123. Pet Anxiety Awareness, Cat Cafés & Choosing Safe Pet Supplements

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Pets Ad Life, your guide to the latest in pet trends, products, and the joy of the human animal bond with Kristen Levine and me, Chris Bonafati, powered by the American Pet Products Association and dog TV. Hello and welcome to another episode of Pets Ad Life. I am one of your hosts, Chris Bonafati, and joining me is not a doctor, but she does play one on TV, Kristen Levine.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Hey, Chris. Great to see you.

Speaker 1 (00:31):
Yeah, back from Global Pet Expo. We're sort of back. This going to be a little bit of a hybrid episode here coming up at the end of June. We have been hard at work bringing you all this excellent content straight from the show floor live at Global PetExpo. And we're coming up on the tail end of what we recorded and we'll be back to our regularly scheduled program. It feels like it became the regularly scheduled program at Global Petex, but wow, we've been doing it for such a long time.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
Going forward, you won't see as many outfit changes for this show.

Speaker 1 (01:02):
Yeah. Well, I mean, I think everybody thinks I own three shirts, which is closer to the truth than I care to admit. I will say I have five of these for everybody being like, "How does Chris wear that shirt?" I have five of them. I've worked for Global for a while. And every single time you do a good job, they give you another shirt.

Speaker 2 (01:20):
Oh, great.

Speaker 1 (01:22):
So I've done five good jobs.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
You have. You've done more than

Speaker 1 (01:25):
That. I'm sure, but only five shirt worthy ones. But Kristen, I think we're coming up at the end of a very important month.

Speaker 2 (01:33):
I know. I know. We've been so busy with global content because we got to meet so many incredible experts and talked about so many great products that we didn't really get to kick off Pet Anxiety Awareness Month, which started June 1st. But that's okay because we're still in June at the time of this recording and we're actually going to celebrate going through July 4th because that is a very big season where dogs in particular who have noise phobia really struggle. And I just wanted to mention that this is our 10th anniversary. I know. And I just cannot believe it's been 10 years, but we've got a great program this year. All you have to do is head on over to petanxietyawareness.com. And we partnered up with Dog TV as we usually do, and we created some incredible content with top experts in veterinary behavior. And I'm just so proud of the content we put together.

(02:28):
So yeah, I just wish we could have talked about it sooner. But like I said, it's evergreen. Yeah, I know. I know. It's evergreen content. It's always going to be there. Just because June ends doesn't mean the content's not there. It's just that we really pushed the content out this month. And if your dog or cat is suffering with any fears, stresses, anxieties, whether it's noise phobia, separation anxiety, or maybe your cat is urinating outside of the box and that could be an anxiety problem, we've got you covered over at petanxietyawareness.com.

Speaker 1 (02:58):
Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Well, we still have a great episode lined up. We're going to do two stories from home, two guests from Global, two products from Global. We answered two questions live from Global Pet X. Well, I believe this episode has live questions, which is always such a such a trick seeing you guys. We'll find out. You'll also find out were they questions from the audience? Were they questions live at the show? Who knows? You're going to have to stick around to the end of the episode to find out. But for now, let's keep it here in our living rooms and head on over to the story corner for story time. Kristen and Chris present story time. Kristen, I feel like I've been going first a lot so I want you to go ahead and kick us off.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
Sure, sure. Well, I'm going to tell a story about my dog Buck. And I don't think I've shared this story before, but this is basically the reason why I started Pet Anxiety Awareness Month. We had this adorable puppy that we adopted from the SPCA where I used to work in Tampa Bay area. And he was four months old. We brought him home. This dog was, he ended up becoming my heart dog. We were so incredibly bonded. And he was a great puppy. He was easy to train, super smart, super chill. But I would say somewhere around age four, I started to notice that he would get really nervous and anxious when we would leave the house. He'd try to get out the door with us and we'd have to reassure him everything's going to be okay. Well, by age five, it got so bad that he started tearing things up when we'd be gone.

(04:29):
And then by age six, he was literally tearing the doorframe apart, the doorway we would go out to get in the car. And so I don't know why it took me so long. We're going back like 15, 20 years. So give me a little grace there. But I talked to my vet about it and he referred us to Dr. Lisa Rodasta, who's been on the show. She's a board certified veterinary behaviorist and she diagnosed Buck with separation anxiety disorder. And what she did is she gave us a plan. The plan included changing some things in our home, changing our routines, like our getting ready to leave routine, like giving him cues that we were leaving a safe cue, like getting out a Kong with peanut butter or something like that. Also a medication she prescribed and we did some behavior modification. And this was not an easy fix.

(05:24):
It probably took three or four months to kind of tweak the plan and the medication, but we got it to a point where he literally was chill when we were leaving. He wouldn't follow us to the door and we could come home and there was no more destruction. So I tell that story because A, I kind of wanted to leave a legacy for Buck and that's why I started this whole event in the first place. But also I'd been working in the pet industry for 15 years by then and I felt like if I didn't know this stuff, then a lot of other pet parents might not be aware of the fact that separation anxiety, noise, well, these are actually medical conditions that can be treated. So it's not just your pets being bad. Your pet's not going to grow out of it. It's probably going to get worse.

(06:09):
So the whole point is really to know how to recognize the signs and to talk to your vet sooner than later about it.

