Research overview: high protein requirements and amino acid metabolism in cats

Cats need more dietary protein than many mammals, and this overview reviews the metabolic basis. Feline liver enzymes that break down amino acids for energy operate at a relatively high, less adjustable rate, so cats continuously catabolise protein even when intake is low, driving an elevated minimum protein requirement. They also depend on certain amino acids preformed in the diet. Researchers established these patterns through metabolic and feeding studies. Why it matters: the high, somewhat inflexible protein demand explains why cats fare poorly on low-protein diets and why their nutrition differs fundamentally from that of dogs or humans. It is a direct metabolic signature of obligate carnivory, showing how evolution on a meat-rich diet wired feline metabolism to assume and require a steady supply of animal protein.