“A few years ago I walked into the store and, for the first time, began to question the effect that the big brands were having on our store display. It just looked like any Aldi or Netto superstore with hundreds of special offers and POS, which was turning our customers into promotion hoppers.

“In addition, I began to question the quality of the corporate pet foods and the lower quality meat content. Our own dogs were not looking well so I realised that things had to change and change quickly.

“Today, we are looking for independent, non-corporate suppliers of products high in meat content that have been wrapped in honest packaging that clearly displays the ingredients without making ridiculous marketing claims.

“Corporate companies have been disengaged from Scampers. Our primary focus is now on biologically appropriate pet foods with an emphasis on Biologically Appropriate Real/Raw Food (BARF).

“Our profitability is being maintained, and our workload has been slashed by not having to deal with the corporates’ continuous demands for promotions and meetings about meetings about meetings!

“We have much smaller regular deliveries that are much more easily handled.

"Just as importantly, we are not continually tied up chasing credits from the independents to return money due for running offers, whereas it was a continual battle with the corporates. In the current financial year our sales have increased by 5% and our margins by more than 2%. Our employees are motivated and our customers are happy.

“Our award-winning natural pet superstore has the UK’s largest and best selection of totally natural, BARF and high meat content ranges.

“Brands such as Acana, Almo Nature, Canagan, Lily’s Kitchen, MORE, Natures Menu, Orijen, Gentle, Symply, Taste of the Wild, Nose-2-Tail, Ziwi Peak and Markus Muehle bring massive health benefits to your dogs and cats. All these companies live or die on the quality of their products, not because they have mega marketing budgets.”

The full interview with Piers can be found in the latest issue of Pets International

More than 40% of cat owners say their homes are entered by neighbourhood cats trying to gain attention, shelter, food or to attack the resident cat.

The stress this can cause is underestimated by owners, says researcher Jon Bowen, animal behaviour consultant at the Royal Veterinary College, and as a result many opportunities to improve cats’ wellbeing are being missed.
 
“In our research, owners reported that 18.7% of cats with outdoor access had been attacked in their own home by someone else’s cat. The figure rose to 24.8% for households that had a plain cat flap without any security features,” says Jon Bowen.  “Don’t forget that this is only what the owners have seen. When cat owners are away from the home during the day or in bed at night they are unaware of what is happening.”
 
The results from the Neighbourhood Cat Campaign – which has surveyed over 1,000 cat owners and non-cat owners – has provided some fascinating insights into the secret lives of cats. 41.8% of those surveyed said their cat had been attacked in the garden by other cats and 36.6% said their pet had been chased back into the house. But even in their-own homes cats with unsecured cat flaps were still under threat, with 39.4% of these owners reporting that intruder cats stole food.
 
The research – led by Jon Bowen and supported by SureFlap, the microchip-operated pet door company and Your Cat magazine – was prompted by concerns that dense urban cat populations were creating stress for cats. The findings will be used to help inform vets on feline behaviour in the neighbourhood, so they are better equipped to suggest remedies.
 
Jon explains that a cat’s territory is divided into sections, with the core home area being somewhere the cat should feel safe to eat, groom and sleep. “Outside, cats use scent marks, like scratching and urine spraying, to let other cats know when and where they will be in their territory at different times of day. This prevents cats from coming face-to-face with each other too often, so they don’t get into fights. Cats can coexist like this outdoors, but if a cat finds that its home has been invaded by another cat, it can be highly stressful.”
 
The research showed that cats that had received even minor injuries from fights with other cats were more likely to have health and behavioural issues. These cats had significantly higher incidences of hair loss, lameness, eye infections, coughs and sneezes and were four times more likely to spray in the house.
 
Jon further analysed the homes of those with an unsecured cat flap – where intruders can freely access the home – against those homes with a restricted access cat flap. 
 
“51.1% of households with an unsecured cat flap experienced some kind of feline home invasion. For the resident cat this will be extremely stressful – a common trigger for behavioural problems and health issues such as cystitis and dermatological conditions.
 
“The primary motivation for neighbourhood cats to invade a home seems to be to find food. There is a strong association between cats entering homes to find food and then fighting with the resident cats. It seems that many owners do not recognise that giving other people’s cats’ unrestricted access to their homes is creating stress for their pets.
 
