Cats Should Eat Like the Carnivores They Are

#324: Cats are obligate carnivores — so why are so many of them eating like they aren’t? Tracie talks with feline nutrition expert Dr. Deb Zoran of Texas A&M University, whose groundbreaking paper “The Carnivore Connection” challenged conventional thinking about feeding cats more than 20 years ago. Dr. Zoran explains why cats are physiologically designed for a high-protein, moisture-rich diet; why dry food makes it harder to provide enough protein and hydration; and how inadequate moisture can contribute to urinary tract problems, constipation and even megacolon. They also discuss obesity, muscle loss, the importance of exercise and enrichment, and why feeding cats well isn’t quite as simple as declaring all canned food “good” and all dry food “bad.” The takeaway: the more closely we can feed cats the way nature designed these carnivores to eat, the better.