What does a cat eat ?

 

A cat is considered to have a balanced diet when its food sources provide all the nutrients it needs in the right proportions, depending on its physiological condition, physical activity and age. While during their first days of life, kittens are fed with mother's milk, one month later, they reach a phase called weaning during which their body undergoes changes that allow them to digest food. Until the age of one year, their diet must contain more energy and protein than the diet of an adult who, depending on his metabolic state, activity and characteristics, will feed himself in one way or another. In the case of a pregnant female, her food intake must be higher than in a state of non-pregnancy, because she must have reserves and ensure the good growth of the kittens. When the cat gets older, its diet must adapt to this new condition, therefore it is advisable to choose a diet adapted to older cats. If it is a sick cat, an appropriate diet must also be chosen.

What does a cat eat? In this article in The Pretty Pets we discuss the diet of cats and their particularities to explain what cats should eat according to their age and physical condition. Stay with us until the end!

Nutritional needs of cats

What does a kitten eat?

What do pregnant and nursing cats eat?

Adult cat's diet

What does a wildcat eat?

Nutritional needs of cats

A cat's nutritional needs depend on its physical activity, the state of its reproductive system, the environmental conditions in which it finds itself, its age, its health and its metabolism. It is therefore not the same thing to feed a pregnant female, an elderly female suffering from kidney disease, a sterilized cat who does not leave the house or a cat who spends all her time outside. Cats are not dogs and therefore should not be fed as omnivores. The energy contained in the food is expressed in kilocalories (Kcal) and is obtained from the sum of protein, fat and carbohydrates.

Cats are strict carnivores and have high protein requirements (at least 25% of the total diet), as well as taurine, arginine, arachidonic acid, and vitamin A which they obtain from the ingestion of animal tissues. The nutritional needs of cats are therefore divided into :

Protein: This is the most important nutrient. When you're wondering what a cat should eat, protein should be the main ingredient to think about. If we are talking about dry food, it is essential that the cat's diet contains at least 25% protein, ideally around 40%. The percentage of protein is closely related to the amount of food. However, if the cat is fed a natural homemade, frozen or vacuum-packed food, the protein percentages should be around 90-95%, leaving the remaining 5-10% to fruits and vegetables. The latter are optional.

Essential amino acids : The two essential amino acids essential in the diet of felines are arginine and taurine. Arginine is essential for the synthesis of urea and the elimination of ammonia. Its deficiency thus causes an intoxication with ammonia (hyperammonia) which can kill the cat in a few hours. Taurine, although its deficiency takes months to cause damage in the feline organism, can be responsible for cardiac disorders (dilated cardiomyopathy with heart failure), reproductive disorders or degeneration of the retina that can lead to irreversible blindness. These two amino acids are found in meat.

Fat: At least 9% of an adult cat's calories should come from fat, which is present in meat, so ideally, the percentage of fat in a cat's diet should be about 15 to 20%, especially in homemade diets.

Fatty acids: Cats need intakes of fatty acids such as omega-3 and 6, which are essential for the skin, coat, cognitive, cardiovascular and immune systems. In addition, these fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties. These nutrients are also essential for obtaining energy, thermal insulation, protection of internal organs and the transport of fat-soluble vitamins (A,D,E). Omega-3s are provided by fish and crustaceans. However, cats do not have as much capacity as other animals to synthesize the essential fatty acids required by linoleic acid (omega-6). They therefore need an additional supply of arachidonic acid, provided by dry food of animal origin, which shows once again the importance of meat in the cat's diet. The deficiency leads to alopecia, clotting disorders, skin disorders and reproductive disorders in cats.

Carbohydrates: it has been confirmed that it is possible to keep their intake in the diet quite low because the catabolism of proteins allows to cover the glucose needs. The carbohydrates most frequently found in cats' diets are cornstarch, because it is more digestible in this species. However, carbohydrates are not an essential nutrient for cats because they have difficulty transforming them. Cereals should not be added to homemade foods.

Vitamins: Cats need vitamins because they are essential for the maintenance of certain vital functions. Antioxidants (vitamins C, E and Beta-carotene), for example, are necessary to neutralize free radicals that cause cellular damage and are involved in aging. More specifically, vitamin A is very important in cats' vision, the regulation of their cell membranes and the proper development of their teeth and bone mass. Moreover, they can only be obtained from animal tissues, the kidneys and liver being the best sources. However, high amounts of vitamin A can cause hypervitaminosis A by causing lethargy and skeletal problems. The rest of the vitamins such as B-complex, vitamin D and E are added in the cat's diet. The latter synthesize vitamin C themselves.

Minerals: A good cat food is usually supplemented with minerals necessary for the body such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium or trace elements such as copper, iron, manganese, zinc and selenium. In homemade diets, foods already provide the necessary minerals and vitamins provided they are well balanced and well formulated. 

What does a kitten eat?

What does a kitten eat? What does a 1-month-old kitten eat? Newborn kittens obtain antibodies from their mother through colostrum for the first 16 hours of life, then nutrients through breast milk. If the female cat rejects her kittens, sick or weak kittens or simply does not produce milk, they must be fed with milk formulated especially for newborn kittens. The same applies when newborn kittens are found on the street.

Kittens during their first week of life consume about 10 to 20 ml of milk per feeding and to gain 1 gram of weight, they must consume 2.7 grams of milk. It is important to use milk with a formula specially designed for kittens at the beginning before switching to cow's milk because it contains lower levels of protein, fat, calcium and phosphorus. Specifically, cow's milk contains 27% protein, so the 40% provided by the special kitten milk is recommended.