Speaker 1 (06:16):
That is some really great advice from Kristen Levine and such a personal story. Such a personal story. I think it's amazing that you've taken this experience and not just shared it with our audience, but shared it with the entire pet community through pet anxiety awareness.

Speaker 2 (06:38):
Well, I'm just grateful that the industry's been supportive and that our veterinary friends have been so supportive. And we all want the same thing. We want our pets to live happier, healthier lives. And when our pets feel better, we feel better. So yeah. What's your story this week, Chris?

Speaker 1 (06:56):
All right. Now officially, this is the last you're going to hear about Global Pet Expo from me folks. I'm done with this show. Ron will

Speaker 2 (07:04):
Be happy hear

Speaker 1 (07:04):
That. Now it's like three months later I'm done with it. But I want to make everybody aware, you've seen what, we've done eight shows. You seen 16 amazing products or 14 so far. You're

(07:18):
Going to see the last two coming up in a second here. Lots of amazing products. And you may be thinking, wow, Chris, this is a lot. But Global Pet Expo, there's so much stuff. There's got to be more. And I'm here to tell you there is actually a website you could go to, to see our Best In Show Award winners. So the way that works, we have this amazing new product showcase that's all the way at the back of the show, this beautiful spot where all of our brands can show their product that's new and all the retail buyers go and they vote. The buyers in the media vote for what product they find the most impressive per category. So these are all really great products vetted by retailers, voted on by media. These are products you're going to see coming to your shelves. If you head on over to the Global Pet Expo website, link in your show notes, globalpetexpo.org/2026-best-in-show.

(08:09):
You could see it by category. Things like a sustainable pet with the best in show going to open farms freeze-dried rod, regeneratively sourced lamb lung. Wow, what a mouthful. Just rolls off the tongue.

(08:23):
Just rolls right off the tongue. We've got dog, we've got dog food and treats, we've got cat, we've got aquatics, we've got bird, we've got sustainability, we've got pet tech all broken down by category. So instead of listening to eight episodes to get 16 products, you could get, I believe there's 10 categories. So you could get 30 product recommendations all in one website without having to hear Chris open his gosh danged mouth. Now, if that's not an offer you could appreciate, I don't know what is. So be sure to check it out. And we just want to say thank you to all the incredible brands who participated in the new product showcase. It's such an incredible feature. It makes shopping really easy, especially when you're somebody like me who's trying to find all the new stuff. Their participation makes the event amazing. And thank you to everybody who voted because this little landing page isn't just great for the brands who get this product advertised.

(09:17):
It's great for all the consumers who really want to see a digestible version of Global Pet Expo and get that product information. So be sure to check that out for a whole slew of amazing new products that you're either going to be seeing on your shelf or on your computer screen very soon. And with that, that's story time, we're going to get the heck out of our living rooms and we're going to send it right on back to past Chris and Kristen at Global Pet Expo for the rest of this episode. But you'll see us back at home next week. Enjoy past Chris and Kristen. Stick around for the rest of the Global Pet Expo stuff. And the older, wiser versions of Chris and Kristen will be back next week. Beyond the Leash, exploring the untold stories of pet passion and professionalism.

Speaker 2 (10:04):
It's my pleasure to introduce our guest, Sandra Kagan. She's the co-founder of the Orlando Cat Cafe, one of the first cat cafes in the United States. Combining a coffee shop with an adoption center in partnership with a local animal rescue, cafe provides a unique space where guests can interact with adoptable cats in a relaxed environment. Since opening, the Orlando Cat Cafe has helped facilitate thousands of adoptions while raising awareness about rescue, socialization, and the importance of giving cats a second chance. Welcome, Sandra.

Speaker 3 (10:37):
Thanks so much for having me.

Speaker 2 (10:39):
Yes, absolutely. Thanks for making the trip over here. So what inspired you to open the Orlando Cat Cafe?

Speaker 3 (10:46):
So I got the idea in 2014. The last news story that NBC News did on December 31st, 2014 was about a Cat Cafe that opened in New York. Oh, wow. In 2015, I was going to be celebrating my 50th birthday. And they say that when you turn 50, you stop thinking about what you're going to put on your resume and you start thinking about what people are going to say at their eulogy. That's heavy.

Speaker 1 (11:14):
That's

Speaker 3 (11:14):
Heavy. I knew that I wanted to make some sort of a difference in my community and in a greater sense of the world. And at that time, I had 20 years experience in property management, property development. I'm a lifelong rubber of cats. And I thought, "You know what? I could do this. " So we were the first Cat Cafe to open up in the state of Florida. Fantastic.

Speaker 1 (11:35):
Yeah. That's absolutely amazing. And I know how a Cat Cafe works. I've actually been to your establishment before. I'm down here every year for global pet expo. How could I not stop at the Cat Cafe? But for those who haven't experienced one, what is a Cat Cafe and what makes it such a special place?

Speaker 3 (11:53):
So it is a full service coffee shop where you can go in and get anything that you want that you would find in a traditional coffee shop. You're welcome to stay on the coffee shop side. We have a big picture window and you can see the adoptable cats and kidneys in the cat play adoption area. Or for a small fe, you can go into the cat play area where we have anywhere between 15 and let's say 30 cats and kittens, which all come to us from SPCA Florida. They're all spayed, neutered, microchipped, up to date on their inoculations, and most importantly, all available for adoption. You can spend an hour there playing with a cat, petting the cats. And even if you're not a serious adopter, we feel everyone who comes in does a service for these animals that helps with socialization and makes for a better pet for whoever does it.

