Cats are actually the opposite of vegetarians. They are obligate carnivores.

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“Obligate carnivores” means they can’t help it. They can’t eat anything else but food from an animal source. They can eat some grass for digestion, and maybe odds and ends like mandarin oranges or marshmallows as treats. (I’ve had cats who liked such things.)

But that’s it.

It’s the taurine. Cats without an organic acid known as taurine develop liver, heart, and vision problems; and will eventually die. Cats can only get taurine (and vitamin A, B12, and arachidonic acid) from animal foods.

It’s the pointy teeth. Cats have teeth which are all pointy; not capable of grinding tough plant material into a form suitable for mammalian digestion. Horses have broad, flat teeth, as do all herbivores. Omnivores, like humans, have both flat teeth for grinding, and pointy teeth for tearing.

It’s the digestive tract. Cats have a short length of intestine, and none of the specialized enzymes or fermenting vats that will break down cellulose in plants and make it available to cells for nutrition.

It’s the enzymes. Cats completely lack the enzymes which allow for conversion of carbohydrates into body energy. The carbohydrates break down into blood sugar, but then can only be ushered into cells to form fat. So when we feed a cat grains or grain byproducts, we are only making them fat.

It’s the eye placement. Cats have their eyes set on the same plane, on the front of their head. This gives them depth perception; this lets them hunt. While deer, rabbits, antelope, and other prey animals have eyes set on the sides of their head; so they can look in more places for the predators who want to eat them.

It might seem strange that an animal rights activist (and I am) would not be a vegetarian or something like it (and I’m not.) But such a mental linkage comes from a connection that is neither accurate or sensible.

An animal lover can conclude it is wrong to eat animals. I admire such conviction; and once upon a time, I tried to embrace it. But it turned out to be bad for my health; I’m an omnivore, and need to eat both animals and plants.

We can’t hold it against cats, or me; it’s the way we are.

So I strive to help all animals be treated humanely; I rescue cats, I’m against factory farming, and I think our society should consider more sustainable forms of agriculture and animal husbandry than the one we are presently pursuing.

For those who wish to delve into this subject further, I can’t recommend a better book than The Vegetarian Myth: Food, Justice, and Sustainability, which is available on Amazon:

And on Kindle:

Idealism is a wonderful thing. It tells us what to strive for. But it’s wrong to use idealism as a hammer on reality, to impose an artificial construct onto actual living beings. It’s the living beings who get hurt, for nothing more than being unable to react the way an Idealist believes they are supposed to.

I see articles on the web claiming that we can feed our cat a vegetarian, or even a vegan, diet. Most admit these diets should supplement with taurine and many other essential nutrients; some even acknowledge that cats are designed, far more than most, to eat only meat. But their idealistic principles are not compatible with letting their pet cats eat in a way that is contrary to the goals they have set for themselves.

So what do I think of their claims that their cats are happily, and healthily, managing on such a diet for many years? I’m sure that some of these cats go outdoors, and a hungry cat outdoors will supplement for themselves. How is that different from adding missing items to a cat’s vegetarian food — to make it more like meat? These are supplements that have to be added because they do not appear in plants.

So it’s a bit hypocritical, isn’t it? An animal source is an animal source.

I understand the drives, be they for humanitarian, political, or health reasons, which lead people to embrace vegetarian or vegan diets. But they freely chose this for themselves. Their cats have not.

So instead of trying to convert a carnivore into a herbivore, such people should explore the joys of bunnies and birds as pets. Science has shown that cats cannot live on a meat free diet.

Pretending otherwise is simply animal cruelty.

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We are out of the cats’ favorite kind of food.

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This is a crisis because all cats rely on whatever has worked before. They are like small children in their willingness to explore new flavors; as anyone near small children knows, that’s not very much.

So when a cat has a good experience with a food, it’s not only a favorite; it goes on a short list of what they can consume with confidence. Anything else is regarded with indifference or outright suspicion. A cat’s instincts will urge them to incredible feats of patience and persistence when it comes to hunting down their prey. In our home, all of that energy gets diverted to what they can control; namely, what we open for them.

Likewise, if our cats have a bad experience, that food is now ruined. It’s similar to how we humans might have gotten sick after a particular food. Even if that had nothing to do with why were got sick, (like eating a perfectly innocent dish and then coming down with stomach flu,) our bodies will tell us to avoid that food. It will make us feel sick to our stomachs before we even eat it.

I once picked up a box of canned that the cats liked, thinking it contained a variety of flavors. But they turned out to be all variations on turkey; never a house favorite. After eating their way through the box, even though we tried to space it out, the cats had a liking for turkey that was distinctly less than it was before.

