Cat food is food to be consumed by cats. Cats have special requirements for their food nutrition. Certain nutrients, including many vitamins and amino acids, are degraded by the temperature, pressure and chemical treatments used during manufacture, and hence should be added after manufacture to avoid nutritional deficiencies. Amino acid taurine, for example, found in meat, is degraded during processing, so synthetic taurine is usually added thereafter. Long-term deficiency of taurine can lead to retinal degeneration, loss of vision, and heart attack.
Video Cat food
History
The idea of ​​preparing a special meal for a cat comes later than for a dog (see dog biscuits and dog food). This may be because of the idea that cats can easily defend themselves. In 1837, a French writer Mauny de Mornay criticized this idea:
It's... wrong thinking that cats, not eating, hunting better and picking up more mice; this is also a big mistake. The unborn cat is weak and sickly; as soon as he bites a mouse, he lies down to rest and sleep; while being fed well, he awakens and satisfies his natural taste in the pursuit of all that the rat family has.
In 1844, other French writers expanded this idea:
Usually in that country there is no care taken from cat food, and he is left alive, it is said, from his hunt, but when he is hungry, he hunts the supply of pantry far more than mice; because he did not pursue them and never paid attention to them with needs, but with instinct and interest. So, ignoring feeding a cat is to make it equally useless and dangerous, while with some residual regularly and properly administered, the cat will never do any damage, and will make many services.
He goes on to say that it's all more absurd to expect cats to live off the hunt in cats that take more mice for entertainment than eating: "A good cat takes a lot and eats a bit".
In 1876, Gordon Stables emphasized the need to give cat a certain food:
If then, just to make (cat) more valuable as a pest killer, he must have a regular and sufficient food. A cat should be fed at least twice a day. Let her have a dish for herself, place her, and be removed when the food is finished. Experience is the best teacher in terms of cat food quantity, and in quality let it vary. Oatmeal and milk slurries, or white bread soaked in warm milk, which little sugar has been added, both are excellent breakfasts for cats; and for dinner he must have an allowance. Boiled lights are better for him than horse meat, and sometimes let him have fish. Teach your cat to wait patiently until he is served - a spoiled cat is almost as unpleasant as a spoiled child. If you want to have a nice and clean cat, treat him now and then to a square inch of fresh butter. It not only acts as a gentle laxative, but, the fat, combines in its mouth, with its saliva alkalinity, forms a kind of natural cat soap, and you will see it will soon start to wash itself, and be pretty clean. (NB - wants to have a cat that looks beautiful to display, touch her whole body with a sponge dipped in fresh cream, when she licks herself that the effect is amazing.)
Remember that too much meat, especially the liver, - which should only be given occasionally, - is perfect for causing difficult diarrhea (leeway). Do not give your pet too many tit-bits on the table; but whatever you give him, never let him have two regular meals.
That same year, the ad for Spratt (better known as a dog food maker) says that their cat food completely replaces "the practice of eating unhealthy horse meat, keeping the cat healthy." And, in another book about cats, Stables recommends company food:
Follow the feeding, and, on more than one day event, the cat should have water and milk. I think the lights are boiled, cut into small pieces, with small portions of liver and drenched beef, are the best food; but I have tried Spice's's Patent Cat Food with a large number of cats, both myself and my friends, and almost always agree; and at the cat show, I'm sure, will be useful and clean.
Spratt, who started off by making dog biscuits, also seems to be the first commercial producer of cat food.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, meat for cats and dogs in London, often horse meat, was sold from carts (carts) by a traveling trader known as the Cats of the Meat Man.
Maps Cat food
Natural diet
Cats are carnivorous - that is, they are true carnivores and depend on the nutrients found in animal flesh for their dietary needs. Even pet cats will enjoy the meat that has just been killed from rodents, rabbits, amphibians, birds, reptiles and fish, but cats are also opportunistic feeders and will easily take cooked food and dry cat food when offered, if the food is good. Therefore, the natural diet of cats does not cover any vegetable matter, although cats have been known to eat certain plants and grasses occasionally, usually as vomit.
Cats can not synthesize some of the essential nutrients needed for survival, including amino acid taurine and arginine, so these nutrients must be sourced from fresh meat in natural foods. Cats do not have specific physiology to efficiently extract nutrients from vegetable materials, and require a high protein diet, which is why high-energy meat from newly killed prey is the optimal food.
Commercial cat food
Most of the shop-bought cat food comes in dry form, also known in the US as a kibble, or a can of wet cans. Some manufacturers sell frozen raw foods and premix products to serve raw-feeding owners.
Dried food
Dry food (8-10% moisture) is generally made by cooking extrusion under high heat and pressure. Fats can then be sprayed on food to improve palatability, and other small ingredients, such as heat-sensitive vitamins, which will be destroyed in the extrusion process, can be added. Dry foods are most often packaged in multi-wall paper bags, sometimes with a plastic film coating; bag styles similar to laminate or coextrusion films are also used.
Wet food
In the United States, canned or wet foods (75-78% moisture) are generally available in aluminum or steel cans in 3 oz (85 g), 5.5 oz (156 g), and 13 oz (369 g) sizes. It is also sold in the form of a foil pouch.
Vegetarian or vegan food
Although cats are carnivorous, there are vegetarian and vegan cat foods available. Vegetarian cat foods should be enriched with nutrients such as taurine and arachidonic acid that can not be synthesized by cats from plant material. Some vegetarian cat food brands in the United States are labeled by their manufacturers as meeting the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrition Profile.
Low protein
Low-protein diets are not as popular as consumers than high-protein diets. Low-protein diets are often associated with kidney-care formulas and other prescribed therapeutic diets.