Speaker 1 (12:40):
Yeah, and it's worth every cent people. How often are you going to be surrounded by 30 cats and kittens that just love to see you there? It's truly magical. It really is.

Speaker 2 (12:51):
So speaking of the socialization, how does the Cat Cafe model help adoption rates for cats?

Speaker 3 (12:57):
So the traditional shelter model, because of the way that they're set up, you have cats in cages and you go and you say, oh, I like the orange one, or I like the one with the whiskers. But that's not the way to choose the lifelong come in. No. So when you go to the cat cafe, you see how the cats interact with you, how you interact with the cat, how the cat interacts with the other cats. And I know this sounds trite, but we see it every day at Orlando Cat Cafe. We see the cat choose the family. 100%. We will have a person come in, said, "We saw the gray one online. We want to meet the gray one." And the gray one wants nothing to do with them. But the orange one that's been literally laying on our printer in the back room for two weeks who've never been out to the cat play area, the next thing we see is that orange cat on their lap making biscuits.

(13:50):
And we're like, "Ah, we've never seen this cat one's lap before." And I think the first couple times I saw it, I thought, "This is amazing." But now I honestly, I see it every day.

Speaker 1 (14:02):
Yeah. And I think what's really incredible about the space is that these cats are getting a lot of socialization with both animals and humans. Do you think that helps them get

Speaker 3 (14:12):
Adopted? Absolutely. Absolutely. We have some that come in that are very confident that come out into the cafe area within the first five minutes that they're there. And then we have some that come in that are a little bit more shy and they need a little bit of extra time. But then once you see them warm up and blossom and come out to the cat play area and interact with people, and again, the cat sells themselves to the potential adoptive family.

Speaker 2 (14:35):
What has owning and running the cat cafe taught you about that human cat bonding passion?

Speaker 3 (14:41):
So I know from personal experience how much a cat brings to the family. And so I see it not only as the cat finding the family, but I see how happy that family is as well. They have a new companion, a new family member in their lives. And that's really something special to see. A lot of these cats that get overlooked, all of these cats that come to us come with a story.

Speaker 4 (15:07):
Sure.

Speaker 3 (15:07):
And sometimes that story, sometimes we know the story, sometimes we don't know the story. But we've had cats come to us, let's say the owner maybe had a stroke and is now in an assisted living facility, can't have the pet. So it's not always, oh, that jerk abandoned their animal. There are some stories where they've done the right and the humane and the proper thing to do by surrendering to the shelter, but now that cat gets a second chance.

Speaker 1 (15:37):
Yeah, that's a really great point. I've had, I guess counting in my head, six cats in my life and they were all shelter cats. So I know the whole deal with shelter pets, but I think there's a lot of people who think these cats carry some type of baggage or they're somehow defunct. Cut through that red tape for us.

Speaker 3 (15:55):
No, not at all. Not at all. I agree. Some of these cats just enter the shelter system just because they enter the shelter system. A lot of people don't understand the importance of spray neuter for their pet. They have literally a kitten who they think, oh, isn't this kitten cute? But cats when they're young can reproduce. And now that cat has six kittens and no place for those kittens to go. And so a lot of the time it's through no fault of the cat at all that they end up in the shelter system. These are some great cats.

Speaker 2 (16:27):
So how do you get cat wellbeing? Do they spend the night in the cafe?

Speaker 3 (16:32):
Absolutely. They spend the night in the cafe. They have free room of the whole cat playing area with a thousand square foot spacious cat playing area. We like to say it's like the four seasons for cats as they await their forever home. They have a back room that is accessible by cat only where they have their food, their water, their litter and some comfortable beds back there. We don't ever force anybody into the cat play area. If they want a break, they can go back there and eat and drink in peace and quiet. But they have the whole run of the place and they live there until cuts find that they're adopted and everyone gets adopted. For some that is literally five minutes, quite literally that they're there five minutes. And for some, they could be there for several months,

Speaker 4 (17:14):
But

Speaker 3 (17:14):
Everybody finds their home eventually. Yeah,

Speaker 1 (17:17):
That's absolutely amazing. One of the things I talk about on this podcast a lot is the need for a cat to have their own space. And I've been to cat cafes where it's very clear that there's no cat-only area. So I think one of the things you're doing really right is giving them that space. It makes the cats way less anxious and they're going to present themselves when they're ready. I think that's where your magic happens.

Speaker 3 (17:42):
Thank you. Thank you. So before we opened, I did research. I did have the opportunity to see a few cat cafes here in the States and I was lucky enough to see a cat cafe in Paris. Oh, wow. Quite a few different health codes there. It's

Speaker 2 (17:54):
A little

Speaker 1 (17:54):
Different there. Yeah,

Speaker 2 (17:55):
A little diferent.

Speaker 3 (17:57):
But we really designed it. As I said, my background is in property management, property development. We designed it the right way. And even though this was only meant to be a little philanthropic gig for me, it really exploded into something much better so much so that we franchised last year. Oh wow. I didn't know that. Thank you. We do feel our model and part of that is that back room. Yeah, we do feel our model is quite unique. 100% of the adoption fee goes to the rescue organization. That also makes us quite unique in the world of cat cafes. And we do have, going back to how we built it, separate air of filters, air handlers between the cat area and the coffee shop, which cuts down on cros-contamination of allergens. So if you have a cat allergy, you'll be fine in the cafe.

