Page 49 - Raw Diet References Book 2019

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FATS AND FATTY ACIDS

Dietary fats, mainly derived from animal fats and the seed oils of various plants,
provide the most concentrated source of energy in the diet. Fats contain more than
twice as much energy as protein and carbohydrates per gram. Dietary fats supply
essential fatty acids that cannot be synthesized in the body and serve as carriers
for important fat-soluble vitamins. Fatty acids play an important role in cell struc-
ture and function. Additionally, food fats tend to enhance the taste and texture of
a cat’s food.

The maximum amount of fat in the cat’s diet can be reasonably high without any
known adverse effects. In many cat foods, 50% or more of the energy comes from
fat. Studies indicate that cat foods containing even higher amounts of fat are safe.
At a minimum, cat foods should have a fat content of about 9% of dry matter.

Essential fatty acids are necessary to keep your cat’s skin and coat healthy. Deficiencies
in the so-called omega-3 family of essential fatty acids can lead to a host abnor-
malities of the nervous system, ranging from vision problems to impaired learning
ability. Another family of essential fatty acids, known as omega-6, has been shown
to have important physiological effects in the body. Tissues that perform such func-
tions as storage (fat), metabolism (liver), mechanical work (muscle), and excretion
(kidney) tend to have cell membranes in which omega-6 fatty acids predominate.

DAILY RECOMMENDED ALLOWANCES FOR
PROTEIN AND FATS

KITTENS ADULT CAT NURSING CATS
Weighing 1.8 lb Weighing 9 lb, Weighing 9 lb with 4 kittens
consuming 250 Calories

Crude Protein 10 g 12.5 g 41 g
Total Fat 4 g 5.5 g 12 g

Determining Grams of Essential Nutrients from Petfood Labels
Petfood labels do not generally list amounts of essential nutrients in grams.
However, all pet food labels must state guarantees for the minimum percentages of
crude* protein and crude fat, and the maximum percentages of crude fiber and
moisture. To convert these percentages to grams, simply multiply the crude per-
centages times the weight of your cat’s daily portion. For example, if you feed your
cat one 6-oz (170-gram) can of food per day, and the food contains 8% crude pro-
tein, the grams of protein would be 0.08 x 170 =13.6 grams.
*”Crude” refers to the specific method of testing the product, not to the quality of the nutrient itself.

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