Cat's Nutritional Needs

Cat’s Nutrition:5 Essential Nutritional Needs for Cats-Whiskas

In the wild, big cats get all the nutrition they need from their prey. While your feline friend shares her cousins' natural instinct to eat whatever she catches, she relies on you to feed her a healthy, balanced diet. So it’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with what she needs.

Vitamins for growth

Your cat needs vitamins for all sorts of important bodily functions. They help her vision, bone growth and metabolism – in fact, almost every part of your cat’s body needs vitamins for one reason or another. And each vitamin has its own role to play. For example, if your cat cuts her paw, one vitamin will help stop the bleeding, while another will help repair the skin.

Cat foods containing liver, kidneys, yeast and grains are all good sources of vitamins. All the vitamins your cat needs, in exactly the right amounts, can be found in Whiskas® Adult 1+ food.

Minerals for bones

A good supply of minerals will make sure your cat has strong teeth and bones, and keep her metabolism working efficiently. Make sure she doesn't overdo it though – too many minerals can be difficult to absorb.

The major minerals your cat needs are calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium chloride, magnesium. She also needs trace elements including iron, copper, manganese, zinc and selenium.

Cat foods containing fish, meat, liver and cereals are good sources of minerals. If you feed your cat a balanced, prepared adult food like Whiskas®, she’ll get all the minerals she needs in just right amounts, so there’ll be no need to give her any supplements.

Essential fatty acids for health

Your cat needs essential fatty acids to maintain the health of her skin, coat, reproductive system and metabolism. Not only are they a major source of energy, fats and essential fatty acids also make her meals taste great. They also transport vitamins A, D, E and K around the body.

Cat foods containing animal fats and vegetable oils are good sources of fats and essential fatty acids.

Carbohydrates and fibre for digestion

Your cat will use the carbohydrates she eats either as an energy source, or as a source of dietary fibre. Fibre supports good digestion and proper stool consistency. Cat foods containing grains such as rice, corn and wheat are good sources of carbohydrates.

Protein for strength

Your cat needs protein for healthy growth and muscle tone. Proteins are found in most living tissue, including hair, skin, nails and muscles, and provide the essential amino acids that your cat needs to stay fit and healthy. There are thousands of different proteins in your cat's body, and they all do different things.

You'll find lots and lots of protein in cat foods with meat, eggs, fish, grains, and yeast.

The simple way to give your cat the right nutrition is to feed her Whiskas® meals – that way, she'll enjoy a perfectly balanced diet, with all the nutrients she needs to keep her happy and healthy!