What happens when cat favorites aren’t their favorites any more? It can be frustrating to bring home a popular flavor and have the cats spurn it, but the explanation is simple: it isn’t the same. The manufacturers have switched around the recipe, or downgraded the ingredients, and we probably don’t have the labels from the previous recipe; that’s why we got more. So we must be philosophical, (because the cat is always right,) and donate the food to someone whose cat might love it.

If our cat has been sick, they can associate the taste of their favorite foods with being sick, and are now afraid of eating it again. We can’t do anything about it; we are the same way. Tempt them with tuna juice or sliced meats from the deli to bring their appetite back, and let them find new favorites.

Variety, if we can manage it, is a good insurance policy. Offering a blend of foods from different companies means less exposure to contaminants, coverage for missing nutrients, and safeguards against the grocery running out, not stocking it any more, being discontinued, or ruined by meddling with the ingredients.

We wouldn’t be very happy if we are anticipating a favorite dish at dinner; and get our least liked vegetable instead. So, once alerted, I stopped by the store on the way home. We needed other things, and I picked them up while I’m there, but the real reason I stopped was because the cats would complain if I didn’t.

They would be right.

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Not that we should leave them out, either. Here’s how to help our cats celebrate.

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We might be bribing the cats to keep them from being underfoot. We might have children who want to share. We might have something left unattended for too long, and then it looked abandoned. We want our cats to enjoy the holidays, too.

Use these tips to keep the party in check.

Get them their own tested treats. The more nutritious their treats, the more easily the cat can feast without bad consequences. So when the relish tray comes out, offer some treats in another room. Now is the time to break out the premium foods in their favorite flavors.

Don’t splurge on something a little fancier if we haven’t tested it beforehand. It dampens the spirit to see the cat burying our offering in the litter box. Go with the old favorites.

People food good. People portions bad. If the people food is cat-tempting, mince up a small amount and bribe them in another room. They would prefer some privacy, anyway.

Meat, cheese, and seafood are all good options, especially if we know our cats like them. The key is small portions. We can sprinkle some grated Parmesan on the morning can portion, we can shred a bit of shrimp onto a little plate. Cats don’t need a lot, though they might keep asking.

Small portions let us “treat them” throughout the day without overloading them.

Cat tummy upset? This is where having kitty grass offers a remedy the cat wants to seek out. Some catnip sprinkled on their food can soothe their tummies, too.

If the cat wants to sleep it off, make sure they are not disturbed, or move them to a place where they won’t be disturbed. Giving a cat stress is not good for their tummies.

Some cats might throw up just from the stress. Keep their routines still running as best we can, so the cats won’t feel the world has gone mad.

Some cats love the new people and activities. Some cats can’t wait for it to be over. No matter where our cats might fall in this spectrum, we can help them have a happy holiday.

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There’s two things, maybe both, that are going on. One is a problem of perception, and the other is sincerity.

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When a cat is hungry, they do not pretend they are hungry. They might pretend they are starving, to make a point, but they are trying to convey a true feeling of hunger.

If our cat is already overweight, we might think we are having our leg pulled. But overweight cats eat too much food when that food does not have enough protein and fat to fuel their impressive metabolic engines. So they have to eat more.

We can consider a meal change if our present cat food doesn’t measure up, as outlined in The Cat Food Calculator.

We might also be mistaking prey behavior for hungry behavior.

Cats get wild-eyed and happy when we mention food. But they also get wild-eyed and happy when they play, and we can also ask them if they want to play.

Sometimes, that’s all they want.

The misconception occurs when we make the wrong decision about what is motivating the cat. We might not realize the cat’s nature is driving them as much, or more, than hunger.

We have to remember that there is no animal which is not food obsessed. It is a consequence of all of us being biological creatures. If someone kept us as a pet, we would be thought of as beings who “go nuts” over pizza and pastry and other human treats.

But cats are also complete predators who are used to being on alert for possible prey. We must remember that cats do not go to their favorite field and sit there nibbling on grass when they are hungry. They do that, but not when they’re hungry.

When they are hungry, they know they have to hunt something down.

And this is, aside from the biological drive of hunger, very interesting to them.

So this is why cats are always up for a snack. If they are not really hungry, they can be dissuaded.

If they are really hungry, we need to know that, too.

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We can get some better clues with my Cat Food Calculator.

I’ve already entered certain brands for comparison purposes.

Try out the food you are feeding your cats with this Cat Food Calculator.

