Cat Nutrition
Is Your Cat's Food Healthy?

In order to fully understand cat nutrition it's important to understand that cats are obligate carnivores (an animal that gets its energy and nutrients from a diet of animal tissue). This does not suggest they live on an all-meat diet. Cats need over 40 essential nutrients which they get from a well balanced diet.

Wild cats and feral cats live off a diet of birds, mice, rats and other small herbivores (animals that derive energy and nutrients from plants). When wild or feral cats consume these herbivores they eat the entrails (the intestines and stomach) which contains partly digested and digested plant matter, they consume the flesh, the organs and the bones. In doing so they receive all the necessary nutritional requirements for their diet.

Whilst the cat has been domesticated for 5000 thousand years, it would appear that their digestive tracts have not! Cats are carnivores not vegetarians....and that's why cat nutrition is crucial.

Broadly speaking a well balanced diet or nutritional cat food, should consist of proteins, carbohydrates (minimal), minerals, vitamins and water. All these nutrients need to be in the right concentration and in adequate amounts. Each of these components or nutrients has separate functions which we will explore in more detail. Balanced and Healthy cat food should consist of:

Essential Nutrients in Cat Nutrition

Cat Nutrition - PROTEINS

Essentially a protein is a compound made up of a long chain of amino acids (about 22). Proteins are by far the most important nutrient in a cat's diet and cats have a higher requirement for protein than dogs. This is probably due to the cat's inability to control the speed at which the liver enzymes break down proteins. If a cat does not receive sufficient protein in their diet, their body will start breaking down proteins in their muscles, having fatal results.

Proteins have the following functions:

• Proteins enable the body to fight infection as they aid in the formation of antibodies
• Proteins are needed for building, maintaining and repairing muscle tissue
• Proteins are key in the structure of red blood cells
• Proteins assist in maintaining healthy skin and a glossy coat
• Proteins are essential for the regulation of metabolism

Protein sources:

• Beef, Fish, Chicken, Liver and eggs are good quality proteins.
• Tendons, connective tissue, heads, feet and feathers are poor quality proteins

Kittens, lactating queens, obese and outdoor cats require a diet higher in protein. Neutered cats need their diets to consist of about 25 % protein, whilst breeding cats need about 30 - 40 %. More importantly, check the source of the protein. A product that refers to 'meat by-products' will contain poor quality proteins like feathers, feet, entrails and heads and should be avoided. If the cat food states the source as beef, fish or chicken and it contains the recommended percentage (25 - 30 %) this may indicate a more superior product.

Cat Nutrition - AMINO ACIDS

Cats are able to synthesize about 11 of the 22 amino acids, the others cannot be synthesized by the body and need to be obtained from the diet. Two essential amino acids that need to be provided in a cat's diet are taurine and arginine.

Taurine

Taurine is essential for healthy heart muscle, reproduction, growth and development, bile production and retinal development. Without this essential amino acid cats would experience retinal atrophy and blindness, reproductive disorders and cardiomyopathy. Taurine is found in animal-based material. Cats are unable to produce sufficient taurine and rely on an animal-based diet to produce the correct amount of taurine.

Arginine

If cats lack arginine they are unable to produce orthinine. Orthinine is necessary as it binds the ammonia formed from the breakdown of protein. This means that they are unable to convert ammonia to urea which in turn results in high levels of ammonia in the blood and can result in excessive salivation, vomiting, loss of muscle control (ataxia), spasms, coma and death.

Plant and cereal based sources contain limited traces of taurine which once again confirms the need for a diet where the proteins are sourced from animals. Cats are also unable to convert plant amino acids into the required amino acids needed for growth and development.

Cat Nutrition - FATS (LIPIDS)

Fats or lipids in cat food are essential to make the food more palatable and to give it texture. Lipids are also made up of Essential Fatty Acids (EFA's) which can be saturated or unsaturated. Linolenic Acid is the most important EFA as it is converted to derived EFA's during metabolism. Cats have limited quantities of derived EFA's as they lack the capability to convert linolenic acid into derived EFA's and it must therefore come from the diet. Linolenic Acid is found in vegetable oils, but cats require one called Arachidonic Acid which is only present in animal tissue. Arachidonic acid is essential for a healthy gastrointestinal tract, reproductive system, for blood clotting and it controls skin growth.

Lipids & Fatty Acid functions:

• Fats are an essential, concentrated source of energy
• Fats assist in carrying the fat soluble vitamins i.e. Vitamins A, D, E and K
• EFA's are required for reproduction
• EFA's are needed for healthy kidney function
• EFA's contribute to a healthy skin and coat
• EFA's are neurotransmitter precursors

Fat sources:

• Poultry fat, fish oils and vegetable oils, but animal fats are preferred

Cat Nutrition - CARBOHYDRATES

Carbohydrates (sugars) are not an essential part of a cat's nutrition even though it is an effective source of energy. Carbohydrates (Carbs) are broken down during metabolism and release energy.

