Pet parents often cringe at the smell of their pets’ kibble and canned food. I doubt many have thought about eating pet food and only pet food, let alone tasting it. But one woman, Dorothy Hunter, owner of Paws Natural Pet Emporium in Richland, Washington, has decided to do just that for 30 days. Why is this notable for Canadians? Well, for starters, news outlets north of the border felt the need to critique Hunter’s challenge. One reporter even made the on-air assumption that Hunter is single. I was appalled at the misogyny behind the comment for obvious reasons. For me, it instantly triggered thoughts of crazy cat ladies and the stigma associated with being a single female cat owner. Not only is the notion of crazy cat ladies antifeminist, but it trivializes the mental health aspect of hoarding. (For the record, images circulating the Internet show a band on Hunter's left ring finger.) The icing on the cake, though, is the fact that people don’t see her challenge for what it is: both a brilliant marketing stunt (Paws will undoubtedly receive a lot of media attention and subsequent patronage as a result) and an effective callout on the poor state of pet food in North America. I’ve blogged about both the inadequacies and dangers of pet foods and treats in the past. It’s incredibly troubling to read the labels of even so-called quality kibble and canned pet foods and find ingredients like BHA and carrageenan, a thickening agent which has been shown to cause intestinal inflammation in lab rats. As the proud mom of a cat suffering from IBD and pancreatis, these troubling ingredients not only disturb me, but anger me. So I applaud Hunter for calling attention to such an important but often overlooked issue, and I encourage all Canadians and Americans alike to read labels, research cat or dog nutrition and choose the best for their pets. ©iStockphoto.com/omgimages