Raw food
Eating raw is providing raw material for cats. Most foods will consist of animal based ingredients, although fruits, vegetables and supplements are often added. Commercial raw food is mainly sold in three formats: fresh, frozen and freeze dried. Dilution and rehydration are required before feeding frozen and freeze-dried foods. Many of the commercially available foods are AAFCO certified in meeting the nutritional requirements of cats. Some diets can be formulated for all stages of life or they can also be given AAFCO for adult care and growth and pregnancy/lactation. Many people feed their raw cat food in the belief that it mimics the diet of prey consumed by wild cats. People who believe in raw diets report that they bring health benefits such as glossy coats, cleaner teeth, better immunity, energy and body odor to their cats, although there is no scientific evidence to prove this claim.
Commercial raw diets can undergo High Pressure Pasteurization (HPP), a process that kills bacteria and pathogens, including salmonella, using high water pressure. This technique is approved by the USDA and allows raw food to remain raw while greatly enhancing safety and shelf life. However, every year, many commercial pet foods are recalled due to various bacterial contamination, implying that raw feeding comes with risk.
Weight management
Weight control means ensuring a balance of energy: energy equals out energy. The weight gain means more energy consumed than spent in exercise and other functions. The weight management diet is designed to allow fewer calories to be consumed in larger food volumes, resulting in less risk of energy imbalances. But cats need to exercise enough too.
Adult cats should be fed a diet that has been formulated for maintenance, while at the same time should be fed according to preference and body condition. Cats generally prefer to eat smaller meals more often, which tend to lead to less weight compared to cats that are given free-choice food. Meanwhile, some cats adapt to free choice feeding and can maintain normal weight, without weight gain. In general, home cats have fewer opportunities or need to exercise than outside cats; so indoor cats are much more susceptible to weight gain. For indoor cats, there are various options to promote sports, including a variety of cat toys designed to stimulate chasing and playing behavior. Overall, if an adult cat can not maintain a normal body condition on a free-choice eating diet, despite exercise levels, a portion-controlled meal is recommended. Many pet cats are given energy-dense foods, high carbohydrate diets, which provide more energy than is needed. This is a big problem with indoor cats as it has been shown to cause obesity. To prevent cats becoming overweight, owners should be more inclined to apply a weight control diet, which provides cats with nutrient-dense and low-energy substances. Research shows that cats who eat low-energy foods have significantly reduced the incidence of obesity, because ordinary indoor cats do not need more energy than their rest energy needs. For regular cats weighing 10-11 pounds (about 5 kg), they will have a breaking energy requirement of 180-200 kcal/day.
Along with energy input and output, specific nutrients can be important in a weight control diet. Fiber is one of the important components in weight control, with many benefits. The source of soluble and fermented fiber helps increase digesta movement through the intestines and reduces gastric emptying. This helps increase satiety in cats, potentially lowering feeding rates and voluntary energy consumption. Fermentable fibers promote healthy mucosa and commensal bacterial growth, and improve nutrient digestion/absorption. Prebiotic fibers such as fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and mannonoligosaccharides (MOS) decrease the number of pathogenic bacteria and increase the number of beneficial bacteria in the gut. They also help maintain a healthy balance of microbes and healthy immune systems. Fibers are fermented in the colon to produce short chain fatty acids that can be used as an energy source. The fermented fibers have been shown to improve general health and reduce inflammation. Furthermore, non-fermentable fibers are essential for the formation of well-formed feces, and have been known to increase the mass diet while reducing caloric density. Insoluble fiber has been proposed to regulate appetite by releasing hormones that reduce hunger. Commonly added fiber sources in heavy cat management foods include bits of pulp, barley, psyllium and cellulose.
Other important nutrients for diet control are proteins and amino acid components. Felines, carnivorous, require a strict diet of animal products consisting of protein and fat (ie muscle, animal organ and tissue). Food proteins supply amino acids that can be utilized and metabolized as energy above the fat when administered, although proteins are not stored in the body in the same way as fat. Dietary fats are more efficiently converted into body fat than proteins; If an animal consumes more than its energy needs and if excess energy is provided by fat, more weight will be obtained than if the excess calories come from the protein. Dietary protein also improves satiety during meals, which results in a decrease in excessive consumption of food. Protein content of the diet is a key factor in building and maintaining lean body mass (muscle), which is an important aspect of weight control. The maintenance of lean body mass is regulated by protein intake, but more importantly regulated by exercise. Protein and amino acids are limited in the diet will limit the growth of lean body mass, but exercise or lack of exercise will allow growth or muscle shrinkage. Successful weight control involves maintaining a healthy level of adipose tissue, but the most important is the maintenance of lean body mass. Lean muscle is the driver of basal energy metabolism and helps in energy use. When sufficient levels of fat are provided, the fat will be used by the body as an energy source, but only if the protein level is not sufficient.
The most important amino acid that contains weight loss/weight control is L-carnitine. It is a vitamin-like substance found in animal protein, and is the only form found in nature as well as the only biologically active form. It can be found in ingredients commonly used in commercial pet foods, but specifically weight management/weight loss diets. L-carnitine is involved in many biological pathways, more specifically the metabolism of fatty acids, allowing conversion of long chain fatty acids into energy. The introduction of L-carnitine ensures rapid transport and fatty acid oxidation as well as the efficient use of fatty acids and proteins. Supplemental L-carnitine is used more frequently in weight loss diets, as its benefits mainly involve fatty acid metabolism to control weight loss. However, since weight control, in essence, is a preventative stage in overall weight management, it still has value in a weight control diet in preserving and building lean body mass and inhibiting the storage of excess fat. The majority of studies focusing on the use of L-carnitine additionally see its benefits for weight loss, including its effects on metabolic rates and fatty acid oxidation. At the same time, the study is still showing similar results that prove their effects controlling fatty acid metabolism to control weight, to avoid the need for weight loss diets.
