by Jester

Created on: July 20, 2009

My human significant others and I have a great relationship when it comes to food: They buy the food and I eat it. They put the food in my bowl and I eat it. They wash the bowls and I put them away. (Just kidding. I can't reach the top shelf.) I have them very well trained. If there's a better Guide to Feeding Your Cat than this, I don't know about it.

Not that we've been without our cat food trials and tribulations. It's taken me awhile, but I now have them feeding me not just what I need to survive, but what I need to thrive: Meat. When it comes to choosing a diet for your cat, it helps to know a little something about his genetic background, nutritional needs and physiology. It's also important to realize your cat has very different nutritional needs than your dog. While they both eat meat, cats are carnivores and dogs are omnivores. (See how focused both the cat and dog are on the burgers? They couldn't care less about the grapes or the lettuce.)

Cats, however, aren't just any old kind of carnivore. We are obligate carnivores. That means all cats, from those of us of the domesticated persuasion to our larger relatives on the plains of the Serengeti, must eat the tissue of other animals to metabolize nutrients. When they take down an animal, our relatives eat the meat for protein, the bones for calcium (and to offset the high phosphorus level of red meat) and everything else in between for water, essential fatty acids, minerals and vitamins. They don't sit in the brush having a salad as a first course.

While this idea of a dinner out might not sound very appetizing to you, it's important to remember that cats can't metabolize carbohydrates the way you can. And, unlike dogs, our bodies cannot naturally produce taurine, an essential amino acid for heart and eye health. (It's also needed for reproductive health, but my humans took care of that need when I was kitten, if you know what I mean.)

The next time you're at the circus, stick your head in a lion's mouth.* If that's not possible, take a look at your cat's teeth. See how pointy and sharp they are? See how his lower jaw moves up and down and not side to side? That's because his teeth and jaw were designed to shred, rip and tear meat. His mouth was not designed for grains or vegetables that need grinding instead of chewing.

If your cat suffers from diabetes or food allergies, or if he's a bit plump or lethargic, I would definitely suggest you slowly switch him to a diet higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates. Recent studies have proven that a diet higher in protein does not adversely affect a cat's kidney function. But, and this is a big but, make sure you discuss your cat's specific dietary needs with his veterinarian before making any significant changes.

*Don't really do this.

Learn more about this author, Jester.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.