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The Truth About Pet Food

With pet disease rates at an all-time high, more owners are reassessing how they nourish their cats and dogs.

In the wild, their ancestors didn’t just survive — they thrived on natural, protein-rich diets, low in carbohydrates, high in moisture, and balanced in essential fats and minerals. This biological blueprint remains unchanged.

Much of today’s mass-produced pet food tells a different story. Low-grade ingredients, artificial additives, and inexpensive fillers are commonplace, while dry kibble’s minimal moisture content can contribute to chronic dehydration. The result is a nutritional profile that sits far from what dogs and cats are designed to consume.

At Hearty Apetite, we return to what works. Grounded in research and guided by nature, we champion balanced, species-appropriate nutrition — empowering pet owners to actively support longevity, vitality, and lifelong health.

The Ancestral Diet

The ancestors of today’s dogs and cats lived and scavenged in the wild.

They survived on high-protein, mineral-rich diets containing a high proportion of meat, mainly from whole prey animals, including stomach contents. This diet was low in carbohydrates and supplemented by fruits, vegetables and other plant matter. Many of today’s commercial pet foods contain high levels of carbohydrates; they rely on highly processed, low-quality meat as a protein source and can contain rancid fats that are harmful to pets’ health.

Over-processing kills vital natural nutrients, so these must be replaced with artificial supplements that dogs and cats find hard to digest.

This move away from a natural diet has to lead to increased disease and allergies in animals, higher vets bills, reliance on medicines and shorter lives. We think it’s time to return to a traditional balanced diet of high-quality nutritious foods that best answer dogs’ and cats’ needs.

A holistic approach to pet care

Looking for a kinder way to care for your pet?

Caring for our pets’ wellbeing goes far beyond what we place in their bowl.

At Hearty, we take a holistic approach – considering every product they encounter, from supplements and parasite support to grooming and daily care. Each choice plays a role in their long-term health, vitality, and overall quality of life.

We prioritise naturally derived, thoughtfully formulated alternatives to conventional products that often rely on harsh chemicals and unnecessary additives. By choosing cleaner, more considered options, we support not only immediate wellbeing, but longevity and resilience over time.

Our range is carefully curated with integrity at its core – sustainably sourced ingredients, free from artificial chemicals, GMOs, parabens, synthetic dyes and fragrances. Wherever possible, products are non-toxic, minimally processed, and responsibly packaged using recyclable materials.

Better for your cat and dog. Better for you. Better for the world they live in.

The Hidden Cost of Kibble

Why we say NO to kibble

Dogs are carnivores, they evolved over time to eat fresh meat plus a balance of healthy fats; this is the type of diet on which our own pets can still thrive.

By contrast, dry pet food is a relatively modern invention — developed for convenience and shelf stability rather than biological alignment.

Today, we’re seeing the results of this shift to unnatural nutrition in the rising figures in pet diseases. In dogs, food allergies are the most common cause after contact and inhalant allergies, leading to symptoms such as itchy skin, digestive disorders and ear infections. Cancer is the leading cause of deaths in dogs, with around one in three contracting the disease.

Studies show that pets raised on natural food diets² help animals stay free of degenerative diseases and enjoy a longer life expectancy. The most natural diet for a dog or cat, the diet our pets’ ancestors thrived on, is full of high-quality protein plus a balance of natural fats and minerals. With 30% to 40% of all cancers prevented by implementing dietary changes³ , we think there’s a very strong case to say no to kibble.

That said, not all dry food is created equal. For those who choose to include it, quality matters. Look for transparent sourcing, higher meat content, and minimal fillers. Wherever possible, incorporating fresh or raw elements into your pet’s routine can help restore balance and introduce live, functional nutrition.

Some of the problems with kibble:

Not enough moisture

As a dry food, it’s no surprise that kibble simply can’t give your pet the essential hydration it needs for optimum health. Fresh pet diets contain up to 80% moisture whereas dry foods only around 12%. This is a particular risk for cats, with studies linking dry food diets to life-limiting Feline Urinary Lower Tract Disease (FLUTD).1

Poor-quality meat

Low-cost pet food that can be stored for months results in compromises in quality. Kibble is often made with low-quality or 4D meats as well as synthetic supplements and preservatives that your pet can’t process.

Biologically inappropriate fillers

The ancestors of our dogs and cats barely relied on carbohydrates for nutrition. Kibble is bulked out with carbs, up to as much as 60%. This balances can lead to metabolic stress though elevated levels of insulin, glucagon and cortisol. And don’t be fooled by grain-free commercial pet food, which often contains ingredients such as peas, rice, corn, lentils and tapioca. All these carbs break down into sugars which, in excess, can contribute to health problems and pet obesity.

Processed at high temperatures

Scientists are starting to understand the links between cancer in humans and consumption of food cooked at very high temperatures. This high-temperature processing also kills any nutrients, enzymes or good bacteria that may be present in kibble.

Fast food = low quality

According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website, there have been regular pet food recalls in the past 18 months due to food containing elevated levels of salt, copper and harmful bacteria.

Synthetic enhancers

Kibble is so over-processed it’s essentially tasteless. To make it appealing to dogs and cats, flavour enhancers have to be introduced. These can contain elements that promote the oxidisation of fats, which is harmful to animals. In the same way as junk food, these can have an addictive effect on dogs and cats, leading to pet obesity.

Storage and freshness

Large bags of long-life kibble offer convenience, but prolonged storage compromises quality. Exposure to air and light causes added fats and essential fatty acids to oxidise and become rancid over time, reducing both nutritional value and freshness. Pets benefit far more from healthy fats added to fresh food at the time of serving, rather than from fats that have degraded during storage.

Ultra-processed & unnatural format

Kibble is a highly processed product designed for shelf life and convenience, not biological suitability. Its dry, uniform structure bears little resemblance to the fresh, whole foods dogs and cats evolved to eat—impacting digestion, satiety, and how nutrients are recognised and used by the body.

1 Hebrew University of Jerusalem Koret School of Veterinary Medicine
2 Dr. Kollath; Lippety and Spey 2002. Source: Dogs Naturally Magazine
3 Canine Nutrigenomics

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