Packaging and labeling
In the United States, cat food labeled "complete and balanced" should meet the standards set by the American Association of Feed Controlers (AAFCO) either by fulfilling the nutritional profile or by passing the feeding trials. Nutrition Profile Cat Food was established in 1992 and updated in 1995 by the Feline AAFCO Nutrition Subcommittee. The updated profile replaces the previous recommendation set by the National Research Council (NRC). Certain manufacturers label their products with terms such as premium, ultra premium, natural and holistic. Such terms do not currently have legal definitions. However, "Although most of the food supplied comes from within the US, the FDA ensures that standards are met within our borders even when components come from countries with lower levels of security or label integrity."
Dry cat food (kibble) is most often packed in multi-wall paper bags, sometimes with a plastic film layer; bag styles similar to laminate or coextrusion films are also used. Wet cat food is often packaged in aluminum cans or steel cans. The packaging regulations for cat food are often very similar to the rules related to human food.
Energy requirements
The energy requirements for adult cats range from 60-70 kcal of impetable energy/kg body weight (BB) per day for inactive cats up to 80-90 kcal/kg BW for active cats. Kitten at the age of five weeks requires 250 kcal/kg body weight. Needs go down with age, up to 100 kcal/kg BW at 30 weeks and for adult needs about 50 weeks. Breastfeeding cats require about 90-100 kcal/kg body weight, up to 1.5 times more energy required for normal adult maintenance. Breastfeeding cats require 90-270 kcal/kg BW depending on the size of the litter and they require between 2 and 2.5 times the energy required for normal adult maintenance.
Nutrition and functions
Vitamin deficiency can lead to extensive clinical abnormalities that reflect the diversity of their metabolic roles. Twelve minerals are known as essential nutrients for cats. Calcium and phosphorus are essential for strong bones and teeth. Cats need other minerals, such as magnesium, potassium, and sodium, for the transmission of nerve impulses, muscle contractions, and cell signaling. Many minerals are present only in small amounts in the body, including selenium, copper, and molybdenum, acting as aids in various enzymatic reactions.
The table below lists the AAFCO nutrition profile for cat food along with the role of vitamins and minerals in cat nutrition according to the National Research Council.
Diet and illness
Further information: Cat skin disorders
Many nutrients can cause various deficiency symptoms in cats, and the skin is a vital organ susceptible to dietary changes in minerals, proteins, fatty acids, and vitamins A and B. Lack of diet of cats in their skin through the excess or insufficiency of oil production, and skin toughness. It produces dandruff, redness, hair loss, oily skin, and reduces hair growth.
Skin and coat diet
Good overall nutrition is required along with a balanced diet. If the problem with layers that look oily and dull or peeling skin appears, this could be a sign of a larger internal problem. It is possible that cats are not getting the right amount of proper nutrition in their diet. This can be seen more commonly with cats who eat foods that have worse quality.
Zinc
Zinc's connection to the skin and the health coat is due to its effect on the regulation of cell metabolism. Zinc also supports proper immune function and appropriate activity in the inflammatory response. Deficiency causes poor skin disorders and immune function. When zinc is added in the diet, the skin will decrease. Food sources include poultry, red meat, and eggs.
Copper
One of the many functions of copper is to assist in the production of connective tissue and melanin pigment. Deficiencies in the copper diet are also associated with collagen abnormalities, skin hypopigmentation, and alopecia. Sources for cats include liver and supplements in the form of copper sulfate and copper oxide.
Selenium
Selenium works with vitamin E as an antioxidant to treat free radicals that damage the body and skin. Selenium also plays a role with other antioxidants to help maintain cell membranes that provide further protection from free radicals that cause oxidative stress. Oxidative stress plays a role in the development of skin diseases. Natural selenium sources of diets occur in selenometionin and tuna.
