Cats are carnivores, but traditional meat production emits more carbon than cars do. Using insect protein, Catit is revolutionizing cat food manufacturing.
Cats are not above devouring an insect or two. In fact, they regularly seek insects as part of their natural diet. A good thing since insect protein helps with their nutritional needs.
As carnivores, cats need animal protein for optimal health. However, traditional meat production emits more carbon than cars when you take the impact of livestock feed into account. With nearly 500 million domestic cats on the planet, some pet food companies are reducing their ecological pawprint by substituting beef and chicken protein with sustainable insect protein.
Montreal-based Catit is one of them. Catit is constantly innovating its products and practices to improve the health of both cats and the planet.
Super healthy and sustainable protein
The Catit Nuna premium cat food comes in two flavours – Real Chicken and Atlantic Herring. The product line is made with up to 92 percent sustainable protein, which includes a generous measure of grubs.
Catit Nuna is made with the larvae of Hermetia Illucens fly, known worldwide as a beneficial insect with great nutritional properties. High in protein, low in carbs, and easy to digest, these superfood insects are dried and ground into a fine nutritious flour before being mixed into a kibble recipe.
Unlike traditional beef and poultry production, where inedible leftovers end up in landfills and emit toxic gasses, Catit Nuna’s grubs are 100 percent edible. That means no parts are wasted.
Each grub contains protein, vitamins, omega 6 fatty acids, phosphorus, zinc, and other minerals. Catit Nuna is also rich in taurine – an amino acid that’s essential for a cat’s vision, digestion, heart muscle function, and immune system. While most mammals can manufacture sufficient taurine inside their bodies, cats have a limited ability to do so and must have taurine added to their diet. Catit Nuna is free of any corn, soy, rice, wheat, antibiotics, and growth hormones. The balance in Catit Nuna’s dietary fibre and protein content has a positive impact on stool quality and helps cats preserve good gut health.
New range of sustainable products, including recyclable packaging
By offering consumers a revolutionary dry cat food that’s easily digestible and highly palatable, Catit offers cat lovers a chance to make a difference to the health of the planet. Insect farms are stacked vertically, saving vast amounts of arable land. While it takes about 2,542 square metres to produce ten kilograms of beef protein and 513 square metres to produce ten kilograms of chicken protein, it takes only 0.80 square metres to produce the same protein equivalent with insect protein. Insect protein also saves on water consumption considerably. It takes a ton of water to grow feed for livestock, whereas almost none is required for the grubs used for Catit Nuna.
In addition to conserving land and water, the process of rearing insects reduces carbon emissions and helps to upcycle waste products. For every kilogram of Catit Nuna produced, the grubs eat and recover about 160 kilograms of unused cereals, fruits, and vegetables.
Other ways Catit is supporting sustainability are through packaging and litter. Catit Nuna bags are made from low density polyethylene, which is fully recyclable. The company also recently launched its new Catit Go Natural line of plant-based cat litter. Catit’s Go Natural Wood Clumping Cat Litter is made from FSC-certified leftover lumber from sustainably managed forests, so no plants or trees are grown or cut to make these products. Additionally, Catit’s Go Natural Pea Husk Clumping Cat Litter is made by recycled empty pea husks that would otherwise be discarded.
