Your Pets Daily - Bella & Duke

Survey reveals pet owner stereotypes such as ‘crazy old cat lady’ still exist

Jessica Curtis — Fri, 05 Jan 2024 20:00:00 +0000

Survey lets cat out of the bag around UK pet ownership misconceptions

Research from Bella & Duke challenges gender stereotypes that cats are for women and big dogs are more masculine

Leading pet food and wellbeing company Bella & Duke are on a mission to debunk common misconceptions around pet ownership, nutrition and pet food labelling as well as breed cliches. The company conducted UK wide research unveiling gender stereotypes of pet owners, with 86% of people thinking chihuahua owners are more likely to be female and 72% feeling a rottweilers owner would be male. Nearly half (45%) believe a cat owner is a female, with 27% believing they are more likely to be single.

Bella & Duke champions species-appropriate and pet centred wellbeing, yet many still don't realise the benefits of a raw diet versus more recent, and now considered more conventional pet foods such as kibble or tinned. Raw feeding is continuing to become a more popular option for pet owners, yet there are still many misconceptions around this natural diet that need to be challenged and Bella & Duke have set out to do just that.

Mark Scott, CEO at Bella & Duke, said: "Common pet misconceptions we see today like the 'crazy old cat lady' are often derived from the movies we consume or the books we read. This type of perception can have a harmful lasting impact on breeds for years and years to come, and as a proud cat owner, I know these simply are not true.

"We face similar misconceptions and misunderstandings in the pet food industry. Raw feeding comes with many of its own falsehoods so it's important we're openly speaking about these and not only putting them to rest, but continuing to educate each other more on the benefits of a natural and species-appropriate diet for our pets. At Bella & Duke it is our top priority that every animal is cared for and understood to allow them to thrive in a healthy and happy life, we will always champion species-appropriate and pet centred wellbeing."

Other key stats include:

45% of people said chihuahuas are used as a fashion accessory
28% of people thought that larger dogs were higher maintenance pets than smaller dogs
61% of those surveyed felt that too many people had pets for the wrong reasons
26% believed that cats preferred to be left on their own

Despite pet owners wanting what is best for their furry friends, the research found that almost a quarter (24%) of Brits actually don't know what type of food is the most nutritious for their pets whether its raw, wet food or kibble (dried food pellets).

Further to this, over a third (37%) were entirely unsure of what the legal requirement of meat that needs to be in meat-based foods, showing there is a lot of confusion when it comes to pet nutrition. Despite this confusion, over 40% of pet owners said they believe wellness claims made by pet food brands, which often show no supporting evidence of the proposed benefits.

Bella & Duke also found that some pet owners think raw feeding is inconvenient (17%). However, as a direct to door supplier, Bella & Duke prides itself on offering its subscribers a convenient product tailored to each breed, weight, and age of pets, leaving the experts to calculate how much your furry friend needs to live a life well loved. Additionally, as part of streamlining the customer experience, Bella & Duke's customer care team regularly check in to see how a pet's journey on raw food is going, offering subscribers advice, guidance and the opportunity to tailor their pet's subscription as required.

The research identified concerns around the safety of raw feeding with 12% of survey participants believing that raw food is full of bacteria, however Bella & Duke recently became one of the first raw pet food suppliers to be RawSAFE accredited. This new raw dog food certification scheme run by veterinary professionals conducts independent audits of raw pet food manufacturers and unannounced spot checks to ensure pet owners receive the best and safest possible food for their pets.

Bella & Duke offers a convenient subscription service, along with free educational guides and support for pet owners to support to help them in doing right by their pet and giving them the ability to learn more about the importance of what they're feeding them.

New pet treat launches to turn the fussiest of eaters to plate cleaners

Katie Court — Fri, 05 Jan 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Leading pet food and wellbeing brand Bella & Duke have launched a new exclusive premium topper to add to their 100% natural treats range for cats and dogs. Designed around the everyday needs of our four-legged friends, the new line of Magic Sprinkles focuses on providing variety, flavour and nutrition for even the fussiest of eaters.

Available in "Tantalising chicken" pet owners can simply sprinkle over their pets' food for an extra tempting twist at mealtimes. Jam-packed with deliciousness, a little goes a long way with Bella & Duke's Magic Sprinkles, simply one to one and half teaspoons is all that is required over regular meals.

The single protein ingredients are freeze dried to lock in nutrients, helping to support gut health and lock in flavours and aromas.

This brand-new product is set to put magic into mealtimes with irresistible flavour to treat your pets to restaurant quality meal times or even to tempt the fussiest of eaters to clean their plates. With Bella & Duke's wellness approach to pets in mind, the company wanted to ensure that this new addition to their range also supported pet health. Magic Sprinkles are so much more than just a tasty topper, they contain inulin, a natural source of FOS. A small but mighty pre-biotic that encourages the growth of friendly bacteria in the large intestine to support overall gut health.

