The cat is not a little dog !
Vets and nutritionists have the habit to say that the cat is not a little dog. As a matter of fact, dogs are carnivores tending towards omnivores when the cat is a strict carnivore. Therefore, cats have more important energy and above all proteins needs (from 2 to 4 %).
On the contrary, starch and cellulose quantities have to be less important. Besides, functional specificities at kidney level oblige nutritionists to pay a particular attention to the magnesium rate (which has to be less than 0.09 %) and to urinary acidity which must be different according to the age of the cat :
| Kitten pH |
+/- |
neutral |
6.5 – 7 |
| Adult pH |
|
acid |
6.2 – 6.4 |
| Ageing cat pH |
|
slightly acid |
6.4 – 6.6 |
Finally, fat must contain arachidonic acid (ω6 fatty acid essential for cats contrary to dogs) and proteins must contain high quantities of arginine and particularly of taurine (essential for nocturnal vision, heart function and reproduction).
Also, mention must be made that if dogs are greedy, cats are “gourmets” and that in this respect, for palatability reasons, one will have to take into account this specific character of cats.
