Thinking about changing your cat food? Pet parent, Emily, share's her story about switching Memphis's usual food to nutritionally complete and sustainable Lovebug.
Memphis is our 6 year old rescue cat. He has a feisty side and isn’t exactly a lap cat but always wants to be close - as long as it’s completely on his terms. The only time he is particularly affectionate is when he is hungry and being a large, long-haired tabby cat, he’s quite hard to ignore when peckish!
When we adopted Memphis, we immediately took him to a vet and were told he had been given a terrible diet and was malnourished. Because of this, we were very keen to get the right food and ensure he’s had a brilliant diet every day since he’s been in our care over the last five years. We spent a lot of time researching the best brands and finally settled on a combination of wet and dry food.
He’s quite particular with what he likes and could certainly be described as a fussy cat. We know that dry food is great for his teeth but generally he won’t touch it unless there is a little wet food mixed in.
When we first tried Lovebug, Memphis was keen - nuzzling the bag before it had even been opened. We gradually introduced the new dry kibble and he’s had no negative reaction. In fact, he has even taken to not needing wet food with the kibble as much and eating it on its own.
The fact that the dry food is packed with insect based protein is great. While it does sound a bit weird, most cat owners know that cats love chasing bugs and trying to eat them. If there’s a fly to chase, Memphis will leap around until he’s caught it so it doesn’t bother me at all.
I’m fairly aware of trying to choose more sustainable options and have read plenty about the adoption of insect protein in the future, to be honest I'd prefer to have it in my cat food before it’s a part of my diet!
Making this switch has been really easy, the food is reliable having been researched thoroughly by the Waltham Pet Institute - something I’m much more comfortable about than the idea of it being made at home without the science and safety measures in place. Nutrition is complicated and to get the right balance, I really believe it has to be researched by scientists.
I really like that I’m helping reduce the consumption of meat, something I am conscious of even though I’m not a vegan myself and knowing the bugs are helping reduce food waste is also a massive bonus as this is something I’m particularly passionate about after learning that 40% of food waste goes to landfill. Plastic free packaging is also a no brainer to me so I’m really happy to see that in place.
Lovebug has slotted into my lifestyle just like the other household changes I’ve made with cleaning products, loo roll and getting my own meal-kits delivered - I subscribe each month. Memphis is happy and healthy and I’m making a much better environmental choice - there’s no down side in my opinion.
If you're interested in switching your cats' food to a sustainable alternative, read our guide to switching cat food.