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It is no secret that the majority of cats in the United States are obese or overweight. Studies show that excess fat harms a cat’s health and longevity because it increases the animal’s susceptibility to diabetes, heart disease, osteoarthritis, and many types of cancer.1
Consequently, pet parents are avoiding fat-rich diets. However, is avoiding that the solution? More importantly, do cats need fat in their diet?
Yes, cats absolutely do need fat in their diet. Cats derive some essential fatty acids from dietary fat, meaning they need fat for survival. In this article, you will learn the importance of dietary fat to cats.
The Importance of Fat in a Cat’s Diet
Your cat is an obligate carnivore, meaning they rely solely on a meat-based diet for survival. Therefore, unlike omnivores and herbivores, felines do not need to obtain energy from carbohydrates and their digestive tracts are not designed to process plant-based matter.
Instead, cats derive energy from animal proteins and fats. The most important function of fat in a cat’s diet is to provide the feline with energy.
- Transportation and utilization of nutrients
- Cell integrity
- Metabolic regulation
As mentioned, cats also derive essential fatty acids from animal fat, most of which are omega fatty acids. Omega fatty acids play a critical role in a cat’s overall health. They are essential for feline vision, reproductive health, a more robust immune system, and healthier skin and coat.
How Much Fat Should Be in a Cat’s Diet?
One way to tell the amount of fat a cat requires is by looking at the composition of its natural food: mice. The nutritional profile of a mouse consists of 55.8% protein and 23.6% fat.
The fat content in a cat’s diet should be at a similar level, 20% to 24%, although the minimal percentage recommended by AAFCO standards is 9% both for kittens in growth and development and for adults in maintenance life stages.
However, the quality of the fat is what really matters. It is important to know that cats lack the necessary enzymes to convert linoleic into arachidonic acid, an important precursor of inflammatory mediators and metabolic regulators such as prostaglandins and leukotrienes. They also cannot convert the omega-3 fatty acids α-linolenic acid (ALA) to eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA), famous for their anti-inflammatory properties. Cats need to ingest these Omega-3 fatty acids already formed, from sources for example fish oil.
We recommend avoiding cat foods that do not name their fat sources. Instead, choose products with named fat sources, such as chicken fat.
How to Ensure a Cat Food Has All the Essential Nutrients
The easiest way of ensuring your kitty gets all the nutrients they require is by only feeding them food with an Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) statement of nutritional adequacy on the label.
AAFCO provides the guidelines pet food manufacturers should follow when creating their foods. Those guidelines include standard ingredient definitions and nutritional requirements. Therefore, for pet food to get AAFCO’s complete and balanced statement, the manufacturer must take their product to a third-party testing facility for analysis to prove they followed AAFCO’s guidelines.
- The nutrients it contains
- The ingredients it contains
- Which life stage the product is appropriate for
As such, you get a higher level of accountability by buying foods that have an AAFCO statement on their label, which is why we recommend avoiding products that do not have that statement.
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Conclusion
Your cat needs fat in their diet. Dietary fat provides your cat with energy, in addition to boosting their overall health. Therefore, do not limit the amount of fat in your cat’s diet as a means of managing the animal’s weight. If your pet is overweight, have a chat with your veterinarian to find out the best way to gradually reduce their daily caloric intake and help them lose weight.
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Featured Image Credit: mik ulyannikov, Shutterstock
