FAQs

All dog food and cat food from Yarrah is complete. This goes for both the dry food and the wet food in tins and alu dishes. Complete means that the food contains all of the things that are essential for your cat or dog. So extra food will not be necessary. Do bear in mind that the nutritional value of tinned food is somewhat lower than that of kibbles due to the high moisture content. Consequently, your cat or dog will need much more tinned food than he will kibbles to get the same amount of energy.

In recent years there has been an increase in the incidence of allergies in cats and dogs. It’s possible that this is being caused by the leftovers (‘residues’) of herbicides, pesticides and antibiotics and hormones in regular cat food. Furthermore, the (extensive) usage of chemical colourings, aromas and flavourings and preservatives in cat food could have something to do with it. No chemical pesticides are used in organic farming. Consequently, organic products don’t contain any residues and no chemical colourings, aromas and other artificial additives are used. The products are pure and natural. Moreover, organic food is better for animal welfare. The meat we use comes from animals that have had a good life. And which are just as healthy and organically fed as your own cat or dog. In other words, it’s better for your animal and better for all animals!

It’s often the case that common products contain chemical preservatives to extend their shelf life. Examples of chemical antioxidants that stop spoilage include BHA, BHT and ethoxiquin. These are relatively inexpensive and are commonly used to preserve fats. Various studies reveal that when these chemicals are used in abundance they can be harmful to human and animal health. For the purposes of preserving dry food, Yarrah only uses tocopherol, or vitamin E. Our wet food in cans and alu dishes is packaged in airtight containers and sterilized during production. Thus rendering further preservation measures unnecessary. Furthermore, no chemical preservatives are permitted in the raw materials supplied to us. Our products are fully free of chemical additives. Pretty healthy, then!

The vitamin and mineral mix added to dog food differs from the mix added to cat food. These premixes are fully fine-tuned to the needs of your cat or dog. If your dog occasionally has a bit of cat food, then that’s not going to be an issue. In principle, dogs won't be missing out on any nutrition if they eat cat food, but the ratios in cat food aren’t geared towards dogs’ needs. Hence giving your dog cat food long-term is not a good idea. It’s best to avoid giving your cat dog food. After all, a cat needs certain substances, such as taurine. Dog food often doesn't contain these substances in the right quantities.

Calcium and phosphorus are two related nutrients. These two nutrients need to be in the food in the right ratio. This is extremely important for your pet to develop and maintain bones. An excess of one of these two minerals could lead to bone problems. The composition of Yarrah’s food is such that it contains the correct ratio of calcium to phosphorus. Meat contains far more phosphorus than calcium. If you add meat to your dog or cat’s food, then this will disrupt the ratio of calcium to phosphorus. If you’re still keen to add some meat to the dry food, then use Yarrah wet food out of a tin or alu dish. This already contains the right ratio of calcium to phosphorus, you see.