Tampa Veterinary Clinic

What to Feed a Cat

These days a trip to the pet store can be positively overwhelming. There are more products for pets on the market than ever before, and new advice for feeding and caring for pets is always popping up. How can a concerned cat owner provide the best nutrition available to his or her pet? Here are a few handy tips to keep in mind.

Elements to Include

Certain nutrients are vital to a healthy cat’s diet. Be sure to check your cat’s food for:

• Vitamin A. As carnivores, cats’ main source of this important vitamin is liver.
• Niacin. Unlike most animals, cats cannot synthesize this acid on their own. Their best source of it is animal fat.
• Taurine. Without this, cats can eventually go blind. Muscle meat is a good source.

Whatever type of cat food you choose, make sure it is certified by the Association of American Feed Control Officials and meets the National Research Council’s guidelines on cats’ diets.

Foods to Avoid

Many pet owners are unaware of how harmful certain foods can be for pets. Common examples are:

• Milk. Although we all know the image of a cat sipping from a saucer of milk, their systems actually cannot digest it. Milk can cause a cat to develop diarrhea and nutritional problems.
• Tuna. While it may be acceptable as a rare treat, cats that eat tuna regularly can develop a vitamin B1 deficiency. This in turn can lead to seizures and even death.
• Too much fiber. A small amount of fiber in the diet is very good for cats, but too much can create digestive problems and eventually even malnutrition.

Visit a Tampa Veterinarian Clinic

For more advice about keeping your cat happy and healthy, contact your local Tampa veterinarian.