Beneficial additives

Taurine

Excellent

Description

Essential amino acid for cats.

Benefits

Essential for cat heart and vision

Risks

None

History and origin

Taurine's critical importance to cat health was discovered in the 1970s at UC Davis after a wave of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) cases killed cats fed cheap commercial food. Researchers traced the deaths to taurine deficiency - cheap cat food was made from plant-based proteins that lacked taurine, and cats (unlike dogs and humans) cannot synthesise it from other amino acids. By 1987, the FDA required taurine supplementation in all commercial cat food. The cat DCM epidemic disappeared within months. In the 2010s, a second DCM outbreak in dogs was linked to certain grain-free formulas with insufficient taurine precursors, triggering ongoing FDA research.

Why this ingredient is used

Taurine is not optional for cats - it is the difference between a living cat and a cat with heart failure and blindness. The minimum AAFCO requirement for dry cat food is 0.1 percent taurine; for wet food it is 0.2 percent (higher because wet processing destroys more taurine). Premium cat food brands typically add 0.3 to 0.5 percent as insurance. Dog food adds taurine more rarely, only in specific formulas aimed at large-breed dogs, puppies, or dogs on grain-free diets where heart support is an explicit claim.