Glossary

Obligate carnivore

An animal that must eat animal tissue to get nutrients its body cannot make for itself, as domestic cats must.

Also called: strict carnivore, true carnivore, meat-eater, carnivorous

An obligate carnivore needs meat in its diet to stay healthy. Domestic cats are obligate carnivores. Their bodies have a high protein requirement and cannot make enough of certain nutrients, so they must take them from animal tissue. These include taurine, arachidonic acid, vitamin A in its ready-made form and certain B vitamins. Cats cannot convert plant carotene into vitamin A the way many animals do.

Cats also have a limited ability to slow down protein breakdown, so they burn protein for energy even when the diet is low in it, and their guts are short and suited to digesting meat. They do not need much carbohydrate, although they can digest cooked starch. See taurine and arachidonic acid.

This is why feeding a cat a vegetarian or vegan diet is risky. Some are made with synthetic nutrients, but the evidence for their safety in cats is limited, and veterinary nutrition organisations generally advise against them. If you are considering any unusual diet, talk to your vet or a veterinary nutritionist first.

The easiest way to meet these needs is to feed a food labelled complete and balanced for your cat's life stage.

Last reviewed November 7, 2026

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Related terms

Taurine An amino acid cats cannot make in enough quantity and must get from food, essential for heart muscle, eyesight and reproduction. Arachidonic acid An omega-6 fatty acid that cats cannot make from plant oils in sufficient amounts and so need ready-made from animal fat. Wet food Cat food sold in cans, pouches or trays, containing roughly 70 to 80 percent water, which helps a cat get more fluid. Raw diet A diet of uncooked meat, organs and bones, whether home-made or bought, which carries infection and nutrition risks that vets warn about. Complete and balanced A pet-food label claim that a food supplies all the nutrients a cat needs at a stated life stage, when used as the only diet.

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