Feline Diets

Cats are predominantly carnivorous and get much of their nutrient requirements from animal sources. Their metabolism has special needs, including a demand for protein or carbohydrates to maintain normal blood sugar levels. The daily energy requirement of a 9-pound housecat is about 300 calories. The amino acids taurine, methionine and arginine are also essential to cats.

  1. Carbohydrates and Fats

    • Cats do not have a great need for carbohydrates. Carbohydrates range from none to 30 percent in wet foods, and from 30 percent to 60 percent in dry foods. The main sources of digestible carbohydrates used for felines are maize, rice, wheat, oats, barley, carrots, molasses, peas and potatoes. The required proportion of fats is about 5 percent to 7 percent.The most common source is chicken-based food. Vegetable fat sources are corn, safflower and soybean oil.

    Proteins

    • Cats need much more protein than other domestic mammals do . Experiments have shown that satisfactory growth of kittens is possible only when a protein content is at least 30 percent of the dry weight of the food. Adults need about 26 percent. Common animal protein sources for cats are beef, chicken, poultry meal, dried eggs, fish, fish meal, meat meal and bone meal. Vegetable protein sources can include corn gluten, soy products, dried yeast, flaxseed flour and wheat germ.

    Other Ingredients

    • Cats also need vitamins, mineral elements and trace elements. They also have a high demand for nicotinic acid, methionine and taurine. The amino acid arginine is essential, since it is important for formation of new proteins. Even one arginine-free meal can cause severe hyperammonemia, or excess ammonia in the blood. The symptoms are vomiting, ataxia, hyperesthesia and tetanic convulsions. The arginine requirement of a young cat is 1.1 percent of the dry substance of the feed.

    Vegetarian Diets

    • Non-meat cat foods generally target pet owners who themselves are vegetarians for health reasons, or more often for ethical reasons. Cats themselves are strict carnivores that need specific nutrients (such as taurine, arachidonic acid and vitamins A and B12 and niacin) found in meat and which cannot be obtained in sufficient numbers from plant products. For this reason the Animal Protection Institute does not recommend a strictly vegetarian diet for cats.

    Homemade Food

    • Some owners prefer to prepare their cats' own food. This diet usually contains of meat, raw or cooked, including bones; vegetables; and supplements of taurine and other nutrients. Most homemade foods contain too much protein and phosphorus and not enough calcium, vitamin E or micro-minerals such as copper, zinc and potassium, according to the Merck Vet Manual. The energy value of these schemes is also unbalanced in relation to other nutrients. Homemade cat foods can sometimes be unbalanced in fat and energy, usually containing vegetable oil that is not digested by the cat. The animal will tend to eat less and it will not consume enough calories per day.