A study from New Zealand looked at raw beef and lamb ingredients for cat palatability. Eight lucky test cats got to taste liver, kidney, heart, lung, tripe, and deboned meat from both species. Overall, cats preferred liver and kidney, regardless of origin.
Two-bowl preference tests (side by side bowls with different choices) were used to rank ingredients. Cats preferred lamb over beef ingredients, except for heart and liver, which showed no difference. Deboned meat was the bottom of the preference list. Liver was the most palatable of the choices. However, liver can be of concern for feeding in any great amount due to its natural high vitamin A.
When looking at lamb versus beef, it is important to note that lambs tend to be slaughtered younger, so age and aging factors could be part of the preference. Also, these were raw choices. Rankings could change with cooking.
Note: The researchers wrote that lamb kidney is a viable, highly palatable, and safer alternative to liver for high-value pet food. It is important to note that the feeding of raw diets to cats is controversial, largely due to the fact that raw foods carry the risk of exposing cats and their owners to potentially harmful pathogens. The Cornell Feline Heath Center recommends that owners refrain from feeding their cats raw diets.
Animals 2020, 10(4), 558; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10040558
