Cat Nutrition Guide

Every cat’s nutritional requirements vary accordingly. Kittens and adults should receive food tailored specifically for that life stage; cats with illness will require therapeutic foods.

Most cats require a diet rich in proteins from meat sources and lacking carbohydrates; this will provide much healthier meals than traditional dry food diets.

Protein

Protein is an essential macronutrient for cats as it provides energy via digestible protein sources and supports cell growth, providing amino acids to build tissue and regulating blood glucose levels. Protein also serves as an essential building block of the body; so ensuring your cat gets sufficient and high-quality proteins is key.

Most pet parents understand that high quality cat food should contain protein derived from meat or animal sources, however many don’t realize that its protein quality and quantity may vary significantly – its quality being determined by amino acid profile and digestibility.

Animal proteins (such as chicken, liver and beef) provide your cat with natural and essential amino acids which their bodies cannot produce on its own. Plant-based proteins do not provide such essential amino acids.

While wild cats typically consume a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet, an abundance of dietary protein combined with inadequate hydration can result in kidney disease. Therefore, it’s crucial that your cat consumes an appropriate amount of protein according to his age and lifestyle.

An effective approach for selecting the appropriate amount of protein begins by reviewing the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) nutritional adequacy statement on food labels, which should provide guidance regarding an ideal amount of protein based on life stage and health status of your cat.

While some high-protein diets, like Birdie & Louie’s premium recipes, may contain fish as their primary protein source, it should not be your cat’s sole protein source as fish contains mercury and PBDEs (fire retardants linked to hyperthyroidism) as well as high amounts of phosphorus which may contribute to renal issues for older cats. Instead, opt for poultry-based products, like Birdie & Louie’s premium recipes which both boast protein and taurine for weight management; several studies have demonstrated how cats on higher-protein diets lose more fat while maintaining lean muscle mass than those on lower protein diets.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates provide energy to our bodies and cells in the form of glucose – our primary energy source – while they also serve structural purposes. They can be found both plant- and animal-based foods, and also in fiber (which does not digest but still counts as a form of carb).

As carnivores, cats have evolved to get most of their energy from protein and fat sources. While cats can digest and utilize carbohydrates, such diets should play only a minor role. High carb diets tend to be too calorically dense for cats’ consumption and may contribute to obesity or contribute to an overstimulation of insulin secretion; furthermore, excessive carbohydrates intake may increase colonic concentration of organic acids leading to diarrhoea or other digestive issues.

Cats don’t produce amylase salivary enzyme, and don’t metabolize carbohydrates as efficiently as other mammals do; however, multiple studies have shown that these characteristics don’t prevent cats from digesting and using carbohydrates normally; in fact hexokinase, an enzyme essential to breaking down glycogen into glucose, has been found in cats’ livers! Furthermore, many carbohydrate-containing ingredients are ground or cooked prior to being added into meals to improve digestibility.

Pet food contains starches and sugars as its primary carbohydrates, with digestible carbs breaking down in the gut to produce glucose, the primary energy source for both cells and organs in the body. Meanwhile, indigestible carbs may also be broken down to fuel intestinal bacteria.

Most commercial pet and cat foods contain carbohydrates in moderate to high quantities. This is due to carbohydrates serving an important purpose for animals’ bodies: providing immediate energy sources that are readily accessible for energy usage.

Some pet owners mistakenly believe that restricting carbohydrates will help their cats shed excess pounds. Although such diets may work for some cats, it should be kept in mind that cats do not require large quantities of carbs on a daily basis and that these types of foods could even become hazardous over time if fed continuously.

Fat

Fat is an energy dense source that assists with absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K). Fat also makes food more palatable for cats. Furthermore, cell membranes contain fat as an integral component, transporting nutrients across them while creating metabolites to combat inflammation as well as aiding hormone formation. Furthermore, fat increases satiety (feeling full after eating). Furthermore, it plays an essential role in immunity function.

Feral cats typically rely on small mammals and birds as prey, providing very few carbohydrates; fat is therefore essential in their diets. An ideal cat diet should contain between 9-21% fat; however, some cats may require higher-fat diets for various reasons, including managing symptoms associated with inflammatory bowel disease which requires higher-fat consumption in order to increase quality of life and control symptoms.

Proteins are essential components of our bodies and must be broken down into amino acids for us to use them effectively. Animal proteins tend to contain more complete amino acid profiles than plant-based alternatives, meaning they contain all of the essential amino acids often lacking from plant-based food sources. Furthermore, animal proteins tend to have higher digestibility rates and provide more calories per gram consumed compared with their plant-based counterparts.

An essential aspect of a cat’s diet should include enough fat to ensure they maintain healthy weight and can absorb nutrients and other substances properly, including calcium, magnesium, iron and vitamin D deficiencies that could result in low-fat diets leading to deficiencies.

Dietary fats can increase the palatability of canned food for finicky cats. Furthermore, higher dietary fat levels can make a cat feel full more quickly after eating which helps prevent overeating and obesity.

Pet owners can quickly and accurately calculate their cat’s daily calorie needs using the Veterinary-Approved Calorie Calculator found here. This tool estimates the total number of calories they should consume through meals and treats each day based on ideal body weight, activity level and other factors like age and spay/neuter status; then use this data to create an appropriate nutritionally sound diet plan for their cat. It is best to work closely with their veterinarian when making changes, particularly sudden reduction in caloric intake which could increase risk for life-threatening liver conditions like Hepatic Lipidosis.

Water

Water is essential to keeping your pet hydrated each day, as its absence leads to dehydration resulting in kidney disease, bladder issues such as cystitis or urolithiasis (crystals in urine), respiratory infections, and digestive tract problems. A high moisture diet such as canned foods or homemade meat-based meals will ensure maximum hydration for your cat or kitten.

Dry food contains high concentrations of carbohydrates and is almost devoid of water, making it hard for domestic cats to drink enough water in order to satisfy their hydration needs. With such low thirst drives combined with an increased consumption of dry food, chronic low-level dehydration can occur that contributes to serious health conditions like kidney failure in older pets.

Commercial food manufacturers must add water to dry food during processing to make them shelf stable and easier for pet parents to handle, while some is used as mineral supplementation since some minerals are hard for your cat to absorb without first being chemically chelated or bound with organic proteins like bone meal.

While many commercial pet diets, especially those advertised as being “natural” or containing high levels of protein, contain water as one of their ingredients, most actually contain very little. Most consist of grains, soy products or vegetable proteins like corn, wheat and peas with highly processed chemicals that could potentially be toxic for your pet’s wellbeing; Hill’s i/d being an example that contains animal proteins as by-products but only accounting for approximately 2% of total food supply.

Although many “prescription” and “therapeutic” diets claim to contain only high quality ingredients, their priority lies more with corporate profit than with providing affordable species-appropriate food for pets. As a result, most veterinarians strongly advise against depending on such diets for your pet’s diet.