CAMPBELL, CA – APRIL 21: A mouse is photographed on a can of Mouser cat food at the Pets and More store on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Campbell, Calif. Mouser, a new cat food contains mouse meat paired with either duck, rabbit, chicken or turkey. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)
excerpt:
…
The amount of mouse in each can is a trade secret, Radcliffe said. But he added that mice are “ridiculously expensive,” with the meat costing about 10 times more than chicken, turkey, duck or rabbit. Because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration classifies mouse along with other meats as a product that does not require pre-approval to enter the market, Radcliffe’s regulatory journey involved meeting state standards overseen by the Association of American Feed Control Officials representing local, state and federal agencies.
He does not use lab-research mice, but buys from specialty producers breeding the rodents for purposes such as feeding pet snakes and injured owls at wildlife rehabilitation centers.
…
“In the industry, we’ve talked about it for years: Why don’t they have gopher, rat, mouse, lizard tails — all the things that cats eat?” Delezene said.
…
