Would you buy a dog food or cat food with “crickets” or “cricket meal” listed in the ingredient panel? A ground cricket treat for your cat or dog? Get ready…it’s coming.
The press release on the new company – Dockside Pet Products and Services – states “an innovative new pet food company serving North America with a mission to deliver the best in pet nutrition using rescued fresh food and environmentally sustainable ingredients to craft delicious treats, meal mixers, and meal toppers for dogs and cats.”
Dockside Pet Products plans to source “fresh seafood, vegetables, and fruits that don’t make it to retail market and are otherwise wasted for cosmetic or other reasons that don’t negatively impact their nutritional value.” And the company plans to source crickets…
“Dockside will also be among the first pet food companies in North America to use crickets in their recipes, offering a highly sustainable and easily digestible alternative to traditional proteins like beef, lamb, and chicken. As one of the next generation of alternative proteins gaining wider acceptance for human consumption, crickets are a complete source of all 10 essential amino acids for dogs and 11 essential amino acids for cats with three times the iron, five times more magnesium, and twice as much protein as ground beef. Cricket farming also produces 80% less methane than cattle farming and uses 1/14th the feed and 1/2000th the amount of water on a pound for pound basis compared to beef.”
“Sustainability is the key to our future and how we provide for the animals in our homes is part of that,” says Mark Warren, creator and thought-leader behind Dockside. “Our mission through Dockside is to give pet owners sustainable pet food options without sacrificing quality nutrition and we’re doing that by thinking outside the box with cricket protein and tackling the food waste crisis, specifically targeting fresh food wasted at source.”
What do you think? Are you willing to try crickets in your pet’s food?
My thoughts…
My concern is though the nutrient numbers sound good for use of cricket meal in pet food (amino acids, magnesium, etc.) – I am not aware of any cat or dog food feeding trial proving such. Crickets or Cricket Meal is not an AAFCO approved pet food ingredient, and it is not considered GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) for use in pet food by FDA. (Cricket meal would be the ground dry version of crickets used in pet food.)
How can this pet food company even be promoting this product without going through the proper steps to use the ingredient?
Industry very often sells what it wants to sell to pet food consumers and worries about the ‘details’ later. The same thing happened with the pet food ingredient pea protein. Industry decided it wanted to sell bulk pea ingredients to pet food. Industry developed what we now know as pea protein, pea starch and/or pea flour. The pea ingredients were sold to and used in pet food for years before the ingredients were legally defined and approved by FDA and AAFCO. Not one regulatory authority stopped them; no one insisted the ingredient be legal before it went into the pet food marketplace.
I suspect the same will happen with crickets…very soon. Make sure you read the ingredients of pet food and treats carefully…the crickets are coming.
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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Andrea
November 17, 2016 at 1:35 pm
Yes, I would feed crickets to my cat. It is one of their natural prey items, so why not? If they eat it in the wild, it’s fine with me. I would probably not feed this new food though, since it is probably some kind of dry food and I don’t feed dry food. But in general I feel there is nothing wrong with crickets as a food source for cats, or dogs. And it is probably better than some of the AAFCO approved chicken by-products or meat by-products.
Mary Marseglia
November 29, 2016 at 2:47 pm
Actually crickets is not the one of the “primary” sources of protein for any & all cats, wild & domestic. Yes will they eat a few here and there, especially when they are hungry, but no it should NEVER be used as a source of protein
GD PFI is just trying to make more of their BILLIONS every single year from GARBAGE dry pet foods and most canned foods as well. And it really doesn’t matter what AAFCO approves because between AAFCO, FDA they don’t give a rats ass about our pets so why would they care about adding crickets as source of protein.
This is absolutely WRONG since the PRIMARY diet of our pets wild ancestors which should be the same for our domestic pets SINCE their digestive systems(all other organs as well) are identical & work identically as their wild ancestors the Wolf & African Wild Cat(Actually all wild cats) Yes they also eat some guinea fowl, quail & other wild fowl like duck & geese, but the “primary” diet are all herbivore/ungulate animals not damn crickets.
Even feral cats “mainly” eat mice, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits(when they can actually catch them) few wild birds.
Louis N Sorkin
November 30, 2016 at 4:39 am
I really don’t think you did much research and only responded by gut feeling. You seem to have a problem with PFI, AAFCO and FDA and you think crickets are a bad thing for your cat.
Here are 2 blogs from a vet in New Zealand.
http://feline-nutrition.org/the-blogs/dont-let-it-bug-you
According to studies investigating insects for their potential as poultry feed, grasshoppers and crickets are about 70% moisture. On a dry matter basis (DM), grasshoppers are about 65% protein, 8.3% fat, and 8.7% chitin. Being mostly indigestible, chitin is similar to fiber in effect. Crickets are about 58% protein, 10.3% fat, and 8.7% chitin. Ants are between 42% and 67% protein.
Compare these numbers with more traditional fare for cats: Mice are about 66% moisture, 59% protein (DM) and 20% fat (DM). Domestic rabbits are about 74% moisture, 65% protein (DM) and 16% fat (DM). Chicken is 68% moisture, 42% protein (DM) and 37% fat (DM). Insects start to look like a pretty good food!
