Dietary taurine needs of cats vary with dietary protein quality and concentration

R C. Backus
J G. Morris
S W. Kim
J A. O'Donnell
M A. Hickman
Claudia A. Kirk, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
J A. Cooke
Q R. Rogers

Abstract

The influence of dietary protein on the taurine requirement of cats was evaluated by analysing the results from several experiments in which taurine status of cats was assessed after several weeks of feeding purified and commercial diets. The diets varied in taurine content, protein source and protein concentration, with some diets cooked or containing cooked ingredients.The quality and concentration of dietary protein affected taurine requirement. As indicated by digestibility estimates, taurine requirement increased when protein quality decreased. When diets containing protein in excess of that required were fed, the need for taurine was increased by increasing dietary protein level. When diets lacking taurine and containing good-quality protein below the requirement were fed, the taurine status of cats improved marginally when dietary protein was increased towards the requirement level. The results indicate that when the quality and concentration of dietary protein are held constant, the concentration of plasma taurine changes in direct proportion with the concentration of dietary taurine. The relationship was most direct when plasma taurine was <80 nmol>/ml.