Palatability and apparent total tract macronutrient digestibility of retorted black soldier fly larvae-containing diets and their effects on the fecal characteristics of cats consuming them.

The pet food industry is interested in black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) because of its supposed sustainability and nutritional qualities. BSFL has not been well tested in cats, so our objective was to determine the palatability and apparent total tract macronutrient digestibility (ATTD) of BSFL-containing canned diets and how they affected the fecal characteristics of adult cats. Palatability tests were conducted to compare diets containing BSFL meal, whole BSFL, or BSFL oil against a poultry-based control. Higher consumption ratios were observed for all BSFL-containing diets. A second study determined the digestibility of BSFL-containing diets and how they affected fecal characteristics. Cats were allotted to a control diet or diets containing BSFL meal, whole BSFL, or BSFL oil. Fecal output was higher and fecal dry matter percentage was lower in cats fed BSFL meal than those fed BSFL oil. Organic matter, crude protein (CP), and energy ATTD were lower in cats fed BSFL meal than those fed BSFL oil or control. CP and energy ATTD were lower in cats fed whole BSFL than those fed BSFL oil. Overall, BSFL-containing diets were shown to be palatable and did not negatively affect fecal characteristics, but reduced nutrient digestibilities in adult cats.