Taurine, an important and essential amino acid for cats, is also present at high levels in insects. Any naturally occurring taurine is a great addition to your cat’s diet.
http://feline-nutrition.org/answers/answers-are-exotic-meats-nutritious-or-a-novelty
Paraphrased from link:
I have found that cats fed daily on beef have a higher incidence of asthma and allergies. Beef is a meat that is higher in histidine than other meats, and histidine can cause inflammation. Ingesting higher levels of histidine, over the long term, can result in a zinc or copper deficiency. Zinc is an important co-factor for digestive enzymes and for the production of hydrochloric acid, so it is very important in cats with IBD. Copper helps tyrosine work as a pigment factor in fur and a loss of coat color is one of the early signs of a copper deficiency. In my practice, we often see cats fed only beef developing a change in coat color from black to rusty brown. I find that cats fed beef occasionally, up to three times a week, seem to cope with no problems, though. We have to remember that these cats would also have been hunters working for their keep, keeping the rat and mouse population low and feasting on insects and birds. In my own practice, I would say that feeding exotic meats to add variety to the diet is a really good idea.
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/animals/breeds/catopics/cat_hunters.htm
Cats are obligate carnivores, and cannot live on an unsupplemented vegetarian diet because they cannot synthesize several required nutrients which are absent or rare in plant food. This applies mainly to taurine, vitamin A (cats cannot convert the pro-vitamin A that is abundant in plants to vitamin A proper) and to certain fatty acids. The absence of taurine causes the cat’s retina to slowly degenerate, causing eye problems and (eventually) irreversible blindness. This condition is called central retinal degeneration (CRD). Cow’s milk is a poor source of taurine and adult cats are generally lactose intolerant (happens with people, too). Lactose-free milk is perfectly safe, but still not a substitute for meat. Cats can be fussy eaters, possibly due to the mutation which caused their ancestor to lose the ability to taste sugars.
Cats can be destructive to ecosystems in which they are not native and whose species have not had time to adapt to their introduction. In some cases, cats have contributed to or caused extinctions -— for example, see the case of the Stephens Island Wren. Domestic cats kill between 1.4 and 3.7 billion birds and between 6.9 and 20.7 billion mammals (mostly mice, shrews, rabbits, squirrels, and voles) each year, according to a study published last year in Nature Communications.Dec 17, 2014. Feral or un-owned cats, as opposed to owned pets, cause the majority of this mortality. Pet cats are fine; feral cats are not.
https://abcbirds.org/program/cats-indoors/cats-and-birds/
Cats and birds: The combination can be disastrous. Although domestic cats (Felis catus) can make wonderful pets, they threaten birds and other wildlife and disrupt ecosystems.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/science/that-cuddly-kitty-of-yours-is-a-killer.html
And to address your review of feral cats:
For all the adorable images of cats that play the piano, flush the toilet, mew melodiously and find their way back home over hundreds of miles, scientists have identified a shocking new truth: cats are far deadlier than anyone realized. Pet cats should not be allowed to prowl around the neighborhood at will, any more than should a pet dog, horse or potbellied pig, and that cat owners who insist their felines “deserve” a bit of freedom are being irresponsible and ultimately not very cat friendly.
“Cats don’t need to wander hundred of miles to be happy”
So it seems that there is nothing wrong with insects in the diet of pet cats.
UrbanCollieChick
December 27, 2016 at 12:10 pm
I agree! Thank you for this wonderful explanation. Yes cats DO eat a great deal of insects in their diet; specifically the smaller cats, which make up the majority of wild cats remaining in the world. They make a wonderful nutritious portion of many cat diets. They also do well for bears and as the quotes in red mention, much of the world eats insects as well.
It’s those of us in first world nations that find this distasteful, and it’s stupid.
In fact, recently I was listening to a TV program which pointed out that things like organs ( livers, brains, kidneys) are not even marketed to the USA anymore because “We don’t eat those things.” How sad is THAT?!?! A rancher from Wyoming on Squawk Box was pleading with Trump not to mess with China regarding agribusiness, because that’s a significant part of American rancher sales targets today; the export of meat, especially the organs because they feel they don’t sell enough here in the states.
Which is interesting, because you would think they would be great for pet food sales. So maybe they are valued more by the HUMANS in China, than the pet food companies here? And if so, is that because they would be for pets, or because Americans are so picky as well as dissociated from what dogs and cats really are, that they feel foods made with organs are even a comedown in quality?
BTW, look up “Cochlear beetles” and you’ll see how much we’ve used insects in foods and other products, including livestock feed, for ages.
I ate a chocolate covered cricket for charity once. No biggie. Insects are a major part of the food chain. Do some research and maybe some perspective will come along.
Mo
July 14, 2017 at 10:18 pm
Raw grasshoppers carry a high parasite load and cats that eat grasshoppers can get worms. Survival experts advise eating only cooked grasshoppers for that same reason. I do not know if crickets suffer the same parasite problems but they eat similar things. My worry is not the crickets but the parasite load they might carry – or the insecticides used to keep them parasite free, and the level of feces processed with the crickets. Crickets yes, tapeworms and cricket poop, no.
