How Much Fat Does My Cat Need?

As a cat mom of two, I know firsthand how picky cats can be. If your cat would rather snack off your plate than eat their kibble, you're certainly not alone. But these inconsistent diets often leave us wondering if our pets are getting enough of what they need. Even if your cat is on a strict kibble diet, you may wonder if their needs are being met. Sure, most commercial pet foods are formulated to meet AAFCO standards, but they certainly aren't created equal, and like humans, every cat has different nutritional needs.

You're probably well aware that cats need vitamins, minerals, and protein in their diets, but what about fat? With the rise in low-fat diets and low-calorie pet foods, you might be surprised to learn just how necessary it is.

Let's take a look at how much fat your cat needs.

A feral cat's natural predatory diet consists of small mammals and birds and offers very little in the way of carbohydrates. They make up for this by eating protein-rich meats and organs and a moderate amount of animal fat. 

Fat gets a bad rap, but it is the most energy-dense macronutrient in a cat's diet. Fat is a necessity for cats, and not simply because of its energy content, either — it's essential for the digestion of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D, E, and K. It also helps their bodies break down protein from food into the glucose and essential amino acids they need for optimal health.

Answer: How much fat a cat needs is based on their activity level, age, and body type; however, the American Association of Feed Control Officials, which creates guidelines for commercial pet foods and animal feed, recommends that adult maintenance cat food contain at least 9% fat (a percentage that is calculated on a dry matter basis.) However, the World Small Animal Veterinary Association says fat constitutes roughly 45% of a cat's natural diet, a far cry from AAFCO's minimum requirement. Most cat foods contain between 9 and 21%

Kitten food typically contains between 2 and 4 times the minimum recommended amount for adult cats since they are much more active than adults and need the extra calories for proper development. Plus, kittens can't eat as much as adult cats, so their food is much more nutrient-dense.

Vets also recommend kitten food for pregnant and nursing cats since they require extra calories, fat, and fatty acids (like DHA) to promote healthy fetal development and ensure an adequate milk supply for their babies.

Senior cats have interesting nutrition requirements. As cats mature, they require fewer calories and fat than when they were younger, that is, until they hit 11 years or so. After that, the cat's metabolism changes, and their body can't digest food as effectively, thus raising their energy and fat requirements.

Cats with health conditions like obesity or pancreatitis may need a lower-fat diet for optimal health. Weight management cat foods typically contain between 9% and 16% fat.

The general recommendations for the daily recommended fat content for cats are as follows:

• Young kittens (1.8 lbs): 4 grams per day
• Adults (9 lbs): 5.5 g per day
• Nursing cats (9lb with 4 kittens): 12 g per day

Figuring out how many grams of fat your cat is getting is easier said than done since cat food bags depict the macronutrient content as percentages rather than grams. Luckily, there is an easy trick to help you calculate the minimum fat in grams per serving in your cat's kibble!

You just convert how many ounces of food your cat eats per day into grams and then multiply that by the minimum percentage of protein in their favorite recipe for a better estimate of how much fat your cat is actually eating.

For example, say your cat eats 5 oz of food with a minimum of 16% fat daily. To find the fat in grams, you would start by multiplying 5 ounces by 28.35 (how many grams are in each ounce) to convert their food intake into grams. Then, you would multiply their intake in grams (141.75 g) by the percentage of fat in their recipe expressed as a decimal (0.16) to get the minimum fat content in grams.

Talk to your vet if you're unsure if your cat is getting the right amount of fat for their body or if they have a pre-existing condition that might make determining how much they need difficult.

If you're looking for other ways to up your cat's intake of healthy fats and add shine to their coat, consider offering some of these human foods in moderation along with their kibble. Be sure, however, that you omit any seasonings, butter or oil, as these can all be problematic for cats:

• Chicken thighs
• Pork
• Beef
• Turkey
• Fish oil
• Salmon
• Eggs
• Krill oil
• Cheese

While fats are essential to the feline diet, more isn't always better. Now, let's talk about some health problems that can arise if cats consume excessive amounts over a long period.

Weight gain and obesity

Fat is the single most calorie-dense macronutrient, with over twice the calories per gram of proteins and triple that of carbohydrates. With that being said, you can easily see how excessive fat intake can cause cats to quickly pack on the pounds. Weight gain isn't always a negative, especially if your cat is underweight already; it's when the weight gain moves into the overweight and obese territory that it becomes a cause for concern. 

