Written by Dr. Gloria Ku
Over the years, feline dietary recommendations have certainly
evolved, and we can expect that to continue.
Although that makes recommendations more difficult to follow, it is the
result of continued experience and research.
We now have more data to understand how cats metabolize foods, and what
medical conditions can be more readily affected by diet.
We have always known that cats are more strictly carnivorous as a
species, compared to dogs or humans.
There are some essential amino acids that they require from their diet
(such as taurine, carnitine and arginine), that they cannot synthesize on their
own. They also differ in their
metabolism and utilization of glucose such that they need about twice as much
protein than do dogs or humans to meet their energy needs. Since these metabolic pathways are already in
play, extra carbohydrates or sugars are not necessarily utilized in lieu of
protein for energy as in other species.
Excess carbohydrates generally will lead to obesity, and sometimes liver
or gall bladder disease, pancreatitis and diabetes.
A few other differences in their metabolism make our human
feeding patterns create a slight mismatch in their metabolism. Domestic cats, while no longer wild, have
been domesticated from ancestors who fed on about 8 small prey meals/day. It takes about 10-15 attempts to catch each
prey, so a large part of food consumption centered around the catch as
well. Wild cats are also not as socially
interactive around mealtime, whereas people are more likely to want to interact
during meals. Our schedules also lead us
to prefer to feed our cats twice a day.
In an effort to meet the demands of a cat looking for 8 small meals, we
leave them food all day, which allows them to eat more than they need, without
the effort required to capture prey. And
if they want to interact and play (or “hunt”) we mistakenly interpret that as
“feed me” and do that instead.
It is not hard to see why so many domestic cats are
overweight. Commercial foods are
relatively easy to feed, but many of our dry diets are not as high in protein
as cats need. In order to create a “dry”
food, more carbohydrate needs to be added to keep it “dry” and crunchy. While this may make feeding more convenient
and sometimes help with lowering plaque and tartar accumulation, it deviates
from what nature has provided in the past.
The answer is as variable as when a person asks their doctor
“what is the best diet for me?” The
truth is there is no perfect answer. In
general, veterinarians think we have been feeding cats below the optimum
protein level for their species, and many diet companies are starting to
respond to that. Many veterinarians are
suggesting canned food to compensate for this problem as canned food in general
has a higher percentage of protein vs. carbohydrate than dry. With the exception of kidney disease (which
is certainly a concern for many cats as they age), most cats will benefit from
a relatively high protein diet. I would
suggest looking for dry food with at least 30-40% protein for most healthy
cats, and/or feeding primarily canned food as canned formulations in general
will meet this goal. (The protein
percentage listed is somewhat confusing in canned vs. dry food because of the
amount of weight associated with water in canned food).
While commercial diets may have limitations, the advantages may
still outweigh the disadvantages.
Nutritionists are still trying to work out the best balances. Ingredients can vary based on source and
processing. But the minimum standards
are assessed in most commercial diets, and met if they are “AAFCO”
approved. This is important because
without meeting even the minimum standards, health issues are more likely to
occur. Home cooked diets or diets
formulated by companies that do not get their products evaluated for minimum
standards can be deficient and lead to health concerns sooner.
There are many diets available to choose from and looking at
labels can be helpful. If your pet has a
specific health condition, I suggest you consult with your veterinarian. Hopefully these guidelines will help you in
deciding what and how much to feed your new cat!
Meanwhile, here are a few links to examples of feeding/activity
toys that may be fun and healthy for your new cat:
For some of you who want more information, the following is a
lengthy detailed chart of protein and carbohydrate nutritional composition of a
large variety of canned cat foods, put together by a very dedicated feline
practitioner, Dr. Lisa Pierson. While
her opinions on feeding may not fit exactly with your own, or your
veterinarian’s, philosophy, I include it here for informational purposes as the
nutritional content information can be very helpful for individuals who are
watching these factors closely.
If you are interested in more information about specific
nutritional questions or home cooked recipe formulations, I would suggest the
UC Davis VMTH Nutrition Department as a good resource for you through your
veterinarian. They can tailor a diet to
your pet’s specific health needs and modify it as time and conditions change
through their life.