Fatty Acids
Fatty acids are an important part of the cat diet, some more important than others with respect to the cat diet and these are known as essential fatty acids. Essential fatty acids are nutrients that can not be produced by cats at all or in sufficient quantities to achieve their needs. There are 3 essential fatty acids that should be included in the diet of the cat and they are: Alfa-Linolenic Acid, Linoleic Acid, and Arachidonic Acid. Alpha-Linolenic acid is an essential Omega-3 fatty acid for cats as it helps maintain their skin water barrier. Since the water barrier is important for cat skin, a high ingredient in Alpha-Linolenic acid, such as flaxseed, should be included in the cat's diet. Other Omega-3 sources are in fish oil, however, higher in Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) which can be important for cats because they have anti-inflammatory properties. Linoleic acid is an example of Omega-6 fatty acids that also help the health of cat skin by maintaining the integrity of its epithelial tissue. Linoleic acid is commonly found in vegetable oils, a material commonly used as a source of Linoleic acid is sunflower oil. Arachidonic acid is also important for cats because they can not make it from linoleic acid because of the absence of the Delta 6 desaturase enzyme. It is important for their skin for the same reason as Linoleic acid and can be found in materials such as animal fat.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is an important nutritional component in the maintenance of skin health and cat hair. In addition to many other functions, vitamin A plays an important role in keratinization of skin, hair and nails as well as helps in the development of various epithelial tissues throughout the body. Cells that form epithelial tissue of the skin, respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts rely on vitamin A to successfully complete the mitosis process in order to maintain these tissues and repair any damage. Respiratory and gastrointestinal epithelial respiratory cells also specifically require vitamin A to successfully produce a special protein called a mucoprotein that helps in maintaining the health of these tissues. Unlike most other mammals, cats are unique because they can not convert B-carotene into vitamin A and therefore explicitly require the active form of vitamin A found only in animal products. This difference in metabolism is caused by low levels of B-carotene enzyme activity 15, 15 'dioxygenase in cat species. The nutritional profile developed by AAFCO currently suggests a minimum of 3332 IU/kg of vitamin A on the basis of dry ingredients included in the adult diet and 6668 IU/kg in a growing kitten diet as well as pregnant or lactating female cats. Common ingredients that help to incorporate proper vitamin A levels into the cat diet include various types of liver as well as fish oil.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is an essential nutrient that needs to be included in the diet of cats to protect the lipid component in cell membranes from various tissues in the body. Vitamin E is able to achieve this through work with selenium and acts as an antioxidant to prevent free radicals interacting with these fatty acid membrane components, thereby reducing oxidative stress levels. This is very important in the skin because various oxidative environmental components can have a very destructive effect if not protected by vitamin E. The nutritional profile developed by AAFCO currently suggests inclusion of minimum dry matter of 40 IU/kg of vitamin E in a cat diet at all stages of development. Lipid metabolism is also a major contributor to free radicals, leading to increased dietary requirements of vitamin E because the levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the diet increases. Ingredients such as wheat germ and certain plant oils contain large amounts of active vitamin E and are usually added to a carefully stored feline diet to prevent oxidative damage to vitamin E before it is consumed.
Vitamin B
Biotin
Biotin can be provided in a cat's diet through the addition of cooked eggs, liver, milk, peas or peanuts. Microorganisms that live in the cat's digestive tract are also able to synthesize and provide an alternative source of biotin if proper nutrition requirements are met. Its main function in metabolism is to operate as a coenzyme for important carboxylation reactions throughout the body 1 but has also been shown to assist in the management of certain skin diseases in cats. Biotin is recommended by AAFCO to be included in the feline diet at a minimum level of 0.07 mg/kg in a dry matter basis at all stages of development.
Vitamin C
Unlike humans, cats can use simple sugars of glucose and galactose in a special pathway that occurs in the liver, known as the glucuronate pathway. This pathway ultimately produces the active form of vitamin C and maintains it at an adequate level, therefore it is not necessary to be separately included in their diet.
A low protein therapeutic diet and its relationship to the kidney
A low-protein therapeutic diet has been adopted by a number of large pet food manufacturers with the goal of supporting kidney health for cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Chronic kidney disease or CKD is a very common condition in the cat population and is most common in older and older cats. It has been shown that the lifetime of cats with CKD can be extended for 2 years when receiving a therapeutic diet rather than a routine maintenance diet. The normal function of the kidneys is to control the normal fluid balance and remove waste products from blood to urine. One of the biggest concerns associated with CKD is reducing the amount of stress put on the kidneys to process and remove nitrogen waste from the body. Low-protein diets are a good choice for cats who experience CKD because it decreases the amount of nitrogen waste in the body that helps to relieve the pressure given to the kidneys. Nitrogen waste is produced by the body when the amino acids obtained from protein digestion are metabolized to produce energy. The exact level of protein required for a therapeutic CKD diet is unclear, since adequate protein is required for maintenance while still offering a lower nitrogen level for the kidneys.
Low-protein diets can be formulated as wet or dry foods, with the main difference being moisture content. This diet is specially formulated to support the kidneys and urinary tract and also to help prevent the development of CKD. There are certain dietary parameters followed by this diet over low protein such as low phosphorus, high energy density, higher fat content and the inclusion of omega-3 fatty acids to help the kidneys in different ways. Formulating a diet to have low phosphorus is important because limiting amounts in the diet has been shown to decrease the development of CKD. The reason why plasma phosphorus concentrations should be kept low for a low protein therapeutic diet is because phosphorus can be deposited onto soft tissues and become mineralized which can cause kidney damage. Formulating this diet with higher amounts of fat is important to ensure this food is delicious in the absence of protein and increase calorie intake. Higher fat content will also save the use of protein for energy and help reduce stress on the kidneys. These include higher fat content also increases the energy density of foods that are important for cats with decreased appetite. Omega-3 fatty acids are included in the therapeutic diet because of their anti-inflammatory properties to help the sick kidneys.
Low protein diet and its relationship to the heart
Low-protein diets should not be administered to cats with a liver condition known as hepatic encephalopathy because severe protein restriction can harm animals with this condition. Cats with this condition should be fed with a high-quality protein source that has sufficient amounts of amino acid taurine and arginine.
High energy diet
High energy diets are generally high in fat. Compared to carbohydrates and proteins, fat provides more energy, at 8.5 kcal/g. High-energy diets generally have a fat content greater than 20% on a dry matter basis. High-energy diets are suitable for growing cats, recovering from illness, pregnancy or lactation, because their energy needs are higher than vice versa. A breastfeeding or breastfeeding cat requires a nutritious and highly digestible diet to withstand the high levels of stress placed in the body. This condition is found in cat foods that are formulated for growth, performance, or high energy during all stages of life.
To maintain a neutral energy balance and thus maintain weight, energy intake should increase with energy expenditure. Studies that link the amount of food offered to cats per day to their daily activity levels have shown conflicting results. It has been shown that cats offer four meals a day or a random amount of food each day has the same energy level, greater than those given only one meal per day. It has been postulated that this increase in energy levels can be attributed to increased activity before feeding, known as food anticipation activities. Other studies on female cats have found that increasing the daily amount of food can actually lower their daily activity levels. Age, gender, and whether cats are intact or have been sterilized/castrated are all factors that control activity levels.