The units of sugar that make up carbohydrates are called saccharides. If the carbohydrate contains a single sugar unit they are called monosaccharides e.g. glucose (a sugar stored in the body for energy) and fructose (from fruit). Carbs with two units of sugar are disaccharides e.g. table sugar or sucrose. These are known as simple sugars. The sugar (disaccharide) found in cow's milk is called lactose and is formed from glucose and galactose.

Complex carbohydrates are polysaccharides and are simply long chains of simple sugars that are bonded together and commonly referred to as starch. The second polysaccharide is cellulose and is known as plant fiber.

Carbohydrates may be beneficial to humans but are not essential for cats. Cats have the ability to make glucose from protein. For example, adult cats find it difficult to digest lactose (sugar found in milk) as they do not produce the enzyme lactase to assist with the breakdown of lactose. This causes lactose intolerance and gastrointestinal problems i.e. diarrhea.

The indigestible polysaccharides that provide fiber, bulk or roughage also have limited benefits to cats except in special circumstances. Excess fiber may in fact diminish the absorption of certain nutrients and cause diarrhea. Insufficient fiber on the other hand may increase fecal bulk, slow the movement of fecal matter through the digestive tract and cause flatulence. Increased (and controlled) amounts of fiber can be used in obese cats to assist in weight control as increased fiber reduces the calorie intake.

Carbohydrate function:

• Carbohydrates provide energy
• Carbohydrates provide fiber for a healthy digestive tract

Carbohydrate source:

• grains, corns, rice, vegetables and wheat

Interestingly, cats are unable to taste sweetness. There are 2 genes that control the ability to taste sweetness and in cats one of these genes is defective which effectively renders the sweet taste buds redundant. Some experts believe that this is another reason why cats have no desire to eat plant matter - the sugar content in plants is what provides most of the flavor!

Cat Nutrition - VITAMINS & MINERALS

Vitamins and minerals are nutrients required in a cat's diet, but should be in measured and small amounts. Minerals are inorganic elements found in water and soil; they are absorbed by plants and then consumed by animals. Vitamins are organic substances made by animals and plants and consumed by mammals.

Minerals are divided into the macro minerals and the trace elements (micro-minerals). A cat receives minerals and trace elements in their diet:

Vitamins are classified as fat soluble vitamins, which are retained in the body and can have serious side effects if too much is ingested; and water soluble vitamins are retained for a short time and then excreted via the kidneys. There are 13 vitamins that need to be obtained from the diet. Cats make their own Vitamin C from other components in their diet.

Cat Nutrition - WATER

Water is essential for life! Cats do not drink milk, they drink water. In the wild, cats get the vast majority of their fluids in their diet. Cats that are fed dry cat foods need to consume water. Fresh clean water needs to be made available to your cat 24/7. Water is an essential element of cat nutrition.

Function of water in the body:

• Water regulates body temperature
• Water lessens the burden on the kidneys and liver by flushing out waste products
• Water carries nutrients and oxygen to cells
• Water helps to dissolve nutrients to make them accessible to the body
• Water assists in digestion and the metabolism of food

Cat Nutrition Related Pages

Cat Food - the types of cat food available

Canned Cat Food - a review of moist and wet cat foods

Dry Cat Food - the pros and cons of kibbles

Raw Cat Food - a new look at cat food

Cat Nutrition Summary

The above indicates that cat nutrition is highly scientific with the purpose of supplying nutrients for the maintenance and construction of the organism, for supplying energy and for the purpose of minimizing and preventing the risk of disease. A cat that is fed a well balanced diet will have a shiny coat, bright eyes and be of ideal weight for their age, size and breed type. A cat that is not fed a well balanced diet will be overweight or underweight, have a dull coat and dry skin, dull eyes, bad breath and possibly even offensive smelling stools.

It should also be noted that each stage of a cat's life stage will demand different nutritional requirements. For example, a geriatric cat will require very different nutrients to a kitten. An animal nutritionalist or veterinarian will be in a position to recommend the best cat food for your cat or kitten.

Today cat lovers have a choice when it comes to feline nutrition. When choosing cat food, read the label and ensure that you are selecting the one most suitable for your cat's needs. If you elect to go for a raw cat food diet or a homemade cat food diet we urge you to enlist the expert advice of a feline nutritionalist. Cat nutrition is a science, you owe it to your cat to get it right! The best cat food is the one that your cat will thrive on.