Why is Life's Abundance Not Found in Stores?

 

This is one of the questions that is asked most frequently! It is not enough to put great care into developing and making exceptional premium products. For us, it's also imperative to ensure that the customer receives the product in the same, premium condition they expect. Which leads us to why our products are not offered in chain stores or online retailers. Traditional distribution methods lack product control. For example, when a product leaves a manufacturer’s facility, it’s impossible to know if that product retained its original quality after sitting in warehouses and on shelves for months on end. We not only make premium products, but we also ensure that we DELIVER premium products directly to your doorstep! 

Our products are made in frequent batches and go directly from the manufacturer to our warehouses where they are carefully boxed and shipped to customers. This controlled distribution process allows us to deliver products in their original premium condition. You may have your own experiences that reflect this. Perhaps you opened a snack only to realize that it was stale right out of the wrapper. Or maybe the flavor was a little off, or the contents of the package were pulverized. These common scenarios are the result of a typical distribution channel where the product can be subjected to extreme temperatures, extended periods in storage, environments lacking pest control, and more. In the end, the consumer may be getting a very different product than what they’d hoped for. 

Because of our direct shipping relationship with consumers, combined with our controlled manufacturing process, we know which consumer received which product, down to the lot number. In the event there is ever an issue with a product, our proactive communications system allows us to reach 6,000 people by phone in just one hour! We can also reach them by email and through the mail.

Our no-worry notification system gives people the transparency they desire and helps boost confidence in their purchase decision. Another reflection of our purpose, this system is in place to protect consumers to the level we think they deserve. We view the traditional system of product recalls to be inherently broken. That is, unless the problem is big enough to have potentially harmed a large number of people, most consumers will never hear about a recall. Yet we have a solution to keep customers safe that we not only feel is acceptable, but that we take pride in. 

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Raven Hannah is a self-described animal whisperer, lifelong pet parent, and owner of HolisticPetsAndPeeps.com & TheGiftedPet.com. She is certified as a holistic consultant, aromatherapist, Reiki practitioner (for animals and people), and pet nutritionist. She encourages others to celebrate animals as part of the family, as well as keep them happy, healthy, and spoiled! When Raven isn’t busy being a slave to her very demanding senior cats or helping her favorite rescues with fundraising projects, she is most likely working on growing her businesses and raising awareness in an effort to make this world a better place for all creatures.

Here's Why Cats Cannot Be Vegan!

Many pet parents have adopted a vegan or vegetarian lifestyles for health, environmental, and ethical reasons. Naturally, some cat parents wonder if they should also be buying vegan cat food for their furry family member. So, can cats be vegan? The answer is no! Here's why your cat requires meat in his or her diet.

Your Cat is an Obligate Carnivore

A vegan or vegetarian diet simply cannot provide all of the nutrients that your cat needs. In fact, these specific nutrients can only be supplied through the ingestion of animal meat. Why? 

Cats Don't Produce Enough Taurine

Unlike many species (including humans and dogs), cats can’t synthesize the essential amino acid taurine. Without enough taurine in their diet, cats are likely to develop a heart condition known as dilated cardiomyopathy, experience vision problems, contract UTIs and have other health issues. Cats must ingest taurine through their diet, which can only be found in animal sources ~ hence the term obligate carnivore. Plant sources simply do not provide this amino acid. 

Not All Proteins Are Created Equal

Cats also require a high-protein diet. While human vegetarians are able to substitute protein sources such as beans and lentils for animal meat, this isn’t possible for felines. It again comes back to those amino acids, which differ depending on the type of protein. Besides taurine, other essential nutrients for cats include vitamin D, vitamin A, and arachidonic acid ~ all readily found in high-protein animal sources.

What About Vegan Cat Food?

Now that we know how important animal protein is for your cat’s diet, you may be wondering what ingredients are substituted in vegan cat food. The truth is, most vegan or vegetarian cat food has not passed feeding trials by AAFCO, the Association of American Feed Control Officials. AAFCO works with the FDA (Center of Veterinary Medicine) and state governments to recognize the state laws that regulate commerce in animal feed and pet food. 

Vegan cat food that is AAFCO-compliant primarily contains ingredients such as oats and plant proteins (often corn and peas), as well as synthetic versions of essential nutrients (taurine, vitamin D, etc.).

It’s important to note that because your cat is an obligate carnivore, he can’t digest plant material very well. His gastrointestinal tract and metabolism have adapted to eating meat.

The addition of synthetic ingredients may strike you as problematic, as it does many veterinarians. Another problematic aspect of vegetarian and vegan cat food? It’s often high in carbohydrates, which are generally unnecessary for cats and may cause digestive issues.

Work With Your Veterinarian

If you are dead set on buying vegan cat food, work with your vet to make sure your cat stays healthy. Dr. Armaiti May, DVM, CVA suggests having your vet track your cat’s overall health through blood work and urine content, as well as cardiac ultrasounds and retinal evaluations. 

Can Dogs Be Vegan?

Dogs are naturally omnivores, meaning they can get nutrients from both plants and meat. And unlike cats, dogs can synthesize their own taurine, which makes them a candidate for vegan or vegetarian diets. Although challenging, it is possible to transition your canine to a plant-based diet. Make sure you purchase AAFCO-compliant dog food and work with your vet to track your dog’s health. 

As a longtime vegan myself, I agonized over what to feed my cats and dogs for many years. There were many sleepless nights and tortured days, feelings of immense guilt and shame, as well as a lot of experimentation, trial and error, and the expense (and wastefulness) of trying to find an appropriate vegan cat food that wouldn't jeopardize their health AND that they would actually eat! Dogs are much easier since they are omnivores but cats . . . much trickier for those of us dedicated to living a vegan lifestyle and wrestling with the scientific facts of what cats require nutritionally. 

