If you have ever read up on how best to feed cats, you’ll know taurine is an essential part of their diet. But why is this? What foods give cats taurine? And what are the best foods to provide this essential nutrient?

Taurine is an amino acid – molecules that combine and form proteins - and are the building blocks of life.

Taurine is more essential for cats than other pets and they require large amounts in their diet. This is because unlike humans and other pets, cats can only make limited quantities themselves. They need a regular supply to prevent taurine deficiency – which is fatal in cats.

The benefits of taurine include:

• strengthening the heart
• supporting healthy blood flow
• maintaining retina health and vision
• promoting reproductive health
• helping protect against ageing

Do cats need taurine every day?

The feline body cannot store large amounts of taurine, so their diet should contain an adequate level of taurine every day to remain fit and healthy. Feeding TABBY’S TABLE, which complies with FEDIAF guidelines, will ensure you are feeding the right amount each and every day.

What are the symptoms of taurine deficiency in cats?

If a cat’s food is low in taurine they will become deficient, and there is a long list of health issues that can arise as a result of this. The symptoms of taurine deficiency in cats can include:

This causes the heart to enlarge, affecting its ability to pump blood effectively. Cats affected by dilated cardiomyopathy may also develop congestive heart failure as a result

Taurine deficiency can cause degeneration of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Unfortunately, once these cells are lost, they can’t be replaced

Taurine helps your cat’s teeth stay strong and healthy. When it’s in short supply, cavities are more likely to occur

Cats that don’t receive enough taurine may be unable to have kittens

Kittens born to mothers with taurine deficiencies may face growth problems and might be more likely to experience bone fractures

Taurine helps the body produce bile salts needed for fat digestion. Without enough taurine, your pet may develop diarrhoea and digestion issues

Lack of taurine may also affect your furry friend’s coat and lead to hair loss

Without enough taurine, your cat’s immune system may not function optimally. As a result, your pet might not be able to fight off viruses as easily as healthy cats and may suffer from frequent illnesses

Diabetes
Taurine helps the body regulate blood sugar. Your pet may develop diabetes without sufficient amounts of taurine

Lethargy
Cats affected by the deficiency may appear tired and listless

What is a good source of taurine for cats?

Cats are obligate carnivores, which means that they need to consume meat to stay healthy. What foods give cats taurine? Meat and poultry (including internal organs such as liver and kidney), and seafood are the richest sources of taurine. It’s not found in plant foods, so cats eating vegetarian or vegan diets are at highest risk.

The amount of taurine in cat food varies between wet and dry foods. The heat processing required to manufacture dry cat food decreases the amount of taurine in the food. Therefore, the amount of taurine is higher in wet cat food than in dry food. But by choosing a raw diet, replicating the way a cat would eat in nature, we believe is the best feeding choice for your cat. 

Tabby’s Table raw cat food is the ideal biologically appropriate diet, providing the closest to what a cat would eat in the wild – quite simply, it’s what they are designed to eat. There’s a lot more information available in our ‘RAWPLICITY: The Complete Guide to Feeding Raw Cat Food’ – this is the ultimate ‘How To’ for getting started with raw feeding. Whether you want to make a complete switch or just add a burst of freshness to your cat’s existing dry or wet food, our guide will hold your paw along the way.

Feeding Tabby’s Table you can rest assured you are feeding the best food you can to your cat. This is because our recipes comply to FEDIAF nutritional guidelines which exist to ensure animal foods are complete, balanced and fully satisfy the dietary needs of specific animals. Knowing this you can rest assured that our raw cat meals contain all they need, especially that all-important taurine, to ensure they thrive and live healthy lives.