Page 364 - Small Animal Clinical Nutrition 5th Edition

Chapter
20

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Feeding Young Adult Cats:

Before Middle Age

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

“In a cat’s eyes, all things belong to cats.”
English Proverb

recommendations must go beyond simple prevention of nutri-
INTRODUCTION ent deficiencies.
Nutritional recommendations for people who live in affluent
Cats generally reach adulthood between 10 to 12 months of age societies include advice about nutrients, non-nutrient food
and, not uncommonly, live up to 20 years or more.The span of ingredients and caloric intake guidelines for the prevention of
time from 12 months to death represents the total adult life of important diseases such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, cardiovas-
cats. After approximately six to eight years of age, however, cular diseases, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and others. Although
there is an increasing prevalence of age-related diseases and much remains to be learned in terms of the role of nutrients in
onset of mild behavioral, physical and metabolic changes relat- feline disease prevention, optimal nutrient recommendations
ed to aging. In this chapter, the term “young adult” refers to for young adult cats should also include recommendations
non-reproducing cats one to six or seven years of age.The term based on our current understanding of nutrient and non-nutri-
“mature adult” (Chapter 21) refers to cats seven or eight years ent ingredients and feeding guidelines to help prevent impor-
of age (beginning of middle age) and older. tant diseases of cats. Table 20-1 lists relevant health issues for
The feeding goals for young adult pet cats include ensuring young adult cats that have a known nutritional association and
that the food fed and the feeding methods used will help max- which may be positively influenced by feeding for disease pre-
imize health, longevity and quality of life (disease prevention). vention.
Nutritional requirements for young adult cats tend to be the
most broadly defined of any lifestage. This is partly because
healthy young adult cats have the greatest ability to tolerate or PATIENT ASSESSMENT
compensate for metabolic and physiologic perturbations. Most
regulated commercial foods provide all the necessary nutrients The purpose of assessing the patient is to confirm the feeding
in amounts that avoid deficiencies (Chapters 5 and 6). To goals, recognize risk factors for diseases (Table 20-1) and
achieve the feeding goals described above, however, nutritional become acquainted with the associated key nutritional factors.