Nmccarth2

• definition/explanation*

Characteristics of high energy dItalic text

When to use

Growth

Noelle

Pregnancy/ Lactation

Erica

Illness/recovery

Jesse

or possibly edit kitten page

High Activity

Lori

****FOR REVISION*******

Nutrition[edit]

The goal of kitten nutrition is to provide high caloric content by utilizing specific macronutrient ratios in order to meet the high energy demands of growth. Key components of the diet are a high fat content to provide caloric requirements of growth, high protein to meet requirements for muscle growth as well as supplementation of certain nutrients such as docosahexaenoic acid to benefit the development of the brain and optimization of cognition. 

Pre-weaning nutrition[edit]

Establishing immunity[edit]

About 70% of the body’s immune system is in the gastrointestinal tract; therefore, overall health is largely linked to the health of the kitten’s gut. In order to optimize gut health, it is important to optimize the link between the gut-associated lymphoid tissue and the microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract. This can be accomplished through proper nutrition and establishing a healthy gut from birth.

Within the first 3 to 6 hours after parturition, kittens acquire passive immunity from their mother’s milk. Milk within the first few days of parturition is called colostrum and contains high concentrations of immunoglobulin including immunoglobulin A and immunoglobulin G which cross the intestinal barrier of the neonate. The immunoglobulins and growth factors found in the colostrum begin to establish and strengthen the weak immune system of the offspring. Kittens are able to chew solid food around 5-6 weeks after birth, and 30% of their diet should consist of solid food at this time. The kitten remains on the mother’s milk until around eight weeks of age when weaning is complete and a diet of solid food is the primary food source.

Post-weaning nutrition[edit]

Fat[edit]

Up until approximately one year of age the kitten is undergoing a growth phase where energy requirements are up to 2.5 times higher than maintenance. A commercial cat food designed specifically for kittens can be offered beginning at 4 weeks of age. Fat has a higher caloric value than carbohydrates and protein, supplying 8.5kcal/g. Kitten formulas contain high fat in order to deliver a large amount of calories to the growing feline. A diet is considered high in fat when it is above 20% of the diet on a dry matter basis. Growth also creates a high demand for essential fatty acids. The growing kitten requires arachidonic and linoleic acid which can be provided in omega-3 fatty acids. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is another vital nutrient that can be supplied through omega 3 fatty acid. DHA plays a key role in cognition and brain development and is especially important in the development of a healthy kitten.

Protein[edit]

Protein is a macromolecule composed of multiple amino acids and also provides energy for the growing feline. Cats are naturally carnivores, and therefore require high amounts of protein in the diet. Kittens are undergoing growth and require high amounts of protein to provide essential amino acids that enable the growth of tissues and muscles. It is recommended kittens consume a diet containing 35-50% protein on a dry matter basis.

Cats also have specific amino acid requirements of those which are indispensable by the body. Arginine is required for the urea cycle in the cat and can cause hyperammonemia when intake is inadequate. Taurine is another essential amino acid found only in animal tissues. Since felines are carnivores, it is expected that they will consume taurine with each meal. Evolutionarily, it does not make sense for the feline to produce taurine and has therefore adapted to be unable to produce taurine in adequate amounts and therefore must be provided in the diet at 10 mg/kg bodyweight/day. Sulphur containing amino acids such as methionine and cysteine are also required by the growing feline in order to supplement fur growth and skin health.

Carbohydrates[edit]

Felids are natural carnivores and therefore do not intentionally consume large quantities of carbohydrates. The domestic cat's liver has adapted to the lack of carbohydrates in the diet by utilizing amino acids to produce glucose to fuel the brain and other tissues.  Carbohydrate inclusion should be relatively low in the diet as studies have shown that carbohydrate digestion in young kittens is much less effective than that of a mature feline with a developed gastrointestinal tract. Highly digestible carbohydrates can be found in commercial kitten food for some additional energy as well as a source of fiber to stimulate the immature gut tissue. Soluble fibre such as beet pulp is a common ingredient used as a fibrous stool hardener and has been proven to strengthen intestinal muscles and the thicken gut mucosal layer to prevent diarrhea.

Senior Cat Nutrition

[User: Ian (Wiki Ed)] Logilv01 (talk) 02:53, 28 November 2017 (UTC) As cats age from the adult to senior life stages there is evidence that their metabolic energy requirements may increase. These increases have been shown to appear markedly after 12 years of age and even more so after 13 years of age. Other evidence suggests that metabolic energy needs are not dissimilar between life stages. Furthermore, it has been shown that cats greater than 12 years of age have a greater likeliness of being underweight than any other age group and thus to maintain and appropriate body condition score a high calorie diet may be appropriate as a treatment for weight loss. Weight loss can occur when the cat enters a negative energy balance such as when metabolic energy requirements are increased without dietary caloric compensation. It has also been demonstrated that as cats age their ability to digest and thus absorb dietary fats and proteins decreases. In order to maintain a neutral energy balance in this case a high calorie diet may be recommended.

