Although commercial foods are designed to provide a full load of vitamins for cats, the unfortunate truth is that they are often not entirely able to do so. There are a number of reasons why the vitamins and other nutrients in the food may be insufficient to meet the needs that your cat's body has. Regardless, your cat needs a full supply of a large set of vitamins in order to maintain a healthy weight, a beautiful and strong coat of fur, a potent immune system, proper bodily functions and much more. Here's an overview of why natural vitamins are important for your cat and how to use these supplements.
The Importance of Vitamins for Cats
Many pet owners assume that giving their cat a supply of standard pet food will be sufficient to properly benefit his nutritional needs. Ideally, this would be true. However, many pet food types are full of ingredients that are below the highest quality level, and which may not be as full of proper vitamins as you would otherwise need for your pet. Additionally, many types of food will lose vitamins for a number of reasons. The heating that goes into processing canned cat food will eliminate many of the naturally occurring vitamins and other nutrients from the ingredients themselves. When foods sit on the shelves for a long time, the vitamins may decrease as well. For this reason, supplemental natural vitamins can be very helpful in maintaining a healthy pet.
Selecting a Vitamin Supplement
It's important that you recognize the differences between the needs of a cat and the needs of another type of animal when it comes to vitamins. Cats have unique systems from other animals and therefore require a very different subset of vitamins. Thus, if you give your cat a vitamin that is formulated for another animal, it may cause your pet a great deal of problems.
Most natural vitamin supplements that are designed for cats will have a good balance of vitamins and other nutrients. Your cat should receive both fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins, as these types are both helpful in regulating body systems and maintaining overall health. However, your pet will not require a great deal of fat-soluble vitamins. These include vitamins A, D, E and K, and they can build up to dangerous or even toxic levels inside of your cat's body if you give him too much. The same can be said for other minerals like calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and iron. Instead, focus on water soluble vitamins like B and C for your pet. These will be flushed out of his body through his urine if they exist in excess.
For more information about how to properly provide vitamins for cats, consult with a vet for more advice and safety tips. It's a good idea to check with a vet before you begin any sort of vitamin supplement.