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Do you know what’s in your cat’s food? And more importantly, do you know how those nutrients affect your cat’s health, including their muscles, skin, coat and nails, digestion, bone growth and so much more?
As the old adage goes, “You are what you eat,” so it stands to reason that by feeding your cat high-quality ingredients, their overall health will be positively impacted.
So, what’s in your cat’s food? Simply put, cat food nutrients are divided into four subcategories: protein, carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins and minerals. Learn more about each of these — and how they can affect your cat’s health.
Protein is best known for supplying amino acids, or protein subunits, to build hair, skin, nails, muscles, tendons, ligaments and cartilage.
Common cat food protein sources include meat, chicken, fish and some plant ingredients like corn gluten and soybean meal.
Cats and kittens are true carnivores and need essential amino acids. One of these, taurine, is not found in plant protein sources such as soybean meal — which means your cat needs a protein source from meat to stay healthy.
Carbohydrates (also known as starches [sugars]) and fibers provide energy and bulk, respectively. Plants and grains like wheat and corn are common carbohydrate sources.
Starches are made up of various types of sugar, such as glucose or fructose. Through digestion, cats can easily convert sugar into usable energy.
Fiber provides bulk to move food through your cat’s gastrointestinal tract, aiding in healthy digestion. Some types of fiber, such as vegetable gums and beet pulp, are fermented by bacteria in your cat’s intestines, creating short-chain fatty acids that serve as an important source of energy for the cells lining your cat’s intestinal tract.
Though it sometimes gets a bad rap, fat fulfills many vital bodily functions. Fat helps your cat maintain their body temperature, control inflammation and more. It is the primary form of stored energy in the body, providing twice as much energy as carbohydrates or proteins.
Fats are found in meats, fish and plant oils, such as flax and vegetable oils.
Fats also provide omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, which are important fat subunits. Omega-6 fatty acids are essential for skin and coat maintenance and proper membrane structure. Omega-3 fatty acids have also been shown to affect coat quality and skin health.
Nutrition tip: All IAMS™ dry foods contain an optimal ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids to help support a healthy skin and coat.
Vitamins are responsible for promoting bone growth, blood clotting, energy production and oxidant protection in your cat.
Vitamins A, D, E and K require fat for absorption into the body, while vitamins such as the B-complex vitamins and vitamin C need water to be absorbed into the body.
Minerals provide skeletal support and aid in nerve transmission and muscle contractions.
Feeding your cat a high-quality, nutritionally complete diet is crucial. When choosing a cat food, make sure to read the label and look for optimal sources of protein, carbohydrates, fat, and vitamins and minerals. These building blocks will help ensure your cat lives a long and healthy life.
Good nutrition is as important to your cat as it is to you, but her nutritional needs are quite different! Unlike humans, a cat needs a high-fat diet with less fibre. Even if you prefer a vegetarian diet, you should understand that cats are carnivores. They need nutrients from animal protein and fat for optimal health, and they benefit from fibre for a healthy digestive tract and carbohydrates for energy.
With thousands of pet foods available, how do you pick the one that's right for your cat?
Start by identifying the cat's life stage and lifestyle. Kittens, nursing mothers, and mature/senior pets are examples of life stages, and each has different nutritional requirements. All cat foods should state which life stage they are recommended for.
Nutritional needs also vary depending on lifestyle. A cat whose primary activity is guarding the couch doesn't need as much energy as one who likes to spend time roaming outside.
Finally, it is important to take into account any special medical condition your cat may have, including food allergies that might require a special diet recommended by your veterinarian.
Once you know your pet's nutritional needs and your pet's preference, you are ready to go shopping.
Because cats need the nutrients found in animal sources, it’s best to pick a food in which a primary ingredient (one of the first ones listed) is an animal-based protein source such as chicken, lamb, fish, egg, or one of their by-products. These ingredients contain all the essential amino acids, including taurine, which isn’t found in a vegetable-based protein source.
Using a combination of carbohydrates in a diet, such as corn meal or barley and grain sorghum, ensures efficient absorption and helps maintain energy levels. And beet pulp is an excellent fibre source that promotes a healthy digestive tract.
For a soft, thick coat and healthy skin, your pet needs fatty acids like those found in vitamin-rich fish oils and quality fat sources such as chicken.
Cat food labels provide limited information on the nutritional value of your pet's food because labeling regulations do not allow manufacturers to describe the quality of ingredients on the package. A reputable pet food manufacturer can explain to you how they evaluate and assure the quality of their products.
When choosing food, the price on the bag, while important, is usually not the best consideration. A low price may indicate cheap ingredients, or ingredients that change as manufacturer costs fluctuate.
In addition, many lower-priced products have higher daily portions to provide the same amount of nutrition found in a high-quality diet. To get a better idea of cost, it is the cost per feeding, not the total cost, that counts.
