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Insect-based food for cats

As a vegan I have found it difficult owning a cat and buying cat food. Cats are obligate carnivores which means, unlike humans, they must eat animals to survive. If you can thrive without harming others then why wouldn’t you? This is why I’m vegan. But it’s not so simple for cats and my plan has always been to buy insect-based cat food as soon as it becomes available.

Insect-based dog food has been available in the UK for a while already through a company called Yora. I used to buy it when we were caring for borrow my doggy dogs and the two we looked after both loved the food. Yora are apparently also making a cat food but it’s still in development.

I’m running low on dried kibble for Victoria and this week went searching again for insect food and to my great pleasure not one but two insect-based cat foods launched in the UK just in the last few weeks.

I bought a packet of both to try. The first arrived today from Love Bug. I put some in front of Victoria; she sniffed it then ate it all up so it seems it has a thumbs-up from her. She’ll eat live insects like flies and spiders of her own volition so she must find them palatable.

From my perspective it smells much nicer too. The regular cat food really stinks of, well, dead animal bits. Then there’s the environmental benefits. According to the Love Bug company website, farming insects uses 80% less land than farming beef. The insects themselves are fed on a diet of surplus plants and veggies which the company claims fights food waste. In addition their farm is 100% powered by renewable energy. And finally, it’s nutritionally healthy for cats.

The other insect-based cat food that just launched in the UK is called Aardvark. I will get Victoria to provide a taste review when it arrives but they are similarly good for the environment. The company claims to use 2% of the land and 4% of the water that would be required to produce the same amount of beef. The insects are also fed on fruit and vegetables which would have gone to waste.

An area twice the size of the UK is required to feed the world’s pets and demand is rising as pet ownership grows. We all have a responsibility to reduce our environmental impact. If not for ourselves then for our children and their children. People in the UK love their pets and will not give them up willingly so insect-based pet food seems like a doable and impactful alternative.

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Rachel M

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Comments

14 responses to “Insect-based food for cats”

  1. Jonathan Avatar
    Jonathan

    I would love to do this, but our cats are on a special diet to keep the older one alive (he’s already used more than his allocation of lives). Of course we have to give them both the “special” diet, because cats steal each others food…

    Reply
    1. Rachel M Avatar
      Rachel M

      Oh no what’s wrong with the poor cat? Maybe when he’s used up his 9 lives you can try the insect food on your other cats.

      Reply
      1. Jonathan Avatar
        Jonathan

        George (enormous ginger cat – the last of three brothers) has no bits at all any more – he had a “blockage” that caused major surgery. He still hasn’t figured out that he can’t pee up things any more – he just leaves a little puddle on the ground 🙂

      2. Rachel M Avatar
        Rachel M

        aww the poor thing!

  2. Denise Avatar
    Denise

    That’s really good news to hear this is being made – I wish I’d known about it in the past. Someone told me about how much land is needed to grow the resources needed for pet food and I’d never heard about that before but I wasn’t surprised.

    Reply
    1. Rachel M Avatar
      Rachel M

      This stuff has literally only just become available in the last two weeks so it wasn’t around before. It is timely with a lot of focus now on the environmental cost of pet ownership.

      Reply
  3. Katrina Avatar
    Katrina

    I hate the stink of cat’s meat, too. I look forward to the day when it will be produced in a laboratory, because even though it will still stink it won’t conjour up visions of living breathing beings being harvested and slaughtered for it. Part of the offensive of this is that we humans do this to animals for greed and not need.

    Reply
    1. Rachel M Avatar
      Rachel M

      Yes, lab-grown meat can’t come soon enough. I’m sure it’s not far off.

      Reply
  4. Karen Avatar
    Karen

    Thanks for this! I’ve been struggling with the impact of our new cat. Just ordered a packet and we’ll see how he gets on with it.

    Reply
    1. Rachel M Avatar
      Rachel M

      You’re welcome! I hope it’s a hit with the cat.

      Reply
  5. thecharlestoncatgroomer Avatar
    thecharlestoncatgroomer

    Wow! I’ve never heard of such a thing- this is so interesting! I wonder if studies have been done to see what eating only insects for a cats whole life would do to its organs… I’m not opposed to the idea. Just curious!

    Reply
    1. Rachel M Avatar
      Rachel M

      Yes, I’d be interested to know too. I’m sure as time goes on the research in this area will grow.

      Reply
  6. argentumvulgaris Avatar
    argentumvulgaris

    The whole idea of eating insects leaves my synapses doing vomit renditions. Now I realise you are not suggesting that we eat it (or. subliminally, are you?) but that we blind side our furry friends. All very well. Laudible. Take a look at history, every, and I mean every attempt by man to conquer nature has failed, nature wins sooner or later.

    Damned damp squib, aren’t I? But that what we philosophers are for.

    Got to go, another piece of electronic wizardry is beeping tunefully for my undivided attention.

    AV

    Reply
    1. Rachel M Avatar
      Rachel M

      Some 2 billion humans eat insects already as part of their diet. It’s just we westerners that find it icky but from a nutrition and environmental perspective insects are a brilliant source of protein.

      Reply

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