Speaker 1 (18:48):
I do. Surprisingly, I'm horribly allergic to cats. I say that my life is sneezes and Allegra.

Speaker 3 (18:53):
So we oftentimes have a family where one member's allergic, so that member stays in the coffee shop. In the coffee shop. Walks in through the big picture window while everybody else gets to go and play with the cats.

Speaker 2 (19:03):
Let me ask you an operational question because I've seen some cat cafes come and go. You obviously have a successful model, you're franchising now. What are you doing right that other cat cafes are not doing?

Speaker 3 (19:13):
So I think a lot of the cat cafes that open and then unfortunately closed, they're run by very well-meaning people. Their heart is in the right place, but they don't know what they're doing and they are under capitalized. A lot of people think, hey, this is a chance to sit around with 28 cats and play with them all day long. That is the furthest thing that happens when you run one. Got expenses. We have expenses to cover. And it hurts me to see some of these smaller mom and pop cafes that are putting on social media, "Hey, we need help with our electric bill this month." So I mean, you don't see Walmart saying, "Hey, we need help with our electric bill this month." If you're undercapitalized, it's a business like anything else. It's a business that has cats, but at the end of the day, it's a business.

(20:01):
Yeah. Right.

Speaker 1 (20:02):
Right. Well, you're franchising, I'm curious, are the new locations still going to be in Central Florida or are we expecting locations pop up?

Speaker 3 (20:09):
We're looking at Southeast United States right now. We just sold our first one in Frisco, Texas. There we go. Opening later on this year. They will all be called the Orlando Cat Cafe. We hope that in time that name will become ubiquitous like Jersey Mike's. Jersey Mike's. LA Fitness, California Pizza comes in. So that is our hope that we become the gold standard of cat cat.

Speaker 2 (20:32):
Congratulations on you. Thank you. That's really exciting. Thank you. Before we let you go, what advice would you give somebody thinking about adopting a cat?

Speaker 3 (20:40):
Well, obviously a lifelong commitment. I think that goes without saying, but there are so many different personalities out there. I've had five cats in my lifetime, all way different personality than we see the personalities that come into the Cat Cafe. So don't think that, oh, it's a kind of one size fits all, like a cat is just a cat is a cat. That is not the case at all. They have quite a few different personalities. They're all different. And I think if you spend some time, we'll see that come through. So don't just come in and say, "Hey, I like the orange one." Look for the one that has the personality that's going to match you and your family.

Speaker 1 (21:24):
Sure. All right. So Sandra, where can we go to find you guys on social or the internet to learn more?

Speaker 3 (21:29):
Orlandocatcafe.com and orlandocatcafefranchise.com.

Speaker 1 (21:34):
There we go. Well, check it out folks. And if you are a potential franchisee, get on this bandwagon early folks. The gravy trains leaving the station. Sandra, thank you so much for taking some time here at Global Pet Expo to sit with us and talk about your amazing business.

Speaker 3 (21:50):
Thank you so much. Really appreciate the opportunity.

Speaker 1 (21:55):
I got to say, Kristen, it's a really special place over there. I'm so excited we were able to have Sandra here because it's just such an amazing business. And when I went, I got a really high quality flat white.

Speaker 3 (22:06):
Did you?

Speaker 1 (22:06):
Yeah, yeah. I mean, the coffee is incredible. And Sandra was saying people sometimes just come just for a quick cup of coffee on their way. I think that really goes to show that she built an entire business around it and she's got the right head for this kind of stuff.

Speaker 2 (22:19):
Absolutely. And I just love that she said all cats can adopt it.

Speaker 1 (22:23):
Yes.

Speaker 2 (22:24):
Every single

Speaker 1 (22:25):
One. So amazing. I'm hoping for an Orlando Cafe up in Norwalk, Connecticut soon. So maybe if I could find a few extra tens of thousands of dollars, one, looking at you, Mr. Moneybags over there. Maybe I'll open one up and I won't have to scream into a microphone just to eat dinner anymore. All right, folks, we got a rare twofer for you. So first over here we have Todd Harrison, an attorney at Venable LLP where he specializes in regulatory and legal matters related to animal health products, including pet food supplements and veterinary products. He's gotten extensive experience in FDA and FTC compliance, and he advises companies on navigating complex regulations. They're always complex. There's no such thing as a simple regulation. And of course we have Bill Bookout, the president of the National Animal Supplement Council, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the health and wellbeing of companion animals through the responsible use of supplements.

(23:23):
Under his leadership, NASC has developed quality standards, auditing programs, and labeling guidelines that help ensure safety, transparency and compliance across the pet supplement industry. Two absolute titans in making sure your pets stay safe behind the scenes. So thanks for taking some time to hop on the pod today.

Speaker 5 (23:42):
Thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 4 (23:43):
Thank

Speaker 1 (23:43):
You. Absolutely. So I want to kick off this conversation by asking what just some of the biggest regulatory challenges that the pet industry's facing today.

