A cat requires around 41 essential nutrients in their diet
So, we've put together this helpful guide on cat nutrition and compiled all of our best resources to help educate you in keeping your favourite furry friend happy and healthy.
The food which you feed your cat is the single most important thing you can do for its health, happiness and wellbeing, so understanding cat nutrition is essential for a responsible cat owner.
However, pets need different things than humans to be healthy
Dogs and cats have different nutritional needs than humans. And cats in particular vary from many species, requiring a significant amount of protein in their diet, plus certain nutrients, such as taurine as part of a balanced diet with just the right amount of fats, carbohydrates and essential vitamins and minerals, to stay in peak condition. Nutrients must be present in the correct amounts for their stage in life and in the correct proportion to each other, in order to provide a nutritionally complete and balanced diet.
At the most basic level, there are 41 essential nutrients required by cats (in comparison to 37 in dogs). But the nutritional needs of any individual cat can also be affected by its lifestyle, so an indoor cat and an outdoor cat will have completely different requirements. Other factors that dictate a cat's nutritional requirements, such as it's age or reproductive state (e.g. in-kitten or neutered). They also have much shorter intestines than dogs, meaning that they are comparatively less able to digest plant material.
Commercially prepared pet food vs homemade diets
Commercially prepared pet food is a very popular way to feed cats and dogs, and in most cases, it is the best way to ensure they get the nutrition they need to thrive physically and mentally.
By selecting a nutritionally complete, prepared pet food for your pet type, you are feeding a food developed to provide a healthy, balanced diet in their bowl every meal, every day. You can choose a prepared pet food to suit all shapes and sizes, and there are foods available that suit whether they are small or large breeds, as well as if they are kittens or adults.
For some owners, home-preparing meals for their pet might sound appealing. However, the reality is that most homemade diets are nutritionally deficient. When preparing a complete food for cats, manufacturers consider the specific protein, certain amino acids, and vitamins they require as part of a balanced diet:
Amino acids
Amino acids are the individual components that make up a protein. When it comes to cat nutrition, cats have higher requirements for proteins and amino acids than dogs. Cats break down protein very rapidly and are unable to adapt when dietary supplies are low by reducing the rate of breakdown.
Arachidonic acid
Cats also need a dietary source of the essential fatty acid arachidonic acid as they are unable to make enough of their own. Arachidonic acid is found in animal fat sources only and is another reason cats must not be fed as vegetarians.
Arginine
Cats are very sensitive to developing a deficiency in the amino acid arginine. This amino acid is essential for metabolism, and cats not only break it down quickly but are unable to make their own. Arginine deficiency is more likely to become a problem if a low protein is fed because the arginine content is also likely to be low.
Niacin
Niacin, or nicotinic acid, is a B-complex vitamin which, in dogs, can be made using the amino acid tryptophan.
The enzyme system responsible for this conversion does not work well in cats and they also need much more of this vitamin than dogs.
Protein
Protein is an essential nutrient in your cat's diet, which helps the building of body tissues (including muscle), forms the basis for enzymes (substances needed for body function) and is involved in the prevention of disease.
Taurine
Another essential amino acid for cats is taurine, which is needed for eyesight, heart function, bile formation and reproduction in female cats. Cats are not able to make enough taurine themselves and rely on it being provided in their food. Nearly all taurine comes from meat, poultry or shellfish, so cats should never be fed as vegetarians.
Vitamin A
In most animal species, vitamin A is made inside their bodies. However, cats cannot make vitamin A, so it must be provided in the diet, either naturally or as a supplement.
So, whilst providing a nutritionally balanced diet from home is not impossible, it is a complicated task with very little margin for error. See our fact sheet for our advice on whether a homemade diet is a viable option for your cat:
Fortunately, the pet food industry in the UK has various cat foods available which take these factors into account to ensure you're providing adequate nutrients in your cat's diet.
But if you do decide to formulate a homemade diet for your cat, we recommend the following:
Ensure you carry out the right level of research
- The NRC Guideline is a key authorative document detailing the nutritional needs of cats and dogs at the varying life stages. It has been produced by eminent veterinary nutritionists
- FEDIAF, the European Pet Food Association, produce a more succinct form for pet food manufacturers to follow to ensure that diets supply all the nutrients pets needs.
Visit the Directories & Useful Links section of our Industry Hub, for more detail.
Take advice and guidance from relevant experts
Your vet can recommend you to relevant sources for information. However, tailoring a specific diet for your pet that takes into consideration factors such as life stage or lifestyle, their age or levels of activity, you may need to find a vet or animal nutritionist with a particular expertise in this are.
Visit our Directories & useful links section to search for UK Pet Food members who can advise on this area.