Feeding High Activity Cats

[User: Ian (Wiki Ed)] Logilv01 (talk) 02:53, 28 November 2017 (UTC) To maintain a neutral energy balance and thus maintain body weight energy intake should increase with energy expenditure. Studies that relate the number of meals offered to cats per day to their daily activity levels have been met with conflicting results. It has been shown that cats offered four meals a day or a random number of meals a day have similar energy levels, greater than those fed only one meal per day. It has been postulated that this increased energy level could be due to purported spikes in activity before being fed known as food anticipatory activity. Other studies have found increasing the amount of feedings per day in female cats may actually decrease their daily activity levels. The age, sex, and whether cats are intact or have been spayed/neutered are all factors controlling activity level.

References

PART II please review

== Nutrition[edit] == User:Ian (Wiki Ed) Please revise this section, thank you. Nmccarth2 (talk) 19:32, 28 November 2017 (UTC) Felines are carnivores and have adapted to animal-based diets and low carbohydrate inclusion. With the lack of certain enzymes from this adaption, they have very specific requirements. Kittens are categorized in a growth life stage, and have high energy and protein requirements. Key components of the diet are high fat content to provide caloric requirements of growth, high protein to meet requirements for muscle growth as well as supplementation of certain nutrients such as docosahexaenoic acid to benefit the development of the brain and optimization of cognition.

Pre-weaning nutrition[edit]

Establishing immunity[edit]

Part of the kittens immune system exists within the gastrointestinal tract called the mucosal immune system. The mucosal immune system is largely responsible for coordinating proper immune responses by tolerating innocuous antigens and attacking foreign pathogens. In order to optimize kitten health and increase chances of survival, it is important to optimize the link between the gut-associated lymphoid tissueand the microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract. Lasting health and longevity can be accomplished partly through proper nutrition and establishing a healthy gut from birth through utilizing colostrum.

Within the first 2 days after parturition, kittens acquire passive immunity from their mother’s milk. Milk within the first few days of parturition is called colostrum, and contains high concentrations of immunoglobulins. These include immunoglobulin A and immunoglobulin G which cross the intestinal barrier of the neonate. The immunoglobulins and growth factors found in the colostrum begin to establish and strengthen the weak immune system of the offspring. Kittens are able to chew solid food around 5-6 weeks after birth, and it is recommended that 30% of their diet should consist of solid food at this time. The kitten remains on the mother’s milk until around eight weeks of age when weaning is complete and a diet of solid food is the primary food source.

Post-weaning nutrition[edit]

Fat[edit]

Up until approximately one year of age the kitten is undergoing a growth phase where energy requirements are up to 2.5 times higher than maintenance. Pet nutritionists often suggest that a commercial cat food designed specifically for kittens by offered beginning at 4 weeks of age. Fat has a higher caloric value than carbohydrates and protein, supplying 8.5kcal/g. Kitten formulas contain high fat in order to deliver a large amount of calories to the growing feline. A diet is considered high in fat when it is above 20% of the diet on a dry matter basis. Growth also creates a high demand for essential fatty acids. The growing kitten requires arachidonic and linoleic acid which can be provided in omega-3 fatty acids. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is another vital nutrient that can be supplied through omega 3 fatty acid. Addition of DHA to the diet benefits the cognition, brain and visual development of kittens.

Protein[edit]

Cats are naturally carnivores and require high amounts of protein in the diet. Kittens are undergoing growth and require high amounts of protein to provide essential amino acids that enable the growth of tissues and muscles. It is recommended that kittens consume a diet containing approximately 30% protein on a dry matter basis for proper growth.

Taurine is an essential amino acid found only in animal tissues and cannot be produced in sufficient amounts by the cat. As it is an indispensable amino acid, it must be provided exogenously through the diet at 10 mg/kg bodyweight/day. Kittens deprived of taurine can experience poor growth and can result in retinal degeneration in cats. Sulphur containing amino acids such as methionine and cysteine are also required by the growing feline in order to supplement fur growth and skin health.

Carbohydrates[edit]

Felids are natural carnivores and do not intentionally consume large quantities of carbohydrates. The domestic cat's liver has adapted to the lack of carbohydrates in the diet by utilizing amino acids to produce glucose to fuel the brain and other tissues.   Studies have shown that carbohydrate digestion in young kittens is much less effective than that of a mature feline with a developed gastrointestinal tract. Highly digestible carbohydrates can be found in commercial kitten food as a source of additional energy as well as a source of fiber to stimulate the immature gut tissue. Soluble fibre such as beet pulp is a common ingredient used as a fibrous stool hardener and has been proven to strengthen intestinal muscles and the thicken gut mucosal layer to prevent diarrhea.