Speaker 6 (23:52):
I think the biggest regulatory challenges is claims and what claims they can make and how to effectively communicate those things and ensuring that the products are made and they're effective. So

(24:05):
Ensuring that when you're communicating those things, they're communicating it correctly to the consumers so they know what they're buying. And that's one thing that NASC has done very well with their farm and seal. You know you're getting a good product with SEAL. There's a lot of bad actors out there and BILC will address the bad actors better than I can, but you need to ensure that you have good GMPs in place and the SEAL ensures that. And then the next thing is that don't listen to the hype. A lot of companies will go out there and say, "Oh, cures cancer, CARES hip dysplasia." All those things. And you see it all over TikTok and you see it all over Instagram. You got to be very careful in those and over hype it. Absolutely. And that's something that if you belong to NAC and both people into NAC, you ensure their members aren't doing that.

Speaker 5 (25:00):
Yeah, there's two things I tell people that you can take to the bank. Companies that make claims that sound too good to be true probably are. And cheap products are typically cheap for a reason. Quality costs money. So everybody out there has got the best product in the world. You really want to look for a quality product first because if your pet is going to respond positively to the product as we all hope they will, then you want to have quality raw materials combined with quality repeatable production process so you have a quality product at the end of that production cycle. So you maximize, again, the probability the animal will respond positively. Why? Because I think for animals, we want them to do the same thing for our animals we want for ourselves. We want them to live a long, happy, healthy life to the maximum degree possible.

Speaker 1 (25:51):
Absolutely.

Speaker 2 (25:52):
Absolutely. And to that point, we've been talking about NASC. It stands for National Animal Supplement Council. So Bill, what is the mission of NASC and how can it help consumers know what products are quality?

Speaker 5 (26:05):
A lot of people don't realize that animal supplements are regulated differently than human dietary supplements.

(26:12):
So there's no category for animals dietary supplements. So two types of products. They're products for a health benefit like joint products, calming products, cardiovascular products, or there are nutritional supplements that are intended to make a nutritional contribution like vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, things like that, that would add as a component of a complete and balanced diet. We handle both of those segments and we work with the USFDA, Center for Veterinary Medicine, as well as state regulatory agencies to help ensure quality products and consistency, fair and level playing field, eliminating bad actors that make claims that are not only against the law. They're, I think, false promises in a lot of cases because for supplements, there aren't even magic bullets.

(27:02):
I think that there's a lot of things involved in health and wellness for our companion animals, just like there are for us. Diet, exercise, environment, supplements, quality healthcare, annual physicals and checkups, things like that. So supplements play a valuable role. We help make sure that the products that are in the marketplace are quality products. We have an audit program where we have the NASC quality seal that a company has to pass an independent audit, our audit to our standard before, and it takes about 120 days to do that. A lot of companies call and they want to join NASC. You've got to qualify to join NASC, first of all. And then you've got to pass the audit. So you can't just pay your money.

Speaker 1 (27:47):
It's not just a pay to play type thing. Yeah, that's amazing.

Speaker 6 (27:51):
And I think what's also important is that with any type of supplement, consumers seem to think that'll work immediate. When you go on a TikTok and you see a lame dog and all of a sudden it's running, that's not happening with supplements

Speaker 1 (28:04):
That's

Speaker 6 (28:04):
All

Speaker 1 (28:04):
Marketing.

Speaker 6 (28:05):
Supplements take three, six months to work. It has to be taken consistently and it has to be taken on a daily basis. There's no miracle trick here. It does not exist in stuff in the world. It doesn't really exist in the drug world either. But if you give the animal, the dog a drug supplement over time, it will improve, but it is not going to help a dog that is aligned. I think that's really important. So when to your pet parents out there that are watching these commercials on TikTok in particular and they're showing lame animals and then showing them running around, it's either two different dogs or AI generating. Just always be skeptical. Trust but verify.

Speaker 1 (28:54):
And now how can our consumers, our pet parents at home, what are some tips you can give on how to tell if a product is trustworthy or compliant? I know we got the NASC seal, but when they're looking at the packaging, what specifically should they be looking out for to make sure this is a legitimate product?

Speaker 5 (29:11):
Well, I would say never buy a product without a lot number and a best used buy or expiration date. I mean, that's one thing that you could look for. We hope people look for the NASC quality seal. We represent about 80% of the industry. Now, it doesn't mean those companies are perfect, but it does mean somebody's been there and checked them out. But I would also say don't be afraid to pick up the phone and call the company. Ask who formulated the product? How long have they been in business? If I have a technical question, do you have someone there, a veterinarian, an animal nutritionist that I could speak to that could help me? Because unfortunately, I think unfortunately it's a low barriers to entry industry, which means Chris and Bill can have a good idea on Friday and have a product on Monday. So you got to trust what they Verify.

(30:00):
And again, don't be afraid to pick up well and call the company. Ask some questions. If you're not comfortable with the answer, don't buy it.

Speaker 2 (30:09):
And from the top of the brand side, what are common legal pitfalls that brands fall into in this space?

Speaker 6 (30:15):
Well, the typical is suppliers and suppliers that will try to bake you. So I've had clients that, well, a supplier of ingredient will give them practice too good. The green will cost X amount of money. First lot test buying, second lot of test buying, third lot of test buying. Some unscrupulous suppliers will then the fourth box thinking that you tested three times validated. So for a branded company, you always, always test your inbalometry.