“When owners are aware of the link between intrusion and stress-related problems there are many measures they can take. The most obvious is installing a secure cat flap so that only the resident pet can access the house.
 
“These findings also suggest that access to food is a cause of conflict too.  We know in the wild that cats eat between ten and 20 small meals a day. However, from our study 33.0% of owners feed their pets at set meal times. If a cat gets only two meals a day, this is the equivalent of a person only having a meal every second or third day. This creates a perception of a shortage of food, which encourages cats to search for food elsewhere.
 
“If all cat owners provided ad lib food this would reduce the motivation for cats to break into each other’s houses. I would also suggest not allowing food to be placed near the cat flap. Cats have a strong sense of smell and often can even see the food bowl through the cat flap. Either move the bowl away from the door, or better still make the flap opaque so neighbourhood cats cannot be tempted by the sight of food inside the house.”
 
Causes of friction between neighbours were also investigated in this research.
 
“A common annoyance for non-cat owners was cats toileting in their garden. 69.4% of non-cat owners stated this was a problem but only 9.8% of cat owners have ever received a complaint about it from a neighbour, so there is clearly a communication gap,” says Jon.
 
There could be an easy solution to the problem; it was found that 85.3% of cat owners don’t provide an outside toilet in their own garden. Just digging a hole and filling it with sand and gravel for their pet to use could be the route to more harmonious living.
 
The findings are of great interest to cat enthusiast Judith Bank of SureFlap who suggested the research when she discovered that little was known about the secret lives of cats.
 
“52.7% of owners considered cats to be part of the natural world and yet there have been few studies of the behaviour of pet cats.  People often purchase a microchip-operated cat flap to help their pet to feel secure and this motivated us to look into the problems pet owners might be having, and how their cats interact with their local environment.  The findings have been fascinating.”
 
A full report of the findings from the Neighbourhood Cat Campaign can be found on the SureFlap (www.sureflap.co.uk) and Your Cat magazine (www.yourcat.co.uk) websites.

Turnover has grown at Carmarthenshire pet food business Cambrian Pet Foods following the expansion of its product lines.

But the Llangadog-based company, which secured backing from a US investor in May 2012, also reported a slight dip in pre-tax profit.

Cambrian Pet Foods' turnover for the year to 30 June 2012 was £16.2m, up from £13.9m in the previous year. But pre-tax profit fell from £1.9m in 2011 to £1.7m.

In the directors' report, the company said the turnover increase reflected "the continued expansion of the company's product lines" despite the challenging economic climate.

It added: "Both the level of business and the year end financial positions were considered satisfactory and the directors expect that this will be sustained in the forthcoming year."

Cambrian Pet Foods was set up by managing director David Davies in 1982 and his sons Richard and Jonathan Davies are directors and shareholders.

The business employs 80 members of staff and produces both wet and dry pet food at two facilities in Pencader and Llangadog.

In May 2012 it was acquired by Wholesale Pet Care, the share capital of which is controlled by US private equity firm Swander Pace Capital.

Post-year end, the company announced plans to invest £1.4m in a new production line to make ready meals for pets. The investment, backed by an offer of £500,000, from the Welsh Government's Economic Growth Fund, is set to create 20 new jobs.

The GIMA Sword of Excellence is presented to the best of the winners from all eight product categories.

• Best Point of Sale Material
• Best Consumer Product Packaging (consumer packs only)
• Best Marketing Communication Award

• Export Achievement Award (sponsored by Gardenex)
• Supplier of the Year Award (sponsored by The Garden Centre Association)

KONG is launching its exciting new interactive dog toy – the Bounzer – at Zoomark 2013 in Bologna, Italy, next month.

The Bounzer is an oversized KONG-shaped toy in classic red and is the perfect interactive toy designed to encourage self-play.

When a dog grabs the Bounzer air is released from the toy as it compresses - when the dog releases the Bounzer it bounces right back to its original shape. It has an extra tough handle at the top which makes throwing even easier.

It's available in three sizes – Medium, Large and X-Large – and can be seen on the KONG stand at Zoomark 2013  (C60, Hall 21).

For more information visit www.KONGcompany.com

Three people and more than 50 pets have been rescued from a house fire in Plymouth.

An elderly couple were treated in hospital for the effects of breathing in smoke. Another woman in the house was unhurt.

The fire is thought to have started in the kitchen of the house just before 4.30pm on Sunday.

