The 11 essential amino acids in cats

Author: John Stephens
Date Of Creation: 23 January 2021
Update Date: 18 May 2024
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11 ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS for Your CAT 🐱 To Avoid Nutritional Deficiencies
Video: 11 ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS for Your CAT 🐱 To Avoid Nutritional Deficiencies

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All cats are able to obtain nutrients from the prey they hunt. However, in the case of domestic cats, if they are not fed correctly, they may suffer nutritional deficiencies such as, for example, essential amino acids.

the deficiency of taurine and arginine it can have serious consequences on the health of our pets. Essential amino acid deficiencies usually occur when cats do not follow a diet with a high concentration of animal protein, for example because they are fed dog food or because they have a vegetarian diet at the wish of their guardians. This is a serious mistake, as cats are strictly carnivores, which means they can't feed on anything other than meat and animal protein, as that's where they'll find all the amino acids they need, especially the essential ones that don't they can get it any other way than with a high protein diet.


Do you want to know more about the 11 essential amino acids in cats? Keep reading this PeritoAnimal article to understand its importance and what can happen if they are disabled.

What are the 11 essential amino acids for a cat?

As cats are strictly carnivores, it is very important to choose foods formulated with a high amount of animal protein to ensure that all the essential amino acids are obtained, since it is in the meat that they are normally obtained. Also, if they don't get the amount of protein they need with their diet, not being able to modify your metabolism to a low protein diet, begin to consume exclusively what is stored in your body, affecting your health.

You amino acids are the basis of protein formation, that is, proteins are made up of chains of amino acids. In cats we find 20 different amino acids, of which only 11 are essential, that is: they must be obtained from the diet, as they cannot be produced by your body. If your cat does not get these essential amino acids, its physiological function will start to be impaired, the synthesis of essential proteins will be prevented and your feline's health will be compromised in multiple aspects. In the case of kittens, growth will be affected.


the 11 essential amino acids in cats are:

  • Taurine.
  • Arginine.
  • Methionine (and cysteine).
  • Lysine.
  • Phenylalanine (and tyrosine).
  • Leucine.
  • Isoleucine.
  • Valine.
  • Histidine.
  • Tryptophan.
  • Threonine.

Next, we'll talk about each of these essential amino acids in cats separately, with their functions, what their lack can do, and what kind of foods they can be found in.

Taurine

Taurine fulfills the following functions in the body of cats:

  • Bile production.
  • Conjugation of bile acids.
  • Acts as an antioxidant.
  • Regulation of calcium outside and inside cells.
  • Prevents liver disease.
  • It intervenes for the proper functioning of the heart and vision.
  • It works like a neurotransmitter.
  • Plays an important role of muscles and nerves.
  • It acts in the reproductive function.
  • It acts as a maintainer of the proper functioning of cell membranes.

Symptoms of Taurine Deficit in Cats

Taurine deficiency will not cause immediate death, but your feline's organism. will slowly weaken. Changes in the functions discussed above will appear and, after five months of disability, it can be responsible for serious health problems in the long term, such as:


  • heart problems: dilated cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart ventricles), which is usually accompanied by pleural effusion (outflow of fluid in the membrane covering the lungs).
  • Retinal Problems: a disease known as central retinal degeneration. The retina converts the images that the eyeball detects into electrical signals, sending them to the brain via the optic nerve and thus producing vision. Therefore, its degeneration can cause blindness in our cat.

While the progression from cardiomyopathy to congestive heart failure and its complications can be practically reversed with taurine supplementation, retinal damage of our cat will not be cured, we will simply prevent its progression.

Where to find taurine for cats?

Our little cats can get taurine especially in organs such as heart, lung, liver and kidney, as well as in the musculature or the nervous system. In addition, it is more abundant in poultry and fish than in lamb or beef.

It is estimated that a cat should ingest between 200 and 300 mg of taurine per day and, if there are deficiencies, it should be supplemented with 250mg twice a day. For more information, we encourage you to consult this other article on taurine-rich cat food.

arginine

Arginine is important for the synthesis of urea from ammonia and is involved in its elimination. If there is no arginine, the ammonia poisoning can occur in our cat and can be fatal within hours.

Arginine Deficiency Symptoms in Cats

If our cat does not consume enough arginine, the following can happen:

  • Weight loss.
  • Vomiting.
  • Excessive salivation.
  • Muscle tremor.
  • Neurological signs.
  • Cataract
  • Death

Where to find arginine for cats?

In general, cats can obtain arginine from muscles, organs and in gelatin.

