Why does a cat need taurine

What is Taurine?

Taurine is an amino acid that helps cats maintain good vision, supports heart function, normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, and the functioning of the nervous system. This amino acid is found in animal proteins. Taurine is vital for cats, without it the full-fledged work of the body of a four-legged friend is impossible.

Most mammals synthesize taurine from other amino acids during metabolism, so they do not experience a shortage of it. But cats, which are in dire need of taurine, cannot create or store taurine in their bodies on their own.

The only way out is to get a daily serving of taurine from food. That is why all manufacturers of food, treats, nutritional supplements for cats without fail indicate what the content of taurine in products is.

Causes of taurine deficiency

It is because of the importance of taurine in cats that we have learned so much about this amino acid. Taurine was first isolated from bovine liver in 1827, but scientists and veterinarians became interested in this substance only about 50 years ago against the backdrop of mass production of pet food. Then, several decades ago, the owners, whose cats ate ready-made food, noticed that their wards often got sick, began to see worse, shed too much. Research has helped to establish that a lack of a valuable amino acid is to blame. Since then, taurine has become a must-have ingredient in cat food.

Why has the lack of taurine in the body of domestic cats become an acute problem relatively recently? Cats began to live in city apartments, so that their usual hunting for mice is largely a thing of the past. Previously, cats that caught mice got a lot of taurine from the meat and brain of their prey.

Modern cats usually only eat what their owners give them. Dry or wet prepared food, natural food – with any of these feeding patterns, your pet may become deficient in taurine. Excessive shedding, lethargy, poor appetite, digestive system disorders can be signs of a lack of this important amino acid in the pet’s body. But before you, together with a veterinarian, select ways to rid your ward of a lack of taurine, conduct deworming – it is important to make sure that the deterioration of the pet’s well-being is not caused by parasites.

We fill the lack of valuable amino acids

It’s important to make sure your cat’s diet contains enough taurine. With natural feeding, the source of taurine for cats can be beef or chicken liver, beef, poultry and rabbit meat. A lot of taurine in white fish, tuna, scallops. The difficulty is that taurine is partially destroyed during cooking – there is not so much of it in boiled meat. If you feed your pet boiled meat, give your ward the broth from him as well, since taurine has largely migrated to him. When freezing and thawing meat, taurine is also destroyed.

It is much easier to regulate the daily portion of taurine for cats for those owners who prefer ready-made food. Pay attention to the content of taurine in the feed. The norm for the content of taurine for dry food is 1000 mg per kilogram, and for wet food – 2000 mg per kilogram. The manufacturing technology of canned food is such that taurine is partially destroyed during the production process, therefore it is added to wet food in larger quantities – so you can be sure that the mustachioed-striped ones will really get a valuable amino acid.

We often repeat how important it is not to save on food for your ward, from childhood to feed your pet with high-quality food, as this will ensure health and longevity for your four-legged friend. I would like to repeat the same thing in the light of the conversation about taurine.

You will not always find the name taurine in the composition of cat food, and it depends on the category, in the super-premium class there is enough protein of animal origin, in contrast to the economy class. And keep in mind that manufacturers have the opportunity to get taurine from different sources. You can extract taurine from fresh meat and seafood, or from horns and hooves, through numerous chemical reactions. It is clear that the super premium food uses a quality source of taurine for cats.

We see that the risk of taurine deficiency is present with any type of feeding. How to help your pet? A treat for cats with taurine will solve the problem. Feed supplement in the form of a paste will be a small daily addition to the diet, which will save you from worrying about your pet’s well-being. It is enough to squeeze a small strip of taurine paste for cats from the tube and offer a treat to your ward. You can give your pet toothpaste directly from the tube.

GimCat’s Taurine Paste Extra is a good choice for caring for your litter. The combination of green mussel taurine, calcium and vitamin B complex makes this feed supplement an indispensable support for your pet’s vision, heart and nervous system. Three grams of paste per day is enough to keep a cat healthy.

Despite the important role of taurine for the health of a cat, do not overdo it, follow the dosage of feed additives. You have probably heard more than once from veterinary specialists that in a situation with vitamins and other useful substances, it is better to allow a slight shortage than a glut, since the body will cope with a slight shortage of one or another substance.

We hope that knowing about taurine, the favorite amino acid of all cats, will help you take better care of your pet and more thoroughly approach the issue of a balanced diet for your four-legged friend. We wish health to your wards!