Foods Rich in Taurine for Cats
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Taurine is one of the most important essential amino acids for the proper functioning of a cat's heart muscle, vision, digestive and reproductive system. Unlike other mammals, cats do need this amino acid to be present in their organism.
Unfortunately, cats cannot synthesize sufficient amounts of taurine from other amino acids for their body to properly function. Taurine deficiency can be detrimental to your cat's health and cause blindness, heart or growth problems as well as deficiencies of the nervous system.
In order to meet your cat's needs, you need to externally provide it with this amino acid, which is found in food. If you have a cat at home, read this AnimalWised article to know what foods rich in taurine for cats and keep your pet in good health.
Contents
Taurine, the best ally for your cat's health
As we've said, taurine is such an essential component that all bought food for cats must contain it. This amino acid is found naturally in proteins of natural origin - that is, not in synthesized proteins.
We rounded up the benefits of taurine for the organism in the introduction, but it actually has more properties for your cat's health:
- It acts as an antioxidant.
- It regulates water and salt in cells all over the body.
- It stimulates muscle growth.
- It helps bile production.
- It functions as a neurotransmitter.
- It is a positive presence in the cells of the eye's retina.
Where can you find taurine?
It is best to give taurine through a natural diet. You can obtain the amino acid from sources of animal protein; we always recommend you use organic products to obtain protein while still being respectful of animals and the environment and getting good quality while you're at it.
At each meal, your cat should have between 200 and 300 mg of taurine.
- Chicken, especially the legs, contains a lot of taurine. The liver is also very good. Don't give your cat any chicken fat or skin: Taurine is found in the muscle.
- Beef: Beef liver contains high doses of taurine, as well as the heart, which is also an economical choice because it is usually quite large. It is important to know that taurine disappears when exposed to high temperatures, especially taurine present in meat and offal. Therefore, try to make sure that some foods are raw. Remember to wash them and handle them well before giving them to your pet. You should also ensure that the food is of good quality and comes from a healthy source.
- Eggs: Eggs and dairy products also contain a good amount of taurine.
- Seafood: Shrimp and clams have even more of this amino acid than other animal proteins. These are excellent foods to feed your pet and they give it the necessary amount of taurine.
Does commercial cat food contain taurine?
Yes: Commercial feed for cats contains good amounts of taurine. However, it should be high-end and as natural as possible. There are some very good store-bought feeds that are made from quality dehydrated meat.
Low quality feed is a bad choice for your pet with regard to taurine. This kind of cat food is made with lots of grains and little natural taurine. The taurine that they use to compensate for that lack usually comes from artificial sources.
When you're visiting the supermarket or pet shop, check the list of ingredients on the label. If you see that it includes taurine as an ingredient, it is artificial because it has been added. Remember that this amino acid should already be present in natural food.
Here you can learn all about what is the best diet for cats.
Do you know of any more foods for cats that are rich in taurine? Comment and share them with us!
If you want to read similar articles to Foods Rich in Taurine for Cats, we recommend you visit our Healthy diets category.