The energetic needs of kittens increase from 130 Kcal/kg per day at 3 weeks, 200 to 220 Kcal/kg per day divided into 4 to 5 feedings per month before reaching a maximum of 250 Kcal/kg per day at the 5th month of age. The energy requirements then decrease to 100 Kcal/kg per day at the age of 10 months.

The natural weaning of kittens generally begins around 4 weeks. At this time, it is possible to promote a solid food by mixing kitten food with water or milk, while gradually reducing the liquid until only the food is dry. At this time, their ability to digest lactose decreases and amylases increase to better digest the starch in the food. Thus, at about 6 weeks of age, when kittens consume 20 grams of dry food per day, they are completely weaned and need more Kcal than an adult cat because they need three times more energy. If you plan to offer them a homemade diet, you should also introduce the food gradually until their mother rejects them completely.

It is important to respect the natural rhythm of separation because it is with those around him (mother and siblings) that a kitten begins to receive his first lessons and begins the socialization period.

What do pregnant and nursing cats eat?

A cat's gestation period lasts a maximum of 9-10 weeks and its energy needs increase each week, requiring at the end of gestation a 25% increase in maintenance energy needs, i.e. about 100 kcal ME / kg per day. In addition, the consumption of fat is important to accumulate the reserves that the cat will need during the last weeks of gestation, since the weight gain will go to the kittens and nursing. In total, a pregnant cat gains 40% more than her normal weight, and loses 20% after delivery, while the remaining weight will disappear during lactation. She may even become thinner than she was before, because her diet during lactation will cover between 80 and 85% of her needs, the rest being provided by the cat from her reserves.

Depending on the size of the litter, the energy needs will more or less increase. As they will always be higher than the maintenance needs, during pregnancy and lactation, it is a good idea to feed the cat with a food formulated for kittens because of the high energy content it has. Once the lactation process is over, if the cat is at her weight and has energy, she will return to a diet appropriate for adult cats. Let's see below what the diet of adult cats is and what type of food is available.

Adult cat's diet

What does an adult domestic cat eat? The energy needs of adult cats vary considerably. For example, 60 Kcal/day is enough for a domestic cat with little activity. If it is neutered and if it is a calm cat, these needs can drop to 45 Kcal/day, if it is active, they rise to 75 Kcal/day. Age must also be taken into account, because young cats tend to expend more energy and therefore their needs are higher than older cats.

Neutered cats have more appetite but their energy needs are lower. Therefore, if no change in diet is made during the year following castration, cats can be 30% overweight, because the excess energy consumed accumulates in the form of fat in the body, in other words, many castrated cats can become overweight. In these cats, energy consumption should be reduced by 14 to 40% and give about 50 Kcal/kg/day. It is also advisable to give a specific food for neutered cats or to make a homemade food with the help of a veterinarian specialized in nutrition.

As cats get older, they may suffer from various diseases such as renal insufficiency, diabetes or hyperthyroidism, requiring an adequate diet. In addition, due to the increase in free radicals responsible for the aging process, foods rich in antioxidants, such as vitamin C and E, can be administered. The energy content of the food should not increase due to the low activity of older cats, while it is necessary to increase protein intake, decrease phosphorus and foods that acidify the urine to prevent kidney disease.

How to feed a cat?

After having seen what cats should eat and what their nutritional needs are, what foods can we give them? A cat's diet can be classified into three types:

Wet food ;

Dry food ;

Homemade food.

If you don't know what to feed your cat or if you have doubts about the nutritional balance, the best way to feed your cat is to use dry and wet food by alternating these two options while keeping in mind that they must be of good quality. As we said before, meat should be the main ingredient, so it is important to read the labels of the cat food before buying it. In this article, we will help you choose the best wet cat food.

Cats are animals that prefer to eat several light meals throughout the day rather than two large meals. For this reason, in this species, it is preferable that they always have food available and that they distribute their wet food ration in several intakes. Similarly, cats prefer fresh, moving water, which is why they prefer to drink from a tap or spring rather than from a cup.

Homemade food, on the other hand, has different advantages over industrial food. These advantages include the ability to choose products and ensure that the cat receives the intake of each nutrient it needs, especially meat. However, it is advisable to keep in mind the other nutrients already mentioned above. It is therefore necessary to add other nutrients. In addition, it is also preferable to avoid raw food, unless it has been frozen and thawed beforehand, because it may contain parasites or micro-organisms that can make your cat sick. In this case, it is preferable to distribute the food in four daily intakes. Once again, we remind you that it is important to inform and consult a veterinarian to establish a homemade diet specific to your cat's needs.

What does a feral cat eat?

Wild cats naturally eat any prey they have access to, such as lizards, rodents, birds or any other small animal. These prey provide them with all the necessary nutrients we mentioned above in addition to an equally high level of water.

Urban cats, on the other hand, failing to hunt more difficult prey, search in containers or garbage cans for food or from people who feed them, whether individual cats or colonies of cats. This term refers to the structuring of cats in groups in a very specific location where they have space to shelter and people to feed them. In addition, animal welfare organizations help these colonies by providing food, shelter, care and also collaborate in their sterilization to avoid uncontrolled reproduction that could lead to public health and ecological problems and be found with other animals such as certain populations of wild birds. The great advantage of cat colonies is to avoid the spread of parasites from rats and other animals that can transmit various diseases to humans.

Although many people think that the life of a feral cat is fuller than that of a domestic cat, feral cats tend to live a much more precarious life, more exposed to various diseases, bad weather conditions and food shortages. As a result, these cats have a shorter life expectancy and quality of life, generally not reaching the age of 9 years, whereas domestic cats, whose nutritional needs are covered and benefiting from veterinary care, can reach 18 to 20 years of age. This is why it is so important to know what cats eat and to know all the information about your cat's diet.