Foodie Friday: Whole Paws® Style #WholeFoodsPets

We've never thought of calling ourselves ‘Foodies’, but really, we are! We're feline epicureans of the highest order. We shun most ‘treats’ and we think we'd turn our noses up at junk food (well, except maybe the perenially dieting Disco).

Since we don’t have thumbs and can’t cook, we depend on Teri to do our shopping for food for us and as you may know, 9 out of 10 families consider their pets part of the family, right down to the food they choose for us to eat. And 79% of cat and dog owners consider the quality of their pets food as important as the quality of their own food. Teri's in that upper percentile, that's for sure!

We were pleased when we were invited by  BlogPaws Pet Blogger Network to spread the word about Whole Foods Market® new Whole Paws® Pet Foods.

Teri's always on the hunt (HahaMeow) for food that are healthy and whose ingredients are from safe sources. She has confidence in Whole Foods Market® Quality Standards for her food, and that’s why she was interested in learning more about their new Whole Paws® line of foods for cats and dogs.

Our CatDad used to tease Teri when she told him she was going out to get us cat food and he’d say ‘See you in three hours’ even though the store was right down the street. That’s because Teri would wander up and down the aisles, and read all the labels and go round and round about the pluses and minuses of all the ingredients.  

She is also a vet tech and has taken a number of nutrition classes and has even reviewed a few other companies foods and has toured pet food manufacturing plants, too. 

She does not feed us food with glutens in it, after all the scares from the melamine in wheat gluten. She avoids foods with animal by-products in them, and even tries to find foods without ‘named’ by-products in them...but it’s hard sometimes to read all those tiny words on labels.

She said the ingredients in the Whole Paws® canned foods sound like something she could cook up in the Crock Pot for us, and the Whole Paws® dry food has ingredients she is comfortable feeding, too, although we just get dry food as a snack...it's healthier than many treats on the market (most of which we shun).

In the Whole Paws® product line, there are no artificial flavorings, no artificial preservatives, no animal by-products, and no corn or soy. Whole Paws® is the first private store brand  to have both a dry and wet dog food that's grain free! And, of course, Whole Paws® meets all of Whole Foods Market's strict quality standards. 

Whole Paws® dry foods are made in the USA, with all proteins sourced within the USA. The canned versions are all made in the USA or Canada, and except for lamb (which is sourced from New Zealand), all proteins are sourced within North America. She said could not find information where the vitamins and minerals were sourced, but Whole Foods Market® states that product suppliers are required to perform a variety of tests, including a combination of in-house and outside laboratories.

The Whole Paws® premium line of pet foods includes 24 products, including dog treats that look like creme filled cookies (but they are healthy). The kitty products include an indoor formula dry food, and even a cat litter with baking soda (though we couldn't find an unscented version).  

Maybe it’s just marketing, but she did like the fact that each of the Whole Paws® ltems had a photo of a real pet (not an actor, HahaMeow) with it’s name and age listed! She even found the website of the photographer who took the photos! Even the photographers own kitty is featured!

We told Teri we're ready to step up to the plate, do our duty and be taste testers! We got a huge box of goodies to sample, full size bags and cans even! 

While Disco has IBD and has to be on a novel protein diet, that won't stop the rest of us from chowing down! Teri said she might have to save something for our Christmas dinner, but we bet it won't last that long! 

In fact, watch for our post on December 27th, where we DO get to dig in and taste 'n review all the Whole Paws® cat foods! We will be sure to list all the ingredients of the products at that time, too. 

We will sample from a menu that includes Whole Paws® Grain Free Turkey, Chicken & Giblets Dinner, Beef & Chicken Dinner  and Chicken & Brown Rice kibble. We are kinda jealous that the doggies get such delights as Biscuits with Steak, Bacon or Chicken flavors, but we will donate the doggie items to make a Merry Christmas for some doggies in need.

And if you aren't familiar with Whole Foods Market®, they are on all the social media sites, and we'll share those links so you can visit them and whet your appetite and your pets appetites, too!

Whole Foods Market® website

Whole Foods Market® Facebook

Whole Foods Market® Twitter

Whole Foods Market® Pinterest

Whole Foods Market® Instagram

If your pet parents decide to give the new Whole Paws® food a try, tell them the Curlz and Swirlz cats sent you, HahaMeow! 

Disclaimer: 

I have written this post on behalf of BlogPaws Pet Blogger Network for Whole Foods Market®. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Whole Paws®, but Curlz and Swirlz only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers.