Friday, June 24, 2016

Take Your Dog to Work Day! & Bonus Information for Cat Owners!


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There’s no question that pet-friendly office policies are becoming more widely adopted across the country, and this week at Mars Petcare, their four-legged headcount is up as they celebrate the many benefits of having pets in the workplace ahead of International Take Your Dog to Work Day (TYDTWD) on Friday.

In celebration, they wanted to share some “petiquette” tips for a productive, safe and fun pet-friendly work environment. 

Petiquette Tips:
Come prepared – you wouldn’t leave the house with an infant unprepared, same holds true for your dog. Bring some toys, snacks, water dish and bedding so they can be comfy and stay occupied during the day.

Be your dog’s best advocate – Know your dog and what they like and do not like so you can know what situations they will do best in. If they are nervous, don’t push them too far.

A well exercised dog is a well behaved dog – a good morning run before a day at the office will allow them to settle and you the ability to get tasks completed without as many interruptions.

 "At Mars, we are passionate about pets. We believe they make our lives better by having them as part of our workplace. They not only boost morale, they help foster relationships and build a sense of community. This week, we are celebrating our unique culture by honoring our four-legged friends during Take Your Dog To Work Day, which is something we do all year, too." said Jam Stewart, Director of Corporate Communications, Mars Petcare.

 Now, for that Bonus Information! I received this interesting press release and wanted to pass it along, intact, so that you will have the information in the specific words of the WALTHAM Centre which I have visited in the U.K.

New study reveals cat foods need the perfect combination of great flavour and nutrition
Research by scientists at the WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition – part of Mars Petcare -  and the University of Sydney, Australia shows flavour and nutrition both influence how cats choose their food

Brussels, Belgium (15 June, 2016):  A study unveiled today by Mars Petcare has revealed that domestic cats learn to choose their food based on nutrition rather than flavour. The study published in Royal Society Open Science (insert link) today confirms that over time cats learn about the fat and protein content in their food and regulate their intake to reach a target ratio of these nutrients.

Scientists at WALTHAM Centre of Pet Nutrition, Mars Petcare, and the University of Sydney, Australia offered cats foods with various ratios of fat and protein flavoured with fish, rabbit or orange. When first presented with the foods, the cats showed a preference based on flavour. However, over time they learnt about the nutrient composition and selected foods in order to reach a target ratio of protein and fat, regardless of flavour. 

Adrian Hewson-Hughes from the WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition at Mars Petcare, and lead author of the study said the findings have implications for the development of foods for cats: “This research has enabled Mars Petcare to understand more about developing foods for cats with both appealing flavours and the appropriate nutrient composition that ensures cats continue to eat foods in the long-term. This in turn feeds into what we already know about nutrition – and through our brands such as WHISKAS, SHEBA and ROYAL CANIN we are committed to developing pet foods that first and foremost ensure cats have access to the right nutrition in a format they enjoy.”

WALTHAM is the global scientific research centre for Mars Petcare delivering breakthroughs in pet nutrition and the science of human-animal interactions.

NOTE:  I received no compensation whatsoever for this blog post.  This is NOT an advertorial. It is information that I wanted to bring to my readers.


15 comments:

PetShrink said...

I am all in favor of taking dogs to work, cats too if they are comfortable in the environment - more oriented to people than place. Working from home means my pack comes to work every day, and are a great help connecting with my patients, but perhaps it is that I have learned from their cues.

While I agree cats are particular about taste and texture and optimally regulate their intake to meet their needs, the fact that we have so many obese animals suggests there is more at play here. Most kibble is very high in carbohydrate. This is necessary to form the kibbles. However, carbohydrates are not a significant ingredient in a cat's natural diet. They may regulate protein and fat but all that carbohydrate (which adds an attractive sweetness to the diet) is sure to throw the system out of balance.

Gordon Brice said...

Coincidentally, I was just reading a report on Yahoo about the benefits of taking your dog to the office with you. It was also suggested that you could take cats if they were comfortable with the environment. I'm not sure that it would be a good idea to mix the two......that could result in total chaos and certainly lost productivity.
I found the article that you shared on cats' nutrition, very interesting. Cats have often been pigeon holed as being fussy eaters, but we know that they are intelligent creatures and it may be that they are being selective about what is beneficial for them. Of course, it could also be that, like some humans, some cats are "gluttons", resulting in obesity, which tends to abound in all species these days.
Thank you as always for sharing this interesting blog with us, Darlene.

Unknown said...

Actually Wuffy the cat rescuing dog took me to her work!! Lol. Very nice and informative blog.

Darlene said...

Thank you for your detailed comment, PetShrink. I, too, have a home office and see the benefit of taking your 4-legged family member to work with you every day.

I've found cats to be more inclined to want something salty rather than sweet. That said, I think we need to figure into the equation that owners don't play with their cats enough to encourage exercise which burns calories. Instead of understanding that their cat is soliciting their attention, humans automatically think they want food so they either feed them or give them treats. That's not what they want - they want human interaction. Cats are really intelligent, exceptionally good at observational learning and need more variety in their lives that's provided by the owner. Every member of the family can do operant conditioning with the cat (or dog), thus giving them attention, cutting down on calories and giving them that one-on-one attention that they are seeking.

Darlene said...

Hi Gordon,
You're right. Many cats and dogs are raised together and do well with each other but if one cat or one dog in the equation isn't, it could prove a little "too" interesting! There are more rules than listed here to keep the day operating at optimum level. Thank you so much for commenting!

Darlene said...

Hi Gary,

Thank you for your comment. I remember Wuffy well. She was one of a kind - the very sweet, loving, maternal kind. She raised and rehabbed so many kittens. I'm not sure that even you know how many passed through your home over the years. She is very much missed. Fuzzy is his own dog - no cat rescuing for him! LOL I'm glad you liked the post.

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laya said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
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