Speaker 3 (30:51):
Interesting.

Speaker 6 (30:52):
Always do that, especially if the price is too good to be good. I hate to say this and whether it's consumer good, finished good or ingredients, you're buying ingredients, if the price is too good to be true, it's probably too good to be true. And that was one example. I've known examples of contract manufacturers where they're saying they're supplying a branded ingredient and in reality they were supplying a branded ingredient. And I found out one way, one time I found out was because I represented the branded ingredient suyer and I represented the marketing company. The branded ingredients buyer called me up and told me why they knew each other in different times. They're like, "What do you mean?" No, we're buying. We're calling out the contract manufacturer was substituting out the ingredients. Charging, they're like why is the money?

Speaker 5 (31:47):
People assume if a product's available on the shelf or they can buy it, especially with e-commerce. Available, it's a quality product and they shouldn't again, trust the verify I think is a good practice to follow.

Speaker 1 (32:02):
Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 6 (32:03):
I don't know if there's said that or not, but it's true. Trust the verifier always and always you have to trust the contract manufacturer. You got to trust the supplier, but that's why you test.

Speaker 4 (32:14):
So

Speaker 6 (32:17):
The marketing company should not just take through the C of A from the contract manufacturer and say, "Oh, good. They should always do their own independent test." And I think that there's nothing wrong with transparency. Bill, if you're a customer, you want to believe. I would also say to the customer that you should look and see what the dosage is and that dosage the correct dosage. And by the way, more is not always necessarily better. So somebody will say, "Well, we have 10 times more." Well, yeah, but maybe that- That doesn't mean

Speaker 1 (32:48):
Sometimes better. It doesn't mean it's 10 times better.

Speaker 6 (32:53):
But the way marketers will set it up, it'll sound that way. Do your due diligence. It's not that hard anymore. I hate to say it. You go on ChatGPT and you could probably put it in and ChatGPT would probably bring you back something that is roughly correct.

Speaker 5 (33:10):
We have programs that verify raw materials. So everything from starting with quality raw materials, people will call me and they say certificate of analysis or a contract manufacturer, I say, "What do you do to validate or verify the certificate of analysis for C of A? " And they say, "Well, we take their word for it. " I say, "How about really didn't make it up?"

Speaker 1 (33:30):
Right. Yeah. Yeah. I want to drill down on a word that Todd said, transparency, because we've been saying a lot about some of the products that we've been promoting here at GlobalPedExpo. And one of the things we've been impressed with, these leading products are incredibly transparent about what's in it. So how does that transparency play into becoming a leading brand?

Speaker 6 (33:49):
I think the way you do, I mean, I think it's through the marketing and you do it, but it's just you allow people to publish the CMA. Now as a lawyer, I'm always nervous about that. I'll be honest because I see liability every day. Right.

Speaker 1 (34:09):
You say, say less. That's what the lawyers say, say less.

Speaker 6 (34:13):
At the same time, if you buy the transparency and you're showing from literally from the farm through the manufacturing process, that builds confidence. Exactly. But don't be transparent. Say you're being transparent and don't be transparent. And that's really important because that will burn you too. 100%. What I tell clients when I see marketing coming across and it says fully transparent, I go, are you fully transparent? And you're not going to be, because if you want to stay in your ad, you're fully transparent, to me that means you are going to produce everything you need to show that you're testing results, where your ingredients are coming from. You got to make sure you go back and this is not unique to pet food, human food or cost. When you look at transparency, suppliers don't like to give up who they're doing

Speaker 3 (35:13):
WithBecause

Speaker 6 (35:13):
They think. Exactly. So you have to run that coverage and do that food testing.

Speaker 5 (35:23):
That's right. And in our labeling guidelines, for example, we require members to disclose 100% of the ingredients in that product on the label. So that's a requirement both for health supplements, which this is, or nutritional supplements. That's a little more confusing because sometimes specific quantities per unit per cup per pet food or unit of administration are not necessarily required to be disclosed. But labels are in pet food, the ingredients are listed in descending order by predominant. Whatever's first is most prevalent down to the least prevalent. But 100% of the ingredients are required to be disclosed on labor.

Speaker 2 (36:03):
Oh, that's good to know. Well, Todd and Bill, this has been a really informative session. I just have one question I want to leave you with is what's one takeaway that you want pet owners to understand about supplements?

Speaker 6 (36:16):
That the healthy tool they use correctly and they supplement the diet. That's great advice.

Speaker 5 (36:26):
They're a valuable component of living, as I said, long, happy, healthy life to the maximum degree possible. They're not magic bullets and they should be viewed as a component of the comprehensive healthcare program because that will give longevity and the most time with our extended family members with us.

Speaker 1 (36:45):
Well, Todd and Bill, thank you so much for joining us today. I'm feeling more confident about the industry knowing that there's guys like you watching our backs, making sure everything's staying above board. So all the pet parents out there, shop wisely, look for that NASC label on those supplements and remember to trust but verify. There we go. Thanks guys. Thank you so much. Thank you very much. I think my favorite part of this year's Global Pet Expo has been meeting some of these behind the scenes heroes.

Speaker 2 (37:15):
Absolutely.

Speaker 1 (37:15):
To make things safe and prosperous. It's really great stuff.

