Nutritional diseases in cats — including hypervitaminosis A from all-liver diets and taurine deficiency from inappropriate feeding — cause significant welfare harm that is entirely preventable with proper nutrition.
Nutritional disease causes chronic welfare impairment that develops gradually and is often attributed to other causes. A cat fed exclusively liver develops vertebral fusion over months to years — by the time bony changes cause visible signs, significant irreversible damage has occurred. Kittens fed all-meat diets develop calcium deficiency that causes painful bone fragility and fractures with minimal trauma. These diseases are entirely preventable: AAFCO-complete commercial diets, formulated with full understanding of feline nutritional requirements, protect against all common nutritional deficiencies. The rise of raw and home-prepared diets has increased nutritional disease incidence in cats. Owners wishing to feed home-prepared diets should work with a board-certified veterinary nutritionist to ensure complete and balanced formulation rather than following unvetted online recipes.