Kathryn S
November 17, 2016 at 1:52 pm
I would – depending on what/how they were fed/raised and the level of Glyphosate or other hazmat chemicals; I’ve eaten fried crickets and found them rather plain – aside from the salty/spicy batter, and yes they were very crunchy – but I’ve eaten mealworms, sheep eyeballs, and other oddities ( by American taste ), and all of the parts / pieces of mammals regularly consumed by Americans. So, yes, I would feed crickets as a protein supplement – IF they were Inspected and safe for human consumption; otherwise, no.
JT
November 17, 2016 at 2:11 pm
GOOD GRIEF! I am speechless and grieved. It is totally unacceptable–period. What’s next? Cockroaches? Good grief!
Louis Sorkin
November 17, 2016 at 4:01 pm
Nothing wrong with insects as a food source even for people. Actually some cockroaches are reared for medicinal use and also for food in certain countries. These are cooked, not raw. To date, there are over 1,900 species of insects documented as being eaten by various people throughout the world. Not novelty types of food, but part of the normal diet.
Pinky Collins
November 18, 2016 at 12:41 pm
I equate feeding crickets to feeding MICE – ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS AND OUTRAGEOUS
Sandra Murphey
November 18, 2016 at 9:04 pm
Pinky, Can you give more details on why you think it’s ridiculous and outrageous? I’d be interested in your thoughts about this. What do you feed your pets? Cat or dog? They’re both carnivores, although maybe dogs can live on fruits and veggies. Cats need meat, and meat is made from animals, some of whom have been horribly abused, some were diseased, and some were euthanized with medications that pass through to the pet food. I think that’s pretty disgusting and outrageous. I choose to feed my cat organic pasture raised raw meats. What are your thoughts on that?
Thanks to Susan, we’ve got someone looking out for us, and providing information we don’t get anywhere else.
Jessica
December 4, 2016 at 4:11 pm
Why is it absolutely ridiculous and outrageous. Over 2 billion people eat insects on a daily basis. They are a delicacy in many places. I eat mealworms, superworms, sago worms, centipedes, tarantulas, scorpions, crickets, and grasshoppers all sourced from reputable suppliers. Insects are not just for mice. LOL. I eat insects every day. I add them to tacos, pizza, desserts, etc. They are really healthy, and have more protein on a pound for pound basis than beef does, I welcome this change for pet foods. Insects are one of the healthiest things you can eat.
UrbanCollieChick
December 27, 2016 at 12:11 pm
And yet cats have been eating mice for ages, and in the raw food world, feeding a whole mouse is considered by many to be a complete diet.
Crichton Davis
May 31, 2017 at 10:09 am
Cats have been eating mice forever…that is what they evolved to eat. Cats like bugs, it’s part of their natural diet. If you think about it a domestic cat can’t hunt down a cow or deer. I have to feed my feral cats while the chickens are in the coop or they steal all the cats food, so mine can’t kill a chicken. But the cats can gobble up a mouse in no time, they have to or the chickens will steal it. Chickens aren’t necessarily a natural part of their diets.
Jessica
December 4, 2016 at 4:07 pm
Unacceptable? Give me a break. Crickets and mealworms have more protein than beef on a pound for pound basis. I eat mealworms, superworms, crickets, grasshoppers, scorpions, tarantulas, sago worms, etc. all sourced from reputable suppliers. Insects are highly nutritious and both humans and animals alike should should start adding them to their diet. 2 billion people eat insects on a daily basis. They’re delicious. I welcome this change in pet foods.
Crichton Davis
May 31, 2017 at 10:12 am
Where are you getting those things? My chickens meal worms small nutty. I would be interested in mixing them into my cat and dogs set food wet food.
Heidi
November 17, 2016 at 2:20 pm
I too would be concerned about how they are ‘farmed’ and the levels of chemicals. I also see that they are making “treats, meal mixers, and meal toppers” which suggests that it will not be nutritionally complete. Some of the other language in their announcement also makes me suspicious of what the actual quality of ingredients would be. I would not feed it until I had a lot more information on the company and on the actual nutrition it provided. And I agree, it would need to be safe for human consumption. I pretty much feel that way about everything I feed my animals now.
Jude
November 17, 2016 at 2:29 pm
My brother has traveled extensively throughout the world and has eaten things that I would never touch. He said that he learned to do this when someone citicized him by saying, “You Americans aren’t willing to try other country’s ‘exotic-to-you’ food.” Never one to back down to such a comment, he decided the man was right and plunged into the local food wherever he was. He’s eaten crickets, mealworms, and even sheep testicles, I think. I’m too picky to ever even sample such things, but the things he’s eaten have always seemed to agree with him. So, yes, I would feed crickets to my dogs to see if they liked it, depending on its source. It is one of the emerging food staples for our world population to enable everyone to eat an adequate amount of protein. My dogs seem to love gross bugs and other gross things, so I’m sure they wouldn’t mind eating crickets.
Lisa Marie
November 17, 2016 at 9:55 pm
Lucky brother. 🙂 And one culture’s delicacy is another culture’s yuck. I’m sure those cultures where insects are the norm might look at some of our frozen TV dinners with disgust.
