Four Main Nutrients for Cats
1. Carbohydrates
The carbohydrates that cats need mainly include starch and fiber. Starch is the main source of energy for cats' bodies and helps with the oxidation of fat, which is mainly broken down into glucose in the intestines and absorbed for use. Cellulose is not easily digestible, but it helps maintain normal digestive activity in cats through intestinal peristalsis.
Carbohydrates are energy feed. Although we cannot use everything to feed cats, some foods that people eat can still be used to feed them, such as rice, cornmeal, yams, etc., all of which contain what cats need. We can grind these foods into powder and add some fat or cooking oil to feed cats. Some cats eat sweet foods (sugarcane or lactose) and milk. Due to lactose fermentation, it is easy to cause diarrhea. Allergy to albumin in milk can also lead to diarrhea. If the above situation occurs, one should stop eating in a timely manner.
2. Fat
Kittens should be fed less, otherwise it will make them excessively obese. Adult cats require a large amount of fat to sustain their daily needs.
3. Water
Water is the most important nutrient in animal bodies. Due to the wide distribution and easy availability of water, which is abundant in most foods, it is often overlooked by people. In fact, water is extremely important and an indispensable substance in the life of cats. It helps to transport, digest, absorb, dissolve, and eliminate certain waste products produced after metabolism. It can also reduce joint friction. Cats can regulate body temperature by drinking water and excreting water. If a cat loses about 40% of its body weight in carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, it can still survive. However, if it loses 10% of its body weight in water, it can cause serious functional disorders. Losing up to 20% of its body weight in water can lead to animal death. Therefore, when cats suffer from severe dehydration or are unwilling or unable to drink water due to illness, it is necessary to provide hydration through clinical fluid replacement therapy.
Cats are one of the more thirsty animals. Someone experimented with keeping cats in cages without drinking water, and after 6 weeks, the cats were still alive. Generally, adult cats contain nearly 70% of their body weight in water, which mainly comes from drinking, food, and the oxidation of nutrients in the body. For example, 100 grams of protein can be oxidized in the body to produce about 40 milliliters of water, 100 grams of carbohydrates are 55 milliliters of water, and 100 grams of fat are 107 milliliters of water. Although cats have water in their bodies, they still need to obtain a certain amount of water every day for normal metabolism and balance. In general, adult cats require 40-60 milliliters of water per kilogram of body weight per day, while kittens require 60-80 milliliters. Of course, the demand for water is related to factors such as temperature and the moisture content of food. When the external temperature is 23 ℃, cats of different ages need water per kilogram of body weight per day when they eat feed containing about 75% moisture.
4. Protein
Cats require high protein foods, mainly animal protein such as meat, fish, eggs, liver, kidneys, etc., which are beneficial for their growth and development. Fresh food is welcomed by cats, but feeding them monotonous food for a long time can make them feel bored and lead to food refusal, resulting in nutritional deficiencies in cats. So after feeding cats a certain type of cat food for a long time, you can give them a new taste.
