Diet Management for Cat

Diet Management for Cat

Healthy Adult Cat with Proportional Nutrition

Having a pet, it has not considered as a new thing for society, one of them preserve a cat. Cat is an animal who not only amusing and cute but also energetic and smart. It has variety of outstanding abilities, such as smelling sense ability for onions in food as well as it is a genuine carnivore whereas dog is omnivore. Therefore, the digest system of cat is designed more efficient to process a meat in his diet for energy needed. The diet nutrition should be equal in order to fulfill his energy requirements so that cat can be avoid by obesity in which lead to cause a disease.

Cat’s ability in feeling something is also important issue to survive his life, by detecting diet which consist of toxin or spoiled so that it has not appropriate to consume. The tongue’s cat has a structure like a hook known as papillae. Papillae makes cat to detect variety of tastes, for example: bitter, sour and salty, however it can not be detect sweet taste because of carnivore. The appetite of cat is influenced by odor, not taste in diet. Therefore, giving diet on pet especially for cat, it should be not only take pay attention on taste but also on nutrition in diet. The diet should have high protein, low fat and taurin which amino acid is used to conjugate bile acid.

The appropriate nutrition for cat is high protein, low fat and vitamins including A, E, D and K, normal pH level and low magnesium level. Because, if a diet having high magnesium can leads to urinary tract disorders. The nutrition for kitten should be different with adult cat, because adult cat need more high protein rather than kitten. Giving diet for cat should be not maximum level, it is much better if given by ad libitum, because cat has characteristics to eat slightly but frequently so that it can set up its condition of energy needed by its body.

The table below describes the composition of nutritionfor needed diet of cat:

Source	Cat
	Kitten	Adult
Protein (%)	30-41	26-40
Fat (%)	11-22	12-22
Fiber (%)	3-5	2,0-5,4
Calsium (%)	1,1	0,6
Vitamin A, IU/kg	1000-26000	10000-26000
Vitamin D3, IU	782	785
Vitamin E, IU/kg	400-600	400-500
Vitamin C, mg		75
Cuprum, mg	24	23
Zincum, mg		250
Taurin (%)	0,18	0,10-0,14

Giving diet for cat should be consist of nutrition value needed by the body of cat. If diet given inappropriately without consider essential nutrition, it will cause starving condition to malnutrition. On the contrary, if diet given over needed nutrition, it will lead to obesity. Therefore, giving appropriate diet should be suit with needed nutrition so that the healthy cat is good maintained.

Source : Napitulu, MR.Suwed A.M.Panduan Lengkap Kucing Cetakan I.Jakarta.2011

Laflamme, PD. Understanding and managing obesity in dogs and cats. Veterinary Clinics small animal practice journal.USA. 2006

Setyo W, Dondin S.,dkk. Diagnostik Klinik Hewan Kecil. Penerbit IPB Press.Bogor.2012