Speaker 2 (37:20):
Yeah. And I've been learned some great tips, not only about the NASC steel, but about looking for the lot number and just consumers just don't know that. I always feel like I have to look for the... It's terrible, but I feel like I have to look for the most expensive product.

Speaker 1 (37:34):
Right. And that's not necessarily the best.

Speaker 2 (37:35):
And like they said, that is not necessarily the best.

Speaker 1 (37:37):
Trust butt verify. I'm going to be applying that logic liberally in my life.

Speaker 3 (37:43):
It works everywhere.

Speaker 1 (37:44):
Yep.

Speaker 4 (37:44):
The product of the week.

Speaker 1 (37:47):
All right, it's time for our product of the week. Global Pet Expo Edition. And I love these because we have the product in our hand. I'm going to kick it on over to Chris and what you've got.

Speaker 2 (37:59):
Okay, this is so cool. So this is a puzzle toy by Outward Hound. Oh, are you okay? Designed and created by Nina Ochosen. And Nina is a Swedish dog trainer and we're actually going to be talking to her, I think, in a future episode. But anyway, she designs these incredibly engaging puzzle toys for dogs.

Speaker 1 (38:22):
As you can see, they're incredibly engaging. I'm tied up over here.

Speaker 2 (38:25):
He already lost He's already lost puzzles.

Speaker 1 (38:26):
I've lost the piece. Oh, goodness. Oh, goodness gracious.

Speaker 2 (38:30):
All dogs need more mental skinnywish, bottom line.

Speaker 1 (38:32):
Yes.

Speaker 2 (38:33):
And so puzzle toys are a great way to do that for indoor enrichment and you can hide treats. Look at this little honeyposide.

Speaker 1 (38:38):
Yeah, show it up to the camera. Camera two. Yep. Look street.

Speaker 2 (38:41):
You can hide it. This is actually a pretty easy one. All the dog has to do is flip this up. So this would be a good starter.

Speaker 1 (38:45):
This one was complicated. Chris spilled it. Give it to a dog that's smarter than Chris.

Speaker 2 (38:50):
Yeah, but that one would be - Okay, this is a little bit more complicated. Yo dog's just got to kind of flip these over.

Speaker 1 (39:00):
Yeah, that's cool. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I didn't even want to touch that one. I'm going to

Speaker 2 (39:04):
Feed you your dinner in

Speaker 1 (39:06):
This thing. Oh, please don't. Yeah, I actually need a puzzle feeder because I definitely eat way too fast.

Speaker 2 (39:10):
But it's actually a really good idea to start with the easy toys and then build up, do a complexity. And I tell you what, if your dog does this puzzle, gets all the treats out, they are going to go take a vet immediately following and they're going to be calm and they're going to be sweet and they're not going to be destructive.

Speaker 1 (39:27):
Yep. I'm exhausted just looking at them.

Speaker 2 (39:30):
So that's my product of the week. I'm sure you can find them online. We'll put a link in the show notes.

Speaker 1 (39:37):
So I am here with NatureVet and we were just talking with Bill's book out about supplements. So we decided to go out and find a great example of a supplement that is at the top of its class and works really, really well. This is a four-in-one vitamin for dogs. And I was speaking with the person who developed this product and they said that their inspiration came from the fact that humans take vitamins every day to support their health. And they developed a vitamin that specifically addresses a few things in dogs, their skin and coat, their digestive enzymes, their joint support, and of course additional vitamins and minerals. And now, yeah, it's a multivitamin and you give them one a day. And here is what I really like about the product because we were talking to Bill and Todd about how to be careful. So the first thing I looked for on this product was my NASC emblem there.

(40:32):
That's how we know it was independently audited by the National Animal Supplement Council. And then I see a whole list of ingredients here. All the different vitamins and minerals that are in this product are listed by volume in a clear list. We have directions and a full ingredient list as well as a calorie count. So this is just something - All there. It's all there. It's a great example of the proper amount of transparency in supplements. A product that works is supported by science and will help your dog live a longer, happier and healthier life. So good job, nature vet taking all the right steps. Excellent product. This is a great example of everything Bill and Todd were talking about. Q and As. All right, it's time for our favorite part of the show. That's right. We're going to answer two questions, one from our lovely audience at home and one from the crowd here at the Global Pet Expo.

(41:29):
So many cool questions coming in from our crowd here. And I know what you're thinking. If I'm not at Global Pet Expo, how do I get my question answered by Chris and Kristen? Well, you could add on over to petsadlife.org/podcast and you could submit your question right at the bottom of that page. Or if you're feeling as brave as the thousands of attendees who face these long TSA lines with their animal companions, you could submit a voice memo and you may hear your question played live on the air. All right.

(41:59):
Depressed Chris.

Speaker 2 (41:59):
I'll let you go first today, Chris.

Speaker 1 (42:01):
Okay.

Speaker 2 (42:02):
Okay. This one comes from our audience here at Global.

Speaker 1 (42:04):
Studio audience.

Speaker 2 (42:06):
He says, "My four-year-old Tabby Jasper has suddenly decided that his $200 self-cleaning glitter box is an insult to his dignity. He's healthy. The vet gave him a clean bill of health and ruled out a UTI, but he started protesting on the bath mat. By protesting, I think he means peeing on the bath mat. So what could be causing this feline rebellion? It sounds like your brother wrote this

Speaker 1 (42:30):
Question. Yeah, e my twin, he's out there somewhere. Look for a guy named Bris Kanafati. He's probably asking this question. I really wanted to address this one in particular because of the self-cleaning litter box example. And I think a lot of people see the word self-cleaning and they don't really know what it means. Self-cleaning litter boxes clean the waste and separate it from the litter, but they don't clean the litter box.

