How much protein does a female cat need?

Hi everyone!  Thanks, in advance, for helping!

I used to have a male cat (RIP, boy) with kidney disease.  Any excess protein was very bad for his kidneys.  I've heard that kidney disease is more common in males than females, so I assume the excess protein is not as harmful to females...?

I want to maybe make a switch to a better brand of food, and I'm looking into the nutrition labels of a few different brands.  Any information will help me a lot!

Bonus Q... I've heard bad things about magnesium, too.  Any thoughts on that?

Thanks, again!

I dealt with CRF with my last cat Grey; do I know the pain of CRF!

What I learned from that whole ordeal is that it isn't protein that's the problem, it's the source of the protein that can be a problem. And kibble is a no-no for any cat.

All that said, I gave my new crew of cats canned with water added. All of them but one especially suffered IBS so I switched them to raw and couldn't be more pleased with that decision. Check out www.catinfo.org for more information on cat nutrition and urinary system health.

Welcome to TCS!! I think your thread would be better served in the Nutrition Forum. There are members who have kitties with kidney issues and are on the same path as you with diet. for your kitty!

Thank you both!  I'll post this in nutrition for some more insight.  Thanks for the suggestion.  

I'm thinking of switching my 3 females to a better brand of food, and I've been reading a lot of labels.  The nutrition amounts are so different, I don't know what is best.  My kitties are 10yrs., 5yrs., and 11 weeks old.  Any information will be helpful! 

Also, can you tell me anything about magnesium?  Thanks!

I'm sorry to hear about your male kitty. Kidney disease is so difficult. As for your 3 female kitties, they have not been diagnosed with any kidney problems, correct? A health cat's diet should be high in quality animal protein, moderate in fat, very low to no carbs. I did a lot of research to figure out the best diet for my cat, and I determined that raw is the best. However, since my cat won't eat all raw yet, she is on a raw/homecooked/high quality canned/freeze-dried raw diet. If you would like to learn more about feline nutrition and its effects on common cat health issues, please visit www.catinfo.org. It's written by a vet and has a lot of great info. A must read for any cat guardian in my book!

As for magnesium, there is an outdated theory that high magnesium was a cause in the formation of struvite crystals, one of the causes of FLUTD in cats. However, now, most vets believe that sufficient water intake is the single most important factor in urinary tract health. A balanced, species appropriate diet is the best thing you can do for your cats in my opinion.

Thank you so much for your reply!  I'll look into the raw diet.  I have a couple of very picky eaters.  I try to give them soft food, but two of them will only eat one or two different flavors, and the baby won't eat soft food at all.  I always end up with the "trouble" cats.  LOL!  But, I wouldn't trade them for anything!  <3