words “cage-free,” “grass-fed,” and “non-GMO” (mindful shopping is serious business). But have you ever paused to think about the ingredients in the bag of dog food at the bottom of your cart?

Those little pieces of kibble actually started as foods that look a lot like what you cook for yourself, and chances are you wouldn’t want pesticide-treated veggies or mystery meats anywhere near your plate (um, no). Or, for that matter, your pet’s bowl.

For nearly two decades, Castor & Pollux has been working to change this. And now, the leading brand is upping the ante with the launch of PRISTINE™,  the only complete line of pet food made with responsibly sourced ingredients.

“Just as pet parents put a lot of care and effort into what they eat, many also care deeply about how they feed their pets—not just the quality of ingredients, but how those ingredients are sourced or cared for before they make it to their pet’s bowl,” says Lindsey Fash, brand director for Castor & Pollux.

“We care about your pet’s food’s food and that’s why Castor & Pollux is introducing purposeful pet food in 2017—to provide the most nutritious recipes for pet’s health made with the best organic and responsibly sourced ingredients,” she explains. Game, changed.

And PRISTINE is serious about the purposeful part. The idea is holding the ingredients in your pet’s food to the same standard you do for your own—in taste, quality, and sourcing. Because who actually likes mystery meat?

Scroll down for three reasons you should start caring about where your pet’s dinner comes from—and how PRISTINE is changing the game in pet food.

Responsibly sourced

PRISTINE dog and cat food recipes are made with ingredients that are responsibly raised or grown. Translation: Meat and poultry are responsibly raised, fish are wild-caught, and produce is grown sans synthetic fertilizers or chemical pesticides. Basically, you’re treating your pet to the equivalent of a farm-to-table meal every night.

Balanced nutrients

A dinner of plain protein would get pretty monotonous after a while (not to mention, your Instagram snaps would be seriously short on color). Plus, a lack of vibrant veggies also means a lack of crucial vitamins and macronutrients.

Same goes for your pet. PRISTINE believes all living things (even extra furry ones) need a well-balanced diet to live their best lives, which is why recipes include combos like free-range chicken and sweet potato, grass-fed beef and chickpea, and grass-fed lamb and lentil. Sounds like a typical Tuesday-night dinner for you too, no?

No weird additives

You try to steer clear of mile-long ingredients lists packed with five-syllable words. Even though your pet probably isn’t as savvy at decoding nutrition labels as you are, you’ll be able to tell how their food affects them by their energy levels and overall signs of health.

None of the PRISTINE recipes contain artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors. Also missing? Unnecessary additives like wheat, corn, and soy, which are common fillers in many run-of-the-mill pet foods. Yep, responsible pet food shopping is now a thing.

In partnership with Castor & Pollux

Top photo: Stocksy/Lumina