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How Cats Choose What They Want to Eat
In a study reported on by The Royal Society Publishing, researchers sought to find out how cats decided about what they wanted to eat.
The study revealed that cats make their initial food choice based on qualities such as aroma and flavor, but then they shift to a selection based on nutrition.
The researchers were able to identify the nutritional preference of the cats in the study as being protein and fat in a ratio of 1 to 0.43. For example if there is 1 ounce of protein, then 0.43 ounces of fat would be what the cats in the study preferred.
Given time to consume the food, the cats were able to recognize whether or not that food met their dietary requirements. The researchers didn’t know how the cats were able to detect nutrient information.
The Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition published a separate study where cats showed a preference for food with a high protein, moderate fat, and low carbohydrate nutrient composition.
It would appear from these scientific studies that nutritional content ranks high on what your cat thinks about when your picky kitty is picking some food to eat.
Perhaps this explains why a cat might at first seem to like a cat food you have brought home, only to reject it later on. Maybe your pet has decided the food he or she was willing to try because it smelled and tasted good, turned out not to have the right nutrients.
How to Read a Cat Food Label
Giving consideration to the scientific findings that support this nutrition concept, when choosing food for your cat you may want to look for cat food that is high in protein with moderate fat and low carbohydrate. To determine if a given cat food has this nutrient composition, look on the cat food label and find the Guaranteed Analysis.
The nutrient values are depicted in the Guaranteed Analysis as MAXimum or MINimum, so those values are not exact. However, they will give you a good approximation of the nutritional proportions that are present in the food.
Carbohydrate content is usually not included on the list. We will discuss that later.
Since Moisture is included in the Guaranteed Analysis list, we know that the other nutrient values on the list include water. Since water contains no protein or any of the other nutrients listed, we need to extract that Moisture from our evaluation of the nutrients
To do that we will use a mathematical formula to convert the values in the Guaranteed Analysis to what is referred to as the Dry Matter Basis (DMB).
Here is an “Example Guaranteed Analysis” as it might appear on a cat food label:
- CRUDE PROTEIN……7.0% min
- CRUDE FAT……………..3.0% min
- CRUDE FIBER………….1.0% max
- MOISTURE………………84.0% max
- ASH………………………….3.0% max
To calculate the Dry Matter Basis (DMB), we use this formula:
[% Nutrient / (100% – %Moisture)] X 100 = Nutrient DMB
[7% / (100 – 84%)] X 100 = Crude Protein DMB
[7% / (16%)] X 100 = Crude Protein DMB
[0.438%] X 100 = 43.8% Crude Protein DMB
Using this same formula, I found the Crude Fat DMB in our Example to be 18.8%.
Earlier in this post I referred to a study that found that cats preferred a protein to fat ratio of 1 to 0.43. Applying that ratio to the 43.8% Protein DMB in our Example Guaranteed Analysis, we then get an ideal Fat DMB content of 18.8%. This ideal Fat DMB happens to be exactly the same number as we have in our Example Guaranteed Analysis Fat DMB of 18.8%. (A happy coincidence).
If you are just interested in looking at the ratios of the protein to fat in a cat food, you don’t necessarily have to complete the DMB conversion. For instance if you simply apply the ratio to the 7% Crude Protein value by multiplying it by 0.43, you get an ideal Crude Fat value of 3%, which is the same amount that is in the Example Guaranteed Analysis.
Hint: The Guaranteed Analysis values used in my Example were taken from an actual cat food product available to you and your cat. I will share details about that cat food a little further down, so keep reading.
Feeding your cat with bowls they approve of may also be helpful. How to Choose the Best Cat Bowls is my blog post that can assist you with that.
How to Look For Low Carb Cat Food
Carbohydrates are not required to be included on the Guaranteed Analysis list on cat food labels, so they are typically left off the list. This does not mean that there are no carbohydrates in the food.
To determine the carbohydrate content of your cat food, add up all the items listed on the Guaranteed Analysis list and subtract that total from 100%, then convert that number to the Dry Matter Basis (DMB) using the formula described in the previous section.
This number will be approximate, because this widely accepted method assumes anything not included in the Guaranteed Analysis list is a carbohydrate, and this may not be so.
Using our Example from the previous section, the total of the values on the Guaranteed Analysis list is 98%. We deduct that number from 100% to get 2% approximate carbohydrate, which converts to 10% approximate carbohydrate DMB.
So our Example gives us the DMB values of 43.8% protein, 18.8% fat and 10% approximate carbohydrate. This conforms closely with our happy cat preference of high protein, moderate fat, and low carbohydrate.
Do Cats Prefer Pate’ Type Food?
Over the years I served our cats pretty much every food texture available. What I have observed is that while texture may be important to cats, they are usually pretty flexible about it.
For instance, during one period of time I served a shredded cat food. The cats had some difficulty chewing that food texture. However, they must have loved the taste and accepted the nutritional value, because they chomped away at it.
When I switched to a pate’ with similar ingredients from the same company, they liked that one too. Whether they were chomping or lapping, if the taste and nutrition was what they wanted they were happy.
Of all the different textures I have served to cats, the one I thought to be the easiest one for them to eat was pate’. You may want to consider that a kitten or an older cat might have difficulty chewing certain textures, in which case the pate’ might be a good choice for them.
For very interesting information on how cats chew food, visit my blog post How Do Cats Chew Food.
Where to Find a High Protein, Moderate Fat, Low Carb Cat Food
You can find that right here. I mentioned above that the Guaranteed Analysis values that I used as an Example were taken from a real cat food label, and this is that cat food:
Pate’ Chicken Checkmate Cat Food
- This cat food is a product of the WERUVA company under its b.f.f. brand.
- b.f.f. stands for Best Feline Friend
- WERUVA was founded in 2007
- Named after the founders’ rescue cats: WEbster, RUdi, VAnessa
- First on the ingredient list is chicken
- WERUVA states the chicken is free of added hormones and antibiotics
- I have served this cat food and our cats were very happy with it
Food is One Way to a Cat’s Heart
Living with cats is even better than usual when you choose food that pleases them. For additional information, you can also visit my blog post Living With Your Cat