Obesity comes with its own array of health risks. Obesity puts additional strain on a cat's joints, which can cause pain and fatigue and even lead to premature arthritis. Likewise, it can increase the likelihood of cats developing diabetes or high blood pressure. In fact, the risk of diabetes for obese cats is four times greater than their healthy-weight counterparts. Excessive fat stores cause a cat's body to release hormones that create insulin resistance, which in turn can raise blood sugar levels and lead to diabetes. Sadly, excess weight can lead to shorter lifespans, lameness, and decrease your cat's quality of life. 

Fatty liver

Feline hepatic lipidosis or fatty liver disease is another potential risk of excessive fat intake since the cat's body may deposit excess fat onto the liver. This disease can have dangerous consequences if treatment is delayed, including organ failure and, sadly, death. Obesity and diabetes can also contribute to fatty liver disease.

This condition is typically triggered by a period of not eating and over-weight cats are at highest risk.

Upset stomach

Like humans, when cats eat too many fatty or rich foods, tummy aches and diarrhea can ensue. This may happen when cats get into human foods or the trash. Thankfully, stomach upset is usually temporary and resolves on its own, provided they resume a normal, healthy diet. To prevent accidental ingestion of too much fat, invest in a locking trash can and try your best to keep cats out of human food.

High cholesterol

Too many unhealthy fats in your cat's diet can contribute to high cholesterol over time. A good way to prevent this is to focus on healthy fats rather than trans fats found in hydrogenated oils and overly processed foods.

Read food labels

Reading nutrition labels is super important when monitoring your pet's fat intake since fat content can be sneaky, especially in human foods. Try to minimize the amount of trans fat in your cat's food and treats, and keep tabs on the total fat content as well to make sure it aligns with their nutritional needs. (Here is a helpful article to help you decode pet nutrition labels!) An easy way to keep up with this is to log their food intake either in a notebook or an app on your phone. This may also be helpful for your vet if your furbaby is in the process of trying to manage its weight or has a nutrition-dependent condition like diabetes.

Talk to your vet

Researching your cat's dietary needs is important for knowing how much fat your cat needs. But since age, breed, diet, and pre-existing conditions all play a role in a cat's metabolism and nutritional needs, this is often best left to the professionals. We suggest talking to a vet or pet nutritionist for the best guidance since they will have access to your pet's medical history and have a better understanding of your pet's specific dietary requirements.

Portion control

Finally, make sure you're monitoring how much food your pet actually eats. If your pet is overweight or is consuming too much fat, you'll want to avoid free feeding, like with an autofeeder or all-day access to the food bowl that gets refilled whenever empty. Likewise, you should reference the portion sizes on your cat's food and measure out your pet's food to ensure it corresponds with the recommended amounts. Often, pet parents don't realize they are giving their pets far too much food. Most cats only need a 1/3 to 1/2 a cup of dry food per day (the recommended amount for cats who purr-fer wet food is around 2-3 cans or 3-4 3oz pouches per day, depending on the calorie content.) For accurate portions, we advise using a kitchen scales.

• Like protein, fat is an essential macronutrient for cats and an excellent energy source since a cat's natural diet consists of very few carbohydrates.
• Fat helps cats absorb various vitamins and is important for protein metabolism.
• Determining how much fat a cat needs depends on their age, activity level, pre-existing conditions, body type, and more. Most commercial cat foods have between 9% and 21% fat, but experts suggest this might be too little for most cats since their natural diet in the wild is closer to 45% fat.
• Going overboard with your cat's fat intake can cause health issues. Many cats experience mild stomach upset and diarrhea if they eat a fat-heavy meal, but may develop more serious problems like obesity, high cholesterol, pancreatitis and liver disease if it happens often.
• Manage your pet's fat intake by being mindful of the fat content and serving sizes on their food packaging. This will help you portion their food in healthy amounts and prevent overfeeding.
• Prevent overfeeding by feeding your pet at designated times throughout the day and ditching the automatic feeder. It can also be helpful to log your pet's food intake so you have a better idea of how many grams of fat they eat daily.
• Last but not least, talk to your vet about your pet's nutrition needs since they are well-equipped with your pet's medical information and can help you tailor a nutrition plan specifically to their needs.