The History and Invention of Dog and Cat Kibble: From Domestication to Alleva the Creation of Steam-Cooked Kibble Enriched with Phytonutrients!

Today, the shelves of our stores and online shops are overflowing with all kinds of dog and cat food: kibble, treats, canned food, raw food, cheese, chew toys, and even dietary supplements. Yet this abundance belies a long history of animal nutrition, stretching from the dawn of humanity to the present day.

From the earliest domestication to the hyper-segmentation of the pet food market, the way we feed our pets tells the story of how humans have lived alongside their dogs and cats.

The evolution of cat and dog food is a subject almost as vast as the history of humanity: it all began with the domestication of wolves and wild cats over 10,000 years ago! In the era of hunter-gatherers and then the first Neolithic farmers, the alliance between humans and dogs and cats was undoubtedly more a marriage of convenience than of love—a partnership for survival. Hunting, defending territory and herds, and protecting early crops from rodents made our companions indispensable. Food played an essential role in this period of domestication, even if the very first animal nutrition was a self-serving tool.

As the relationship between humans and animals has evolved, so too has animal nutrition. From the modest selection of the early days to the abundance of options available today, this transformation reflects both scientific advances and a deeper understanding of our pets’ nutritional needs. This article traces the history of cat and dog food, highlighting the key moments that have shaped it.

Dog and Cat Nutrition in Antiquity and the Middle Ages: Sacred Food or Strictly Functional Nutrition.

From religious offerings to the sacred animals of ancient temples to a strictly utilitarian diet, dog and cat food reflects the status of animals in society!

In ancient Egypt, Anubis, the god of embalming and the afterlife, was depicted with the body of a man and the head of a dog. Cats were regarded as deities, and some were even mummified like pharaohs.

In ancient Greek mythology, Cerberus, the three-headed dog, guarded the gates of the Underworld.

Yet little is known about their diet during that period, but one can imagine that the meals of these living animal-gods were particularly refined ritual offerings. Whether powerful or destitute, our animals received either sacred food or a simple, life-sustaining ration that their owners were willing or able to provide.

While animals in temples or owned by the aristocracy enjoyed privileged treatment, it is likely that the cats and dogs of the rest of society were fed on leftovers from the human diet of the time: bread, grain porridge, milk, and scraps of meat, bones, and offal.

Dogs were certainly present in our Gallic villages, but it’s likely that their diet wasn’t anything to write home about: it’s sad to say, but dogs were on our ancestors’ menu. Because yes, our Gallic ancestors literally “ate hot dogs,” and this tradition—which shocks us today—still persists in Europe in a few remote valleys of Switzerland.

In the Middle Ages, cats established themselves in both cities and the countryside as rodent hunters. Times were hard for them, too: demonized by the Church and subjected to religious persecution, used in medicine to make ointments, they were also the poor man’s roast during times of famine, and their fur was often used for clothing. It wasn’t until the 17th century that cats became “acceptable” pets, even though certain superstitions persist to this day. Fond of milk and offal, medieval cats were expected to be useful and feed themselves by hunting rodents out of the house. Nevertheless, we can understand its role and usefulness in the fight against the rats responsible for the great Black Death epidemics.

While the vast majority of animals had to make do with a mixture of grain porridge and scraps of bone, meat, or offal, the hunting dog packs of the great feudal lords enjoyed preferential treatment and a diet better suited to their intense physical exertion. Their athlete-like diet was even described in certain hunting manuals.

The feudal, religious, and agrarian structure of society thus shaped how animals were fed at the time; today, we would refer to this as the segmentation of animal nutrition.

For the ancestors of our dogs and cats, modern animal nutrition is not the same as modern cuisine!

At the dawn of the Industrial Age and throughout the 19th century, the table scraps or byproducts of human food made up the standard diet of our pets.

Pets relied largely on table scraps or basic homemade diets. The concept of commercial pet food did not exist, and they ate whatever their owners ate. At that time, little was known about the specific nutritional needs of cats and dogs.

So who invented dog and cat food?

Invention of the Commercial Croquette for dogs and cats: the first kibble was a cake!

The first commercial cat and dog foods appeared in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Legend has it that James Spratt, an American electrical equipment merchant from Cincinnati, Ohio, noticed at a seaport that dogs were crazy about the biscuits sailors gave them. These simple, inexpensive “soldier’s biscuits,” which were particularly hard to chew, were made from grains and salt. They were a solid food, easy to store, and more than appetizing for the starving dogs on the docks!

James Spratt then rounded out the recipe with “meat fibers” and beets, and launchedthe first dog treat in history—or rather, the first dog cake: The Meat Fibrine Vegetable Dog Cake was born and won the gold medal at the 1889 Paris World’s Fair.

