Transitioning any animal to a raw diet can be challenging as every animal is unique, and doubly so if they are transitioning from dried kibble, or other foods engineered for attractiveness.
Don't give up! You can succeed no matter how stubborn your #furfam members may be!
Neophobia - The fear of new things
Animals, like humans, have a natural distrust of new things, which from an evolutionary perspective is usually a good thing as it keeps them fixed on a routine that works, as opposed to introducing a new routine with potentially negative implications.
The downside is that when the status quo is less than ideal it can be very challenging to introduce something new into the animal's routine.
Overcoming Neophobia
There are two primary ways to overcome neophobia.
Add attractants such as cheese, nutritional yeast, or bonito flakes that overpower the animal's natural reluctance. Be careful not to unbalance the diet or get your furfam hooked on any attractants you might use to help them switch. Commercial pet food is typically treated with a variety of proprietary attractants to make their dinners attractive and overpower the animal's natural neophobia. We believe in providing a naturally balanced healthy diet free of any special attractants.
Confident patience.
We recommend following the "Confident patience" approach which requires:
Confidence: Your furfam is very tuned in to your confidence surrounding food, and will associate any fear or doubt with the new food thereby reinforcing their neophobia.
- Patience: Even with confidence it may take a while to transition your furfam to the new food. Habits take a while to form.
Confident Patience will succeed!
We recommend beginning your transition with our simple
Transition Guide or other resources on the web.
For strongly neophobic members of your furfam, we recommend the following advice for both dogs and cats from:
Remember, if your furfam is struggling with the transition, you aren't alone - don't give up!
Related Articles
Why Pasteurize Raw Pet Food?
At Balanced Blends, we believe in doing our best to ensure the safety and health of both our human- and fur- fams. This includes the young, elderly, and others with weakened or compromised immune systems. Quick Facts "Salmonella bacteria are the most ...
New Raw and Charcuterie Recipes for Dogs and Cats - April 2020
Recipe changes – Changing a recipe is not a decision we make lightly. When we upgraded our raw recipes in 2019, we were really pleased with the results. However, due to issues with supply chain, we found we needed to make some changes to those ...
Can I warm your Balanced Raw dinners?
Yes! (for recipes without bones) If your family member prefers warm food, you may gently warm but not cook the food in the microwave or with hot water being careful not to cook the food. Microwave instructions: Heat the food in the microwave in 10 ...
How should I serve and store raw dinners?
Keep the foods frozen and thaw before you serve. Once thawed, you can keep the foods refrigerated for 2-3 days. Always practice good hygiene when handling raw meat, just like when you are preparing dinner for your human family: Always wash your ...
Do you have variety packs?
While we don't offer specifically created variety packs, all of our products are sold in 1 lb. increments, which means you can pick and choose which proteins and styles (raw or cooked) you order, and can mix these across breeds, too. Our only ...