(42:57):
So I think what Jasper is experiencing is an unhygienic situation. And now cats, just like dogs, have a more sensitive sense of smell and are very particular about where they do their business. So those self-cleaning litter boxes, you have to do monthly maintenance on them. You have to take them apart and you have to clean them properly the same you would do with any low tech litter box. So I see here vet's giving him a clean fill of health. That's great. We're happy that Jasper is nice and healthy. When you get home from Global Pet Expo, take apart that litter robot. Make sure it's nice and clean because Jasper probably just thinks it's a mess and it's time for you to clean his toilet. So I'm pretty sure that that would do it. If it ends up being something else, I'd love for you to write in and tell me because I love getting to the bom of these cat related mysteries.

(43:46):
But give that thing a solid deep clean. It's just like you got to clean your Keurig every month and you got to run the washer machine, you got to do the self-clean, you got to do it with the oven, the litter box. Treat it like an appliance. Until

Speaker 2 (43:59):
You have a robot to empty your litter robot, you're going to have to eat something.

Speaker 1 (44:03):
Yeah. So you're going to buy a robot that cleans your litter robot, but then you need to buy a robot to clean your litter cleaning robot robot.

Speaker 3 (44:10):
Yes, I think.

Speaker 1 (44:12):
Robots all the way down. Robots all the way down. Best of luck, fellow global pet expo adventurer. And I have a question for you, Kristen, that comes from our home audience. Olivia in Lexington, Kentucky asks, and it's always so funny how these horse related questions are always coming from Kentucky or Tennessee and things like that. I wonder why. Maybe because people own horses out there. Yeah. So Olivia asks, "I recently started spending more time around horses and was surprised by how sensitive they are. What are the most important things beginners should understand about horse behavior and care?"

Speaker 2 (44:53):
Okay. Well, I did have a horse for many years, and so I know exactly what you're talking about, Olivia. They are very sensitive. And one thing you really need to understand is that horses are prey animals. Their entire nervous system is wired for survival, like fight or flight. And flight really is what I should say. And what looks like sensitivity or stubbornness or unpredictability, that's really just almost kind of fear, really. Yeah,

Speaker 1 (45:22):
Instinct.

Speaker 2 (45:23):
Instinct, instinct and fear. Yeah. And so it's best to be very slow and calm around horses, especially if a horse that you don't know well. And be as predictable as you can about handling them. Don't touch them without letting them know you're coming. You want them to see you coming and use soft, gentle pressure when you touch them. Also, when you want them to move to the right and to the left, you give them soft, gentle pressure towards the direction you want them to move. And as soon as they move, you let up on the pressure. So they just need a light touch. And the more time you spend around horses, you're going to be able to figure out that vibe yourself. And if you have a horse yourself or you visit frequently, horse is going to get to know you and feel more comfortable around you and relax a little bit more.

Speaker 1 (46:08):
Yeah, they're incredibly empathic animals.

Speaker 2 (46:10):
They are.

Speaker 1 (46:11):
Aren't they the best?

Speaker 3 (46:12):
Yes, they are. They loved having a horse.

Speaker 1 (46:14):
Well, Olivia, you're very lucky to have some horses in your life. Thank you for your questions. And that's a wrap for this week's episode of Pets Ad Life. What a wholesome and though-provoking episode.

Speaker 2 (46:25):
Oh, that was great. It was a nice kind of contract. We had Cat Cafe, Sandra, and then we had the regulatory guys.

Speaker 1 (46:33):
Yeah, the two for a little light

Speaker 2 (46:35):
Fluffy stuff and a little heavy.

Speaker 1 (46:37):
Yeah, I always get a little nervous when there's a lawyer in the room, but hey, I think I held it together pretty well, pretty well. Yeah. Hey, we're going to be back next Tuesday. We never miss an episode. Check us out on dog TV, Dog TV, Unleash YouTube because we spend a lot of money on the studio and we want you to see it. Please check us out. Follow us on the Soch. Pets Ad Life. I'm not getting enough likes, and if I don't get enough likes, I don't get any dessert. Yeah, I cry. Well, I cry anyway, but you could help prevent Chris's crying by liking and commenting on all of our fun content. And I think we're almost through our whole catalog of Global Pet Expo stuff, but you never know what will have in the chamber, so stay tuned. We'll be back next Tuesday.

(47:18):
See you then. Pets Ad Life, your guide to the latest in pet trends, products, and the joy of the human animal bond with Kristen Levine and me, Chris Bonafati, powered by the American Pet Products Association and dog TV.

Speaker 4 (47:34):
So what exactly is Pets Ad Life you're asking? It's a weekly podcast with two hosts sharing two pet stories, interviewing two amazing guests, recommending two awesome products and answering two questions from the audience. And all this is produced by two major pet brands I guess you can say is too good to be true. You're right. Check out Pets Ad Life with new episodes every Tuesday.

Speaker 1 (47:59):
If you encounter a snake, don't be a Chris, just walk the other way.