Companies thus began producing dry and canned foods, offering convenient alternatives to home-cooked meals. However, these early formulations were often too simple and failed to take into account the animals’ nutritional needs.

Mid-20th century:the industrial boominprocesseddog and catfood.

The industrial extrusion process is used in animal nutrition and has led to the emergence of a full-fledged pet food industry. The ingredients are cooked and pressed in industrial extruders, which enable ever-faster production.

The mid-20th century marked a significant shift with the introduction of processed kibble. This convenient option gained popularity, offering pet owners an affordable and easy-to-store alternative. However, these kibbles often contained unhealthy additives such as artificial preservatives.

Science-based formulations 

Advances in veterinary science during the second half of the 20th century led to more in-depth research on pet nutrition.

Formulas began to incorporate scientific approaches to meet the unique nutritional needs of cats and dogs. The focus was on balanced diets that promote overall health.

Diusapet’s invention of steam-cooked, extruded kibble enriched with phytonutrients is revolutionizing the pet food industry.

By selecting the finest ingredients from local producers and combining them with a powerful blend of natural phytonutrients, Alleva revolutionized the world of animal nutrition. Our idea is simple: steam cooking is universally recognized as beneficial in human nutrition because it preserves vitamins and minerals, so why not apply steam cooking to dog and cat kibble? The steam extrusion of our Phyto Boosted recipes was thus born in our Marzano plant!

To learn all about this innovative steam-cooking process for Phyto Croquettes, visit ourPhyto Power Technology page!

From Specialized schemes according to health status and medical conditions in dogs and cats

With advances in research at the end of the 20th century, the development of specialized diets for specific health conditions has intensified. Prescription diets, designed to address issues such as obesity, allergies, and kidney disease, have become more widely available, offering targeted nutritional support.Alleva Care a full range of veterinary products to helpCare address the most common health issues in dogs and cats.Discover our Alleva Care line and our Alleva Care line.

Natural and Holistic Trends:Over the past few decades, there has been a noticeable shift toward natural and holistic foods for cats and dogs. Pet owners are increasingly seeking options made with high-quality ingredients. This trendtoward protein-rich kibble for dogs and catsreflects a closer alignment with natural diets, stemming from a deeper understanding of their evolutionary needs.Alleva Holistic the line closest to nature and your pet’s instincts—a steam-cooked kibble rich in protein and phytonutrientsthat you can discover here. Because even though history has accustomed our companions to eating grains, dogs—and cats even more so—remain carnivores, and only a high-protein kibble truly meets their vital needs.

The evolution of cat and dog food reflects a growing understanding of pet nutrition

Other high-protein dry food formulas are simpler, such asAlleva Natural Dogs(learn more here), whichis rich in fresh meat and fish and supplemented with pumpkin fiber. A wide range of specialized options is available today; this evolution reflects a commitment to providing optimal nutrition and high digestibility for all types of pets.

You’ll find the right kibble for every situation, including life’s happiest moments: for puppies and pregnant or nursing dogs—click here to explore the range—and for pregnant cats and their kittens—see the“Happy Occasion” rangehere.

As pet owners navigate the countless food options available, it’s important to recognize the progress made in cat and dog nutrition. An ongoing commitment to scientific research and innovation ensures that the available options meet the diverse needs of our pets, promoting their health. And even for sensitive digestive systems, there are simple, healthy, and affordable recipes available in theAlleva Equilibrium lineEquilibrium learn more here.

Conclusion: Tell me what you feed your dog or cat, and I’ll tell you what era you’re living in!

History shows that, from very early on, the diets of dogs and cats have had specific meanings and functions in each era, depending on the social or religious status of their owners and on the economic and technological capabilities of each society.

As human history progresses, veterinary research and science—aided by cutting-edge technologies such assteam extrusion—enable the production of high-quality, healthy, complete food that is increasingly tailored to the specific needs of each cat or dog. Steam cooking maximizes the potency of phytonutrients in the product lines Alleva Holistic ranges, or to benefit from theeffectivehypoallergenicAllergo Controlveterinary kibblefordogsandcats.

Regulations governing pet food are constantly being improved, and in some cases, pet food standards even exceed those for human food: nitrites are banned in pet food, yet they remain permitted in processed meats!

However, nothing is set in stone, and new trends can raise questions: insect-based kibble, vegetarian kibble, or even vegan kibble. Like our ancestors, we project our ideologies onto animal diets—ideologies that are not always in line with our animals’ essential needs but that reflect the challenges facing our societies.

Clearly, Diusapet has always prioritized a scientific approach to meeting the essential needs of our dogs and cats, and it is on this scientific foundation that we are committed to developing new innovations for the future.

So let’s write the next chapters in the history of dog and cat food together!