Cat Food Ingredients Analysis

Proteins

One of the most important components of cat nutrition is protein. Proteins are necessary for all aspects of growth and development. They are important for structural make up, and in the immune system. In addition, they're burned as calories, and is converted to and stored as fat.

It's the amino acids that make up proteins and these amino acids are really what are critical to the health of a cat. A deficiency in any amino acid can lead to health problems. The cat's body will make 12 of the 22 amino acids that are necessary for good cat health. There 10 more, called essential amino acids, which have to come from the food that your cat eats. Dog's produce a different set of amino acids and that is why a cat cannot subsist on dog food. Dog food is lacking certain essential amino acids for cats, causing her to be deprived of some essential amino acids and she will suffer health wise.

Protein quality varies with its source. Eggs, with a rating of 100, are the standard that all protein is measured against. Next comes fish meal and milk at 92, beef at around 78 and soybean meal at 67. Wheat, meat and bone meal come in at 50 and corn trails at 45. Since cats are descended from meat eating desert carnivores, it's safe to assume that the quality of their protein sources is critical, probably 78 or higher.

The listing of protein level on a bag or can isn't an indication of the percent of digestible protein, just a listing of percent protein. In quality foods digestibility is between 70% and 80%. In lesser quality foods the digestibility can drop to 60% or even less. The way to determine digestibility is not very scientific but is the only way we have to evaluate cat food digestibility until the pet food industry begins to list digestibility. By reading the ingredients and noting the order that they appear you can roughly determine the digestibility. Ingredients are listed in order of weight. If the first ingredient is chicken or lamb you can assume it's a good quality protein source. Chicken by-product or other meat by-products aren't as good but acceptable; meat and bone meal are poorer still. If grains are listed, they aren't good digestible sources of protein and contribute heavily toward carbohydrate induced obesity.

Protein is critical to a cat's health through her diet. At different stages of her life she will have different protein needs. You will want to be familiar to those needs and be able to interpret cat food labels to be sure she's meeting her protein requirements.

Fats
Despite the bad press on fat in today's world, fats play an important role in a healthy cat's bodily functions. Fat is a source of energy. Per unit of weight, fats contain approximately 2¼ times the energy as an equivalent weight of protein or carbohydrates. Fats are abundantly available in both plants and animals making them an economical source of productive energy and fatty acids. Fats can be synthesized in the body from fatty acids in the diet, from carbohydrates, and from metabolites of protein. Fats supply energy, contribute to the taste and texture of foods, and carry fat soluble vitamins. The type and quantity of fats in a cat's diet is extremely important since they influence appetite and food intake, the ability to perform muscular work, hair coat condition, and the kind of fat deposited in the body.

As with amino acids, there are essential fatty acids for cats that need to be a part of their diet since their bodies cannot produce them. The most common sources of these essential fatty acids are lard, tallow, poultry fat, cottonseed oil, and hydrogenated vegetable oils. These sources are around 88% to 89% digestible and should comprise about 2% of your cat's daily calorie intake. Because fats increase the palatability of food, it usually exceeds the daily minimum requirements and concerns for obesity then begin to arise. If an obese cat is put on a low fat diet, there may be side effects such as dull hair coat sheen and flaking skin. In that case a fatty acid supplement may be opted for. But, these concerns should always be discussed with your veterinarian.

Calcium
Calcium is required by a cat's body in a greater amount than any other mineral. Calcium is essential for many functions including bone formation, blood coagulation, muscle contraction, and nerve impulse transmission. The calcium content of food ingredients varies widely. Bones, dairy products, and legume plants contain large amounts of calcium. Most cereal grains, meat, and organ tissues contain small amounts.

Phosphorous
Phosphorous, like calcium, is required in a relatively high amount in your cat's diet. Phosphorous is required at levels slightly less than calcium. Meat or organ meats are high in phosphorous but relatively low in calcium. Phosphorous deficiency occurs very infrequently in cats. On the contrary, excessive amounts of phosphorous in a cat's diet is a more common problem which leads to accelerated progression of renal failure.

The Calcium to Phosphorous Ratio
Calcium and phosphorous work together in the body to maintain the growth and structure of the skeletal system. Deficiencies or excesses of both can create skeletal problems. It's very important that the calcium and phosphorous be fed in the correct ratio. Though most commercially produced cat foods are properly balanced, you should know what that balance is. The correct ratio of calcium to phosphorous that should be fed a cat is 1.2 parts of calcium for each 1 part of phosphorous (1.2:1).

Vitamins: A, D, E, & K
Of the four fat soluble vitamins, A, D, E & K, only A and D seem to have a potential for toxicity, and this only experimentally. It's not likely that in today's foods and supplements it would be possible to have a vitamin overdose. However, the disorders relating to a lack of these vitamins is well documented. These vitamins are absolutely essential to life. Further, growing animals have much greater requirements for these vitamins than adults. In addition, life stages and activities such as lactation, pregnancy, and exercise will all increase these vitamin needs.

Vitamins: C & B Complex
Vitamins C and B complex are water soluble. The water soluble vitamins aren't stored within the body except in small amounts. It's for this reason that fat soluble vitamins pose a threat if over supplemented. When they are stored and build up within the body, toxicity occurs.

Body tissues don't readily store water soluble vitamins and when fed in excess, they are easily eliminated from the body via the urine. Because they don't accumulate within the tissues, there's minimal risk of toxic effects. All of the water soluble vitamins, just as the fat soluble ones, are inherently important for life.

Vitamin deficiency can manifest in a variety of ways. Loss of hair, diarrhea, slow healing and susceptibility to disease, loss of appetite, reflexes, nerve control and weakness, eye abnormalities, gum inflammation, loss of weight, heart problems, hair loss, premature graying, anemia, skin lesions, poor hair and dry skin. Anything that doesn't look normal to you should be talked over with your veterinarian. It could be nothing more than a vitamin, or mineral, deficiency.