Enter the information from the food label into the correct boxes on the spreadsheet. Use the blue boxes if you want to compare to what is already there. Or save it down to your own computer to compare many different possibilities.

Then click on the Compare Tab to see how this particular food stacks up.

Here’s how to interpret the results:

Carbohydrates in Blue: We don’t want much. Cats don’t have the enzymes to digest it. When we are paying for a lot of carbohydrate in the cat food, we are paying for what is going to make the cat fat and prone to diabetes.

Why so much carbohydrate? It’s cheap and it keeps well. But we don’t stock our pantries with cardboard, and we shouldn’t feed our cats with grains. Remember, cats are obligate carnivores. Every time a cat food commercial talks about the whole grains in their food… they are ripping us off.

Protein in Red: This is the nutrient building block cats use more than any other. They even process the glucose their body needs… from protein! So this is what we want in the cat food; and what we should be willing to pay for.

All protein isn’t created equal. Look out for such sources as soy or corn gluten meal; this is a form of protein, but it’s not as good as real meat protein, which has trace nutrients vegetable sources cannot match.

Fat in Gold: This is another precious nutrient that cats handle well. Fat is needed to keep their fur in good shape and their highly tuned nervous system operating as it should, along with vital cell building processes.

Don’t be afraid of fat in the cat food! Cats like the taste, and it won’t make them fat. If we are curing a starving cat or kitten, they need even more fat than usual. This is a quick source of body energy, and will help calm their overactive appetites.

Moisture in Green: This might look like a waste of our pet food money, when we can just put a bowl down for them. But remember that this is all water that is getting into their system. Along with making the food easier to eat, and to digest.

Water should be considered a vital nutrient, and whatever gets it into the cat, especially if they are fussy about their water sources, is what I consider to be hydration insurance.

Ash & Fiber in Gray: Ash doesn’t sound good, does it? But all it means is that the meat in cat food is cooked at a high temperature for hygiene and canning purposes. This leaves ash, which also contains calcium, magnesium, calcium, potassium and other trace minerals the cat actually needs. But we still don’t want too much of it, especially since higher quality meat will cook with less ash.

Ash is basically a balancing act, and has a role in the cat’s health, especially their urinary tract health. It turns out small, frequent, meals and plenty of water are the best ways to safeguard a cat’s urinary tract. Read more in this comprehensive article from a veterinarian.

Fiber is being added to many cat foods, such as hairball or obesity formulations. What does it do?

A certain amount of fiber is good for the cat; that’s why they like to munch on grass, after all. Since I grow kitty grass for my cats, I don’t want to pay for extra in my cat food. Too much can lead to a windy kitty.

Some fiber does balance their digestive tract, and helps move hairballs along. This is insoluble carbohydrate, so it doesn’t affect the cat’s blood sugar. But fats also do the same job, and has other benefits, too.

Adding fiber to the cat’s food in an effort to control their weight isn’t as much help as we might think. They get a full belly, but only protein and fat “turns off” their hungry switch. A cat who is not getting enough of these nutrient elements will just eat more.

In cats, recent studies have shown that diets high in protein and fat aid in the dietary management of diabetes mellitus more than diets high in fiber. Article link.

The best way to slim down a fat cat is reducing their carb load, and giving them more protein and fat.

No discussion of cat nutrition would be complete without bringing up taurine. This vital organic acid supports their sensitive retinas and promotes heart and muscle health. This is a vital nutrient not present in vegetable foods, so getting a cat food high in protein and fat means there is more natural taurine going along for the ride. Wet foods are required to have more taurine in them; yet another reason to make canned a cat food staple.

I hope this roundup helps when looking beyond the fancy pictures and big banners saying what’s in the food. Skip all that and go to the ingredients list and the nutrient breakdown.

Then we’ll know what we, and our cats, are really getting.

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But it actually makes more sense to ask ourselves, “Why wouldn’t they do this?”

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Consider how the cat would be spending their time if they had to scope out their prey, come up with a strategy to ambush it, execute that strategy, and wind up with a hot lunch. It would take considerable time and concentration.

But this would not be a distressing series of events for the cat, would it? This would be a highly satisfactory and involving experience that would be talked up in the Cat Bar. If cats had bars.

Cats have instincts, reflexes, emotions, and mental processes designed to pursue and eat their prey. That is how they “make their living” in the wild. None of this goes away once they live with us.

And dinner becomes something that appears in their bowl.

There’s a lot of energy and drive left over, isn’t there?

Maybe we think our cat is food obsessed because they continually ask for food, patrol the kitchen, or are so quick to follow us in there.

It might sometimes seem that I’m a bit nutty when I suggest we give our cats candlelight suppers or we make dinner into a floor show.

