What is the primary diet of a domestic cat?

Cats, unlike dogs, are “obligatory carnivores” – their diet doesn’t just contain meat, it is the sole constituent. Meat contains essential proteins, which are made up of “amino acids”. Amino acids are the smallest building blocks of proteins. Cats gain their energy solely from these amino acids, in contrast to other mammals which can also gain energy from sugar and fats. The metabolism of cats is geared to the utilization of proteins.

The enzyme system they employ in digestion to break down proteins is highly active and operates independently of whether they have consumed food. If a cat’s food doesn’t contain enough protein, it will start digesting the protein from its own muscles. The result is muscle loss. Cats are also reliant on consuming enough “essential” amino acids – those that they cannot themselves create. They need to be present in food, whether ready-made or diet food.