Purina Farms

Purina Nestle (or just Purina) animal food is regularly advertized in the media & Purina Farms is about half an hour west from us. I t is probably most noted for the various dog events that are held at the venue but it also includes a visitor's center that is open all the time. The visitor's center incorporates a pet center (including dogs, cats, & rabbits), a full-size barn with domestic farm animals, a theater, & pet food production information center.

We vistied the 'farm' on a really hot, sunny, afternoon, which probably wasn't really the best thing to do as there was no air conditioning in the main barn which made it a hot, smelly, & sweaty environment. Most of the animals in the barn were laying down in the heat, but Beth did get to milk a cow during the milking demonstration, but I don't think the cow was too happy about it! Beth was also able to pet some rabbits, chicks, & piglets in the barn petting ring, & we all had a go at trying to pull as much as a single horse using a rope that was hooked up to a scale that shows how much they can pull.

The pet center houses both cats & dogs (& was air conditioned - yay!) with the main attraction inside being a 20-foot-tall, multilevel cat house, complete with windows, stairs, rocking chairs & other furnishings, to create a 'feline paradise'. The center also features educational displays & videos to help people better understand their pets & the role that they play in our lives. Outside the pet center is the amphitheater & we were lucky enough to see two of the dogs performing an obedience demonstration.

We then went on a trailer ride around the venue before having a quick look at the pet food factory exhibit & the Purina historic timeline display before heading back home via the Route 66 State Park at the ex-resort community of Times Beach.