Thursday, November 03, 2022

We Are Done: Nibble Ring Edition

 Here at An Taigh a Thoirdealbheach Beucail, we spend more than a bit on pet supplies supporting, as we do a cat, a dog, two guinea pigs, and three rabbits.  It is I am sure (for many) not an entirely justified expense but we have always had pets (certainly through our marriage and for me, most of my life) and they bring me a great deal of joy (and frustration).

One of the treats which are given - twice a day - to the rabbits and guinea pigs are Nibble Rings.

Nibble Rings (for the uninitiated) are small rings of compressed corn and hay.  The practice is that everyone gets one in the morning (5) and the evening (5).  A the Cat also demands one - no harm, I suppose - as does Poppy the Brave when she is here, so add another 2, or up to 14 Nibble Rings a day.

Honestly, I probably should have purchased stock.

My primary purchase point for these is the rabbit shelter I volunteer at, because (frankly) they need the money and it is better than giving it to a nameless corporation.  Given our recent supply chain issues, it has been a bit of a challenge to get these in house.  For a while their supply slowly dwindled as they could not get them for love or money.  Now, they are available - six packs at a time.  I had always tended to buy another pack when I was getting close to bottom; now, I buy much earlier.

I opened up one of the recent packs and as I was distributing them, I thought they looked a little different to me.  I was able to find an "older" nibble ring at the bottom of the food box:


You may notice a change in size.  You would be right.  

Mind you, the cost to the shelter has not gone down.  I am getting it a little above cost, so my price has gone up as well.  I doubt that the animals notice the difference (well, the guinea pigs might have - they treasure every morsel of food and grumble when their "supply" is less), but I certainly do.

If we are at the point of compressed hay and corn rings shrinking in size, we are only a few short steps from the breakdown of civilization as we know it.


16 comments:

  1. Anonymous5:23 AM

    probably this generation could not lift the older ones

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. On a limb here, but not sure - I have met plenty of the younger generation that can outlift and outwork people in the 30's and 40's - although I do wish that there was a lot more attention paid by the younger generation and in fact all generations on basic economics and where food really comes from.

      Delete
  2. Nylon125:28 AM

    Shrinkflation, it's everywhere but......Nibble Rings too? It's a good thing you're doing buying through the shelter, help them out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nylon12, it is an easy way to support the shelter for things I already need.

      Let us say the guinea pigs do not understand the concepts of economics or inflation at all, only that "snacks" are not as big.

      Delete
  3. Very prescient: "Let us say the guinea pigs do not understand the concepts of economics or inflation at all, only that "snacks" are not as big." I bet the rest of the folks in the good ol' USA will be right there with them.

    The idea of the younger gen lifting the older one is spooky. Their penchant for floating around from job to job looks to me like a sure bet to keep your wages low. Unless you are floating in the same industry. That was the only way to get a raise in the broadcasting world back in the 90's. It probably won't matter now, since our government trusts that unlimited printing of money is fine.

    Grumbling Guinea Pigs... I remember that sound....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. STxAR, my sense - and it is only my sense - is that how actual economies work is not really understood anymore. Some of that is due to the world most people live in - in lots of parts of the world (New Home included) one can go weeks, months, or even years not meeting anyone involved in production or agriculture - yet these are goods we use every day. Programmers, retail personnel, sales folk educators (Project Managers - cough cough) - these we can meet every day. But where I suspect once it was a common thing it is not so common. As a result, goods "appear". Where they come from and how they come is not well understood.

      I saw a reference to a poll conducted by Newsweek today that about 60% of Americans are calling for more government stimulus checks because of inflation - not understanding that government stimulus checks contributed to the inflation we are currently seeing and would only make it worse. This is not a promising sign.

      Delete
  4. So many things are going through shrinkflation these days. One of the things that gripes me the most are snack bags of potato chips.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ed, although not a big consumer of snack bags of chips, I can confirm that they sure are smaller than they used to be.

      Delete
  5. Take the old bag and look at the oz or grams and compare. Some companies are changing the size so they appear to be a fuller bag. Grocery shopping is the same. Little yellow labels under each item gives you the cost per oz. It's not the size of the can or bag it the cost per oz that is the important factor in decision. I guess my question is why a cat or dog would want hay and corn?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sadly GL, the old bag has long since disappeared - this was a random one buried at the bottom of the food basket.

      In terms of why, I have no good answer. I suspect it is a lot of "They are getting something and I am not." The dog gets a "whole" one, the cat gets a half. They are certainly put out if they are not there.

      Delete
    2. Animals' sense of equity revolves entirely around themselves. What the other critter got, has to be better than what Self got.
      That said, one of my cats regularly helps himself to the chicken feed. Amazingly, the chickens don't seem to mind.

      Delete
    3. Leigh, I believe it. There is nothing inherent to those Nibble Rings that makes them delicious - yet there is A the Cat every morning as soon as he hears the bag rustling: "What are you doing? Where is my piece?"

      At least one time, Poppy The Brave literally took one out of the guinea pig's mouth. Survival of the fittest indeed.

      Delete
  6. Anonymous5:32 PM

    Shrinkflation, imagine that but the overall weight would go up with smaller pieces so I imagine the weight changed just like Folgers coffee did but still claiming the same number of cups

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is quite possible - although I do not have the dedication to count out Nibble Rings in a bag...

      Delete
  7. From my observations, many of the younger generation have no concept at all of where anything comes from before it appears on the shop shelf or website. Hence the quote from one of the climate change activists that we should shut down all farms to reduce their contribution, without any consideration as to where their food would then come from!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We certainly do seem to have reached a point where we have lost a connection with where the materials of our lives come from.

      Delete

Comments are welcome (and necessary, for good conversation). If you could take the time to be kind and not practice profanity, it would be appreciated. Thanks for posting!