As cat's age increases, there is evidence that their metabolic energy requirements may increase, especially after 12 or 13 years of age, but other evidence suggests that the metabolic energy requirements are not different at different ages. Further, it has been shown that cats over the age of 12 are more likely to be thinner than younger cats, so a high-calorie diet may be appropriate to treat weight loss, and thus maintain an appropriate body condition score. Weight loss can occur when the cat releases more energy but does not increase its food intake. It has also been shown that when the age of cats, they are less able to digest and thus absorb fat and dietary protein.
Pregnancy and lactation is a heavy period in female cats. During pregnancy cats should get 38% of their weight at the time they are ready to give birth. It is recommended that the cat's diet should contain 4000 kcal per day during pregnancy; during breastfeeding it is recommended that the cat consume 240 - 354 kcal/ME/kg body weight. Studies show that increasing food intake for pregnant animals to help gain weight can have negative effects. It is recognized that instead of increasing intake, feeding high energy-dense foods is a way of ensuring that the female cat, or queen, receives sufficient energy and meets the nutritional requirements met.
It has been found that nutritional support is consistent with the need for break energy (RER) immediately after surgery or the onset of the disease decreases mortality and length of hospitalization in cats. A recovered cat needs enough energy (calories), as well as more protein and fat. Critical care diets are formulated to be very tasty and easy to digest, as well as high energy density. This limits the mass of food needed for consumption to meet the RER. This type of high-energy diet proves to be very important in the nutritional support of post operative and sick cat.
vegan and vegetarian diet
Vegetarian or vegan cat food has been available for years, and is targeted primarily to vegan and vegetarian pet owners. Although a small percentage of owners choose such a diet based on perceived health benefits, the majority do so because of ethical issues. However, most vegans who feed their cats the vegan diet believe that a vegetarian diet is healthier than a conventional diet. There is much controversy about feeding a vegetarian diet cat. Although there is anecdotal evidence that cats do well with vegetarian food, the study of vegetarian and homemade cat food has found nutritional deficiencies.
As carnivorous birds require, cats need nutrients (including arginine, taurine, arachidonic acid, vitamin A, vitamin B12 and niacin) found in meat sources. Plant sources do not contain enough of this. Pet food companies are trying to remedy this deficiency by adding synthetically produced nutrients. According to the National Research Council of the United States, "Cats need special nutrients, not special feed ingredients."
Cats that eat a vegan diet can develop abnormal urine (high pH) because the plant protein is more alkaline than the meat-based diet that the cat has eaten to eat. When urine becomes too alkaline, there is an increased risk of struvite bladder crystallization (also known as magnesium ammonium phosphate) and/or stone. Calcium oxalate stones may also occur if urine is too acidic. Such stones can create irritation and urinary tract infections and require animal care.
Organizations advocating a vegan or vegetarian diet for people have separated opinions about vegetarian or vegan cat foods. International Vegetarian Union, Vegan Society, and PETA are some organizations that support vegan or vegetarian diets for cats. But the Vegetarian Society recommends that people "consider carefully" and that many cats will not adapt to the vegetarian diet. They provide a list of necessary nutrients that need to be added, and recommend that those who wish to try should consult a vet or animal nutritionist. The Animal Protection Institute also does not recommend a vegetarian diet for cats, and warns that food deficiency can take months or years to develop and may not be treatable. They do not recommend relying on supplements, as they may not contain the necessary co-factors and enzymes that have not been studied for long-term implications. The animal welfare organization, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, despite suggesting an additional vegetarian diet for dogs, recommends vegetarian and vegan diets for cats. The Veterinary Association for Animal Rights (now the Veterinary Association of Humane Communities) accepts that the plant-based diet is nutritionally adequate, but it was stated in August 2006 that such a diet "can not currently be reliably credible". This position is based on a 2004 study demonstrating that of both commercially available vegetarian cat diets tested against AAFCO standards is inadequate nutrition. Formulation errors in one of these diets are identified and corrected quickly. Nevertheless, it is still possible that formulation errors will result in nutritional deficiencies in commercially available foods over time, whether based on meat, vegetarian or vegan. Therefore, regular (at least, annual) animal examination of all companion animals is recommended, and the brand sometimes varies.
Even when sufficiently coupled, vegetarian diets can pose other risks, such as urinary acidity problems. Although there are anecdotal reports linking a vegetarian diet with urinary tract problems, no documented case or study reports. One vegan cat food manufacturer has stated that "due to the relative acidity of meat to vegetable protein, some vegan cats suffer [urinary tract problems]." A quarter of cat owners who feed their cats a vegetarian diet see lower urinary tract disease as a health risk of such a diet.
In 2006, the first research on the health of long-term vegetarian cat populations was published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Most cats are fed a commercially available vegan diet, although 35% are allowed outdoors. The study consisted of 32 cats caregiver telephone questionnaires, and analysis of blood samples from several cats. Blood samples were tested for taurine deficiency and cobalamin. Levels of cobalamin are normal in all cats. Taurine levels were low in 3 of the 17 cats tested, but not low enough to be considered clinically less. 97% of caregivers consider their cats healthy, including those with low taurine levels.
The formulation of a vegan diet of sufficiently nutritious cats has limitations. Recurrent errors during formulation include inadequate protein, calcium and phosphorus contents, along with an unbalanced calcium to phosphorus ratio out of the ideal range of 0.9: 1 to 1.1: 1. This is in addition to the deficiency of taurine, arachidonic acid, sodium, vitamin A, vitamin B12, and also trace minerals.