Christine Holleyman
November 17, 2016 at 2:32 pm
This puts me in mind of a Siamese cat I had many years ago that began to be malnourished despite my feeding her nutritious cat food. After I told my vet of the cat’s penchant for eating the palmetto bugs infesting our house, he theorized she was filling up on the bugs and not eating as much of her more nutritious food. I don’t know how the nutritious value of palmetto bugs would compare with that of crickets, but I would guess it to be similar since both are insects. I could be completely wrong, of course. But until proven wrong, I would hesitate to feed any of my pets food that depended upon insects to provide protein.
Sandy
November 17, 2016 at 3:03 pm
Dogs and cats do consume crickets and other insects in the wild, so including cricket meal in appropriately low percentages makes sense to me. So, cricket meal as an occasional treat, sure. However, I agree that any company producing a food product for pets should go through a clinical trial process. I do not believe that crickets should be the primary source of protein for our carnivorous mammalian pets. But, then again, I do not believe they should eat any dry kibble as their sole source of nutrition.
Louis Sorkin
November 17, 2016 at 3:10 pm
Organically farmed crickets (2 species) are already used in human food products. Black soldier flies are used for organic waste recycling, distillery waste recycling and from their waste we get plant fertilizer, from the black soldier fly larvae we get zoo animal pellets for ant eaters and other animals, farmed fish and shrimp food, and also from squeezed larvae, we obtain oil that’s used as food additives and cooking. The pre-pupa concentrates calcium, so you get a high calcium food from that life stage for those animals that require it.
T Allen
November 17, 2016 at 4:16 pm
I would feed them if they were tested “clean” or certified organic (after testing proved the process OK). Not as part of a kibble product combined with other garbage though!
mirel
November 17, 2016 at 4:27 pm
I would eagerly buy this food! One of the great sadnesses I deal with on a personal level is knowing that by feeding protein rich food to my pets, I am harming and causing pain to other animals. This would help address that. Also, I see my cats happily munching on the waterbugs that occasionally make it into my place. I know bugs are disgusting to Americans but they are an excellent source of protein.
Sandra Murphey
November 17, 2016 at 4:53 pm
Well, we know that cats eat a variety of life forms, and mine has eaten crickets that have gotten into our house, along with lizards, mice, birds, etc. all without AAFCO/FDA’s approval. I would want to know what other ingredients are included and the nutrient breakdown.
As far as not being approved by the AAFCO and the FDA, let’s not forget that many pet foods that WERE approved have killed our pets! Do we really trust them to protect our pets? Look at how they respond to Susan’s inquires.
I’ve recently purchased protein bars that were made with crickets, and a friend is thinking about raising them for food products.
Consider the possibilities that this may actually be a step towards more sustainability, and less dependence on livestock.
Americans are going to be forced with transition that is considered normal in other countries. Food is just one aspect of that. In a crisis situation where food is scarce, crickets may be a life saver for us and our pets!
Jude
November 17, 2016 at 5:52 pm
Very well put, Sandra. It is indeed the wave of the future. Actually, most of us are used to eating beetles without knowing it. Red food dye is generally made from beetles. ; )
Jude
November 17, 2016 at 5:57 pm
My error. Some red dyes are made from the juice of a scale insect that lives on prickly pear cacti. It’s a common misconception that they are beetles.
Sandra Murphey
November 17, 2016 at 10:56 pm
Jude, Thanks for sharing that tidbit. We eat many things without knowing the source or what has been added. So many foods are recalled constantly due to lack of quality control. Growing our own is best, if we can.
Juno's mom
November 17, 2016 at 5:00 pm
There is a product out there now in treat form. Their website has information on cricket protein at entobento.com. I personally incorporate many protein sources into my pets’ diets. I believe it is the best way to avoid so-called food allergies. And I only feed high end products, including raw to both dogs and cat.
Em
November 17, 2016 at 5:02 pm
Yes, I would definitely consider feeding a wet food with cricket as the protein source. Chapul developed cricket protein bars and markets flours for baking. It’s dairy, soy, and grain free and is sustainable or eco-friendly and as I see it, will be the food of the future as land and water becomes scarce and the human population becomes unsustainable.
caninecare
November 17, 2016 at 5:10 pm
There are protein bars in Whole Foods (for people!) made from Crickets.
I would think if they are ‘farmed’ and not bugs that have been sprayed with chemicals maybe better than meat. I certainly don’t have qualms killing insects (quickly) and prefer it over killing animals and factory farming so I’d consider it if I knew they were ‘human grade’ suitable for human consumption. Though I’m so happy to remain a vegetarian! LOL
Nora
November 17, 2016 at 5:27 pm
My once ferrel cat probably loved crickets. She survived four years in the wild and consumed what nature provided for her including squirrels, moles, voles, birds, chipmunks, mice, etc. Sure I would give her crickets as a treat. If they come canned then I would also let her try it as long as it has taurine in it. My cat eats a wide variety of food. Too much of one thing could b toxic.
Mary Sue
November 17, 2016 at 5:36 pm
My cat has eaten large crickets that come up from the basement. I probably wouldn’t mind except she then throws up. So I try to catch them and put them outside before she gets to them.
