Taurine

[SpecterOhPossum]

Urgh, I'm mad! Why don't catfoods ever have a good taurine ratio? I'm shopping around on chewy and they all either don't list it, or have 0.5 - 0.15 MG. Cat's need 70 - 100 mg a day.
so far this has the highest wet Taurine content thus far : https://www.chewy.com/lotus-turkey-vegetable-pate-grain/dp/109961

And this has 0.20 dry: https://www.chewy.com/simply-nourish-source-fish-chicken/dp/199429

And this has 0.21 dry: https://www.chewy.com/go-solutions-carnivore-grain-free/dp/189528

Do you guys know any more?

 

[Kieka]

Those are percentages per cup, 0.20% and 0.21%, not direct quantities.

A cup is roughly 236 ml, so 0.21% would be 0.47ml or 470mg of taurine..... If I am converting that right. To be considered a completed cat food and sold as such, food must contain a minimum of 0.2% taurine (dry matter so wet food will be a little different). All the foods you mention do meet that requirement.

 

[Azazel]

If the food says it meets AAFCO guidelines then it has enough taurine. I’ve never bothered calculating exact values.

 

[SpecterOhPossum]

Those are percentages per cup, 0.20% and 0.21%, not direct quantities.

A cup is roughly 236 ml, so 0.21% would be 0.47ml or 470mg of taurine..... If I am converting that right. To be considered a completed cat food and sold as such, food must contain a minimum of 0.2% taurine (dry matter so wet food will be a little different). All the foods you mention do meet that requirement.

I don't know how to work this site as I'm new so sorry if I look like a noob replying to you here, but thank you VERY much! I've LITERALLY been looking across EVERY catfood on chewy dot com for three days straight starting at 4AM to 9PM nonestop, you seriously have no idea how helpful this information is. So... I've already had the right amount. Embarrassing! Oh man..

 

[SpecterOhPossum]

If the food says it meets AAFCO guidelines then it has enough taurine. I’ve never bothered calculating exact values.

Well I've heard that, but my paranoia forces me to ask dumb questions like this across platforms and do laps around self doubt and heavy inquiring about mundane facts before it can function properly, regardless..

 

[Azazel]

Well I've heard that, but my paranoia forces me to ask dumb questions like this across platforms and do laps around self doubt and heavy inquiring about mundane facts before it can function properly, regardless..

Oh, I completely understand. That's why I make my own food. I control everything that goes in it.

 

[maggie101]

A similar question was asked on chewy abought redbarn beef tips in gravy since it is not listed as an ingredient and chewy responded that the beef already has taurine in it. Something like that I have always wondered about that. I would never make my own food because I would worry too much if I am making it right

 

[Azazel]

A similar question was asked on chewy abought redbarn beef tips in gravy since it is not listed as an ingredient and chewy responded that the beef already has taurine in it. Something like that I have always wondered about that. I would never make my own food because I would worry too much if I am making it right

Was the food raw? That’s strange because as far as I’m aware taurine is destroyed when food is cooked. That’s partly why cats have to eat raw meat in the wild to survive.

 

[daftcat75]

A similar question was asked on chewy abought redbarn beef tips in gravy since it is not listed as an ingredient and chewy responded that the beef already has taurine in it. Something like that I have always wondered about that. I would never make my own food because I would worry too much if I am making it right

I always feel more comfortable with a food that has supplemented taurine as it can be lost in cooking and canning.

 

[maggie101]

Wrong brand

https://www.chewy.com/evangers-grain-free-hand-packed-beef/dp/45000#

 

[cheesycats]

Yeah that’s weird they replied with that. Cus taurine has a very low burn away temp. So even light cooked destroys most of it. I don’t trust Evanger anyway because of their problems they’ve had over the years. I would def make sure taurine is in the vitamin list of a canned or dry food I’d want to feed.

 

[Kieka]

I don't know how to work this site as I'm new so sorry if I look like a noob replying to you here, but thank you VERY much! I've LITERALLY been looking across EVERY catfood on chewy dot com for three days straight starting at 4AM to 9PM nonestop, you seriously have no idea how helpful this information is. So... I've already had the right amount. Embarrassing! Oh man..