The reasons for this important dietary nutrient can be found in the physiology section of the Cat page.
The content of protein and fat in the vegan cat diet can be offset by the inclusion of tofu and yeast. Over the counter vitamin and mineral supplementation in some cases may not meet nutritional requirements, as they come in varying amounts. Because the vegan diet comes primarily from plant sources, some vitamins and minerals may be lacking, as plant sources do not provide sufficient quantities. For example, plant material does not provide an established vitamin A that can not be synthesized by a cat, therefore supplementation is required. As mentioned earlier, arginine is a cat dietary requirement, as it plays an important role in body function (see the physiology section on the Cat page). Some vegan cat foods that provide arginine, are pumpkin seeds, almonds, soy flour, lentils, and oat flakes (see table 1). [1] Arachidonic acid added to cat food usually comes from animal sources. In the vegan cat diet, arachidonic acid can be added by introducing algae or seaweed biomass; but too much seaweed can be detrimental, as it contains enough selenium to become toxic. The source of vitamin D3, lanolin, the constituent of sheep's wool, is often used to provide the vitamin. However, since the animal origin will not be suitable for additional use in the vegan cat diet so it takes the synthetic form of vitamin D3. Vegan Vitamin D3 can be synthesized by combining lichen, chicory extract and chamomile extract. Some vegan sources with high niacin content are yeast, wheat, wheat flour, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds from Brewer. AAFCO requires cat food to have 60Ã, mg niacin per kg of cat food with a base of dry ingredients. Taurine can be synthesized or can be obtained in foods by eating animal sources for food or algae. For cats, taurine is an essential amino acid because they can not synthesize it from the amino acid methionine or cysteine; so they should get it endogenously. Simply synthetic taurine should be added to the vegan cat diet, since plant sources do not have taurine. (see the physiology section on the Cat page).
Low protein diet
Protein content between cat foods can vary anywhere from a low protein content of 26% to content as high as 50% or more. The National Research Council (NRC) recommends the protein content for cat food is about 20% for adult care and 21.3% for growth and reproduction. The recommendation of the American Feed Service Association (AAFCO) suggests a higher protein level of 26% for adult care and 30% for growth and reproduction.
Cats are carnivorous and require protein in their diet as an important component in energy metabolism and maintenance of lean body muscle. Cats are highly adaptable to high protein diets because they use proteins as their primary energy source, keeping carbohydrate intake very minimal. In addition, cats will continue to metabolize proteins even through protein deficiency by catalyzing non-fat body muscles. More specifically cats like most mammals, require proper dietary amino acid balance to supply essential amino acids, which are used for many body functions. It is important for a low protein diet to meet AAFCO recommendations to ensure nutritional needs are met.
In general, a low protein diet tends to consist of a larger carbohydrate content, which means a higher glycemic response in cats. Glycemic response refers to the response of glucose concentration in the blood after meals. Hexokinase is an enzyme that cats use for glucose metabolism because they do not have a more efficient glucokinase enzyme. Cats are prone to prolonged high postprandial glucose and periods of insulin with high glucose peaks, resulting from carbohydrate content from the diet. Peak glucose levels and high glucose duration are ultimately dependent on the glycemic index of carbohydrates used in the diet. Usually a low-protein diet is replaced with additional carbohydrate content. In some cases, fat may be added to a low protein diet to increase the energy density of food products.
The nutritional balance of amino acids is important in the low-protein diet of cats because cats are very sensitive to arginine deficiency, taurine, methionine, and cysteine. Therefore, supplementation of essential amino acids is important and commonly found in cat food. Supplementation of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids is common in products with low protein because it plays a positive role in protecting the kidneys which is a problem for many cats on a low-protein diet. Similarly, essential mineral compositions and low protein diets produce low phosphorus content that is beneficial for kidney treatment and prevention of kidney disease.
Benefits for low-protein diets
Feeding lower protein content can help lower the amount of calcium excreted in feces and urine. It has been observed that urinary calcium concentration and fecal calcium excretion are associated with increased protein concentrations in the diet. Increased calcium in urine and feces may show an increase in calcium mobilization (eg bone) in cats rather than increased intestinal calcium absorption. Lower proteins fed to cats can also decrease renal oxalate excretion, and therefore, decrease renal oxalate and calcium concentration to support decreased urinary calcium concentration, which contributes to a decrease in relative urinary saturation with calcium oxalate and may decrease the probability of cats developing calcium stones oxalate.
A lower number of harmful bacteria accumulate with a low protein diet that helps increase the number of positive bacteria present in the gut.
Consequences of low protein diet
In low-protein diets, unless protein sources are high-quality proteins such as animal protein, cats (and especially kittens) have been shown to develop retinal degeneration due to lack of taurine, an essential amino acid for cats derived from animal protein.
Because cats have a high protein requirement, lower protein content, and thus lower amino acid concentrations, the diet has been linked to health defects such as lack of growth, decreased food intake, muscle atrophy, hypoalbuminemia, skin changes, and more. Cats with low protein diets are more likely to lose weight, and lose lean body mass.
High-protein low-carbohydrate diets have been found to reduce glucose tolerance in cats. With decreased glucose tolerance, clinical observations have confirmed that cats consume large amounts of metabolic energy, in the form of carbohydrates rather than proteins, more likely to develop hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, and obesity.
Cats have a high priority for gluconeogenesis to provide energy for tissues such as the brain. The rate at which it operates does not change despite having a low protein diet. Although now capable of lowering gluconeogenesis, cats are able to regulate their amino acid catabolism in response to a low protein diet, perhaps by increasing the synthesis of enzyme proteins without changing the catalytic level. This can collectively make the "wasteful" cat amino acids provided in a low protein diet.
