Pet food research and development teams can’t know the thought process of dogs and cats, but pet food professionals can get hints about those animals’ minds from Petfood Forum 2017 keynote speaker Temple Grandin, PhD.
To learn from Grandin and many other speakers, register for the 25th Anniversary edition of Petfood Forum.
Grandin is a best-selling author, professor of animal science at Colorado State University and livestock-welfare consultant. She also advocates for autism education, using her own life with the condition to inform treatment of others. What’s more, she was played by Claire Danes in an HBO movie about her life.
Grandin’s knowledge can help pet food professionals see the world from animals’ points of view and shed light on why dogs and cats react to food as they do. In her book “Animals Make Us Human,” Grandin explored the emotional system of the dog and cat brains.
Autism sheds light on dog and cat thoughts
Grandin also draws insights into the highly visual mind of animals from her experiences with autism. In her book “Animals in Translation,” she discussed how being a visual thinker due to her autism helped her understand animal psychology. Grandin noted that the way mammal’s brains are constructed means that animals like dogs and cats must store memories as visual images, sounds and smells.
Since many humans think using language, Grandin’s understanding of visual thinking could give pet food manufacturers an insight into how food’s appearance, smell and texture influence the animals’ memories and perceptions of that pet food product.
Register to learn and network at Petfood Forum
To learn from Grandin and many other speakers, register for the 25th Anniversary edition of Petfood Forum, an exclusive event serving pet treat and pet food manufacturers. Petfood Forum will take place at the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Missouri, USA on April 3-5, 2017.
“The value that our educational sessions bring to our attendees is really one-of-a-kind, as content and speakers are carefully selected in order to ensure that we are providing information that really matters for the success of their business,” said Debbie Phillips Donaldson, editor-in-chief of Petfood Industry. “Educational session topics are going to be tailored to a variety of different roles in the industry as Petfood Forum truly is an event that an entire team can benefit from by attending.”
Early Bird registration for Petfood Forum 2017 is available now through February 1, 2017 and provides attendees with the opportunity to save up to $300. Learn more about Petfood Forum 2017 registration options, content and participants.
