Today’s cat owner is concerned about feeding their feline a quality diet. In every first-rate pet store, there is usually an abundance of premium diets that will meet the needs of even the most discriminating cat owner. In a perfect world, this nutritionally balanced diet is all that a cat would need. Yet, we all know this is not the case. There are many periods in a cat’s life when supplements are quite necessary. Consequently, supplements should have a prominent presence in the cat aisle.

Complete, nutritionally balanced feline diets have dramatically improved over the years, so the addition of supplements is not required, but it is recommended during certain stages of a cat’s life. To determine whether a cat requires a supplement, help customers determine whether or not it would increase the pet’s health and/or comfort, depending on the cat’s situation. Is the pet a new kitten or an elderly cat? Both may require some sort of dietary supplement to increase optimum health and comfort, as would convalescing cats, pregnant cats, nursing cats, and cats with arthritic and joint issues. 

Nutritional imbalance can also require the use of supplements. Cats that have been fed poor-quality cat food or dog food diets may benefit from nutritional supplements to get them back on a healthy track. Poorly prepared homemade diets can also create the need for supplementation. New pets that have been infested with internal and/or external parasites may require dietary supplements until the cat has recovered from the infestation.

Reasons for purchasing cat food supplements can be extremely varied from customer to customer and from cat to cat. The need can suddenly appear or quickly change with little notice. Review these reasons with customers as you talk to them about their pet. Get to know their pet–its age, the type of food it eats, and its health issues. Be prepared to suggest, if necessary, specific supplements that might help.


Stocking the Aisle
The cat aisle should be well stocked and organized with items that can fill health-related voids in every life stage of the domestic feline, along with helping provide comfort to convalescing and senior cats. Since these items come in a variety of forms–pills, powders, pastes, liquids and treats–they should be displayed so they can be easily found by the pet owners who are looking for them.

Vitamins, calcium tablets, brewers yeast and garlic should be found in every cat department. In addition, cod liver oil, fish oil, salmon oil and Linatone products should be available. Taurine supplements, exotic shark cartilage and supplements for health, such as hairball control, joint and arthritis, parasitic control, skin relief and constipation will all be utilized at one time or another by most cat owners. Catnip can even be considered a dietary supplement that not only provides fun, but emotional wellbeing for the family feline as well.

Selling supplements for feline diets may require providing some additional customer guidance. Not every cat household will need them, and some cats may never use them, but making them available for those that do is crucial.

 John Tyson is a freelance writer and photographer. He has 20 years combined experience in the pet industry as multi-store owner, general manager and industry journalist.