Well I've heard that, but my paranoia forces me to ask dumb questions like this across platforms and do laps around self doubt and heavy inquiring about mundane facts before it can function properly, regardless..

Don't worry about it. It doesn't hurt to ask the questions to make sure. There are only two times it's a dumb question: 1) if you don't ask it. 2) if you don't listen to the answer. With all the worry over taurine and grain free dog food going on right now it's not stupid to ask about that one. Just know that if the food is labeled as "complete cat food" it does meet minimum requirements assuming the cats diet is mostly complete foods (90% food and 10% treats) you are usually fine.

 

[Azazel]

I always feel more comfortable with a food that has supplemented taurine as it can be lost in cooking and canning.

I would agree with that. Even when I make my own raw food which probably already has enough naturally occurring taurine in the raw hearts, I still supplement it with taurine powder to be safe. A food brand claiming that their product meets taurine standards because there is enough in cooked meat would be a big red flag for me.

 

[maggie101]

Yeah that’s weird they replied with that. Cus taurine has a very low burn away temp. So even light cooked destroys most of it. I don’t trust Evanger anyway because of their problems they’ve had over the years. I would def make sure taurine is in the vitamin list of a canned or dry food I’d want to feed.

I stopped buying it because of that. Maybe the taurine is added after it is cooked

 

[SpecterOhPossum]

Don't worry about it. It doesn't hurt to ask the questions to make sure. There are only two times it's a dumb question: 1) if you don't ask it. 2) if you don't listen to the answer. With all the worry over taurine and grain free dog food going on right now it's not stupid to ask about that one. Just know that if the food is labeled as "complete cat food" it does meet minimum requirements assuming the cats diet is mostly complete foods (90% food and 10% treats) you are usually fine.

That actually makes me feel a bit more at ease. Thank you! Yeah, the dog thing is what got me hankering over this. Some idiot told me that grain free foods "don't have taurine!" and then I spiraled into the rabbit hole of proving them wrong and also boosting her intake overall.. Her diet actually doesn't have treats at all technically, which sounds very depressing when I say that ... Reminds me of the new willy wonka's backstory.. Anyhow! I soak her dry food with hot water so-as-to make it soggy and soupy, and then mix in her wet food to trick her into eating more food & drinking more water, that goes on at breakfast and dinner, then as "snacks" she just gets handfuls of dry as soon as I wake up and before we go to bed. Which I'd also like to ask your opinion on. So far it's worked

 

[SpecterOhPossum]

Those are percentages per cup, 0.20% and 0.21%, not direct quantities.

A cup is roughly 236 ml, so 0.21% would be 0.47ml or 470mg of taurine..... If I am converting that right. To be considered a completed cat food and sold as such, food must contain a minimum of 0.2% taurine (dry matter so wet food will be a little different). All the foods you mention do meet that requirement.

Alright, sorry to bother you again but turns out I really can't afford the 0.20 one (yet! i will sooner or later, i hope.)
So what is your opinion on this food?
https://www.chewy.com/wild-frontier-adult-open-valley/dp/159083
It's taurine content is 0.18min, so would 2 cups of that daily be enough? Sorry. I will also add that I will be mixing it with a wet food that amounts to about 30~min taurine each meal, so ....... 48 taurine EACH meal because it's both of them? Sorry, again

 

[Kieka]

Alright, sorry to bother you again but turns out I really can't afford the 0.20 one (yet! i will sooner or later, i hope.)
So what is your opinion on this food?
https://www.chewy.com/wild-frontier-adult-open-valley/dp/159083
It's taurine content is 0.18min, so would 2 cups of that daily be enough? Sorry. I will also add that I will be mixing it with a wet food that amounts to about 30~min taurine each meal, so ....... 48 taurine EACH meal because it's both of them? Sorry, again

0.18% should be 420 mg of taurine per cup of food. It should be fine. Looks like the taurine additive is in the middle of the ingredient list so it is added as a supplement.

