Cats
You may have noticed after reading certain sections of this website that I have spent a great number of years researching and working with the canine.
The feline unfortunately had taken a back seat until late 2009 when I was asked to produce a cat food.
I spent a great deal of 2010 researching the feline and developed the Complete Meal Chicken for Cats late in 2010.
In 2012, Complete Meal Kangaroo for Cats was also released. Not long after, Complete Meal Kangaroo/Beef for Cats followed.
Graham and I don’t have the pleasure of sharing our house with a cat, but during my research I came to realize they are just as fascinating as the canine.
Like the canine, the cat is a carnivore – put simply, “an animal which eats flesh”. However, unlike the canine, the cat is an obligate carnivore – put simply, “even though they may consume minute amounts of plant material from their prey, they require extremely high quantities of meat and they don’t have the ability to fully digest and utilize the nutrients in plant material”.
Another interesting fact about the feline is their need for taurine. Most mammals, including the dog, are able to manufacture taurine from other amino acids (building blocks of protein). The cat’s ability to synthesize taurine is extremely limited. In other words, cats have to get taurine from their food. As a result, it’s imperative that cats have a high daily intake of taurine to remain healthy.
Taurine is found in muscle meat and is most highly concentrated in the heart and liver.
Deficiency of taurine can cause the retina to slowly degenerate, causing irreversible blindness.
Taurine is also essential for cardiovascular function and the central nervous system.
Ah yes, the intricate workings of the fussy feline or the manipulative moggie.
One thing we know for sure – the feline is a “true”carnivore.