Grateful
November 17, 2016 at 6:19 pm
I know quite a few people who feed their raw fed cats crickets periodically. However, let the PFI get a hold of an idea and you can be sure it will be over processed, toxic, or not really crickets at all.
kendra
November 17, 2016 at 7:06 pm
pending more research on the company and product, if certified organic, i’d be happy to feed crickets to my dogs and cats, and I’d eat them myself. sounds like the company is trying to do the right thing is developing a clean, sustainable source of protein.
barbara m
November 17, 2016 at 8:15 pm
Excellent comments from your readers. Yes, I would feed crickets to my cats, who already eat grasshoppers from the garden without ill effects. The food would have to be certified organic or human grade. And wet is the only way I would feed. Like with other proteins, I would rotate with others. This ‘new’ source of protein would help the environment by having less dependence on factory farm animals – who besides living a Life in Hell, require huge amounts of water and produce acres of manure, a hazardous waste which has become one of the most polluting substances in the United States.
Sandra Murphey
November 17, 2016 at 10:58 pm
I agree totally!
Cora vandeKar
November 17, 2016 at 8:27 pm
It’s already here. My friend from Quebec told me about the treats over half a year ago.
A quick google search of “cricket dog treats” will give you at least a handful of different companies.
Would I feed it. Maybe a little here and there.
Laura Uran
November 17, 2016 at 9:08 pm
Got news for you all. It’s coming to people food too. There are already protein shakes and protein bars made with cricket protein. The “ick” factor is a barrier, but I’ve read that it is quite good protein though, possibly superior to many meats.
For both humans and pets, I’d want to be sure that the crickets were raised without pesticides, etc. and that the product truly contained what it was supposed to contain. As we all know, particularly for pet food, that is not always easy to do. The pets would not have that “ick” factor I mentioned and it might be a sensible protein source provided it was safe.
Laura
Lisa Marie
November 17, 2016 at 9:49 pm
I’d prefer to just get a few live crickets, throw them in the tub and let my cats have a go at them. I considered live crickets for them as a snack, however, I was told by someone who sells a lot of crickets to pet owners with reptiles, that there is a 50% risk of them having some type of parasite. (This was at Petco / NYC, about a year ago so maybe it was a Petco thing, not sure where they sourced their crickets from.) He told me more people were starting to buy roaches sold at Petco to minimize the risk of parasites for their snakes, lizards, etc.
In any event, I feed mostly homemade raw and some commercial raw so I’d never buy anything with “meal” anyway.
Louis Sorkin
November 18, 2016 at 4:08 pm
There was a problem with the commercial cricket breeders a few years ago and it caused them to change species to ones that weren’t bothered by the viruses. There were 2 insect viruses that caused the cricket to become paralyzed. There was an RNA virus that affected Australian cricket farmers and a DNA one that affected North American ones. Different cricket species were affected in both cases. Other cricket species were used that were immune to the different viruses. These viruses have no affect on vertebrates.
Cheryl Bond
November 18, 2016 at 4:08 pm
Holy cow! I never thought in a million years that crickets would/could contain parasites or that cockroaches of all things would be safer than crickets! Just like really ANY food source, it’s the way it’s processed that makes it good or bad. I had heard for quite some time that cricket protein was used in human food, so I assume it’s safe for cats/dog’s. I of course would want there to be some kind of proof, and that the total amount of the cricket protein used was was shown to be balanced & safe in regards to the total amounts of other protein sources used. It’s all in the minute details. Sadly, I don’t trust manufacturers to do the right thing, so I am of course rightly sceptical.
Another thought about the use of cricket protein, again, as long as it’s parasite-free, chemically-free processed, etc…is that is could possibly be A LOT safer than say, all the added “fish & protein concentrate” that manufacturers use in canned cat food. Beyond a multitude of concerns with fish, just the factor of high mercury & other similar contaminants, It might be safer & more protein dense to add cricket protein in place of fish protein.
Another thought, that I am sure I might get some people disgusted…is that I always wondered why protein sources that are a natural prey to a cat in the wild, such as mice, & other similar animals were never used in cat food? It IS what they would hunt & eat, people! I bet manufacturers thought of it!, they probably couldn’t figure out how to get the public past the “ick-factor” that the average person who attest to. They probably couldn’t figure out how label names, could entice, so they dropped it. It might possibly take a while for the public to get over the “ick-factor” w/ cricket protein as well.
Like ANY ingredient in our pets food, we want to know that it’s healthy & safe, but HOW can we know, or trust that, based on all the lies & deceptions we’ve read about so far? Educated consumers can not NOT be sceptical, we’re routinely fed a line of BS on a regular basis. We want PROOF! & we & our pets deserve nothing less!
Teresa Johnson
November 17, 2016 at 10:11 pm
For some years Flukers has been raising and selling freeze dried crickets, mealworms and other assorted insects for reptiles. As hedgehogs are insectivores, I know many pet hedgehog fanciers who purchase these both freeze fried and live …and yes, there is even a canned variety. Not my particular cup of tea. But my rescue hedgies seem to enjoy an occasional live mealie treat. As many of the condos have wire sides, live crickets would be an exercise in futility. And they never seemed to enjoy the freeze dried ones. Crickets are high in fiber too…one of the “selling points” I’ve heard raised for use in human grade foods.
