Proper feline nutrition supports welfare by preventing disease, maintaining healthy weight, and supporting behavioral engagement with food.
Feline nutritional welfare is complicated by the species' strict obligate carnivore status, which means that many human nutritional principles do not apply. Cats have specific requirements for nutrients that can only be obtained from animal tissue, and diets that deviate significantly from this — even with supplementation — risk specific deficiency diseases. Hydration is a particularly important welfare consideration in cats, who evolved as desert animals with low thirst drive and typically under-drink when fed dry food only. Wet food or water supplementation supports urinary tract health. Nutritional advice should come from veterinary nutritionists rather than pet food marketing or social media trends.