The RSPCA has been asked to help temporarily care for the family's 52 pets, including dogs, cats and rabbits.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue manager Rick Selley said access for crews had been "difficult" because of the large amount of pet food being stored.

The brigade said it was important for people to have a clear exit in case of fire.

According to the PDSA Wellbeing report, rabbit owners get more satisfaction from giving their pet a treat than dog owners do, with 56% saying it makes them feel happy and 45% saying it makes them feel caring.

Supreme Petfoods think it knows why: it’s all in the nibble. The company is launching a new range called Stickles, which provides a tasty nibblesome snack for small pets and gives retailers the feel-good factor.

“The key Is in the time taken to chew a tasty snack," said Supreme's marketing manager,” says Claire Hamblion.

“Rather than gulping down a treat in a flash as a dog would do, rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas like gnawing away, often for some significant time, allowing owners to watch their pet enjoy their Stickles moment.

"As Stickles snacks provide an enriching experience for both pet and owner, it’s something retailers really should have on their shelves.”

Stickles are designed to be fed occasionally as a treat providing a different taste experience and an opportunity to bond pet with owner.

With modern, vibrant packaging, Stickles really stand out on shelf as the ‘must-have’ snack for small pets.

Sticles are available in Apple & Cranberry, Carrot & Broccoli, Honey & Seeds, Oat & Honey, Timothy Hay & Herbs (topped with Dandelion). For hamsters, rats, ferrets, gerbils and mice, there’s Chicken & Bacon flavour.

Out of all those choices it was Timothy Hay and Herbs that topped a ‘tried and tested’ poll on Supreme’s Facebook page – coming out as the clear favourite.

Stickles retail are £2.49 per two-stickle pack and are available to order from petfood wholesalers. To find out more, call Supreme on 0845 058 9697.

The Pet Industry Federation has announced the dates of two seminars on dog grooming and companion animal nutrition.

Monday 13 May – Revision workshop for the City & Guilds 7763 dog grooming qualification  

Monday 20 May – Companion animal nutrition seminar

Both workshops last one day and will take place at the Pet Industry Federation office in Bedford.

The revision workshop is developed for dog grooming students taking their level 3 City & Guilds written exam this June, and will be delivered by Zoe Duffy LCGI, a member of the Guild of Master Groomers.

The course content comprises:

• Overview of the written exam syllabus
• Revision tools
• Exam techniques, tackling the written paper
• Interactive and fun mock exam
• ‘Pub quiz’

The course costs £50 and includes comprehensive course notes, lunch and refreshments, British Dog Groomers’ Association (BDGA) branded certificate of attendance and an exclusive £60 discount on membership registration for attendees joining the BDGA on the day.

The companion animal nutrition seminar has been developed for pet retailers and any pet specialists interested in pet nutrition and will be delivered by John Murray.

The course content comprises:

• Basic nutrition (nutrient groups, balance, digestability, palatability)
• Understanding pet foods (commercial pet food comparisons, calculating feed costs)
• Feeding dogs, cats and rabbits (lifestage, lifestyle, body condition score, energy requirements)
• Question and answer session

The course costs £60 to members and £90 to non-members and includes comprehensive course notes, lunch and refreshments, Pet Industry Federation branded certificate of attendance and an exclusive £60 discount on membership registration for attendees joining the Federation on the day. AMTRA SQP points are also available by attending this seminar.

Further details about the courses are available on the Federation’s website at www.petfederation.co.uk. To book your place, call 01234 273933 with your credit card details. You can also email pauline.tompkins@petfederation.co.uk

Gardman have appointed former Hozelock MD Bernard Shannon as sales director.

He joins the board this month to drive an ambitious commercial plan designed to develop strong partnerships with customers.

“The past year has been incredibly challenging for most in the industry, and Gardman has risen to the challenge,” Shannon said.

“I’m really looking forward to working with the team to build an industry-leading programme that will help our retail partners trade their way profitably through the season.”

Before Hozelock, Shannon spent several years as sales director at Energizer Inc. with responsibility for the Energizer batteries and Wilkinson Sword brands.

He will report to the Gardman Group chairman Jonathan Halford, who said: “Bernard brings a wealth of highly relevant experience and he already knows our customers, which gives him a huge head start. With the support of the dedicated sales team at Gardman, I am confident that Bernard will successfully drive our plans forward."