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Mentor Interview: Dr. Janet Jackson Talks About Cat Nutrition and Multiple Cat Households.
Purina® Cat Chow® brand Cat Food Mentor Dr. Janet Jackson received her PhD in animal nutrition from the University of Illinois. She is the vice president and director of the Basic Research Group at Nestlé Purina PetCare, where she leads a team of scientists in the fields of nutrition, biochemistry, microbiology, immunology and protein and lipid metabolism. Her mission: To build nutritional knowledge constantly to improve Nestlé Purina PetCare's products and enhance the health and well being of pets. Below, she speaks about cat nutrition and the special challenges of multiple cat households like her own.
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Purina® Cat Chow® brand Cat Food (PCC): Your specialty is nutrition. Can you tell us a little bit about how you first became interested in animal nutrition? And specifically, cat nutrition?
Dr. Janet Jackson (JJ): Throughout my life, I've always had both dogs and cats and have always had a keen interest in their health and well being. During my education, I was very interested in science, and I had a life-long interest in helping pets, so I thought it was a perfect fit: to improve pets' health through nutrition science.
Initially, I thought about going to veterinary school. But I had worked with a large animal veterinary practice and found that I really wanted to help animals through nutrition rather than treating sick animals. I'd much rather promote health through nutrition and help prevent the onset of health conditions rather than treating animals once they have an illness.
PCC: How do the nutritional needs of cats differ from those of dogs?
JJ: Cats are carnivores and actually have higher protein requirements. Both cats and dogs require amino acids that are the building blocks of protein. Ten amino acids are considered essential for both cats and dogs. Cats, unlike dogs, also require a sufficient level of the amino acid taurine in their diet. Cats are unique in that they cannot synthesize enough taurine to meet their metabolic needs. Taurine is essential for healthy eyes and hearts in cats. This is why you should feed a 100% complete and balanced cat food.
Another difference in the nutritional needs of dogs and cats is that dogs require one essential fatty acid (linoleic acid) while cats require linoleic acid and an additional fatty acid (arachidonic acid). Both linoleic acid and arachidonic acid are in beef tallow and grain ingredients. These fatty acids are essential in supporting a cat's immune system and helping to keep the skin and coat healthy.
PCC: Are there any specific nutritional challenges for a multiple cat home?
JJ: Having three cats myself, I know that they have different body conditions and are different ages. This poses specific challenges. You have to address their individual nutritional needs and their behavioral needs, as well. Maybe a couple of your cats don't necessarily interact well and you can't feed them together. You need to make sure that they have their own bowls, their own litter boxes, their own toys, and their own space in which they can feel secure.
PCC: Can knowing a cat's personality help an owner deal with the cat's specific needs?
JJ: I think so. You may have a cat that's very independent and really doesn't need as much attention as one that's more of a lap cat. One cat can be very dependent on you and be more interactive and want that attention, while the other one is not as needy and is perfectly fine coming to you only when she wants to interact.
PCC: How can someone determine the personality profile of a cat?
JJ: I've had my cats for 13 or 14 years, so I know their personalities just by interacting with them daily. But I certainly went to catchow.com and took the Purrsonality Profile Quiz to make sure I was correct. It worked!
PCC: If you have multiple cats in the same house, dinner time can be a real hassle. How can a family simplify the process, while ensuring that each cat gets excellent nutrition?
JJ: The simplest thing is, if they have similar nutritional needs, to try to feed them the same food. But if your cats do need different foods, try to make sure they have their own bowls, and maybe even feed them in different rooms or in different places in the house. I have three cats and they pretty much eat out of their own bowls. They have their own space, and so, while they may occasionally eat out of each other's food bowls, they tend to stick to their own.
PCC: I've heard the term "free-choice" feeding. Can you explain exactly what that means and how it may apply to a multiple cat household?
JJ: Free-choice feeding is when you put out dry food and you leave it in the food bowl all day. Most cats are naturally nibblers, and they may eat up to 10 - 20 small meals a day. If you watch one of your cats, she may only eat four or five kibbles at a time and walk away. She'll come back later and eat some more. Free choice allows a cat to eat just a few kibbles at a time several times during the day. This may actually reduce friction between cats because they're not competing for the food. This type of feeding is appropriate as long as your cats maintain their ideal body conditions. However, if your cats start to become overweight, I would suggest that you provide smaller amounts of food so they have frequent, yet smaller meals throughout the day.
PCC: And can a high-quality cat food help with digestion and elimination?
JJ: Yes! High-quality food helps, as more of the nutrients are absorbed and used by the cat's body and less are eliminated as waste.
PCC: How about litter? Are there general guidelines for the number and size of litter boxes in a multiple cat household?
JJ: The general rule is at least one litter box per cat, plus one. So, if you have three cats, you want to have four litter boxes. Have at least one litter box on each floor. Consider placing litter boxes in various locations to avoid the exclusion of one cat from another cat's territory.
PCC: Cats can be very territorial. Do you have any recommendations for how to prevent or ease the squabbles between cats in a multiple cat household
JJ: Well, as I mentioned, it is helpful if they have their own food bowls, litter boxes, and toys distributed throughout the house, so they have the opportunity to have their own space. But in addition, you need to give each cat the attention that she needs, because one cat may be needier than the others. And if you just pay attention to one cat, and don't pay attention to another, that can cause a squabble.
PCC: It sounds like you're speaking from experience! Can you tell us a little bit about your own cats?
JJ: Casper would be classified as a Lover. He loves attention. He's a domestic shorthair, mostly white with gray on his head and tail, and he's 13 years old. He loves his food. He's very even-tempered. He doesn't provoke any of the other cats, but he's a big cat. He's our biggest cat. He was a lost kitten when we found him. We've had him for 13 years and he's a great companion. He has many characteristics of a dog, actually. And he loves to be with us.
Ally would be classified as a Scaredy-Cat. She's a domestic shorthair, a soft gray. She's very apprehensive. She likes to sleep all day and in the evening she comes out when we get home. She is a lap cat, also 13 years old and also a stray when we got her. Somebody actually placed her on our doorstep. She was such a little kitten. She really looks up to the third cat that we have, Chester. She looks at him like he's a hero.
Chester is the oldest, a year older than the other two. He would be classified as a Diva. He thinks he's the top cat, even though he's the smallest cat in the house. Actually, he's the cat I'm holding in my picture on catchow.com.
He has a lot of spunk and a really big ego. He thinks he runs the house and tries to keep everyone else in line, including my husband and me.
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| When a cat stops eating, they suffer the same nutritional imbalances as other species. The cat's system, however, reacts less favorably to fasting than most. Using stored body fat for energy, the liver may become infiltrated by this fat causing secondary liver damage and an ensuing condition called hepatic lipidosis. If your cat isn't eating well, see your veterinarian. |
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