TV Vet Dr. Mark Abraham advises on the steps to take to accommodate your cat's constantly changing taste buds and the importance of a changing diet.
Cat domestication has occurred for thousands of years. The first evidence of the process by which cats live near humans actually comes from barns. Humans would store their crops indoors, which increased the number of mice. While cats would hunt the mice for food, that’s when humans began to see the value of having a cat around as a companion.
Fast forward to the present day and the role of cats in our lives has changed (although some still retain their roles as vermin catchers). They are now much-loved companions sharing our home - sofas and beds alike. Evolving over this time, it’s no surprise that their taste buds have changed as well. Although, instincts and nutritional needs are still firmly rooted in the feral cats where they came from.
Like wild cats, domestic cats are obligated carnivores, which means their diet should contain rich inclusions of fresh and raw high-quality animal ingredients. Unlike other domestic animals, cats have the shortest digestive tract-to-body size ratio which makes it difficult for them to break down plant materials. Therefore, feeding cats a strict plant-based diet can be detrimental to their long-term health.
To help educate pet owners about their cat’s important eating habits, super-premium pet food brand ORIJEN encourages them to eat as nature intended. ORIJEN comes from the Latin word 'origin' - meaning source or beginning. Born from a desire to mirror the food that cats have evolved to eat, ORIGIN recipes feature foods that are as close as possible to what our feline ancestors found and ate in the wild. ORIJEN pioneered biologically Appropriate food and WholePrey nutrition, which is why the top five ingredients are always fresh or raw meat, poultry, or fish, and nutrient-dense organs. This gives owners the ability to feed babies with nutrient-dense food so that pets can thrive for life.
Here, TV vet, Dr. Mark Abraham OBE explains why cats’ taste buds have evolved. She also advises on the different steps cat owners can follow to cater to their ever-changing taste buds and the importance of a flexible diet:
Fast forward to the present day and the role of cats in our lives has changed (although some still retain their roles as vermin catchers). They are now much-loved companions sharing our home - sofas and beds alike. Evolving over this time, it’s no surprise that their taste buds have changed as well. Although, instincts and nutritional needs are still firmly rooted in the feral cats where they came from.
Like wild cats, domestic cats are obligated carnivores, which means their diet should contain rich inclusions of fresh and raw high-quality animal ingredients. Unlike other domestic animals, cats have the shortest digestive tract-to-body size ratio which makes it difficult for them to break down plant materials. Therefore, feeding cats a strict plant-based diet can be detrimental to their long-term health.
To help educate pet owners about their cat’s important eating habits, super-premium pet food brand ORIJEN encourages them to eat as nature intended. ORIJEN comes from the Latin word 'origin' - meaning source or beginning. Born from a desire to mirror the food that cats have evolved to eat, ORIGIN recipes feature foods that are as close as possible to what our feline ancestors found and ate in the wild. ORIJEN pioneered biologically Appropriate food and WholePrey nutrition, which is why the top five ingredients are always fresh or raw meat, poultry, or fish, and nutrient-dense organs. This gives owners the ability to feed babies with nutrient-dense food so that pets can thrive for life.
Here, TV vet, Dr. Mark Abraham OBE explains why cats’ taste buds have evolved. She also advises on the different steps cat owners can follow to cater to their ever-changing taste buds and the importance of a flexible diet:
1. Cats are naturally carnivores and should be fed accordingly
Cats are meat-eaters and are highly adapted to the lifestyle of predators. Not only do they eat meat, but cats have become somewhat dependent on it. Cats don’t need specialized enzymes or metabolic pathways to digest and convert nutrients in plants, as primarily hunted animals they already have everything they need in their prey. However, adapting to be strict carnivores means that cats have unique specialized dietary requirements that don’t apply to most other animals. Therefore, it is always advisable to feed a nutritious cat food and of high quality. In fact, one of the most important things to watch out for when buying cat food is that the label reads ‘complete’ food. Both ORIJEN Guardian 8 and Kitten are complete cat foods, meaning they have been formulated to meet all of their nutritional needs, which are important for your cat’s lungs, health, and diet.
2. Cats are still closely related to their carnivorous ancestors
The domestic cat is descended from the North African wildcat and is still very similar to this species in size, shape, behavior, and physiology. DNA evidence suggests that feral cats were first 'self-domesticated' in Egypt about 10,000 years ago when hungry sporting felines roamed early farm buildings to eat grain-stealing rodents and stopped to stop getting free scraps, and a backbreaker from most of the excited. Both ORIJEN Guardian 8 and Kitten cat food, like the rest of the ORIJEN range, always include as the first five ingredients fresh or raw meat, poultry, fish, and nutrient-rich organs, which allows cats to follow the diet evolved for food. Over the millennia, cats in Egypt went from useful village predators to physical embodiments of the gods, symbols of divine protection, and even 'magical' creatures, able to bring good luck to the people who housed them.
3. Cats eat often but sparingly
Like their wild ancestors, cats are specialized for hunting alone, which means their prey is generally smaller than it is. Since the average mouse alone has about 30 kilocalories, cats must hunt, kill, and eat about ten mice a day in order to meet their daily energy and nutrient needs. So, under natural circumstances, cats will always eat small amounts of food. Now, relying on their owners for food means that many cats don’t follow their natural diet, and instead just do the schedules that are easiest for us humans. So consider being more accommodating to your cat and giving them more food often in smaller amounts. For example, on each ORIJEN bag you will find a feeding guide with the recommended daily portions for your feline based on weight and activity level.
4. Encourage your cat to stimulate their brain
In today’s modern world cats often miss out on opportunities to hunt for their food, all of which involve mental exertion that, unsurprisingly, leads to boredom, silence , they’re anxious, upset, stressed, stressed , and they create some serious, related behavioral problems. To prevent and even solve some of these potential problems, and divide your cat’s daily food intake into multiple portions, such as offering these items throughout the 24-hour period each of the timed feeders, try puzzle feeders that hold food and must be manipulated to release it, it helps food last longer; this will encourage more exercise, as well as giving your cat a fun ‘brain-teaser’!
5. Consult your vet to prevent your cat from becoming obese
Most cats are fed from the same bowl in the exact same place every day, which means little or no effort needed to get stuff done eat. So maintaining your cat’s healthy weight is another consideration, and like all of us cats are individuals, which means there are big differences in their nutritional needs to ensure they don’t get wet food . . . . Obesity is the most common dietary problem in UK cats, making cats more susceptible to a number of health conditions including diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis. Most vet practices run free weight clinics, so ask your vet to help you determine the best body weight for your cat and follow their advice on adjusting your cat’s diet and exercise plan to achieve and maintain that desired weight due.