Problems are now here with Natura pet products.

[kevin bradley]

CN changed our lives - my dog had horrible diarrhea for the first months after I adopted her - and it was the only food that made her regular. There was an instant change. I recommend it to everyone with even minor similar problems - it changed our lives in that I trusted that she would be A-OK in her tum-tum. She was clearly happier and healthier.

I was very upset to read about the merger, partly because of ingredients but also because I try very hard in our lives (as the main shopper in the house) to buy from smaller companies and producers (i.e farmers markets, local stores vs chains). I think the quality will PROBABLY go down, but not right away. I have not heard anything from our local food store, and she still stocks it. However, for when I need to feed kibble - I always keep some around - I will not be buying CN any more. It is not worth the risk, or my money, to support a huge conglomerate when I can still buy other food from a smaller company. It's just a choice for us that I try to carry through many areas of our lives. However, unless tons of dogs are getting bad reactions to the food since the buyout, I wouldn't believe anything.

Jeserf, thats a great way to live your life.

I wish I was better at it. I just don't do the research I should on what companies to buy from.

It takes effort....and I'm sure its not easy.

[Brodster]

Throwing more rumor on the pile, but the (relatively trusted) owner of the local pet supply store I shop in says that there are 2 years of stock of Natura kibble made that will be unaffected by any P&G changes.

Any opinions on that statement? I was amazed and dismayed to think that kibble sits on the shelf that long.

[whiteleo]

Don't believe it, if Natura were the company everyone thinks it is, they never would let that much stock sit around to get rancind, no way... Oh but we are talking about a new company now P&G, so it is possible, and anyone who knows anythinng about BIG business knows this takeover was in the works for at least 1 1/2 -2 yrs. And the ones on here who you think wouldn't care to give their money to a big conglomerate like P&G are probrobably stockholders like RFD.

[kevin bradley]

thats bunk. no way.

no one keeps 24 months of inventory on hand. They'd go out of business.

[Brodster]

LOL...

I love the word "bunk". Thanks for confirming my opinion.

[kevin bradley]

Brod,

Ironically, I am a Supply Planner for a certain Cereal company.

I'd get fired if I had that much inventory sitting around.

No way. With a one year shelf life....I'm just guessing that a typical Dog Food sku can't get much higher than 10-15 wks of supply. And that would be on the high end.

[RawFedDogs]

I AM their customer. Without me, Wal Mart and Kroger and the other retailers don't exist.

You can think about however you want to. From the manufacturer's point of view, the wholesaler or retailer is the customer. They are the ones who pay their money directly to the company. You pay your money to the retailer. You are the retailer's customer.

We can go round and round on this one...I understand what you're saying but I sure as hell AM the customer. I don't care what intermediary the product travels through first.

You are looking at it from your point of view. I'm telling you what the manufacturer sees. I worked for one of the largest corperations in the world for 18 years. I know how they think.

Honestly, I don't get your guys' defense of these monster conglomerates. Even if they aren't the monsters portrayed by some of us, you must admit they are compromised in many ways.

I don't see they are compromised in any way. They are far superior to the smaller company in many ways.

[buddy97]

Brod,

Ironically, I am a Supply Planner for a certain Cereal company.

I'd get fired if I had that much inventory sitting around.

No way. With a one year shelf life....I'm just guessing that a typical Dog Food sku can't get much higher than 10-15 wks of supply. And that would be on the high end.

for the brief time i was feeding TOTW, i had to go to 3 stores before finding a bag that wasnt already past date, so those bags had to be sitting somewhere a long, long time before heading to the store. sadly, id bet a vast majority of customers never check the dates on the bags.

im sure a higher percentage of people active on this forum do, but the average buyer, i doubt it.

[Brodster]

I had problems finding bags of TOTW within the "sell by" date while I was feeding it, too. More so than any other food I've ever given my dog.

[kevin bradley]

I don't see they are compromised in any way. They are far superior to the smaller company in many ways.

that about sums up the miles apart we are on this issue, Raw.

you go on and on about how the P & G doesn't give a rip about me as the customer....that the REAL customer in their eyes is Kroger, Wal Mart, Petco, etc...

And yet you say they are not compromised in any way, shape, or form.


One thing we DO agree on....they are in the business of making $MONEY$. You get zero argument from me there. Indeed, they are dedicated to it as their number ONE priority.