Taurine: The Crucial Amino Acid for Your Cat’s Heart Health

To cat lovers, it isn’t far from the truth that cats are what makes the world go round. All cat owners want nothing more than to enjoy their cat’s springy stride up and down the stairs, keeping them meowing and purring to their heart’s content and enjoying that ticklish knead he or she gives you when sitting upon your lap.

Like humans, cats need attention. Yet aside from tender loving care, sometimes we often take for granted their dietary needs are being fulfilled by our preferred brand of food. The truth is, your cat food may be lacking one important ingredient.

MAKE WAY FOR TAURINE

Unknown to many, one significant factor every cat owner should consider is to nurture them with food that contains proper amounts of an amino acid called taurine.

Taurine, which is mostly contained in muscle meat, heart, liver, kidney and seafood, is essential to cats as bones are to dogs for playtime.

Simply put, taurine is necessary for your cat to be in the pink of health.

You may have recently heard concern that dogs, and particularly certain breeds, may require taurine supplements in food – well so do cats.

Because cats are deficient in enzyme needed to produce taurine, they must get this from the food they eat.

LOW-TAURINE INTAKE CAN BE FATAL

Otherwise, a low rate of taurine in their system can be hazardous or worse fatal to cats, resulting in the following conditions:

A retinal malfunction called central retinal degeneration (CRD) will set in and eventually make them blind. Of course, if you do love your cat like your family, you would not want this to happen. A blind cat prancing around the household hitting every nook and cranny aimlessly is a pitiful if not a revolting sight.
Not only that, taurine deficiency in cats can also cause dilated cardiomyopathy, the condition when the heart is enlarged and pumping of blood does not function effectively.
In females, a failure in reproductive function occurs, or to be more precise, causes stillbirths, stunted birth weights and congenital abnormality in kittens.
Tooth decay can also make matters complicated.

WARNING SIGNS

And how would you know if your cats are running low on taurine? The tell-tale signs are when:

Anyway, there is not much cause to be alarmed as most commercially produced cat food is fortified with taurine per AAFCO standards.

Where to find them? It’s easy as a stroll in the park. A friend told me that cat lovers, me included, can acquire all their cat’s needed nourishment through Addiction Foods which my pal said has an array of taurine-rich products for your feline pal to indulge in. For more details, you may visit the Addiction Foods website.

Addiction Foods, my friend added, manufactured a wide selection of food suitable for our cat’s consumption in consonance with the requirement of the Association of American Feed Control Officials that any dry or wet food product approved by AAFCO must have a minimum of 0.1% taurine in dry food and 0.2% in wet food.

To back that up, Dr. Karen Becker, an American proactive and integrative wellness veterinarian and animal advocate, said that safe supplement level is one 500 mg capsule (the smallest amount available) per 2 pounds of meat, or one-half capsule per 1 pound of meat.

She also recommends to buy the best-quality diet you can afford, and check the ingredient list to make sure that taurine is included. Don’t forget to consult your veterinarian, too.

In addition, a testimonial posted by a cat owner at petforums.co.uk stated that this amino acid is not toxic in cats and is water-soluble. The owner added that he would rather add some extra taurine to the food than risk a taurine deficiency which could lead to serious heart problems or death.

That’s what you call genuine love for your cat.

BETTER BEYOND TAURINE

Having said that, Addiction Foods’ products are not only in the clear for taurine requirements, but also due to other key benefits.

Addiction chose New Zealand as its home due to the purity of ingredients and strict manufacturing standards. The cat formulas are hypo-allergenic, rich in essential nutrients and easy to digest, among other distinctive features.

Though it is easy to assume that all cat food is created equal that is not the case. It is important for cat owners to study the ingredient panel and guaranteed analysis to ensure taurine is included at the proper AAFCO recommended values. Once you know taurine levels are in the clear, choosing food made with only the best ingredients will lead your cat to be playful, happy, and as healthy as can be.

Thanks to Addiction Foods’ taurine-enriched products, you may even see the day your beloved cat living his life more than nine times.

As a responsible cat owner, I would definitely relish that glorious moment because I, and perhaps all the other cat enthusiasts out there, believe in what the French novelist Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette said that “Time spent with a cat is never wasted.’’