Important Minerals for Cats

Minerals are important for the construction of the skeleton and the work of other body systems. Moreover, it is often important not only their receipt in sufficient quantity, but also the balance of some elements in relation to others.

Calcium and phosphorus
Calcium and phosphorus perform different functions, but they are closely related to each other. Most of the calcium and phosphorus is in the bones. But calcium is also involved in the process of blood clotting, nervous and muscular activity. Phosphorus is indispensable in performing many functions in the body.

It is important not only that phosphorus and calcium enter the body of cats with food, but also their ratio in food: from 0.8:1 to 1.3:1. The daily requirement of cats for calcium and phosphorus is about 200 mg each: calcium — about 180 mg, phosphorus — 160 mg. The dose depends on the weight of the cat.

Often in domestic cats, the balance is disturbed towards phosphorus. This is due to the fact that meat is oversaturated with phosphorus and contains very little calcium. Calcium in sufficient quantity can be obtained by eating raw bones. That’s why the meat-and-bone component should be in the diet up to 30%: chicken necks and heads are great.

But many cat owners, fearing that the bones will injure the gastrointestinal tract of the pet, prefer to replace the bones with dietary supplements with calcium or eggshells. If you are afraid of the consequences of eating bones, the necks should be beaten off or ground with a meat grinder, and the individual pieces of bones separated from the meat should be thrown away. Read more about bones in the diet of cats. Also read about how bones are usually replaced to get calcium.

In addition, the absorption of calcium and phosphorus is directly related to vitamin D. Therefore, it should be supplied in sufficient quantities in the cat’s body.

Magnesium
Magnesium is a building material for bones and teeth, and also participates in intracellular processes, including energy metabolism. Magnesium deficiency manifests itself in heart disease, muscle weakness and seizures. Excess leads to urinary tract disease.

The daily requirement of cats for magnesium is 25 mg. Magnesium is in products of plant origin. However, cats best assimilate it, first of all, from fish, as well as from meat.

Iodine
Iodine is necessary for cats to produce thyroid hormones. With its lack, the goiter grows, the skin and coat deteriorates, the cat becomes sluggish, apathetic, likes to sleep more than normal. Excess iodine leads to excessive weight loss and fever.

How not to overdo it with iodine? The daily requirement of cats for iodine is only 0.01-0.02 mg. But no need to run around the kitchen with a calculator. Just unnecessarily do not give the cat iodine in the form of mono-additives. It is difficult to overfeed an animal with iodine only with the help of natural food. But canned factory feed often contains more iodine than is required — as a result, animals develop pathology the thyroid gland, especially in the risk zone are cats older than 10 years.

Sodium
Most of the sodium enters the body of cats in the form of sodium chloride (salt). But a little salt is already contained in the meat. Adding food or giving the cat food from the table, it is easy to create an excess of sodium. To ensure a sufficient intake of sodium into the cat’s body, it is better to let her drink blood from meat, as well as eat organs that represent a blood depot — the liver and spleen. If the cat does not eat such organs and does not drink blood, it will need periodic use of added salt.

Daily requirement of adult cats and cats in minerals

* Data from the US National Academy of Sciences for 2006. The average values for an animal weighing 4.5 kg with a daily energy consumption of 250 kcal are given.