Page 56 - Raw Diet References Book 2019

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FEEDING PRACTICES

Q: Does my cat need to have meat and/or fish products in its diet?
A: Domestic cats are descended from strict meat-eaters, and their behavior reveals
their carnivorous nature. When hunting, domestic cats will seek small prey such
as mice, birds, and insects. They may even kill and eat a rabbit. They will stop eating
a meal of commercial cat food and go off hunting if distracted by potential prey. The
particular chemistry and structure of the cat’s gastrointestinal system is well-suited
to digesting and absorbing nutrients from animal-based proteins and fats.
Unsupplemented vegetarian diets can result in harmful deficiencies of certain essen-
tial amino acids, fatty acids, and vitamins.

Q: How much fiber is good for my cat?
A: Fiber in the diet is probably good for overall gastrointestinal health and may help
overweight cats trim down. Dietary fiber is thought to help maintain proper weight by
diluting the caloric density of the food and through physical effects and hormonal inter-
actions. For reasons not yet understood, dietary fiber also seems to help in the man-
agement of mild hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), a relatively common problem
in older cats.

On the other hand, too much fiber in the diet can decrease the
digestibility of other important nutrients. Also, certain features
of the cat’s intestinal tract, including a relatively small colon
and nonfunctional cecum, suggest that cats may not be
able to utilize dietary fibers as well as other animals.
Meals should not have more than 10% fiber.

Q: How often should I feed and water my cat?
A: If given free access to food, cats will eat
between 12 and 20 meals a day, evenly spread
out over the 24-hour light–dark cycle. Cats
should be fed more than once a day.

Fresh water should be available at all times,
but the amount needed varies with the type of
diet and the environmental conditions. Cats
don’t drink as much per kilogram of body
weight as do dogs, perhaps because of their
evolution as desert animals. Cats will drink
approximately 2 milliliters of water for every
gram of dry food they eat. Whereas dogs will
drink enough water to replace 6% of their body
weight in one hour, cats will take 24 hours to do the
same. The weak thirst drive of cats puts some cats
at higher risk of developing urinary tract stones. While

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