Knowing your cat’s nutritional needs is important to maintaining their health, energy, and overall well-being. Feeding your cat the appropriate amount of a well-balanced diet is vital. It is just as important for us to eat a well-balanced diet.
Cats have unique dietary requirements, as they are required carnivores, meaning they rely heavily on animal-based proteins for survival.
Cats need all the right nutrients in just the right proportions to grow. They need them to keep their bodies. Nutrients keep them active. They also help prevent and recover from illness or injury. In order to understand how and what to feed cats, it is necessary to understand how the nutritional requirements of the cat have developed. This development has occurred through the process of biological evolution. With healthy eating being so essential, pet parents need to know what goes into finding cat food.
When selecting cat food, it’s crucial to understand your feline friend’s specific nutritional requirements. Factors like age, weight, and health conditions all play a role in determining the ideal diet for your cat. For a comprehensive overview of various cat products, including food options, be sure to check out our full guide to choosing cat products, which covers everything from nutrition to toys and accessories.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to assess your cat’s nutritional needs.
What unique nutritional requirements do felines have?
Finding the evolutionary biology of cats reveals two important aspects that shape their dietary needs:
- Felines are classified as obligate carnivores.
- Their ancestral roots lie in desert environments.
An obligate carnivore, also known as a true carnivore, is a creature that must consume meat to survive. While they might occasionally indulge in other foods like dairy products or sweet substances, these are not essential to their diet. They are consumed infrequently. True carnivores lack the physiological mechanisms necessary to properly digest plant matter.
Some meat-eating mammals may intentionally consume vegetation as a means to induce vomiting. Although some cat owners might find it unsettling that their domestic feline is an obligate carnivore. It’s crucial to understand the implications.
Cats can’t thrive on a vegetarian diet!
Throughout their evolutionary journey, felines have developed a reliance on specific nutrient forms found exclusively in animal tissues. These include particular essential fatty acids. They also need minerals and vitamins (notably calcium, vitamin A, and niacin). These nutrients are not available in plant-based sources in forms cats can use. Moreover, as obligate carnivores, felines need large amounts of dietary protein. They need a precise balance of amino acids – the fundamental components of proteins.
“The large quantities of appropriate protein types that felines need can only be sourced from animal tissues.”
Most mammals, including humans and felines, use dietary protein for tissue maintenance and to aid biological processes. However, cats have uniquely evolved to rely on protein as their primary source of daily energy, unlike other mammals. In contrast, humans and canines have adapted to use carbohydrates as their main energy source.
The high levels of specific proteins essential for feline health are exclusively found in animal-derived tissues. In fact, diets based solely on plant proteins are not efficiently digested by cats. They could potentially be harmful or even fatal if used as the sole protein source. This is due to the inadequate levels of certain critical amino acids, particularly taurine, in plant-based proteins. These vital amino acids are termed “essential” because they must be obtained through diet. Cats need a greater variety of these essential amino acids compared to humans or dogs.
“Felines can consume less water daily than a similarly sized canine. This is due to their desert ancestry. They can conserve water more efficiently.”
The second evolutionary factor unique to domestic cats is their desert-dwelling ancestry. This origin has resulted in many of a cat’s needs differing from those of other mammals. Practically speaking, their efficient water conservation abilities come from desert-dwelling ancestors. These abilities allow cats to drink less water daily than a dog of comparable size. Nevertheless, fresh drinking water should always be available for domesticated cats. However, don’t be concerned if your feline companion seems to drink very little water. Some cats fed on moist or canned foods obtain most of their hydration directly from their food. Thus, their owners may rarely notice them drinking.
What is the natural feeding behavior of cats?
- Grazing behavior: Domestic cats tend to eat small meals often throughout the day. They also eat during the night when left to their own devices.
- Meal frequency: Cats may eat 12-20 meals per day, especially when consuming dry food. With moist or canned foods, they typically eat 1-3 larger meals.
- Food preferences: Cats can be picky eaters, influenced by several factors:
- Texture
- Odor
- Temperature
- Flavor
- Preference for strong odors: Cats generally prefer food with a strong smell.
- Temperature influence: Warm food is more aromatic and thus more appealing to cats. This can be useful when trying to encourage sick cats to eat.
- Familiarity: Some cats prefer familiar shapes and textures of food over novel ones.
What’s the best way to feed a cat?
Considering a cat’s unique nutritional needs and feeding habits, there are some practical tips to follow. Above all, your cat should always have fresh, clean water available.
Feeding kittens. Kittens need frequent meals since they are rapidly growing but have small stomachs. Around eight weeks old, they should be fed about five times a day.
By the time they are six months old, their food intake decreases. They have reached about 75% of their adult size. At this point, feeding them two meals a day is enough. It’s important to use high-quality kitten food during this stage, as it is formulated to meet their specific nutritional needs. Mistakes in feeding during kittenhood can lead to serious or even irreversible issues. Most kittens have almost fully grown by the age of six months. By 8 to 10 months, you can start transitioning to adult cat food.
“Kittens and adult cats don’t need milk.”
Despite common belief, kittens and adult cats do not need milk. By around 12 weeks old, many kittens lose the ability to digest lactose. While small amounts of milk may be tolerated. Giving them too much can cause digestive issues and diarrhea. This occurs because their bodies are incapable of processing it properly.
Feeding an adult cat. It’s important to feed your adult cat high-quality commercial cat food. These diets are designed to include all essential nutrients. Whether you use dry or wet food, be mindful of portion sizes, particularly with canned food, as overfeeding is easy. Preventing obesity is much simpler than trying to help an overweight cat shed extra pounds.
Some owners prefer to offer small amounts of moist food once or twice a day. They leave dry food for snacking in between. This approach works as long as you watch calorie intake and make sure your cat stays active. Since many cats consume too many calories and lack enough exercise, free feeding is not usually recommended. For more details on feeding schedules, check out the guide “Feeding Times and Frequency for Your Cat.”
“Overfeeding and lack of exercise can lead to obesity, so free feeding is often discouraged.”
Every cat has unique dietary needs based on their activity level, preferences, and life stage. For instance, outdoor cats may need more calories than indoor cats. Additionally, a cat’s nutritional needs shift as they age, with different requirements for kittens, adults, and seniors. It’s important to feed your cat food that is suited to their life stage. Cats with certain health conditions may also need specialized diets to manage symptoms and slow the progression of their illness.
With so many pet food brands available, choosing the right one can be tricky. While many commercial options give balanced diets, the quality of ingredients can vary significantly. It’s not always easy to judge a food’s quality based on its label. Your vet can help you navigate the overwhelming number of choices. They can recommend food that suits your cat’s specific health needs. If you have concerns about a particular food or ingredient, consulting your vet is the best course of action.
Contributors: Ryan Llera, BSc, DVM; Ernest Ward, DVM