All that aside, I’d be curious as to how these crickets are raised, fed, and harvested. As with too many commercial endeavors, short cuts are always sought while quality is sacrificed.
Louis Sorkin
November 18, 2016 at 4:01 pm
I know from working with insects as human food, the commercial endeavors for rearing crickets are well run and no short cuts. This would quickly shut them down.
Hedgehogs are insectivores and that means that insects are primarily eaten by them. Live crickets and mealworms would be very much enjoyed by these animals. Waxworms (a caterpillar) is also good, but feeding them too much could make that pet kind of fat!
Peter
November 17, 2016 at 10:53 pm
I’m surprised to see even one response noting acceptance of insects as an ingredient in pet food.
Louis Sorkin
November 18, 2016 at 3:44 pm
I don’t understand your surprise at it. It’s a perfectly good food source for animals and people.
Cindy
November 18, 2016 at 12:35 am
I had a dog who hunted for and ate every cricket he could find. I have tried to teach my other dogs to eat crickets but they show little interest. They do eat a variety of other bugs.
As others have said, humans will be eating insects too, so why not pets?
Marie
November 18, 2016 at 1:49 pm
Lots of interesting comments, including Peter’s surprise that most of us are okay with crickets for many good reasons. My caveat would also be that they be raised in a clean manner and without parasites, and therein lies the rub. I’m happy when one of my cats eats a mouse – the perfect meal for a cat! 100% balanced. Do that 6 times a day, and that’s one happy, healthy little carnivore, with a full tummy and a good time had in the hunt. If my pets wanted to eat crickets they catch, I’d be fine with that, but I would not eat either the mouse or the cricket. (My yard is FULL of crickets – cats are not interested.) My gut feeling is this is just another cheap trick by industry, and I don’t trust it. I picture dried (problem) cricket meal with a toxic load of pesticides, and BTW, they totally stink if you’ve ever had to feed them to lizards. They bite too – miserable creatures that devour gardens. They should be food – just as a choice made by our pets – not us. Again – I do not trust industry, yet I agree that clean crickets are an excellent source of nutrients. (yuck) I would not feed it.
Louis Sorkin
November 18, 2016 at 3:56 pm
I’ve been reading the comments over the past few days and am surprised that so many are worried that the crickets be raised in a clean manner and without parasites because the ones used for the pet food industry are like the ones that are used in the people food industry. Organically farmed and raised. There are one or two species most often used for farming. Regulations on preparing any food item has to be followed. Crickets are usually ground to a meal and added as an ingredient. If you have moisture in the cricket you are more apt to have deterioration and mold growth. You can buy prepared flour for baking or the dried cricket powder. You can buy frozen whole crickets, too.
Marie, the mouse that is outside or in your home that you think is fine for your cat to eat, could very well be carrying a normal parasite load, some of which would be fine in any carnivore including the pet cat.
Cheryl Bond
November 18, 2016 at 4:35 pm
Hey Marie, (Read my comments in prior post) it addresses the mouse
Protein question/issue. I just wanted to also comment that although that is a perfect protein for cats, (besides the dangers of cats being outdoors in general) a LOT of people use toxic mice/rat bait to keep them at bay; now if someone’s cat eats that mouse that consumed that poison, people’s cats will suffer horrendously from that poisoning and ultimately die! I know someone this happened to. I also bet that many many people’s cats (that are allowed outside) have died this way too, unbeknownst to them, as many times they will go off to die. People than assume their cat “ran away”, but infact, went off to die somewhere. Even if that scenario doesn’t happen, wild mice do carry parasites as well, so that’s another area of concern.
If manufacturers used a “clean” chemical free, intestinal parasite free mouse and other type protein for cats, that would be a great diet for them, but I highly doubt, (like I had mentioned in my prior comment/post) that because of the “ick-factor” w/ their human caretaker’s, that won’t be happening anytime soon, if ever at all.
barbara m
November 18, 2016 at 5:51 pm
In my previous comment I said that there might be less dependency on factory farms. In reality very little lean muscle meat goes into pet food, as the industry uses predominately slaughterhouse waste: blood, bone, offal, beaks, etc. Therefore, adding crickets to the pet food arena may not make much of a dent into helping the environment, but they may be a superior form of protein. So, I am in favor of a crickets…as long as they are raised in the US.
Reader
November 19, 2016 at 1:54 am
Oh come on people. Why don’t we focus on the PFI doing just one main thing conscientiously. Like dog and cat diets with basic (whole, non-rendered) protein! Something where we can track the sourcing and have some accountability, please.
But now that those who monitor such things, have read how cat owners have no problems with CRICKETS, what do you think they’ll be serving up next! Worms and Flies? Anything to get us off the track. Like novel should be good. It was BAD enough when they blamed all their woes on grain being the problem for dogs. What they neglected to say, is that rotten, non-fit for human consumption, moldy, GMO’d to death grain and starches are bad. So then they threw in peas and legume derivatives into the mix. Also difficult to digest. Not adding much to the nutrient value either. What happened, is that traditional human grade starches got too expensive for the PFI. So they pulled a fast one on us. When I feed my dog an excellent homemade diet, including pure stew beef (he also gets one meal of raw) included is a binder (like sweet potato or brown rice or a veggie/hemp seed mixture). There is NO problem with a little starch in a dog’s diet!! Probably not in cat’s diets but okay for dogs! Trust me.
