Unlike people and dogs, cats are true carnivores. They do not have a specific requirement for carbohydrates in their diets. They must, however, have large amounts of animal protein in the diet or they can suffer a number of fatal problems such as heart disease and liver failure. Carbohydrates are included in pet foods as an inexpensive source of energy. Digested carbs are used to provide fuel (blood glucose) for people and pets; if the energy is not needed immediately, then the carbs are stored as glycogen in the muscle or liver to be used later. While dogs and people can use protein for energy, this is less efficient. Cats, however, have developed to be able to use protein as their main source of energy. Dry food must contain more carbohydrates than canned food in order to be formed into pellets.

Even though cats need a lot of meat in order to obtain the large amount of protein that they require, feeding only meat is a bad idea. Meat as the sole food is too low in calcium and other vitamins and minerals. However, the ideal food for cats is based upon animal protein as long as it contains adequate amounts of fats, vitamins, and minerals. Even though cats don