Feline nutrition
Why Does Taurine Matter for Cats?
Cats require taurine from their diet because they cannot synthesize enough of it to meet their needs, making taurine a critical part of feline nutrition.
This is one reason dog and cat foods should not be treated as interchangeable. Cats have species-specific nutrient requirements that need to be considered in formulation.
Species difference
Why cat nutrition is not simply dog nutrition in a smaller bowl
Dietary taurine
Cats require preformed taurine in their food.
Other feline requirements
Cats also differ from dogs in nutrients such as preformed vitamin A and niacin.
Formulation matters
Ingredient choice alone does not prove that a finished diet meets feline nutrient requirements.
Processing context
Why wet-food taurine targets may be higher
FEDIAF notes that taurine bioavailability can be lower in heat-treated canned cat food, so wet and dry formulations do not necessarily use the same taurine target.
The 2025 FEDIAF guidelines list higher recommended taurine levels for canned cat food than for dry cat food. This reinforces the need to formulate based on the finished food format rather than simply adding an ingredient associated with taurine.
Evidence
What current guidance supports
AAFCO consumer guidance notes that cats require nutrients such as taurine that dogs do not require in the same way. FEDIAF's 2025 nutritional guidelines provide specific recommended taurine levels for complete cat foods and discuss the effect of heat processing on taurine availability.
CaniBowl application
How CaniBowl should use this evidence
CaniBowl cat formulations should be evaluated as feline diets, not adapted dog recipes. Taurine targets, ingredient composition, processing method and final nutrient analysis should be considered together before making a complete-food claim.
Sources: AAFCO: Selecting the Right Pet Food; FEDIAF Nutritional Guidelines; FEDIAF 2025 Guidelines.