Samantha
November 19, 2016 at 4:41 pm
A Couple Things I recall under study of a retired air force pilot teaching a camping survival class; this in re. to: Insect Consumption: Insects contain powerful bad bacteria – (to aid in the insect’s digestion of wood & plant fibers etc), i.e., in air force survival manuals downed pilots are warned that once any rations run out & if indeed it does become necessary to eat insects, all wings, legs, thorax & heads must be removed before boiling for X number of minutes, (legs can get caught in the throat & cause choking due to the saw tooth appendages, etc., on insect legs. other exo-skelatal parts can do the same get caught in the throat) I highly doubt the legs, etc., would be removed prior to adding as an ingredient or boiling the insects long enough to ensure safety would be accomplished. I vote BOYCOTT Any & All Pet Food Companies using insect parts!
Reader
November 19, 2016 at 5:24 pm
Thank you.
Everybody above wants “organic” humanely raised, chemical free, pedigree perfected BUGS! Where do you think these INSECTS are going to come from? Don’t we have enough problems with imported ingredients already? I can just see the insect market opening up in rural, under developed back country. Give ’em a burlap bag, and round ’em up!
Sandra Murphey
November 20, 2016 at 11:35 am
As I mentioned, I’ve eaten protein bars made with crickets. And I liked them. They are ground up, not whole, and sustainably raised. What do you feed your pets?
Have you vetted the manufacturer?
Have you noticed all the “recalls” of pet foods that have been “boiled” to high temps?
Pet Owner
November 20, 2016 at 1:37 pm
The entire discussion is on two separate tracks. Crickets are edible with due reference to Samantha’s comment above. Prey driven animals (mainly cats) have an instinct for wild food. (But not all, as my dog will eat outdoor mushrooms!!). The real discussion should be about THIS. Commercially driven, high heat manufactured, artificially reconstructed (so-called) animal nutrition, just doesn’t make sense! We have all been brain-washed by the PFI! But cricket meal in a bag is NOT the answer either. Good gravy, they haven’t even done a feeding trial!!
When will we see the truth about pet food for what it is. Ideally “PET” food shouldn’t even be that (except each species requires a different nutrient balance). Food should be FOOD. All that processed stuff out there, no matter in what format, and what it’s called, will continue to fly off the store shelves no doubt about it. Just have no illusions about what it really is.
For folks still not convinced about the RIGHT thing to do for your pet, try eating ONLY “Carnation Instant Breakfast Bars” for the next year. I guarantee your view of Pet Food WILL change!
Sandra Murphey
November 20, 2016 at 2:17 pm
Just curious… Does you dog know how to chose the non-poisonous mushrooms? If so, that’s a valuable dog that could be rented out to mushroom hunters.
Pet Owner
November 20, 2016 at 7:55 pm
Well here’s the thing. Don’t know if it’s currently being practiced. But the “tail” is that Poodles were once bred to sniff out Truffles in Europe! They did a very fine job of discovering the delicacy. However, true to their personality (or maybe the owner’s) they left the dirty work to the Dacshunds. Because you don’t want to get a full coated Poodle dirty, unless absolutely necessary!
My older Poodle had common sense. Unfortunately the younger one never got the memo about his ancestry, so I’m afraid to trust him. He’s chomped on lawn mushrooms 3 different times, and was rushed to the Vet to pump his stomach. Then I tried aversion therapy by pouring ridiculously hot chili pepper oil on them. But he’s smart enough to know what the difference is! I took the mushrooms to a specialist one time, near UC Davis, who assured me they weren’t the poisonous kind.
But any untreated mistake can be fatal. That’s why I have Pet Insurance for him!!
Ben
March 16, 2017 at 12:54 pm
How do you know it’s NOT the answer if it hasn’t even gone through a feeding trial? I think your argument is double edged.
If crickets are eaten by animals in the wild what is wrong with feeding them in a domestic diet? To take that logic a step further, if crickets raised in a healthy way are healthy for your pet what is wrong with feeding them?
foodguy
November 25, 2016 at 2:30 pm
It is going to be the future of pet food. For all the people thinking they are getting premium ingredients in a kibble, you need to do a lot of research. It is significantly less expensive by water volume to raise a pound of cricket protein vs. a pound of beef. And there are no alternate ingredients for crickets at this time- you are getting 100% pure freeze dried crickets- not 4d crickets, rotten crickets, expired super market crickets, etc.
Sandra Murphey
November 26, 2016 at 9:44 am
All good points. Thank you!
Jiminy
November 26, 2016 at 1:23 pm
Just because you can eat a bug doesn’t mean you should eat a bug.
Louis N Sorkin
November 27, 2016 at 7:56 am
Sorry, that’s a ridiculous statement. A person could say that about anything they hear. Nutrition is nutrition. It’s only because insects are not in your diet due to customs where you live, you have never had any to eat and don’t have an open mind.
barbara m
November 27, 2016 at 2:53 pm
For those of you that think that crickets are creepy, try eating SNAILS. I was offered these in a gourmet restaurant and didn’t want to offend my hostess. The thought of eating snails was disgusting until I took a bite. They were delicious!!! As to the “ick factor”, how is it any different than consuming oysters or shrimp, for example?
