The Processed Pet Food Era From Nature to Kibble

It wasn’t long before pet food companies realised they needed more than just convenience to win over the masses. They needed trust and so began one of the most effective marketing campaigns of the modern era.

Phrases like “scientifically formulated,” “complete and balanced,” and “vet-approved” became powerful tools. The implication was clear: fresh meat and bones were outdated, even dangerous. Kibble was modern, controlled, and safe.

Unfortunately, what was sold as progress was a departure from everything dogs and cats had evolved to eat. The result? A disconnect between what pets need and what they were being fed.

The Hidden Health Cost

As we leaned into convenience, pets began to suffer from conditions previously considered rare. Chronic skin allergies, dental disease, obesity, diabetes, and digestive disorders became increasingly common. Veterinary waiting rooms filled with animals facing long-term illness and often, no clear cause.

Processed pet foods are:

• High in carbohydrates, despite dogs and cats having no biological requirement for them


• Cooked at extreme temperatures, destroying delicate enzymes and amino acids


• Bulked with fillers, preservatives, and synthetic vitamins


• Stripped of natural moisture, leading to dehydration and urinary issues especially in cats

The answer, for many, became increasingly clear: "This isn’t what nature intended."

Even at the height of kibble’s popularity, there were a few who never stopped feeding fresh. Traditionalists continued giving raw meat, bones, and organs to their animals not out of trend, but out of instinct and a understanding that that is what pet's should really eat.

They noticed the difference:

• Coats were shinier


• Teeth stayed cleaner


• Dogs had more energy


• Cats showed fewer health issues

These observations didn’t need scientific validation. The animals were telling the truth through their health but this knowledge remained largely local, passed from person to person, tucked away among niche enthusiasts.

Nurturing by Nature: A Movement is Born

In the late 20th century, the shift toward raw feeding began to gain momentum. Once seen as outdated or fringe, raw feeding rapidly became a symbol of returning to nature. Pet owners could see the visible health differences in front of their eyes.

For our founder Nettie, the journey was deeply personal. She had researched and studied both animal and human nutrition for years, building powerful beliefs around natural diet. When her beloved Boxer Dog was diagnosed with cancer, she didn’t just want to manage illness she wanted to prevent it. She fed her pets in a way that honoured biology, not industry.

At Nurturing by Nature, we started our very own movement here in Dorset. From the family kitchen, we witnessed the visible transformation in our pets. Nettie just wanted more pet owners to experience the same joy she did a joy from seeing pets thrive with natural energy and bounce.

“People just deserve to experience this for themselves.” – Nettie Platt

Raw feeding has grown far beyond a grassroots trend. It’s backed by:

• Ancestral research


• Nutritional science


• A groundswell of anecdotal success stories

Nurturing by Nature was founded on values that emerged naturally not because raw feeding was popular, but because it works. We saw it with our own eyes:

• The dog who stops scratching


• The senior pet who finds new life in old bones (Read Fred's Story here.)

Raw feeding is a return to truth. It’s about recognising that nature has already written the manual we just need to follow it.

Reclaiming Pet Health Naturally

Processed pet food might be convenient, but it’s not what our pets are built for. Evolution doesn’t pivot in decades like the latest fashions and neither should we.

By choosing raw, you're choosing:

• Fresh, species-appropriate nutrition


• Fewer additives, more real food


• A stronger connection between pet and owner


• A path toward lasting vitality

Want to make the switch or learn more? Visit us at www.nurturingbynature.co.uk or speak with our team. We’ll walk beside you just like your pet does every day and we’ll continue to make the choices our customers would want us to make, as if they were standing beside us.