Walthams Guide To Obtaining and Caring For A Cat
Preventative Health Care Guide
Human-Animal Interaction Guide
Our approach to research and pet care science
The Waltham Petcare Science Institute is a global research and development site for Mars Petcare. We perform scientific studies to improve and innovate products and services to drive our Purpose : A BETTER WORLD FOR PETSTM.
For over 50 years, we have been advancing science to better understand our pets’ needs and overall wellbeing. For example, we determined the amount of taurine that cats must have in their daily diets and how much vitamin A puppies can have. Both findings are used by international pet food regulatory bodies (FEDIAF, AAFCO and NRC) to inform guidelines for cat and dog diet formulations.
How we aim to use data to live our Purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS™
At Mars Petcare, we are uniquely positioned to collect information on the behavior, health and genetics of pets around the world through our nutrition, health and pet service businesses – and we want to use that privilege to be a force for good. Have a look at our infographic to see how data, knowledge, and insights can help us find new ways to improve the products and services we provide, as well as your pet’s health and wellbeing.
Training our pets
We want to partner with our pets. But for this to happen, they need to have confidence to work with us. We invest a lot of time to train and interact with our pets, which is done through ‘positive reinforcement’ and rewards. This means that when the dog or cat performs the desired behaviour they are praised. Any unwanted behaviour is ignored, and never punished. Each cat and dog is different, so through spending time to understand what motivates them we ensure they receive the reward that they want. This could be food, but it could be playing with their favourite toy, or a belly scratch. We can gradually build this up so our pets are able to do more complex tasks when asked.
Our team of Associates that work with our pets are experts in ‘listening’ to their four legged partner. By constantly watching and reading the body language of the animal, they are able to spot the slightest behavioural cue that the cat or dog may not be comfortable with the situation. This will shape the rest of the session, and potentially their training plan. We can adapt our style to