Despite obvious physiology differences, your cat is
not that different from you. Just as humans, cats require vitamins and
minerals to survive. Whether or not you need to supplement your cat's
diets with vitamins depends largely on their diet and current health
status.
The vitamins that cats need include both fat soluble and
water-soluble vitamins. These vitamins are essential to a cat's growth
and for the efficient processing of fats in the body. These vitamins
ensure that a cat's bones are healthy and that they have sufficient
protection from disease. Cats are prone to cuts and vitamins can help
to repair wounds quickly. Fat-soluble vitamins are vitamins E, D, A,
and K. The water-soluble vitamins include the B vitamins (B1, B2, B6,
and B12) and vitamin C.
Vitamins are easily absorbed in a cat's
system. Minerals, on the other hand, require that the cat's system is
healthy for proper absorption. Any slight infection can affect a cat's
ability to absorb minerals. The minerals that cats require the most
include calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium chloride.
The
good news about foods for animals is that they are formulated to meet
all the nutritional needs of the animal. Feeding your cat food is
typically all that is necessary for them to obtain all the nutrients
they need. However, there are some things that can affect the amount of
nutrients in cat food. For starters, cat food can lose some of its
nutritional value. This often happens if the food is kept on a store
shelf for a significant amount of time.
If a stray cat has made
its way to your doorstep, the condition of the cat may warrant the need
for vitamin and mineral supplementation. Stray cats, especially
abandoned kittens are susceptible to infections and diseases. The first
step you should make when attempting to care for a stray cat is to have
a veterinarian inspect the cat for diseases. The veterinarian will give
you instructions for caring for the stray cat, including vitamin and
mineral supplementation. You should follow the instructions given to
you. An excessive amount of a particular vitamin or mineral can cause a
toxic reaction in a cat that could be fatal.
Why not check out our nutrition guide at http://www.nutritional-supplement-guides.com/nut-ebook.html
and also what supplement we personally use for our nutrition needs at http://www.nutritional-supplement-guides.com/what-we-use.html
