Taurine Foods for Cats: The Best Natural Sources, Ranked

Taurine foods for cats are animal foods: meat, poultry, fish and shellfish. Shellfish, dark poultry meat, oily fish and heart are the richest natural sources. Plants, grains and eggs contain essentially no taurine. Because cats cannot make enough on their own, their diet has to supply it every day.

This guide ranks common taurine foods for cats by content and shows how cooking changes the amount. It also explains how to check a cat food label.

If you are new to the topic, start with our complete guide to taurine for cats.

Why Cats Need Taurine From Food

Taurine is an amino acid that supports heart muscle, vision and digestion. Most mammals make enough of it, so they need little from food. Cats, however, make only small amounts, so the Merck Veterinary Manual lists taurine as essential in their diet.

Over time, low taurine can cause dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a weak and enlarged heart. It can also cause retinal degeneration that leads to blindness. In 1987, UC Davis researchers linked feline DCM to low taurine, and cats improved once they received it.

After that discovery, food makers added taurine to commercial cat foods. As a result, feline DCM became much less common. Even so, the Merck Veterinary Manual notes that it still occurs in cats fed vegetarian, baby or home-cooked food.

Why a mouse is the perfect cat food

In the wild, cats eat mice, birds and fish instead of plants. According to the Companion Animals Extension, this natural prey is rich in taurine. That is why taurine foods for cats always come from animals.

Cornell describes cats as obligate carnivores, which means they rely on nutrients found only in animal products. Taurine is a clear example.

Natural Taurine Foods for Cats, Ranked

To begin with, a 2003 UC Davis paper by Spitze and colleagues measured taurine in many foods. It also gathered data from earlier studies. Animal muscle, especially from marine animals, was high. In contrast, plant foods had low or undetectable levels.

As you can see, the chart shows a wide range. For example, scallops hold almost 20 times more taurine than lean beef. So the type of food matters far more than the amount of protein on the label.

These taurine foods for cats are ranked by typical values. Values for the same food differ between studies and samples. That is why you should treat these numbers as a guide, not exact amounts.

Shellfish: the richest source

Scallops, mussels, clams and squid top the list of taurine foods for cats. However, shellfish is not a practical daily meal for most cats. Raw clams also contain an enzyme that destroys thiamine, a key B vitamin, as Merck explains. Cooking destroys that enzyme, so never serve shellfish raw.

Fish and tuna

Mackerel and salmon are good taurine foods for cats. In addition, whole tuna in the UC Davis data was high too. But canned albacore and chunk light tuna held far less, at roughly 400 mg per kg.

Fish also has downsides, such as mercury in tuna. So read our guide on whether cats can eat tuna before you add it to meals.

Heart and organ meats

The Companion Animals Extension notes that organ meats contain more taurine than skeletal muscle. In the UC Davis data, beef heart had about 650 mg per kg, while chicken liver came in near 1,100 mg per kg.

Liver levels varied the most of any organ, though. Liver is also rich in vitamin A, so let a balanced recipe set the amount.

Foods with no taurine

Whole egg had no detectable taurine in the UC Davis data. Likewise, grains, vegetables and legumes cannot supply it. The Merck Veterinary Manual states that plant protein sources are devoid of taurine.

Dark Meat vs White Meat: Which Taurine Foods for Cats Win?

This is one of the most useful facts for home cooks, because it changes what you buy. Dark poultry meat holds many times more taurine than white meat.

So if you cook chicken for your cat, thighs and legs beat breast by a wide margin. That simple swap makes a big difference in homemade taurine foods for cats.

Which Taurine Foods for Cats Are Practical Every Day?

The richest food is not always the most useful one. So it helps to weigh taurine against cost, prep time and safety.

For most homes, baked dark poultry meat is the easiest of the natural taurine foods for cats. It is cheap, simple to cook and easy to find. By comparison, shellfish costs more and spoils faster.

Taurine foods for cats at different life stages

Kittens and pregnant cats need steady taurine, especially while they grow. According to VCA, a shortage can delay growth in kittens. It can also cause small litters or low birth weight in breeding cats.

A complete food labeled for "growth" or "all life stages" covers these needs. Therefore, avoid homemade experiments for kittens or pregnant cats unless a vet nutritionist designs the recipe.