But that is only because I’ve found that cats are happiest when we make some effort to give meals even a fraction of the excitement and drama that would normally accompany every meal, every day.

We play with our cats and admire how they leap and pounce. We throw out mice and sponge balls for them to chase. We laugh at the joy they get from a ball of paper or length of yarn.

All this activity has one purpose, yet rarely leads to a meal. I’m not suggesting it always should. Yet the devotion and drive cats put into their play shows how important it is to them.

It simply makes sense that the point of their play is to get dinner. This makes dinner the culmination, the peak experience, the Third Act, the point.

This is why the cat attempts, as best they can, to put a little pursuit into their prey after it appears in the bowl.

It’s as though they are saying, Not that I don’t appreciate this, but is that all there is?

We might not break them of these habits if we start making a fuss over mealtimes. But we can give them more of the satisfaction they are looking for.

So let’s talk up dinnertime and get the cat excited. Let them smell the food before it gets dished out, or choose a flavor, or get to follow the dish into another room.

There should be thrills going on at mealtime.

Deep down, that’s what they are used to.

And what they are looking for.

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This pot of kitty grass is a mixture of oat seeds that grows in our windowsill.

Cats love to munch on these, especially if freshly misted. As we can see, the mowing operation is well underway.

We have two pots in constant operation, since these grasses have a tendency to wither up in a few weeks. That’s because these are “non-fruiting” varieties which do not coarsen and develop seed heads. They don’t last long, but this means they stay tender and flavorful.

Mr. Bond loves monitoring their progress. He often asks us to come look at them, so we can say encouraging things about how well his little garden is growing.

He especially likes reassurance when the pot has been freshly planted, and is not yet showing shoots. We just tell him there is no reason why this pot won’t turn out as good as all the others.

For cats who live indoors, this fulfills a need, naturally. Even outdoor cats will prefer their own fresh, tender, and handy source of this vital cat food supplement. All cats prefer tender grasses, which are often not available. And this way, we know what they are eating.

I’ve found my cats enjoy “flossing” with the strands, which is just another reason to plant them in a place that gives the cats room to maneuver, and in a form that won’t get tipped over easily.

A good kitty grass pot should have some heft, even empty, and not be top heavy. A southern or western window will work well, but these plants don’t have to have a lot of sunlight to perform as needed.

The right seeds are crucial. The grass needs to have the correct growing cycle for tenderness, so don’t use conventional grass seed. The first time Dear Husband took over the kitty grass ritual, Mr. Bond was openly skeptical, and noted that we had picked up different seeds at our local hardware store. These seeds wound up growing to over six feet in length, and were too coarse for maximum appeal. But it did make Mr. Bond give an A for effort. Wow! Not so tasty, but very dramatic. You are the Man!

Use a potting soil designed for such use, to keep it from compacting in the pot and interfering with root growth, which is where the plants draw their nutrients from. A good root system can stand up to the chewing and tugging that is going to take place, so plant the seeds with a half inch of soil on top.

We can also “compost in place” to keep our potting soil healthy. When planting a new set, mix up the dried plant remains with the existing soil and our latest batch of coffee grounds or tea dregs. We don’t have to fertilize with stinky or possibly toxic elements when we can keep our soil continually working for us, without a lot of fuss or expense.

We have a board laid over the radiator by the windowsill, but if you have the room, flats are also a good way to grow kitty grass. This is a nice kit from Wheatgrasskits.com. You get five pounds of wheatgrass seed, five trays, soil, and instructions. A great way to get started!

Planting and nurturing the kitty grass is a fun activity the cat will enjoy supervising and observing with us. It can serve as a nice focal point for the cat to draw our attention to, and when we perform the minimal maintenance (planting, and occasional watering,) it requires, it shows the cat how much we care.

Because it is important to them.

As always, cats don’t mean to be trouble when they eat our houseplants and throw up on our carpet. They are just doing the best they can. So try out some kitty grass, and you’ll be amazed at how much it brightens up not just that windowsill, but the cat’s behavior as well.

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As any good hostess knows, atmosphere has a lot to contribute to the dining experience. When we feed our cat twice a day, breakfast is probably too rushed and too light to to get a different atmosphere.

But dinner, especially in the winter, is different.

It’s different because we have time to fuss. The cat has time to relax. While the darker days of winter can have us craving light, the cat is nocturnal. They have spent the whole day in the darker light that lets them adapt to what is natural to them.

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So if we are in the habit of feeding the cat in the lighted kitchen, think again.