Low-protein diets have been shown to decrease eosinophilic granulocyte levels in cats, which affects the overall functioning of the immune system.
Gastrointestinal health diet
The gastrointestinal tract is a source of nutrient absorption, making it integral to overall health. Therefore, feeding your cat for optimal digestive health is the key to healthy cats. Research shows fiber, prebiotics, probiotics, antioxidants and fatty acids are important in maintaining gastrointestinal health.
Fiber
The addition of fiber to optimal levels in the diet is essential for normal functioning and digestive tract health.
Dietary fiber is a plant carbohydrate that can not be digested by mammalian enzymes. These structural plant carbohydrates include pectin, lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, mucus, and gums. Different types of fiber have varying degrees of solubility and fermentation; these range from highly fermentable pectin, to be fermentable enough beet pulp, to non-fermentable cellulose. Fiber that can not be fermented helps with satiety, maintains normal intestinal transit time and gastrointestinal motility as well as improves the mass diet. The fermented fibers, on the other hand, are fermented into short chain fatty acids by bacteria in the colon and have a variable effect on gastric emptying. The soluble fiber has been associated with increased weight of the colon as well as increased mucosal surface area for nutrient absorption.
Fiber, although not an essential nutrient, is essential for a healthy digestive tract. Microbes found in the cat's colon have the ability to ferment dietary fiber into short chain fatty acids. The digestive tract cells are constantly dying and replaced by new cells, which require a lot of energy. The fatty acids produced are used as a source of energy for epithelial cells lining the digestive tract. As a result of the presence of energy from fatty acids, the proliferation of colon cells increases.
Short-chain fatty acid production of dietary fiber has many other beneficial effects on the digestive tract. They increase motility by stimulating rhythmic contractions of the distal portion of the small intestine, which potentially decreases fermentation in the small intestine while increasing it in the colon for further fatty acid absorption. Blood flow to the colon also increases with the presence of short chain fatty acids. These fatty acids also increase sodium absorption which helps maintain the balance of electrolytes and normal fluids in the intestine, reducing the risk of diarrhea. The homeostatic conditions of the intestinal tract promote the growth of beneficial bacteria while inhibiting pathogenic proliferation. A healthy and balanced intestinal microbiom is important to maintain a healthy digestive tract.
Fiber promotes the growth and activity of bacteria in the colon. It is essential for a healthy gastrointestinal tract to have a healthy and stable intestinal microbiota. The microorganisms in the colon are responsible for the fermentation of the fibers into short chain fatty acids and for the production of some vitamins.
Prebiotics
Prebiotics are short chain carbohydrates that are classified as fibers with additional aspects because they selectively increase the growth of beneficial bacteria. By promoting the health and proliferation of beneficial bacteria, they suppress pathogenic growth by defeating them. Insulin, galactooligosaccharides, lactulose, fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and mannanoligosaccharides (MOS) are all examples of prebiotics.
Probiotics
Probiotics are becoming increasingly popular in cat food. They are included in the diet to increase the amount of bacteria and microbes that normally present in healthy intestines. Probiotics are considered as a supplement rather than part of the nutrients. Therefore, there are no strict rules for the amount of probiotics that should be included in the diet. The function of probiotics goes beyond basic nutrition and has many benefits for the health of the organism. The use of probiotics can help in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases or disorders in cats. Examples include the prevention of allergies, diarrhea, stress related symptoms, etc. Cat health is highly dependent on the fermentation that occurs through intestinal biota. Intestinal biota have an important role in the metabolism, absorption, and protective function of the gastro intestinal tract. Felines have different intestinal bacteria from canine teeth. However, the most common biota found in both felines and canines are Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, and Fusobacteria. Although this is the most common type of intestinal biota found in felines, there is a distinction between independent cats. Each cat has its own unique and independent number of intestinal microbes and numbers.
Antioxidant
Nutraceuticals such as antioxidants are considered as additional gastrointestinal diets to prevent indigestion. Antioxidants have the ability to remove free radicals from the body that can cause damage to cell membranes, and engage in chronic degenerative diseases. Free radicals strengthen inflammation by causing the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Free radicals can be caused by many factors such as stress, disease and age. Some of the free radicals that come from oxygen can produce ischemia in the small intestine and cat's abdomen. The combination of antioxidants has been reported to improve serum vitamin status, suppress lipid peroxidation and distribute exercise effects on the immune system. The most common antioxidants found in cat gastrointestinal foods are vitamin E and vitamin C.
Vitamin E
The addition of Vitamin E as an antioxidant in the cat food diet of gastrointestinal health can have a positive effect of improving the immune function of animals and preventing against infection. Vitamin E is a free radical scavenger that acts as a chain-breaking antioxidant to prevent free radical damage to cell membranes. Vitamin E helps protect cells from highly reactive oxygen species in the lungs, muscles, skin, brain, tissues and red blood cells. Supplementation of vitamin E in the diet is beneficial to the immune system and increases resistance to infections and diseases.
The National Research Council (NRC) recommends the ratio of vitamin E to polyunsaturated fatty acids to 0.6: 1 to ensure enough vitamin E to combat any free radicals. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are susceptible to oxidative damage to cellular membranes and increase antioxidant requirements.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a water-soluble antioxidant and free radical scavenger where it will donate electrons to compounds with unpaired or reactive elections but not radical compounds. Vitamin C supplements reduce oxidative DNA damage in cats susceptible to renal insufficiency, and may be useful to be added to diet for cats with kidney disease. Vitamin C is not important for cats because it is not needed by the American Association of Food Control Officials (AAFCO), but is generally added to pet foods as antioxidants. Ascorbic acid is known not only as an antioxidant, but also functions in gene expression, as a co-substrate, and has unique biosynthetic pathways in different organisms.
