Noun

cat food

1. A type of food specially formulated for the feeding of cats

   The cat ate the cat food.

Cat food is formulated to address the specific nutritional requirements of cats. Although cats are obligate carnivores, most commercial cat food contains both animal and plant material, supplemented with vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. An important nutrient is the amino acid derivative taurine, as cats cannot synthesize the compound. Cats fed a taurine-deficient dog food may develop retinal degeneration and go blind, for example.

Commercial cat food

Cat food for sale at an Istanbul animal market

Most store-bought cat food comes in either dry form, also known as kibble, or wet canned form. Some manufacturers sell frozen raw diets and premix products to cater to owners who feed raw.