Turning off the light and leaving a nightlight will save power, and it will give the cat the low light that brings out their senses. Attuned to every sound, no longer filtering their reactions because there is so much coming in, the cat can relax, let their senses tune up, and enjoy their meal.

The lighted kitchen is also a beacon for everyone in the house to drift in, make a snack, look at the microwave and think of what they can heat up. It isn’t the best environment for a cat to have a nice dinner. So make whatever the cat dining area is a private time for them.

Don’t forget to fuss a little, and be happy with them. It’s a highlight of their day, something they look forward to.

We should feel the same way.

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It’s because the cat’s tastes were formed in the wild, and they don’t live there any more.

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It’s been known since the 1970′s, from research at Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, that cats cannot taste sweetness. In the last few years, scientists have even isolated the missing gene that keeps cats from tasting sweetness. The reason cats have no taste for sweet, and a reduced taste for salt, is that their natural diet did not require them to have this ability. What cats are good at tasting are fats, amino acids, (the building blocks of protein,) and certain textures that remind them of their prey.

Cats are not drawn to sweetness because they lack glucokinase in their livers, which prevents them from digesting it. No point in alerting the cat to something they can’t use. Likewise, scientists theorize that cats have a weak taste for salt since their carnivorous diet would supply their needs, making it unnecessary for them to seek it out.

Cats are drawn to green plants, meat, and fresh water. How does this get them into trouble?

Popular holiday plants such as poinsettias, holly, and mistletoe can be ingested by cats who are drawn to greenery, yet they are toxic and irritating to the cats digestive system, and in the case of Easter Lilies, downright poisonous. We can prevent problems by being careful about what plants we bring into the house.

Cats did not evolve in an environment where such leafy plants were problems, so they don’t have any discrimination to keep them from trying almost anything. We can fulfill their needs by offering them pots of kitty grass. Many people find cats so supplied will leave their houseplants alone.

When a cat shuns their water dish because it has crumbs in it, it can puzzle us that they can poison themselves with such substances as antifreeze, or, as a commenter pointed out recently, the water from Christmas tree stands. That’s because cats are sensitive to the “off” scent of decomposing proteins, and shun such spoiled sources.

But many chemicals, such as in humidifiers, plant preservatives, or in antifreeze, are designed to prevent decomposition. They do it so well cats detect no scent of spoiled food, and unwittingly ingest something they think is safe.

Chlorine is another substance that causes problems for cats. To us, it smells terrible, and we wouldn’t think of drinking it. But to cats, the chemicals can have a pheromone-like scent, and can drive them to have too much interest in the liquids that contain it.

We should go lightly on the bleach in any case; cats have been known to find it signals “go here,” and we don’t want that. Instead of bleach or ammonia, we should clean with vinegar, which deodorizes and is not dangerous. Cats, sensitive to bitterness, will not drink it.

Since cats live in a world they did not make, it is up to us to make that world, safer.

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Surprised? According to this, Mr. Bond is already sixty five human years old! No wonder he’s been taking it a little easier around the house, and letting his sidekick, RJ, take over a lot of his supervising duties.

Cats face physical aging challenges just as humans do, but we might not know that they face a mental challenge as well. According to this study, one vet estimates feline dementia could affect 28% of pet cats aged 11 to 14, and 50% of older cats. We need to be alert to cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS), which can lead to dementia.

This is when the cat becomes easily confused, and can start wailing at night and missing the litter box. Their problems are more easily seen when they are tired or not feeling well. They also have a lowered ability to cope with stress. Diet seems to be one way to treat this condition.

Hill’s did one study of 75 cats, all older than 12, and later questioned their owners about the j/d [Hill's Science Diet for arthritis] food’s impact on their dementia, Gunn-Moore says. “Over 70 percent said their cats had improved cognitive function,” she said. “It’s great. I think it’s a fabulous brain diet. I’ve got a lot of little old cats on that brain diet. It’s really nice.”

Well, okay, that sounds good, even though it was the makers of the pet food doing the study, that’s nice improvement rates. What about prevention?

The j/d food should not, however, be given to younger cats as a dementia preventative, Gunn-Moore says, because it contains far too much fat and protein.

Now, we’re talking about cats. An animal who eats other animals. An animal who does not have the enzymes needed to digest carbohydrates, such as found in grain. How can such a animal get too much fat and protein?

In fact, as I’ve written before on cats and their proper diet, the best way to feed cats is with lots of fat and protein, and very little carbohydrate.

I think if feeding a high fat & protein diet helps older cats regain their cognitive function, then it is definitely indicated to feed them that kind of diet all through their lives.

Especially since there isn’t a single reason not to.

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