We all love our cats, and one of the best ways to show that we care about our feline pets is to provide them with a proper diet. To care properly for their health, it’s important to know the dietary needs of a cat. In fact, their diet doesn’t just affect their health; with the proper diet, your cat will have more energy and a gleaming coat.

What can you do to make sure that with the proper diet, your cat will have more energy and a gleaming coat”>cat enjoys a well-balanced diet? Here are some essential facts when it comes to looking after their dietary needs.

Protein

The main part of any cat’s diet should be meat-based protein. This will provide your cat with the needed energy to play, run, and get up to mischief when you are not at home. Protein also contains essential amino acids which assist in growth in tissue repair.

One amino acid that must be in your cat’s diet is taurine. If you feed your cat meat, fish, and poultry, then you don’t have to worry because taurine is present in those foods. Most processed cat food has taurine added. But be aware, that vegetable based protein doesn’t contain essential amino acids such as taurine. Also, you should note that cats don’t convert carbohydrates into energy.

Fat

Your cat’s diet should contain a balanced amount of essential fatty acids. So, your cat’s food should have enough omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for its dietary needs. Fatty acids are a great source of energy and help transport nutrients around the body.

Water

Cats usually get enough water eating raw fresh food and don’t usually have to drink very much. However, it is essential that you always have fresh water available. This is especially true if you feed your cat dry food.

Even though cow’s milk will provide liquid for your cat, they still need a supply of fresh water.

Dietary Needs of Your Cat and Age

Depending on the age of your cat, there are specific dietary needs that you should be aware of.

Dietary needs of kittens

Kittens need plenty of protein to grow and develop. Usually, a kitten’s diet will be more fat and protein rich than for an adult cat.

Dietary needs of adult cats

Adult cats need a balanced nutritious diet. High-quality commercially produced cat food should provide the necessary nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that are required.

Dietary needs of senior cats

Senior cats need less fat in their diet to prevent obesity.

When you care for the dietary needs of your cat, you will have a healthy, energetic pet that will provide you with years of companionship.