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What Does ‘Obligate Carnivore’ Mean: The Importance of Meat in Cat Diets

Cats are classified as obligate carnivores, a term that signifies their biological necessity to consume meat for survival. This classification is rooted in their evolutionary adaptations and specific nutritional requirements. Cats share 95.6% DNA with tigers (Cho et al., 2013), which means that they have a remarkable similarity in many biological necessities. So, if tigers have a meat diet, why shouldn't we expect the same for cats? 

Wet cat food in pink bowl

A few reasons why a high-protein meat diet is necessary for cats:

Nutritional Requirements: Cats require certain nutrients that are predominantly found in animal tissues. Taurine, an essential amino acid, is critical for heart function, vision, and reproduction. Unlike other animals, cats cannot synthesize taurine from plant-based sources, making it a vital component of their diet (Morris, 2002). Additionally, cats need arachidonic acid, a fatty acid found in animal fats, and preformed vitamin A, which is only available in meat (Zoran, 2002).
 

Dinner time

Digestive Adaptations: The feline digestive system is uniquely adapted to process meat. Cats have a shorter digestive tract compared to omnivores, which is efficient for digesting protein and fat but not carbohydrates (Bradshaw, 2006). Cats’ bodies are also less capable of metabolising plant-based nutrients, which emphasises the necessity of a meat-based diet (Zoran, 2002). That's why it's important to make sure to buy from brands which list meat (such as ‘fresh chicken’, ‘tuna’, ‘mackerel’, etc) in the first five ingredients on their packaging. Smylo is committed to ensuring quality of cat food, which is why you can see primary meat sources in the first 5 ingredients on our packaging. 
 

Cat food on pink background in studio

Health Implications: A diet deficient in animal protein can lead to severe health issues in cats, including dilated cardiomyopathy, retinal degeneration, and reproductive failures (Morris, 2002). Commercial cat foods are formulated to meet these dietary needs, but it is crucial for cat owners to ensure their pets receive high-quality, meat-based nutrition.
In conclusion, being an obligate carnivore means that cats must consume meat to obtain essential nutrients and maintain their health, and that the primary source of their food should be meat. The above reasons signify the biological prerequisite of providing a diet rich in animal proteins and meat for our feline companions.

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References

Bradshaw, J. W. S. (2006). The evolutionary basis for the feeding behavior of domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) and cats (Felis catus). The Journal of Nutrition, 136(7), 1927S-1931S.

Cho, Y. S., Hu, L., Hou, H., Lee, H., Xu, J., Kwon, S., Oh, S., Kim, H., Jho, S., Kim, S., Shin, Y., Kim, B. C., Kim, H., Kim, C., Luo, S., Johnson, W. E., Koepfli, K., Schmidt-Küntzel, A., Turner, J. A., . . . Bhak, J. (2013). The tiger genome and comparative analysis with lion and snow leopard genomes. Nature Communications, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms3433

Morris, J. G. (2002). Idiosyncratic nutrient requirements of cats appear to be diet-induced evolutionary adaptations. Nutrition Research Reviews, 15(1), 153-168.

Zoran, D. L. (2002). The carnivore connection to nutrition in cats. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 221(11), 1559-1567.