Is Salt in Cat Food Good or Bad?

Your cat needs certain minerals in his diet, including sodium and chloride, which are most commonly found in table salt. A small amount of salt is good for him, necessary for his body to function normally, but too much is bad and can cause or exacerbate some medical issues. To keep Morris healthy, feed him a commercial cat food specially formulated to meet his nutrient requirements. Such a diet contains a healthy amount of salt.

  1. Purpose of Salt in Diet

    • Your kitty's body needs sodium, a vital electrolyte, to maintain his nerve and muscle cell function, according to the Iams website. Your cat's body also uses sodium to keep his blood pressure and his blood volume at healthy levels, according to petMD. Along with meats, one of the main sources of dietary sodium is table salt, which contains both sodium and chloride. Sodium helps the body transport nutrients to your cat's cells and to remove waste products, while chloride helps to maintain his body's acid and alkali balance. Combined, these ingredients help to balance the fluid levels inside and outside your kitty's cells, according to PetEducation.com.

    Salt Requirements of Cats

    • Feeding profiles created through scientific research and testing by the Association of American Feed Control Officials declare proper amounts of nutrients cats need in their diets to maintain optimal health. These profiles state that your cat's food needs to contain a minimum of 0.2 percent sodium and 0.3 percent chloride, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Any commercial cat food that adheres to the AAFCO's requirements contains the amount of salt necessary to meet these minimums. Most cat foods contain more salt than needed to meet these minimums, but in amounts that cats tolerate well, Iams asserts. As a rule, the National Research Council recommends that a cat shouldn't get more than 42 mg of sodium per day in his diet.

    Salt Imbalances

    • Some salt intake is considered good for your kitty, vital to his health in the correct amounts. Without enough salt in his diet, your cat could experience lethargy, confusion, vomiting, seizures or even coma, warns petMD. On the other hand, if your cat has too much salt in his system, he may experience similar symptoms, along with increased thirst or blindness, warns PetEducation.com. This means too much salt in the diet is bad and even potentially fatal. If you notice any of these symptoms, get your kitty to the vet right away for treatment.

    Considerations

    • If your cat suffers from an illness that can affect his body's sodium or chloride levels, such as diabetes, kidney, heart or liver disease, he may need a special therapeutic veterinary diet that contains less salt in it than other types of cat food. Smay be listed as sodium chloride or sodium in your cat's food ingredients. Always provide your cat with a bowl of fresh water at all times to prevent dehydration. Dehydration can raise the amounts of sodium and chloride in Morris' body to unhealthy levels, warns the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.