{"topic_id":"companion_cat_nutrition","category":"companion-nutrition","context":"---\ntopic_id: companion_cat_nutrition\ncategory: companion-nutrition\ntitle: \"Cat nutrition — dietary needs, standards, and feeding practices (Merck Vet Manual)\"\nlang: en\nsource: \"First-hand professional veterinary reference, saved to source_file; every claim is a C1 byte-substring of it. Deepened 2026-08-01.\"\nsource_file: pdf-raw/companion-care/companion_cat_nutrition_src.txt\ndate_parsed: 2026-08-01\ntokens_estimated: 558\nverification:\n  method: substring_match\n  claims: 16\n  passed: 16\n  date: 2026-08-01\nrecovered: false\npath: companion-nutrition/companion_cat_nutrition/01_companion_cat_nutrition.md\nsource_document: \"Merck Veterinary Manual\"\ncitation:\n  authority: \"Merck Veterinary Manual\"\n  title: \"Cat nutrition — dietary needs, standards, and feeding practices (Merck Vet Manual)\"\n  url: \"https://www.merckvetmanual.com/cat-owners/selecting-and-providing-a-home-for-a-cat/proper-nutrition-for-cats\"\n  retrieved: \"2026-08-01\"\n  ref: \"\"\n  doc_type: \"professional veterinary reference\"\n  needs_review: false\n---\n\n# Cat nutrition — dietary needs, standards, and feeding practices (Merck Vet Manual)\n\nThe text below is reproduced verbatim from the first-hand source.\n\n## Claims (verified C1 substrings of source_file)\n\n- `Cats need a diet rich in high-quality fats and proteins, along with specific amino acids, like taurine, that aren’t found in dog food or human food.`\n- `Cats should be fed commercially formulated, nutritionally balanced food rather than homemade diets, which are often deficient in key essential vitamins and minerals.`\n- `The Feline Nutrition Expert Subcommittee of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has set basic nutritional requirements for cats.`\n- `The National Research Council (NRC) has created nutrient profiles for both cats and kittens.`\n- `The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) offers guidelines for nutrition of cats and other small animals worldwide.`\n- `This statement shows that the food provides complete and balanced nutrition for a specific life stage, such as growth, reproduction, or adult maintenance.`\n- `If the food doesn’t meet these standards, it must be labeled only as a treat or for occasional feeding.`\n- `Cats are carnivores, meaning they eat mainly meat.`\n- `Never feed your cat dog food as a regular diet. Cats and dogs have very different nutritional needs.`\n- `Raw meat is not safe for cats and can pose health risks. Raw meat and dairy products of any kind, including raw milk, should not be fed to cats.`\n- `Kittens need extra calories, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals to support their rapid growth. They should be fed multiple times a day (3–4 times a day when they’re less than 4 months old) with specially formulated kitten food.`\n- `Cats generally prefer small, frequent meals. However, leaving food out all the time (known as \"free-choice feeding\") is not recommended, because it can lead to overeating.`\n- `Most cats can be fed twice a day to be happy and kept at a good weight.`\n- `Always provide multiple bowls of fresh, clean water for your cat, and be sure to clean them daily.`\n- `Feeding wet food, like canned cat food, can also help your cat get enough water. This is one reason many veterinarians recommend wet food over dry food.`\n- `PET OWNER VERSION Proper Nutrition for Cats Full Review: Jul 2025 By Nick Roman , DVM, MPH , College Station Cat Clinic | Peer reviewed by Manuals Staff Last updated: Jul 2025 v102055262 View the Professional Version What Are The Nutritional Standards for Cats?`\n\n---\n\n**Source:** `pdf-raw/companion-care/companion_cat_nutrition_src.txt` · https://www.merckvetmanual.com/cat-owners/selecting-and-providing-a-home-for-a-cat/proper-nutrition-for-cats\n","sources":["companion-nutrition — Cat nutrition — dietary needs, standards, and feeding practices (Merck Vet Manual) (retrieved 2026-08-01)"],"source":{"authority":"companion-nutrition","title":"Cat nutrition — dietary needs, standards, and feeding practices (Merck Vet Manual)","url":"https://www.merckvetmanual.com/cat-owners/selecting-and-providing-a-home-for-a-cat/proper-nutrition-for-cats","retrieved":"2026-08-01","ref":"","doc_type":"official PDF","source_document":"Merck Veterinary Manual","verification_file":"pdf-raw/companion-care/companion_cat_nutrition_src.txt"},"source_document":"Merck Veterinary Manual","source_file":"pdf-raw/companion-care/companion_cat_nutrition_src.txt","tokens_estimated":493,"generated_at":null,"tip":"Use /api/v1/topics to discover more topics. /api/v1/nutrient for precise single-point queries. /api/v1/cross_compare for 2-3 standard comparisons."}