Page 352 - Small Animal Clinical Nutrition 5th Edition

Chapter
19

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Introduction to Feeding

Normal Cats

P. Jane Armstrong
Kathy L. Gross
Iveta Becvarova
Jacques Debraekeleer

“The smallest feline is a masterpiece.”
Leonardo da Vinci

approximately 77 million (APPMA, 2003). More than one-
INTRODUCTION third of the households in the U.S. own cats with an average of
2.1 cats per cat-owning household. In 1996, the ratio of male to
Cats were probably domesticated between 1600 and 1500 BC. female cats was roughly equal and nearly 80% of pet cats in the
Early Egyptians considered cats sacred and valued them for U.S. were neutered (Table 19-1) (Lund et al, 1999). Table 19-2
their natural hunting and predatory behavior, which helped lists the 10 countries with the largest pet cat populations.
control rodent populations. Little consideration for the nutri- Mixed-breed cats, domestic shorthairs and longhairs, make up
tional needs of cats was required during the early days of an estimated 95% of the world’s domestic cat population. They
domestication. As domestic cats evolved from mouse catcher to result from random rather than selective breeding. Domestic
household companion, the need to understand their unique shorthair and longhair cats display a wide variety of sizes, and
nutritional requirements also increased.Today, it is well accept- coat colors, patterns and lengths. Although most cats in the U.S.
ed that proper nutrition and care throughout life maximizes are non-pedigreed, the Cat Fanciers Association registered 41
health, longevity and quality of life. Providing proper guidance different breeds in 2005. The four most common breeds were
about the nutritional management of cats requires an under- Persians, Maine coons, Siamese and Abyssinians (CFA, 2005).
standing of: 1) the basic principles of nutrition (Chapters 5 and Compared with dogs, cats make up a smaller proportion of
6), 2) the foods and nutrients commonly fed to cats, 3) how to the pets seen by veterinarians, but that proportion is increasing.
assess nutrient availability and quality of various foodstuffs and Now, nearly 68% of cat owners in the U.S. regularly use veteri-
foods,4) foods and feeding practices that may positively or neg- nary services. In 2001, cats visited veterinary clinics once per
atively affect health and 5) the unique nutritional needs of cats year compared with 0.79 visits per year in 1987 (Center for
throughout the lifecycle. Information Management, 2002). In 2001, cat owners spent
$6.3 billion toward the health and well being of their cats. Cat
Demographics food sales followed the upward trend in cat ownership and
Cats are the most popular pets in the United States, totaling health care with almost $4.3 billion of sales in the U.S. in 1997