Vitamins for your Cat
By: Dr. Obikoya

Have you ever wondered if your cat needs vitamins? Yes it does. You are probably giving your cat a quality food, which is good. If you your cat to have that very healthy coat, strong, non-greasy hair, clear eyes, strong immune system, and proper weight you really like, chances are you need to supplement its diet with essential vitamins and minerals. For one, the heat involved in processing pet foods does destroy some vitamins and additional vitamins are destroyed while the product sits on the shelf or in storage. This is besides the fact that these food products sometimes lack the essential vitamins and minerals in the first place.

There are two main categories of Vitamins: water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins. Water-soluble vitamins include the B vitamins, niacin, pantothenic acid, folic acid, biotin, choline and Vitamin C. If your cat consumes too much of these vitamins, it will eliminate them through urine.

Fat-soluble vitamins include vitamins A, D, E and K. Your cat cannot void these vitamins in the urine. They could reach toxic levels and poison your cat if given in excess. Please consult with a veterinarian before supplementing these particular vitamins.

Oil based hairball remedies can interfere with the absorption of vitamins. You should not use it for a long time.

Your cat also needs minerals such as potassium, magnesium, zinc, calcium, iron, phosphorous and sodium chloride. Although they are very minute part of the dietary balance for a cat, they help ensure proper health and immunities.

On the other hand, cats require a diet lower in calcium and magnesium than some foods offer. Male cats, especially, may be prone to developing urinary tract disease if fed a diet high in calcium and magnesium. Fish is naturally very high in both minerals and you avoid feeding your cat with too much fish.

Vitamins and mineral supplements play major roles in ensuring your cat is healthy and strong. Vitamin C, for example, is important in the synthesis of collagen, which is the most widely distributed tissue in the body. The believe was that there are no known dietary requirements for Vitamin C in cats as they can synthesize their own Vitamin C from glucose in their liver. Recent studies have shown they need vitamin C supplementation, as they do not produce enough on their own. type
Cats are carnivores. They require a food that is high in protein including certain amino acids like taurine, and fat. In nature, if they were eating a fresh caught mouse the mouse would mostly consist of muscle tissue (main source of protein and amino acids), bones (main source of calcium), hair (fiber, minerals and protein) and inner organs (predigested grains with B vitamins and enzymes).

Like the diet of other animals, a cat’s diet must also supply vitamins. But an unusual characteristic of cats is that they cannot form vitamin A from beta-carotene. Cats are also inefficient at converting the amino acid tryptophan into the vitamin niacin.

However, you may need to consult an animal nutritionist before adding vitamin or mineral supplements to your cat’s food. Indeed, veterinarians see more problems caused by owners who overzealously supplement with vitamins and minerals than by vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

You should feed your cat diets specifically designed for their breed, age, and activity level and recommended by the vet.

Ensure you consider your cat’s specific nutritional needs when planning its diet and vitamin supplements. Cats are not small dogs and have very different nutritional requirements than dogs, whereas dogs have nutritional needs more similar to people than cats. Dogs and cats have complex nutritional requirements: dogs require 38 nutrients daily, while cats require 40. As your pet ages from birth into adolescence and adulthood and finally becomes geriatric, their nutritional requirements change.

These changing nutritional needs account for cat diets designed for growth, maintenance, reproduction, and the old age. Such diet or what some call life stage nutrition should meet the optimal nutritional requirements of animals at different ages or physiological states.

It may be difficult to get your cat to take its vitamins. If your cat develops a strong dislike for vitamins, follow these tips:
? Check the ingredients. The vitamin supplement may have something your cat dislikes.

? Test the size of the vitamins. They may be too large for your cat to swallow.

? Check with your vet, who may be able to help you find better vitamins.

Your cat can look healthy and feel strong, just the way you want it to be, but you must take a keen interest in what it eats and the vitamin and mineral supplements it needs.