Now I’ve read that protein rich black soldier ants will be soon be used, (pending federal approval), for animal feed, replacing corn, soy and fish meal. Already being developed in other countries as well as the US. It is cheaper and more sustainable. And eventually will be used in pet-food. The larvae can also be used on a large scale to dispose of, (recycle), organic waste such as manure and offal, a major problem. See: Ohio company EnviroFlight. The future is here.
Louis Sorkin
November 27, 2016 at 5:01 pm
I explained about that earlier. I don’t think people read these posts carefully. You meant black soldier fly not ant. I know the person at Enviroflight. I invited him over to speak at one of our meetings of The New York Entomological Society a few years ago.
barbara m
November 27, 2016 at 4:53 pm
Sorry, i meant black soldier FLIES, (Hermetia illucens), not ants.
Sandra Murphey
November 27, 2016 at 9:56 pm
Thank you all; I’m learning so much with this discussion and comments!
Gayle Pruitt
February 8, 2017 at 2:20 pm
Crickets are one of the healthiest proteins around and they are harvested humanly in most Cricket farms for human consumption ( I only feed my dogs crickets that are raised for human consumption). I do agree however we need to know how they are farmed and what they are fed. Dogs & cats have eaten insects as part of their diet for thousands of years.. the only real issues is if your dog or cat has a shellfish allergy..that could “possibly” cause an issue, but not likely.. I have been feeding my dogs and neighbors dogs crickets for a year now and they love them also the Vet’s say whatever your feeding your dogs keep doing it. I must say I use the cricket food as a supplement meal for them. I make all their food.
Amanda
November 29, 2016 at 7:03 am
I don’t get what the big deal is. My cat eats bugs anytime they cross her path, she loves catching and eating flies, moths, mosquito eaters, pincher bugs, and just the other day was crunching on a rather large grass hopper. My dogs try to eat them too but aren’t as successful in actually catching them.
I think people are too caught up in western culture to remember that quite a few insects are perfectly fine (and nutritious) for eating, and some people eat them daily and think nothing of it. Giant cockroaches, tarantulas, crickets, meal worms, scorpions… I’ve seen people eat them.
Casey
December 7, 2016 at 6:49 pm
Hmmm. Not sure how to feel. I don’t believe crickets would do our pets much harm, but they are also not insectivores so biological appropriateness should be taken into consideration. Id be fine with supplementing cricket protein, but not as their primary protein source.
Louis N Sorkin
December 8, 2016 at 5:37 am
You are just not used to the idea. Cats are omnivorous, but especially carnivorous, requiring much protein (at least 20% of their diet) and basically do not require much plant material at all. Grass is sometimes eaten and it supplies folic acid and roughage. As I mentioned above, taurine, an important and essential amino acid for cats, is also present at high levels in insects. Any naturally occurring taurine is a great addition to your cat’s diet.
grey
December 10, 2016 at 4:43 am
My cat adores grasshoppers, and eats one or two every week. I’d have no problem feeding him a diet made of crickets, although I’d mix it with other foods (I think it’s best to give animals as much variety as possible in their diet). It’s great that this new source has become available. It’s more ethical and there’s a lot less cruelty involved than in the meat industry. I eagerly await some safety studies, but as these are a wild prey for cats I have no doubt they’ll be fine.
Omar
December 10, 2016 at 9:15 pm
Five years ago, I would buy crickets during the winter. I would release one in the house. So, my cat Max who was a kitten back then could practice his hunting skills. Those were some good times we had. Max is strong, healthy and very well mannered boy, today. His hunting skills have moved on to more challenging prey. But he still goes after tasty insects. Who knew that crickets would one day be a canned protein source? Popping open a can is not as fun as watching your cat hunt.
Meil
December 13, 2016 at 3:44 am
Although this news sounds weird, I think the company has a good reason for doing that decision, if that is true. However, for people who are in doubt, they can turn to homemade dog foods if they want full control to their pet’s diet. Adding crickets to a dog food is a bit odd so pet owners will naturally think twice.
catmomma
January 8, 2017 at 10:19 am
I note that this company is only producing dog food, and there are no canned varieties. I have been waiting for mouse-and-cricket cat food for some time. Why not drop the other shoe?
catmomma
January 8, 2017 at 10:19 am
and cats will happily eat insects, they are a large part of a wild cat’s diet.
TJF
May 15, 2017 at 10:27 pm
I would be totally skeeved out eating bugs…and yet if I went to a slaughterhouse or saw the offal that they are throwing in OUR food, I would probably live the rest of my life on nuts and berries. And quite frankly I am thinking about it !
Kismutt
March 12, 2020 at 1:54 pm
I used to have a couple of frogs and lizards and had to feed them crickets. Needless to say, there were always live crickets wandering around my house. My three cats always took care of that problem. They were also raw fed and all three lived over twenty years with the last leaving me this year at 23. I don’t think there would be a problem with supplementing their food with crickets and at the very least I think my cats thought they were an awesome treat! My dogs however, paid no attention to them…more for the cats! 🙂