Kitty Vitamins and Supplements

Your Cat can't tell you what she needs so she relies on you for its health, happiness and well-being. One of the most important decisions  you can make for your cat or kitten is provide it with safe, quality kitty vitamins.

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My Cat Eats Premium Food, So Why Does She Need a Vitamin Supplement?

Below article Written by Jason Lee.

Cat vitamins are an essential part of a good cat diet. Proper cat nutrition is necessary for cats to have a healthy coat, clear eyes, and proper weight. Moreover, without a proper cat diet, a cat will experience muscle atrophy, have decreased immune function, and develop of host of debilitating disorders.

Understanding cat vitamin requirements and knowing which cat supplements to add to a cat's diet is critical for proper cat nutrition.

Understanding Cat Vitamin Requirements

Cat supplements are often necessary since the processed foods present in a typical cat diet can be low in cat vitamin requirements and cat nutrition. Sometimes pet food products lack essential cat vitamins and nutrients to begin with, and other times, the processing of the food or long shelf or storage time causes the cat vitamins to degrade.

Generally speaking, there are six main types of cat nutrition that cats need:

1. Animal protein (especially the amino acid Taurine).  At least twenty-five percent of a cat's caloric intake should come from meat-based protein. (Plant-based proteins don't offer amino acids that cats need.) Without enough meat-based protein in their cat diet, cats will break down their own muscles, which results in weakness and variety of other health problems including developmental defects and poor immune function. Taurine is critical because without enough it in a cat diet, cats will develop heart problems.

2. Water-soluble cat vitamins (especially niacin and vitamin C):  Cats can't make enough niacin (a B vitamin synthesized from tryptophan) on their own, so niacin is an important part of a cat vitamin requirements and cat diet. If a cat diet doesn't contain enough niacin, the cat may experience loss of appetite, weight loss, inflamed gums, or severe diarrhea. Vitamin C plays a key role in cat nutrition because it is necessary for the synthesis of collagen, which is the most common tissue in the body.

3. Fat-soluble cat vitamins (especially vitamin A).  A good cat diet should include preformed Vitamin A, often listed on cat vitamins or cat supplements as retinyl palmitate. Vitamin A is a key part of cat vitamin requirements because vitamin A deficiency results in night blindness, skin/coat problems, and retarded growth.

Caution: fat-soluble cat vitamins are not excretable by urine and could reach toxic levels in the body if given in excess. Owners should consult with a veterinarian before adding fat-soluble cat vitamins to a cat's diet.

4. Fat (arachidonic acid)
Arachidonic acid is an essential fatty acid found only in animal fat. Cat diets should include arachidonic acid because it helps regulates skin growth, aids in blood clotting, and helps the reproductive and gastrointestinal systems to function optimally.

5. Fiber
Fiber plays an essential role in cat nutrition; a lack of fiber can lead to feline constipation. An added benefit of fiber is that pro-biotic bacteria in the intestines of cats feed on them. These microbes help protect their host from gastrointestinal disease by "crowding out" other, more pathogenic, bacteria.

6. Minerals
A good cat diet should include small amounts of essential minerals such as potassium, magnesium, zinc, calcium, iron, phosphorous and sodium chloride. These minerals help ensure proper health and immunities.

Caution: Cats vitamin requirements should not be exceeded. If cats are fed cat supplements too high in calcium or magnesium, they will be more likely to develop urinary tract infections. Fish is naturally very high in both minerals so owners should limit the amount of fish in a cat's diet. Additionally, oil based hairball remedies should be avoided since they can interfere with cat nutrition and the absorption of important cat vitamins.

Cat supplements to add to your pet's diet.

The easiest way to capture all the benefits of a vitamin-rich diet is to feed your cat supplements or to look for cat foods that meets the standards established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) for kittens or adult cats. Owners can find AAFCO statements on the food's packaging that guarantee the appropriate nutritional content for a cat diet.

When picking out cat vitamins or cat food,  take note of factors such as ingredients, quality level, and overall value. A bottle of cat supplements can cost anywhere from $5 to $30. Also make sure your cat's diet is rich in the six nutrients listed earlier.

Different cats have different cat vitamin requirements, and as cats age, their cat nutrition requirements will change as well.

Learn more about the article author, Justin Lee.

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