I am a little concerned by the 2 cups of food comment. That food is 442 calories a cup so 2 cups is 884 calories. Most adult cats need 15-30 calories per pound depending on their activity level (with the average being in the 20 calorie range). My highly active male, 14 pounds, eats 450 calories a day and that's with him walking a mile circle around our house several times a day (I GPS tracker him at one point to see). I am considering limiting his calori s because even with his activity level he is gaining a little weight. Feeding 2 cups of dry food a day would be ideal for a 40+ pound cat but way too much food for most cats. To explain it differently, a ten pound cats needs 200-250 calories a day, feeding that cat 884 calories is three to four times their needs. I know you are worried about taurine but the volume of food is a little much. The food as a whole isn't a bad option, I'd probably have it in my mix if my crew weren't sensitive little buggers.

Remember that the taurine on the lable is a percentage not a volume itself. You aren't trying to get to 0.5% but 50-100mg; different units of measurement so they aren't the same thing. You aren't adding together the percentages to get a different percentage. As long as the food is an approved complete cat food any individual food will have the taurine your cat needs.

 

[SpecterOhPossum]

0.18% should be 420 mg of taurine per cup of food. It should be fine. Looks like the taurine additive is in the middle of the ingredient list so it is added as a supplement.

I am a little concerned by the 2 cups of food comment. That food is 442 calories a cup so 2 cups is 884 calories. Most adult cats need 15-30 calories per pound depending on their activity level (with the average being in the 20 calorie range). My highly active male, 14 pounds, eats 450 calories a day and that's with him walking a mile circle around our house several times a day (I GPS tracker him at one point to see). I am considering limiting his calori s because even with his activity level he is gaining a little weight. Feeding 2 cups of dry food a day would be ideal for a 40+ pound cat but way too much food for most cats. To explain it differently, a ten pound cats needs 200-250 calories a day, feeding that cat 884 calories is three to four times their needs. I know you are worried about taurine but the volume of food is a little much.

Remember that the taurine on the lable is a percentage not a volume itself. You aren't trying to get to 0.5% but 50-100mg; different units of measurement so they aren't the same thing. Which most commercial foods will have in a standard serving size recommendation.

You're a freaking godsent genius I kid you not! Dyslexia runs in our family and I very simply cannot grasp math whatsoever without assistance or a calculator in hand and am too embarrassed to ask anyone in real life these things either.

Thank you for pointing out the calories! Currently I don't measure her food, so I don't do 2 cups but was planning on it - not anymore! She's 2 years old, very active (extreme workout routine for about 3 hours twice daily), and 8.2 pounds. I've always figured that was low (I read the average was.. 10? If I remember) so I try to make her eat a little more than she would normally to the best of my ability.

Thus far I've lived in a very financially poor situation (on top of me and spec being locked in a room for basically 1 and a half of those years because my mom was abusive and explosive so I had to install a lock on our door and only go out to walk spec outside when the sun was rising; and my mom was still sleep, then to cook my food fast, and go back to hiding in the room for the rest of the day, and that was our whole reality for a year and a half. I wasn't really able to get a job as I didn't know how to go anywhere or do anything on top of not wanting to leave spec in the room when my mom could have came and did something passive aggressive and horrible to my cat or something while I was away - it was THAT bad. She'd thrown her before when I was 18 or so and she was mad about something and is VERY passive aggressive; to the point that she would beat up animals or break peoples belongings for "revenge" I guess.) Now I have a means of making light income but due to all of that, she's never seen a vet; she was definitely not my choice to own but we had no choice as she would have died without me. She's my baby, saved me from suicide in 2017, I saved her life in 2017, and now that we've moved and I'm making my own income, I'm slowly making it up to the point that I can move her onto better food; better enrichment, and spaying her + consulting a vet IRL for ways we can improve our husbandry; and giving her the best life I can. So this is why I ask such tedious questions and do as much research & over-kill on caring for her as mistakes are not affordable, but I will def take your advice and not do 2 cups, thank you! You've been the most helpful thus far in my journey for solution, usually people would criticize or attack rather than help. Or suggest I get something I can't afford yet. Yet is a keyword though - we will get there!

14 pounds is pretty whopping, by the way! I'd love to meet him. Something about naturally large cats is always amazing

 

[SpecterOhPossum]

OOPS, 8.4 on average! Sorry.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Both on the taurine AND the amount of dry food . Are we talking just one cat here? Two cups of dry food is probably more than I fed my FOUR cats (when I actually had FOUR, AND when I fed dry food, neither of which happens now since I'm down to two cats and no longer feed any dry)

Oops! I see you've already posted since, so you're covered