Answer: Cats seem to have no specific need for vitamins K and can normally make sufficient vitamins C within their bodies; therefore these vitamins are not required in the diet. The cat’s requirement for vitamin D in the diet is small when compared with that of dogs and humans. Cats differ for more mammals in not being able to convert carotenoids in plants (e.g. carrots) into vitamins A and therefore this vitamin must be supplied-for example in liver, kidney or fish oils. Overall, most diet will contain sufficient vitamins, with the possible exception of vitamin B, although some additional vitamin A should be provided for kittens in the form of cod-liver oil.
The animals needed from the diet are present in most foodstuffs in amounts sufficient to meet the cat’s requirement, although muscle meat and organ meat are relatively deficient in calcium.
Cod-liver oil is a convenient source of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E, but because these vitamins are stored, i.e. accumulate in the body, too much create problems. An excess of vitamin A in the cat causes painful abnormalities of the spine and limb bones. Excess vitamin D can retard growth, case malformed teeth and jaws and lead to changes in other organs. Greatly excessive quantities of vitamin E may also be harmful, impairing blood clotting, and too much vitamin K can cause jaundice. However, these appear to be no ill-effects from giving excessive amounts of the water soluble vitamins, vitamin B and vitamin. C.
Bone meal contains calcium and phosphorus which is excess can cause a verity of skeletal abnormalities and joint problems with lameness especially in growing animals. Anemia due to iron deficiency is an extremely rare occurrence in the cat and consequently there is no need for the routine iron supplementation. Other supplements, such as seaweed powder to supply iodine, are unnecessary; fish is reach in iodine. The huge verity of commercial vitamin and mineral supplement are no more necessary, and no suffer in excess, then the simple substances mentioned above.
