Cat Nutrition

Question 1

Obligate Carnivores

Answer 1

• Cats have specific needs: Need to eat animal materials
• cat food is a huge business
• most general food rules still apply

Question 2

Energy and Amount Needed

Answer 2

• Get energy from fats, carbs, proteins
• Most need specific amount of energy (specific amount per day ME)
• Kittens up to 250 kcal a day

Question 3

ME, GE, DE

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Most animals eat to meet their energy requirement

Answer 4

mostly true (usually eat a little more)

Question 5

Carbs and Lactose Intolerance

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Fats

Answer 6

• 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

Question 7

Protein

Answer 7

• 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)

Question 8

Arginine

Answer 8

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)

Question 9

“Amino-acid like” substance: Taurine

Answer 9

• 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

Question 10

Vitamin A

Answer 10

• Other animals can convert beta-carotene to Vit. A (retinol)
• Cats can’t
• Toxicity can occur, esp. if feeding large amounts of liver

Question 11

Niacin

Answer 11

• Most animals convert amino acid tryptophan to niacin?
• Cats can’t

Question 12

Thiamin

Answer 12

• Not usually deficient, but anti-thiamin substances occur
• In some raw fish, especially (interferes with thiamin absorption) which can cause thiamin deficiency

Question 13

Minerals

Answer 13

• 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)

Question 14

Water - the most important nutrient?

Answer 14

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

Question 15

“Non-nutritional” feed considerations

Answer 15

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)

Question 16

Dry Food

Answer 16

• 5-12 % moisture
• May have more plant protein
• May have more carbs

Advantages:
* Cheaper
* Less spoilage in dish
* Better for teeth

Question 17

Wet

Answer 17

• 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

Question 18

Semi-moist

Answer 18

• Often contains fish products
• 15-30% moisture

Question 19

Regulatory agency AAFCO

Answer 19

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

Question 20

How much to feed?

Answer 20

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

Question 21

Measures of condition

Answer 21

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

Question 22

Obesity is very common

Answer 22

Over 60% of cats in US are overweight

Question 23

Cat “Diet”

Answer 23

Be careful
Restricting food can be dangerous
Hepatic lipidosis - liver disease

Question 24

Treats and Table Scraps

Answer 24

Commercial diets are formulated to be fed as the sole ration
Can be difficult to feed a balanced diet from table scraps
Limit them

Question 25

Supplements

Answer 25

• 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

Question 26

Vegetarian Diets

Answer 26

• 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

Question 27

Feeding Old Cats

Answer 27

• 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