Cat food

Cat food is food specifically formulated for consumption by cats. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, cats in London were commonly fed horse meat sold by itinerant traders known as Cats' Meat Men or Women, who traveled fixed routes to serve households. The idea of specialized cat food developed later than dog food, as cats were long considered to be self-sufficient hunters.

French writers in the 1800s criticized this view, arguing that well-fed cats were more effective hunters.
By the late 19th century, commercial cat food emerged, with companies like Spratt's offering ready-made products to replace boiled horse meat.
As obligate carnivores, cats require animal-based proteins for essential nutrients such as taurine and arginine, which they cannot synthesize from plant-based sources.

Back to Nutrition & Feeding →

Source: Wikipedia · Image: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0