Cat Nutrition Flashcards
Obligate Carnivores
- Cats have specific needs: Need to eat animal materials
- cat food is a huge business
- most general food rules still apply
Energy and Amount Needed
- Get energy from fats, carbs, proteins
- Most need specific amount of energy (specific amount per day ME)
- Kittens up to 250 kcal a day
ME, GE, DE
GE = gross energy (not all of this can be used by the animal)
* Diets can have the same GE but are different based on what energy cat can take in
DE = digestible energy (GE minus energy in feces)
ME = metabolizable energy
* ME = DE - energy in urine, gas
ME can be used for: maintenance, heat, increment, production (growth, gestation, activity and lactation)
Energy is usually expressed as DE or ME
Most animals eat to meet their energy requirement
mostly true (usually eat a little more)
Carbs and Lactose Intolerance
No real requirement for carbs
* Cats lack salivary amylase
* Remember, lack of “sweet” receptors
High levels of carbs (esp. sugars, rather than starches) probably not very healthy
Many adult cats are lactose intolerant
Fats
- Given a choice, they will eat a lot of fat
- Cats can handle 50% fat in their diet
- Need at least 9% (of dry matter)
- Free choice 15-20% or more
- Fat affects palatability - adding more fat makes it more pallible (tastes better for cat)
- Excess can cause diarrhea
Protein
- Very high requirement (up to 40%)
- 25-30% usually suggested
- Body doesn’t adjust well to low-protein diets (muscles will start breaking down to get those amino acids)
Arginine
Specific amino acid requirement
* one meal without arginine can be potentially deadly
* not usually a problem, since it is very common (most proteins have it)
“Amino-acid like” substance: Taurine
- Most animals can convert cysteine to taurine (produce their own taurine)
- Cats can’t, so must be present in diet
Deficiency can cause:
* Retinal degeneration (go blind)
* Heart problems
Only present in animal products
Vitamin A
- Other animals can convert beta-carotene to Vit. A (retinol)
- Cats can’t
- Toxicity can occur, esp. if feeding large amounts of liver
Niacin
- Most animals convert amino acid tryptophan to niacin?
- Cats can’t
Thiamin
- Not usually deficient, but anti-thiamin substances occur
- In some raw fish, especially (interferes with thiamin absorption) which can cause thiamin deficiency
Minerals
- 12 known to be required by cats and dogs
- NaCl (salt is very important)
Concern about urolithiasis
* pH of urine can be affected by diet
Remember calcium to phosphorus ratio (esp. with high-meat diets)
Water - the most important nutrient?
Provide cool fresh water throughout the day
* 70% of adult and 75% of young are water
* Serious consequences of dehydration
* Cats don’t sweat
May be a concern when feeding dry diet
“Non-nutritional” feed considerations
Consistency, odor, volume, etc of feces
* Low cost = high defecations
* Digestibility is important
pH of urine (esp. in cats)
* Urolithiasis
Appeal of feed to owner (color, odor, texture)
Appeal of feed to animal (smell)
Dry Food
- 5-12 % moisture
- May have more plant protein
- May have more carbs
Advantages:
* Cheaper
* Less spoilage in dish
* Better for teeth
Wet
- May have more animal protein
- May have less carbs
Disadvantages:
* More expensive - pay for a lot of water
* Spoils more quickly after opening
72-85% moisture
80% of thiamin is lost in canning process, so processor must add extra thiamin
Semi-moist
- Often contains fish products
- 15-30% moisture
Regulatory agency AAFCO
Association of American Feed Control Officials
* Maintains official definitions of feed ingredients
* Regulates labeling terms “Complete and Balanced”, “Nutritious”, etc.
* With meat, must identify species from which meat is derived
How much to feed?
Unlimited access?
* Cats will eat 8-16 small “meals” each day
* Many will overeat, especially with inactivity
Two meals a day can be good
* Limits intake
* Helps to monitor eating habits
* Able to feed each cat differently in multiple cat households
Measures of condition
Body Condition Scores
* Example 1-5
* 1 = emaciated - bones visible
* 3 = ribs and musculature palpable, abdominal tuck visible
* 5 = extremely obese - hard to feel bones
Body Mass Index - proposed
Obesity is very common
Over 60% of cats in US are overweight
Cat “Diet”
Be careful
Restricting food can be dangerous
Hepatic lipidosis - liver disease
Treats and Table Scraps
Commercial diets are formulated to be fed as the sole ration
Can be difficult to feed a balanced diet from table scraps
Limit them
Supplements
- Feed is manufactured to be a complete diet - so get a complete diet
- Probably better to feed a little better feed rather than use supplements
- Over-supplementation can cause problems
Vegetarian Diets
- Difficult to fulfill all nutrient requirements
- ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT for cats
- Cat digestive systems are made to digest animal products, not veggies
- No taurine in vegetarian diet
- Need several supplements
Feeding Old Cats
- Most important to feed high quality proteins
- Energy needs are typically less (maybe 30-40% less)
- Fat levels can be lowered slightly
- Monitor dental health
