Do all cat foods have taurine? Yes, all commercially made foods for your feline contain a sufficient amount of taurine.
However, you should not only depend on this source of diets but pay attention to raw, tailor-made, or homemade food as well to make sure your kittens get enough of the element in their meals.
The Importance Of Taurine
What Is Taurine?
When talking about pet nutrition, people are likely to mention taurine. Let’s quickly learn what it is and why it is important for your kittens.
It is a necessary amino acid – the building block of proteins in feline diets. The process of forming and maintaining muscles, organs, skin, and coat can’t lack this element.
Most animals are able to synthesize taurine from sources of protein. Yet, it’s almost impossible for cats to do so since they don’t have enough necessary enzymes to break down the protein into the constituent amino acids and convert them to the needed nutrition.
Thus, cat foods (both dry and wet) need to contain sufficient ready-made taurine to keep your pet healthy.
What Does It Do?
The amino acids play an important role in kittens’ health, especially vital to some body parts.
To the eyes
Feline’s retina consists of light-sensing cells, processing the light coming and sending the information to the brain. These cells and the retina itself require a large amount of amino acid to work properly.
To the heart
Research shows that taurine enhances heart functions by keeping the level of calcium and other minerals on two sides of the heart’s membranes. Thus, the heart maintains balance and contracts correctly.
To the digestive tract
Your pet requires fat to produce energy, improve skin and coat health, and maintain a healthy structure. Providing a sufficient amount of this metabolism element will assist cats in making bile to digest the fat they need.
To the reproductive function
Lastly, the amino acid has a connection with the successful pregnancy of the pet mommy and the healthy growth of the kittens. Ensure your pet does not lack this important element during its gestation and delivery.
Related Post: Can Changing Cat Food Cause Diarrhea – Why or Why not?
What Happens If Cats Lack Of Taurine?
Too little taurine can harm the cats’ health in the long term. It can cause some problems with their eyesight, such as the inability to recognize colors, night blindness, or even complete loss of sight.
Your feline also may experience gradual heart failure or digestion issues if they don’t get enough of the necessary amino acids. The symptoms can be nausea, diarrhea, eating hesitation, or further complications, and you should pay attention to what to feed a cat with diarrhea or nausea.
Moreover, your pet will have poor health during gestation, and the newborn kitten may have retard growth.
Above are some signs of a lack of amino acids. The consequences will not be apparent immediately but may be obvious after months or years.
So, if you notice any symptoms of the insufficiency, such as deterioration in vision, long-term gastrointestinal disturbances, coughing, difficulty in breathing, or any changes in the litters of kittens, bring your feline to the vet to determine the problem.
Do All Cat Foods Have Taurine?
Yes. Suppose there’s no mistake in production; all cat foods have improved with sufficient taurine for your kitten. If you feed your pet with ready-made commercial foods, remember to read the ingredient list and the guaranteed list carefully and ensure you know what to avoid when buying cat food before choosing.
You’d better go with a short ingredient list with a defined meat source, clear fat content, and no additives. The “complete and balanced” label can be a good sign of a proper choice.
However, taurine deficiency can still happen when your pets follow unhealthy homemade diets. For example, cats eating vegetarians are more likely at risk since the element is mostly present in animal-based protein sources such as meat, fish, etc. So, ensure you provide your kittens with enough amino acids in their dishes.
Suggestions Of Cat Foods With Taurine
Below is the useful list for your reference:
- Best Overall: Smalls Other-Bird (Fresh Cat Food Subscription Service)
- Best Value: Purina ONE Tender Selects Blend Cat Food
- The Honest Kitchen Chicken Dry Cat Food
- Best for Kittens: Blue Buffalo Wilderness Chicken Dry Cat Food
- American Journey Grain Free Cat Food
Related Post: Can Dry Cat Food Cause Constipation? Experts Tell
Conclusion
Do all cat foods have taurine? Generally, you can find the quantity of the element your pet needs in ready-made commercial foods. If you still don’t know what brands of products are good for your kitten, consider trying one of our above suggestions.
Keep in mind that you should still notice some symptoms happening to your pet’s vision or digestion, and take them to a vet for a check-up if needed.
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