Cats in the wild live almost exclusively on meat. They are hunters by nature, and their diet consists of small prey such as mice, rats, birds, lizards, insects and other small creatures they can catch. A wild or free-roaming cat hunts many times a day and eats a large number of small meals rather than a couple of big ones. It is this behaviour and this composition of prey that has shaped the cat's digestion, teeth and entire nutritional needs, and that is precisely why the question of what cats eat in the wild is so useful to understand when you have to choose food for your own cat at home.
Mice, birds and small creatures make up most of the prey
The typical free-living cat lives off what it can catch in its local area. Rodents such as mice and young rats top the list, because they are numerous and easy to hunt. In addition come small birds, lizards, frogs, larger insects such as grasshoppers and beetles, as well as the occasional young rabbit offspring. The cat usually eats the whole prey: muscle meat, organs, bones, skin and fur. This is important, because it is precisely the entirety of the prey that gives the cat its full nutrition. The muscle meat provides protein, the organs such as liver and heart provide vitamins and minerals, the small bones contribute calcium, and the stomach contents of the prey provide a small amount of digested plant material. Plants therefore play only a marginal role in the cat's natural diet and come primarily indirectly via the prey's digestive system.
That is why the cat is an obligate carnivore
The cat is an obligate carnivore, which means that it is physiologically dependent on nutrients found only in animal tissue. Where a dog can make use of a broader diet, the cat needs a high proportion of animal protein and a number of specific substances it cannot produce itself in sufficient amounts. Taurine is the best-known example. It is an amino acid found abundantly in muscle meat and organs, and which is crucial for the cat's heart, vision and general wellbeing. The cat also needs arachidonic acid and active vitamin A, which it cannot efficiently convert from plant sources the way other animals can. That is why a cat cannot live on the same food as us or thrive on a diet with a low meat content. Its entire metabolism is set up to burn protein and fat rather than large amounts of carbohydrate.
Many small meals suit the cat's hunting rhythm
A cat in the wild does not eat twice a day. It hunts, catches a small prey, eats it and goes hunting again later. Over a day this can add up to many small meals, spread across both day and night. This rhythm explains why many cats at home prefer to nibble from their bowl several times during the day rather than emptying it in one go. It also explains the cat's strong need to hunt, stalk and catch, even when its stomach is full. The hunt is not only a matter of hunger, but a deeply rooted behaviour. You can give it an outlet for that urge with play that mimics the hunt, and with feeding activities where the meal has to be worked for a little. A THE LICKING MAT is a concrete example, where the cat has to lick its way through a pâté rather than having it served on a plate, and it provides both calm and occupation around the meal.
Water and fluids come from the prey, not from the bowl
An often overlooked feature of the cat's natural diet is how much fluid it gets through the prey itself. A small prey animal consists for a large part of water, and the cat has evolved to cover most of its fluid needs through food. That is why cats have a relatively weak thirst drive compared with many other animals, and it is one of the reasons why moist meals suit the cat's nature so well. A meal with a high water content more closely resembles the prey the cat would have eaten in the wild, and helps it get enough fluid throughout the day. This is especially true for cats that do not drink much from their water bowl themselves.
How the cat's meals reflect the wild diet
You cannot recreate a mouse on a kitchen counter, but you can choose meals that are built on the same principles that the cat's body is designed for. At ESSENTIAL FOODS, all cat meals are premium and composed with a high proportion of animal protein, human-grade ingredients and fresh raw materials, so that they match the cat's needs as a carnivore. In cat food you will find relevant products gathered with the cat's nature in mind, both dry meals and moist PÂTÉ variants. The Panther, the Jaguar and the little lion are prepared meals where meat takes centre stage, and where the flavour and nutritional profile are based on what the cat actually needs. The names are not random, for they remind us that even the gentlest indoor cat carries a little predator within.
The moist PÂTÉ meals are particularly close to the cat's natural diet, because they combine a high meat content with a high water content. THE PANTHER PÂTÉ, 12 PCS, THE JAGUAR PÂTÉ, 12 PCS and THE LITTLE LION PÂTÉ, 12 PCS are served in small portions that suit the cat's habit of eating several times during the day. Many cats particularly appreciate the soft, meaty consistency that resembles the texture and juiciness of freshly caught prey.
From kitten to senior cat, the needs follow the cat's life
Although the basic diet is always meat-based, the cat's needs change throughout life. A kitten grows quickly and needs extra energy and building blocks, while an adult cat needs to stay in shape, and a senior cat has its own needs in the golden years. In the wild, a young cat would slowly learn to hunt and supplement its mother's milk with the first small prey, and the transition to a fully independent hunter takes time. At home, you can follow that development with meals that suit the cat's life stage. For the smallest, you will find relevant options in kitten, and for the older cat, meals for senior cats are composed with the senior cat's everyday life and wellbeing in mind. In this way, you can throughout provide the cat with a diet that closely follows its nature as a carnivore, but which is at the same time adapted to exactly the phase it is in.
When should you pay attention to your cat's diet
By far the most cats thrive well on a well-composed meal that respects their needs as a carnivore. If your cat has a sensitive stomach, eats poorly, loses weight or otherwise changes its behaviour around food, it is always a good idea to have a veterinarian assess what lies behind it. When it comes to feeding itself, which meals suit your particular cat, how you switch food, or how you get the right portions, you can always talk to ESSENTIAL FOODS' nutrition advisers. They are ready on the phone, chat and email and advise on feeding, food and nutrition, so that you can find a solution that both follows the cat's nature and fits into your everyday life. The better you understand what the cat eats in the wild, the easier it is to give it food that keeps it healthy, full and satisfied throughout its life.