Nutrition is essential elements that cats take in order for their bodies to be fully functional in daily lives and activities. Of course, like other animals, cats do not take nutrients directly. They take them with food as the vehicles.

Of all three modes of eaters, cats are nearest carnivores, or eaters of meats. Cats’ relatively sharp teeth are ideal for grasping, puncturing, cutting and tearing meats. Unlike herbivores, or eaters of plants and vegetables, cats possess no lateral moving lower jaw or premolars to grind fibers. Nor do they possess relatively large stomach and small intestine as in the omnivores, or eaters of both meats and plants.

Daily nutritional requirements for cats

So, what kind of nutrition do cats need everyday to stay healthy? Like all other animals, cats require the following nutrients:-

Water – is very important for cats in sustaining normal cell functions, regulating body temperature, cushioning joints and internal organs, digesting food, removing waste, lubricating tissues and transporting chemicals such as sugar, salt and other electrolytes around the body.

The non-fat tissues of cats contain roughly 70 percent of water, which is roughly the same amount of water found in canned food. Dry cat food usually contains roughly 10 percent of water, so cats being fed with dry food may need additional water intake apart from meals.

Protein – is needed to maintain cats’ supporting structures, such as muscle, bone, ligaments and tendons, as well as biochemicals inside bodies, including plasma proteins in cells, enzymes, many hormones, and some neurotransmitters.

Cats’ requirement of animal protein is usually two times of dogs, and five times of human beings.

Deficiency of protein usually results in slow growth rate, low body weight, decrease in lactation, loss of appetite.

Canned food usually should provide roughly the same amount or more of protein than dry cat food.

Fats – are the main source of energy (about 8.5 calories per gram). Fats contain fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) and supply linoleic acid (or linoleate) and Arachidonic acid (or arachidonate). While linoleate is found in both plant oils and animal fats, arachidonate is found in animals only. Cats cannot convert linoleate to arahidonate, which enhances moisture and radiance in hair, supports reproduction and blood platelet function.

Both canned food and dry food usually contain large amount of fats, with over 90 percent in the former and over 75 percent in the latter.

Carbohydrates – are also essential for cats. But unlike human beings, cats basically do not require carbohydrates from diet because they have in their bodies the metabolic mechanism to convert protein (such as glucogenic amino acids) and glycerol to glucose to maintain the level of blood glucose. In other words, it will not affect the level of blood glucose in cats even if the diet they take contains low or no carbohydrates.

Vitamins – are vital for the bodily functions of cats, and all the essential vitamins that cats need should be available in diet. Cats need the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K, and water-soluble vitamins B and C.

Vitamin A is good for maintaining health for skin, eye, and reproductive organs. Insufficient vitamin A will lead to problems in these areas. Animal tissues are better diet for cats as the source of vitamin A because green vegetables contain beta carotene rather than vitamin A, and cats cannot convert beta carotene to vitamin A.

However, vitamin A intake can be excessive when too much meat, such as liver, or cod-liver oil is added to cats’ diet. Excessive vitamin A will accumulate in cats’ liver and will gradually damage it.

Vitamin D cannot be made in cats, but can be obtained by exposing to sunlight. Cats require only a tiny amount of vitamin D.

Vitamin E acts as anti-oxidant that neutralizes free radicals, which are contributive to ageing. The requirement of vitamin E varies with cats in their diet, dependent on the dietary levels of selenium, sulfur amino-acids and other anti-oxidants.

Vitamin K can be made by bacteria in the large intestine of cats, and dietary intake of vitamin K is normally insignificant unless the cats are supplied with certain types of antibiotics that reduce the bacterial populations during medical treatment when the cats are sick.

B vitamins are needed in relatively high amount in cats’ diet. Cats require twice the amount of B vitamins as dogs. B vitamins supplements are recommended because the vitamins are usually destroyed by heating during the manufacture of cat food.

B vitamins come in many forms. One of them is Thiamin (vitamin B2), which is essential for energy metabolism and neural transmission.

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) can be synthesized in cats and normally is not required in diet. Excessive vitamin C is usually excreted in the urine.

Minerals are important for cats in maintaining acid-base balance, tissue structure, and act as enzyme cofactors. The following minerals are indispensable for cats:

Calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc and iodine.

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