Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition
By Dr. Lisa A. Pierson, DVM
Obligate Carnivores
Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they require animal-based proteins to thrive. Unlike dogs and humans, cats have specific nutritional requirements that can only be met through animal tissue. Plant-based proteins simply do not provide the amino acid profile cats need.
Three Main Problems with Dry Kibble
- Low water content: Canned food typically contains 78% water versus dry food at 5–10%. Cats have evolved with a low thirst drive and are designed to obtain water from their food. Canned food essentially “flushes” the urinary tract daily.
- High carbohydrates: Dry food carbohydrates (35–50%) far exceed natural prey levels (less than 2%). Cats lack the metabolic pathways to efficiently process carbohydrates.
- Wrong protein sources: Many dry foods rely on plant-based proteins (corn gluten, soy) rather than animal proteins. These do not meet cats' amino acid requirements.
Health Risks of Dry Food
Dry food has been linked to multiple feline health conditions:
- Urinary tract disease
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
- Kidney disease
Myth: Dry Food Supports Dental Health
This is one of the most persistent myths in feline nutrition. Dry food does not clean teeth — most cats swallow kibble whole or with minimal chewing. If anything, the starch in dry food leaves a carbohydrate residue on teeth that promotes plaque formation.
A Preventative Approach
Rather than waiting for disease symptoms to appear and then switching to an expensive prescription diet, we advocate a preventative nutrition approach. Feeding a species-appropriate diet from the start is far more effective — and less expensive — than treating diet-related diseases later.
The ideal diet for a cat is a canned or raw food diet that is high in animal protein, high in moisture, and low in carbohydrates.