Methionine and cysteine

Methionine and cysteine ​​are important sulfur amino acids for the keratin synthesis, which is the main protein in the skin, nails and hair. Methionine is more essential than cysteine, as cysteine ​​can be synthesized from methionine. However, if obtained in good quantity with the diet, it releases methionine to be used in full for its function.

Symptoms of methionine and cysteine ​​deficit in cats

In general, a deficiency of these essential amino acids in cats can cause:

  • Alopecia or hair loss.
  • Slow hair growth.
  • Brittle, matte and dull appearance of the coat.
  • Bad nail keratinization and dry skin.

Where to find methionine and cysteine ​​for cats?

In the proteins of the fish and egg, as well as in dairy casein. Wheat and corn can also be an important source.

Lysine

Lysine is often the amino acid that is most at risk of becoming deficient if cat food is not formulated correctly. It is also sensitive to high temperatures. It intervenes in the formation of proteins and helps in natural immunity of your cat.

Lysine Deficit Symptoms in Cats

Among the symptoms of lysine deficiency in cats, we highlight:

  • Weight loss.
  • Alteration of calcium absorption.
  • It compromises muscle formation and growth hormone release.

Where to find Lysine for Cats?

Lysine is usually obtained from animal sources, especially of the muscles. Soy proteins are also a good source of this essential amino acid.

Phenylalanine and tyrosine

Phenylalanine is essential for the production of hormones of the thyroid, the color of the coat (yellow to red and black pigments) and the pigmentation of the iris.

Tyrosine acts in the formation of adrenaline, norepinephrine and dopamine, necessary for the correct functioning of the brain and reproductive activity.

Symptoms of lack of phenylalanine and tyrosine in cats

A deficiency of these essential amino acids in cats can lead to the following:

  • Dysfunction of the neurological system.
  • Uncoordinated march.
  • Hyperactivity.

Where to find phenylalanine and tyrosine for cats?

Phenylalanine can be found in most protein sources from birds, pigs, cows and fish. Rice contains good amounts of tyrosine.

Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine

They are branched-chain amino acids that aid in protein synthesis and slow down muscle breakdown. In addition, isoleucine is essential in hemoglobin formation and is involved in blood clotting.

Leucine, isoleucine and valine deficit symptoms in cats

If there is a deficiency of these essential amino acids in cats, the following can happen:

  • Change in DNA and muscle synthesis.
  • Affects blood sugar regulation.
  • Weight loss.
  • Lethargy.
  • Rough fur.
  • Crusts around eyes and mouth.
  • Peeling of the epidermis and foot pads.
  • Uncoordinated march.

Where to find leucine, isoleucine and valine for cats?

These three essential amino acids are usually obtained from beef, lamb, poultry and eggs.

Histidine

Histidine, in addition to serving for protein formation, acts in the synthesis of compounds such as histamine, which is a substance that helps in allergic processes.

Histidine deficit symptoms in cats

If your cat suffers from a histidine deficiency, these symptoms will appear.

  • Weight loss.
  • Anorexia.
  • Cataract.

Where to find histidine for cats?

At flesh and blood of animals and fish.

threonine

Threonine acts as a precursor to pyruvate, which acts on energy production in cells of your cat. Furthermore, together with aspartic acid and methionine, it helps in the metabolism of fats.

Threonine Deficit Symptoms in Cats

A deficiency of threonine can cause:

  • Weight loss.
  • Anorexia.
  • Nervous system problems.

Where to find threonine for cats?

It is found in poultry, lamb, pork, beef and fish.

tryptophan

Tryptophan is a precursor of niacin and melatonin, and acts in the regulation of anxiety, sleep and stress as it is also a precursor of serotonin.

Tryptophan Deficit Symptoms in Cats

If your cat suffers from a deficiency of this one of the 11 essential amino acids in cats, the following symptoms will appear:

  • Anorexia.
  • Weight loss.

Where to find tryptophan for cats?

The main sources of tryptophan for cats are poultry and fish, as well as eggs and cereals.

Now that you know what the 11 essential amino acids are in cats, you might be interested in this video about the 10 most common diseases in cats, some of them caused precisely by a deficiency of certain amino acids:

If you want to read more articles similar to The 11 essential amino acids in cats, we recommend that you enter our Balanced Diets section.

Advices
  • Feed your cat appropriate kibble for its age.
  • If you also have a dog at home, do not offer dog food to the cat, this can create a big problem, mainly because the dog food does not have the adequate amount of taurine and usually have less protein than the cat needs.
  • Don't force the kitten to follow a vegetarian or high-carbohydrate, low-protein diet.
  • You can even offer him meat, but avoid giving him raw meat as it can transmit disease.