Magic Sprinkles can be ordered to complement pre-existing meal plans via a Bella & Duke subscription. Each subscription is delivered direct to your door, frozen to lock in essential nutrients, and in time for when you and your pet need your next batch of meals.

Mark Scott, co-founder of Bella & Duke said; "We always want to make mealtimes extra tasty for our beloved cats and dogs, so we've been working hard to develop our brand-new Magic Sprinkles which can be simply added to mealtimes without any hassle.

"Whether they're a fussy eater or you're looking to add a little more magic to meals, the sprinkle toppers are a guaranteed way of getting tails wagging and whiskers twitching."

In addition to Magic Sprinkles, Bella & Duke offers over 15 types of 100% natural treats focusing on three major elements in our pets' lives including treats & training, health and happiness and teeth & oral hygiene. Products range from venison treats, yak milk chews to bone broth and even rabbit ears which can be a fantastic source of fibre for dogs.

You can find out more about the nutritional benefits and Bella & Duke's product offering at: www.bellaandduke.com

Survey reveals the health improvements in pets since switching to a raw diet

Your Pets Daily Editor — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Bella & Duke's customer survey of over 1,500 pet owners reveals 97% saw an improvement in digestion after switching to raw

Pioneering raw pet food and wellbeing company Bella & Duke have run their annual Health & Happiness survey, speaking to 1,399 dog owners, 212 cat owners and 33 cat and dog owners to concretely understand the beneficial impact its customers have seen since switching to a raw diet for their pets. The company have also done research looking into the misconceptions around pet nutrition, breeds and owners, with the results of the Health & Happiness survey debunking many of these.

Bella & Duke champion providing pets with the most species-appropriate diet that contains the essential nutrients and amino acids that they need to live the happy and long lives they deserve. As the conversation surrounding what truly is best to feed our pets Bella & Duke also conducted a wider UK survey to gauge the understanding the public has about pet diets, specifically their thoughts on raw feeding. The majority of participants thought that canned/wet dog food (31%) and kibble (19%) were the most nutritious options for their furry friends despite raw feeding being the most natural way for our pets to digest their food.

However, after speaking to over 1,500 pet owners feeding their pets raw, 81% agreed that feeding raw helped their pet maintain a healthy weight, and 87% saw positive poo changes from their pets, highlighting the health benefits of a raw diet.

The UK wide research of their customers also saw improvements in their pets' lives while dealing with existing serious medical issues such as: diabetes (100% of pet owners saw their dogs cope better with diabetes since switching to raw), pancreatitis (97%), liver problems (50%), heart issues (20%), kidney issues (75%) and after switching to a raw diet 34% of subscribers saw a decrease in vet visits.

A misconception identified in the research found people believe that raw is too expensive (19%) but once broken down into each meal it can be a justifiable switch that aids your pets day to day living. Since switching customers reported several benefits it brought to their pets' lives with 74% reporting it supported the muscle health, oral health (70%), immune system (79%) and digestion (87%) of their pets.

Driven to do what's right by our pets, Bella & Duke offers free guides around pet nutrition, safety and behaviour on its website to support anyone beginning their journey into raw and taking that important first step to look at what we feed our loyal companions.

Mark Scott, CEO at Bella & Duke, said: "It's important for us to speak to our customers and understand how their pets are doing, and we're absolutely delighted with the results, and seeing so many positive outcomes. The journey we've been on at Bella & Duke started from looking at my own health and understanding what I was putting in my body and this needs to apply to our pets. We only want what is best for our pets and we understand that raw feeding may be a new concept to many which can bring on these misconceptions, but we urge everyone to just take the step into understanding what our pets need to live the healthy, happy and long lives they deserve."

Other key stats include:

59% of pets were more enthusiastic about their food
45% saw an improvement in their pet's behaviour
70% saw positive changes to their pet's coat
69% saw an improvement in their pet's allergies

You can find out more about the nutritional benefits and Bella & Duke's product offering at: www.bellaandduke.com, to read the full 2023 Health & Happiness report, visit: https://www.bellaandduke.com/health-happiness/?page_id=937916

Your Pets Daily - Bella & Duke

Survey reveals pet owner stereotypes such as ‘crazy old cat lady’ still exist

Survey lets cat out of the bag around UK pet ownership misconceptions

Research from Bella & Duke challenges gender stereotypes that cats are for women and big dogs are more masculine

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New pet treat launches to turn the fussiest of eaters to plate cleaners

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Survey reveals the health improvements in pets since switching to a raw diet

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