Fatty Acids
Fat is a type of lipid that comes in the form of many different molecules throughout the body, and fatty acids are just one type of fat that can be found. Fatty acids come in different forms of molecules, chemical size and composition. They can also be divided into many different categories. Fatty acids can be attached to different molecules such as carbohydrates or proteins and can cause various functions in the body. Some of these functions include: providing long-term energy storage, insulation (preventing heat loss, protecting vital organs, helping to transmit nerve impulses more quickly), structure, transport around the body for nutrients and other biological molecules, and can also be a precursor for another. compounds in the body like hormones (some of which are essential for the bowel/immunity/overall health). Length, saturation level and fatty acid configuration affect how it is broken down, absorbed and used in the digestive tract (GIT).
Inflammation
Inflammation is a process in which the body begins to heal and defend itself from viral and bacterial infections and physical damage such as burns or wounds. The typical signs of inflammation are: redness, swelling, heat, pain and loss of function in the affected area. The inflammatory response is a normal response to the body during injury but if the response is uncontrolled or overloaded, it can cause damage to the host with various effects from mild allergies to severe GIT disease. Inflammation is then an important response to focus because it is heavily involved in host defense mechanisms and is often involved in GIT disease. The inflammatory process begins with intracellular and intercellular communication around the body using chemical mediators such as chemokines and cytokines, which are left irregularly out of control and cause excessive inflammation. Anti-inflammation and the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids may affect the initiation and severity of inflammatory responses, control factors such as intracellular signaling cascades and receptors for inflammatory molecules. Fat (adipose tissue) is also an important and powerful mediator in the inflammatory process and therefore the regulation of fat storage is important in keeping the inflammatory response in the body under control.
Nutrition and GIT on Cats
To achieve optimal cell health (especially in the intestine) and to maintain healthy microbiomes, proper nutrition is needed (nutrition is multifactorial and complex). Cats with GI disease should consume easily digested food with the right nutrients provided by easily digested ingredients and in the correct ratio recommended for feeding in small portions frequently throughout the day, so as not to overwhelm the digestive system. It is also important for fat to digest because too much undigested fat reaching the end of the gastrointestinal tract has the possibility of being fermented and may aggravate the symptoms of GIT disease and induce other reactions such as diarrhea. It has also been suggested that cats should eat a diet adapted to the part of GIT which is a disease. When certain nutrients such as fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are included in the diet, the microbiome and fatty acid content often change for the better. Examples are branch-chain fatty acids (BCFAs, which are more difficult and require more time to digest) to be produced and more short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which are more easily digested and the more readily available energy sources that can be used to support cell- cell cell turnover, as found in GIT, healthy thereby improving the function of GIT health and immune) is produced. FOS may also affect the production of other fatty acids.
Fat Fattening
Cats have a higher tolerance for greater amounts of fat in the diet, and although their digestion is complex and important (related to many functions and effects on immune and inflammatory responses), the fatty composition in foods seems to have little effect. on GI disease in cats. Taurine is an essential amino acid that contains sulfur for cats and some other mammals with many important unique functions, one of which is the conjugation of bile acids that are important in the metabolism of fatty acids. Fat levels are important for the animal to eat a diet. So, even if high levels of fat can be harmful, too low levels of fat in food and animals will not eat it. Low levels may be of benefit only if GI disease involves indigestion, malabsorption and/or affects bacterial populations in the gut too much.
Fatty Acids and Gastrointestinal Health in Cats
One group of essential fatty acids for gastrointestinal (GI) health is the group of essential fatty acids (EFAs). All EFAs are polyunsaturated (they have more than one double bond in the fatty acid chain). EFAs are important to have in the diet in sufficient quantities, especially for cats, because they are important (meaning the body produces little to no one so it should be included in the diet) and the cat has very low activity or just lack of digestion. enzymes to produce EFAs that are important in mediating inflammatory responses. EFAs also vary in size, have many different functions and can also be subdivided into other categories, two of which are essential for GI health: omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids (omega in the name signifies the position of the first double bond in the calculation fatty acids from the methyl end). These fatty acids are most effective when present in an adequate and precise balanced ratio depending on the stage of life and animal production. One of the most important functions of EFA is the production of eicosanoid (an important molecule in immunity and inflammatory regulation). Eicosanoids are like hormones and act in a local way with a short life. Different EFAs have different effects on inflammatory responses. Omega-6 fatty acids at high levels can suppress the functioning of the immune system (mostly located at GIT) and promote inflammation, platelet aggregation and hypersensitive reactions such as allergies. Omega-3 fatty acids act in the opposite direction of omega-6 fatty acids by: promoting anti-inflammatory and suppressing aggregation and immunosuppression. The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids can be changed using a diet, the optimal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids is considered to be in the range of 5: 1 to 10: 1. Appropriate ratios (different for each person because everyone is unique) help reduce inflammation and mediate the immune response because both omega fatty acids make use of the same enzymes in the course of their metabolism. Some sources of omega-6 fatty acids include: corn oil, sunflower oil and soybean oil. Some sources of omega-3 fatty acids include: cold water fish oil, flaxseed, canola oil and soybean oil.
Areas for Improvement
There is little research on cats in general, especially when diving into highly targeted topics such as GIT cat health and the effects of fatty acids on their digestive system, especially cats with GIT disorders. GIT disease is common in cats and it has been suggested that in the case of long-term GI disease, diet is very important
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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