Benefits of Taurine for Cats

Sources of

It has been scientifically established that cats are unable to synthesize taurine on their own. Therefore, it is separately added to the diets intended for them. And this is easy to verify if you read the composition of the feed indicated on the label. Here, for example, are the components included in the diet for adult cats “Whiskas Stew with Beef and Lamb”: meat and offal, cereals, taurine, vitamins, minerals. This amino acid is certainly present in other industrial feeds.

Taurine performs several important functions in the animal body. In particular, it supports reproductive function, ensures normal cardiac activity, helps maintain vision and hearing at the proper level. Taurine is also responsible for the synthesis of bile in the liver, which is important for proper digestion, regulates the circulation of calcium in the animal’s body, and so on. That is, it is a really necessary component.

In general, in the wild, felines obtain taurine by eating their prey. Especially a lot of this amino acid is found in the heart, liver and kidneys. However, at home, the cat is deprived of the opportunity to hunt in order to make up for the deficiency of taurine. In turn, the owner cannot calculate the amount of this substance that the pet needs to receive. Therefore, it is so important to feed the animal with balanced diets of industrial production.

Required balance

It is in ready-made feeds that the scientifically based amount of taurine is contained, which is necessary for a cat. And since the animal should eat both dry and wet diets, taurine is contained in both the first and the second. Moreover, in wet food it is twice as much as in dry food.

And now a little about the negative consequences caused by a lack of taurine. Due to the deficiency of this amino acid, the cat’s growth slows down, the immune system begins to fail, its reproductive function is impaired to the point that the birth of non-viable offspring or kittens with congenital malformations is possible. Even the animal has a serious risk of degradation of the retina, which threatens blindness.

And just in order to avoid these problems, taurine should always be present in the pet’s diet.

Photo: Collection

February 4 2019

Updated: 19 May 2022