I realized that I had to find a way to make peace with my decision so I went with a smaller company whose holistic vet formulator cared enough to address my concerns personally and discussed the health impacts of trying to force my cats to also be vegan. It wasn't an easy process, however, it was necessary. 

I truly hope that all pet parents, vegan or not, will consider feeding your pets our award-winning, never recalled, holistically formulated pet food, treats, and supplements from Life's Abundance. 

For more information or to make a purchase, be sure to visit:

www.PremiumPetFoodStore.com

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Raven is an engaging entrepreneur who encourages others to celebrate pets as part of the family, as well as keep them happy, healthy, and spoiled with her online specialty pet boutiques (www.TheGiftedPet.com & www.PamperedPetEssentials.com), and premium pet food business (www.PremiumPetFoodStore.com)

She is an enthusiastic advocate for animal rights, including wildlife & nature and likes to dabble in creative projects such as photography, digital art, custom greeting cards and more!

Raven is also dedicated to helping pet parents and other humans stay happy, healthy, and balanced with her 100% therapeutic-grade essential oils, oil-infused nutritional supplements, and oil-related lifestyle enhancements via Holistic Oils For Pets & Peeps! (www.HolisticOilsForPetsAndPeeps.com)

For more information, please use the Contact Me! page on this blog or visit her Facebook page to PM her www.facebook.com/HolisticPetsNPeeps

Why Do Dogs Need Antioxidants?

Many of us are familiar with the idea of antioxidants, and we know they are a good thing for both dogs and humans, but do you know why? There’s a reason we put so much thought and effort into our formulations at Life’s Abundance, and antioxidants are some of our favorite ingredients!

To understand why antioxidants are vital to health, you need to know about free radicals, a by-product of normal metabolism. When oxygen molecules are split into two oxygen atoms, they are missing one electron ... thus a free radical is born. These little guys are highly reactive, so they steal electrons from other molecules, which also become free radicals. Cellular components such as proteins, DNA and cell membranes can be negatively affected, further creating more free radicals. Why is this problematic for health? Well, the DNA damage causes cells to reproduce incorrectly, which can lead to abnormalities.

How do antioxidants work? They can donate an electron to a free radical without becoming unstable themselves. In fact, many scientists now refer to antioxidants as ROS or Reactive Oxygen Species. In essence, they neutralize damaging free radicals and break the replicating cycle.

Why do dogs need antioxidants? As pets age, the free radical damage accumulates and accelerates. It contributes to the natural declines due to aging and can trigger some illnesses due to damaged cellular DNA. So, how are free radicals counteracted? Perhaps the best, most natural way is through antioxidants!

Why are antioxidants so often linked with brain health? With aging, many canines experience some degree of cognitive decline. This can manifest as changes in behaviors, lapses in-house training, altered sleep cycles, disorientation and repetitive behaviors such as pacing or licking. Learning and memory deficits may begin in pets as young as six years of age, though many pet parents don’t notice until pets are quite a bit older. There’s good news, however. Senior dogs fed a diet high in antioxidants actually perform better on tests that assess their ability to problem solve!

Who should be taking antioxidants? Everyone, including your dogs! While the benefits are most obvious for seniors, all of us are exposed to free radicals on a regular basis. Early nutritional support with antioxidants is a great way to maintain vibrant health. Even though the body produces some antioxidants on its own, the most significant way to get antioxidants into the body is through nutrition. Fruits, vegetables, and even some herbs are high in antioxidants such as lycopene, carotenoids, lutein, and vitamins E and C.

Antioxidant Health Bars help maintain a healthy immune system

What’s an easy way to make sure my dog is getting guaranteed amounts of antioxidants? This month, I encourage you to try one of our premium baked treats, Antioxidant Health Bars. Featuring the great taste of apples, peanut butter and honey, dogs just can’t resist these delicious bars, which also include oatmeal, brown rice, ground flaxseed, dates, rolled oats, flaxseed oil, eggs, cranberries and carrots. Since antioxidants are so important to maintaining a healthy immune system, we’ve added a hefty helping of vitamin E, vitamin C, and beta-carotene. And the amounts of these important nutrients are guaranteed, so you know exactly how much nutrition your dog is receiving on a daily basis.

Pet Parent Furrends . . . .

www.PremiumPetFoodStore.com

Dear Pet Parent Furrends . . . .

As you may or may not know, one of the companies I work with under my Holistic Pets & Peeps umbrella is an amazing company here in the U.S. who developed a premium line of holistic pet foods, treats, and other pet care products. These products are all formulated by our holistic vet and are products that I consider superior to much of what is currently being offered in the stores today. How much do you know about the food and treats you feed your fur kids? Do you know whether or not your pet's foods have been involved in a recall?! Or, do you know how old your pet's foods are when you purchase them off the store shelves?! Those products can be as old as 12 months . . . sometimes older. Not exactly what I'd call fresh. ☹️

I convey this information to you for a couple of reasons.

First, I am asking you to at least TRY samples of the foods and treats I am offering. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain . . . especially optimal health for your pets.

Second I am asking you all for your support. I'm not one to ask for much, so I would truly appreciate it if you would visit my website, let me know if you have any questions, then share it with your pet parent friends and / or clients! Of course, if you prefer to get in on the revenue sharing aspect of these products, I can also help you with that.

I truly believe in these products and have used them for years. Prior to partnering with this company, I did extensive research on them, their manufacturing process, and their commitment to our pets. Let me help you improve your pet's health, keep them safe from giant recalls of their food and treats, and save you some money while I'm at it!

Thanks in advance for your support and sharing of this information.

With Gratitude . . . .

Raven & the Furkids 🐾💜

www.PremiumPetFoodStore.com