Why Meat is Important in Cat Nutrition

• Author: Myron Stroman
• Posted: 2024-10-05

 

Cats are great hunters and natural carnivores. That means cat diets should focus on meat. Providing meat nutrition for cats is a good starting point for a healthy feline.

Pet owners often mistakenly think that cats need dry food or fish at the center of their diets. Focusing on a healthy meat diet is the better approach for your pet.

Carnivorous Cats

Cats are carnivores, plain and simple. These pets evolved from a hunter past, and a healthy diet depends on high levels of protein and fat nutrients. For cats, meat is biologically necessary, and their anatomies are designed to digest it.

A plant-based diet is not sufficient to support a cat’s health, and their systems are not meant to digest this type of food. Instead, cats are predisposed to rapidly digest fat and protein.

A common misconception is that cats eat fish. But a fish diet lacks the nutrition that carnivorous cats need. Cats are better off eating canned or cooked beef, turkey, and chicken.

Animal-based protein best serves a cat’s natural carnivorous ways. It provides a foundation for the protein, fats, and carbohydrates that cats need for proper energy.

 

Dry Food and Wet Food

Dry cat food is inexpensive and often is the first choice for pet owners. Yet, for cats, this food is not as nutritious as wet food.

Dry food is coated with artificial flavors to make it more appealing and can sit out for cats to eat when they want. It seems like a great option for the pet and owner. However, dry food is high in carbohydrates and harder to digest.

On average, a 10 lb. adult cat needs about 280 calories per day to sustain its energy levels. Too much dry food goes beyond calorie requirements and can lead to cat obesity and diabetes.

Canned wet food has a much higher moisture content, which makes it a better food option. It also has the higher protein levels that cats need. The downside is that wet food is generally more expensive.

Canned food lasts a long time when unopened, but unused portions of opened cans should be stored in the refrigerator and fed to a cat within a day or two.

By its nature, wet food also contains more water, which is essential for a healthy cat. Clean, fresh water should always accompany a cat’s diet.

 

Cat Life Stages and Diet

Cat life stages include kittens (birth up to around 1 year), young adults (ages 1 to 6), mature adults (7 to 10), and seniors (over 10). As cats progress through their life stages, their dietary needs are largely stable, with some adjustments needed between the kitten and adult stages.

Kittens first nurse from their mothers for nutrition. Once they transition to owner-provided food, kittens protein from animal sources to support brain, eye, and muscle development. Kittens also require DHA fatty acid and calcium for proper health.

Adhering to a meat-based protein diet from the start will help ensure kittens are getting enough nutrition and set them up for adulthood. When cats reach adulthood, it is especially important to monitor the levels of carbohydrates in dry food.

Adult cats should maintain an animal-protein diet but tend to eat larger portions of it. Senior cats, on the other hand, usually decrease the amount of food consumed daily. Pet owners also need to consider digestive issues that may have developed for a senior cat.

Nursing cats require extra fat and protein in their diets. It is recommended that an average-size nursing cat consume about 41 grams of crude protein with 12 grams of total fat, compared with 12.5 grams of protein and 5.5 grams of fat for an average adult cat.

For all cat life stages, owners should read the nutrition label on cans of food to ensure adequate protein and moisture content. Informational labels should also indicate whether the food is geared for kittens, adults, or mature cats.

 

Cat Health

Keeping your cat healthy can be a challenge. Paying attention to a meat diet is one way to keep your cat’s diet on track.