The Most Important Member, You

Updated: Saturday, June 01, 2019 01:58 PM

Published: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 12:19 PM

Written by Margaret Gates

When I created the Feline Nutrition Education Society in 2008, one of the first things we had to do was name the organization. People usually don't think about the naming of things, and how much a name can influence the character of a person or a group. Names matter. I thought long and hard about it. The Feline Nutrition part came naturally; that is the core of what we are. We chose feline over cat, as feline evokes the scientific. Science is at the core of our world view. Education was what we intended to do and are doing now.

After going through all the possible choices for the last word – organization, association, group and more – we realized that Society was the only choice. We are a society in the most literal definition: a group of people distinguished by mutual interests and participation in shared culture.

In 2011, we saw we needed to add something more to what we were doing. We created the Feline Nutrition Foundation, a US nonprofit sister organization to the Society. Together, the two organizations are known as Feline Nutrition.

Over the past 80 years, the way cats are fed has changed radically. The introduction of dry kibble foods and highly-processed canned foods has greatly affected their health, as many of the diseases so common in cats nowadays are diet-related. We make pet parents aware of the connection between diet and disease, as well the need to feed cats food that reflects their nature as obligate carnivores. The Foundation helps not only beginner and experienced cat parents, rescues and shelters, but also retailers and raw cat food manufacturers in making a natural diet more accessible and accepted. We work to make bio-appropriate raw food the standard, that to which all other diets must be compared.

We all have the same basic concern, the health and well-being of our cats. It's amazing how they transcend borders, languages and the cultures that divide us. How often have we seen images utterly different from our own, only to see cats in the mix? Suddenly, those differences mean nothing. We are the same. We all love our companion cats. That is the power of shared interest.

We are a society of those who love cats and want the best for these dear creatures that bring so much joy to our lives. It doesn't matter where you live, what you do or how old you are. The Society goes beyond that. Our cats can't speak for themselves. That falls to us as members. We are the voice that advocates for their nutrition and health in a world that loses sight of their importance.

We begin with the fundamental idea that proper nutrition is the basis of health – that we can have a huge impact on the lives of cats by feeding them their natural diet. Join our members worldwide in changing how they are fed. Every member matters. Whether you have one, ten or no cats at all, your adds to our voice.

Margaret Gates is the founder of the Feline Nutrition Foundation.