Professor Daisy on Foods

Hello, students! Today, let us give some thought to foods for cats. I like to think about foods. Do you?

My question for you today is what type of food do you think cats are most well-designed to eat?

A. Wholesome grains
B. Fresh fruits and Vegetables
C. Meat
D. An equal mix of all of the above

The correct answer is C! We cats are what is called "obligate carnivores." That means we are true, strict carnivores and by our genetic makeup, we were designed to eat meats. Even though we can eat other sorts of foods, we should eat meat as our main source of nutrients. And meats taste very extra-delicious, too!

Cats have strong stomach acids and a comparatively shorter digestive tract. ("Divestive tract" is a fancy way of saying your guts!) This makes for quicker digestion and minimizing the chances of harmful bacteria causing problems. Because of our shorter guts, a carnivore's diet should be concentrated and highly digestible and low in residue. We cats do not have a need for dietary carbohydrate, and are best adapted for a protein- and fat-rich diet.

What is in your food bowl? Harley and I are completely off the dry kibble now, and we love our raw meat medallions. The chicken flavor is 95% chicken, raw ground bone, turkey and liver. It is grain free, and the other 5% is fruits and vegetables. We also eat rabbit, beef, and venison flavors.

This is some stuff I learned. But I am just a curly cat, so I cannot advise you on what diet is best for you. Be sure to talk to your veterinarian if you have any questions about feline nutrition. Here is a link to an article called "The Carnivore Connection to Nutrition in Cats" if you would like to do more reading.