You are what you eat. We’ve all heard this phrase, and it applies to pets as well as people. While we can choose what we put on our plates, our cats depend on us to provide food that’s right for them.

Cats are obligate carnivores — a fancy term that simply means their bodies need the nutrients found in meat to function correctly. Cats get most of their energy from protein and fat, and they require a minimal amount of carbohydrates in their diets for proper health.
According to Susan Sikule, a holistic veterinarian at the Just Cats Veterinary Clinic in Guilderland, N.Y., when cats are fed exclusively carbohydrate-rich dry foods, they often overeat in attempts to fill their protein needs. This can result in overweight cats.

**Get the January 2008 issue of CAT FANCY to read the full article.**