Signs the diet may be low in taurine

Diet shortfalls rarely show up fast, so watch over time. The Companion Animals Extension notes that a cat may go blind within nine to 12 months if a deficiency continues.

• Changes in vision, such as bumping into things
• Fast or labored breathing, or low energy
• Poor growth in kittens
• Digestive upset, since taurine helps form bile salts

These signs have many causes, so see your vet rather than guessing. Bring a list of the taurine foods for cats you serve, plus any recipe you follow.

How Cooking Affects Taurine Foods for Cats

Taurine dissolves in water. For this reason, cooking methods that leave food sitting in water lose the most. The UC Davis study found that boiling and basting lost more taurine than baking or frying.

• Boiled foods kept roughly one-fifth to one-half of their original taurine in this data.
• In contrast, baked or roasted meats kept much more.
• If you boil meat for your cat, serve the cooking liquid too, since some taurine moves into it.

Taurine in Cat Food Labels

Most cats get their taurine from commercial food, not from home cooking. So the label is where most owners should start. The AAFCO cat food nutrient profiles set minimum taurine levels for complete cat foods. There is no set maximum.

The Companion Animals Extension explains that canning can bind taurine so cats absorb less. That is why canned taurine foods for cats need twice the minimum.

What to look for on the bag or can

First, find the nutritional adequacy statement, which AAFCO calls perhaps the most important part of a label. Then look for the words "complete and balanced" for your cat's life stage.

Still, diet choice matters. In a 2015 study by Kanakubo and colleagues, all seven vegetarian cat diets had added taurine. Yet three of them, all canned, tested below the AAFCO minimum.

The WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee suggests asking a pet food maker who formulates its diets and how it checks quality. In general, good brands answer those questions readily.

Taurine Foods for Cats on Homemade and Raw Diets

Homemade diets are where taurine problems usually appear, because small choices add up. Grinding, freezing, cooking and the choice of cuts all change the final amount.

The Merck Veterinary Manual says nutrition problems occur most often when cats eat unbalanced homemade diets. Cornell also calls making your own cat food difficult and time-consuming. In addition, Cornell does not recommend raw diets.

The ASPCA also warns that raw meat can carry bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli. Those germs can harm both pets and people.

How to build a safer homemade plan

1. First, work with a board-certified veterinary nutritionist on a complete recipe.
2. Then choose dark poultry meat and heart over lean breast meat.
3. Also, bake or roast instead of boiling, and keep the juices.
4. Next, add a measured taurine supplement for cats if the recipe calls for one.
5. Finally, book regular vet checks so problems show up early.

How to Serve Taurine-Rich Foods to Your Cat

If your cat already eats a complete food, extra taurine foods for cats work best as small toppers. For example, a spoonful of baked chicken thigh or a flake of cooked salmon is plenty.

Keep treats small, though. Cornell advises that treats should not exceed 10 to 15 percent of a cat's daily calories. Similarly, WSAVA suggests that foods not labeled complete make up 10% or less of the diet.

Simple topper ideas

• Baked chicken or turkey thigh, skin and bones removed
• A small piece of cooked chicken heart
• Cooked salmon or mackerel, with no salt, onion or garlic
• A spoonful of the cooking juices from plain baked meat

Avoid seasoning of any kind, because some common flavors are unsafe. The ASPCA warns that onion and garlic can damage red blood cells in cats, while too much salt can cause vomiting and other signs.

Myths vs Facts About Taurine Foods for Cats

Taurine shortages build slowly, and the damage is hard to undo. For instance, the Companion Animals Extension says retinal changes appear about five to six months into a deficiency. So prevention through good taurine foods for cats matters more than waiting for signs.

VCA also notes that untreated retinal damage leads to blindness that cannot be reversed. The Merck Veterinary Manual adds that commercial cat foods must now contain enough taurine to prevent it.

When a supplement makes sense

According to VCA Animal Hospitals, healthy cats on a quality commercial food generally do not need extra taurine. On the other hand, cats on homemade or raw diets often do. Ask your vet first, especially if your cat has a heart or eye condition.

Related guides: Taurine for cats: the complete guide, Can cats eat tuna? and Omega-3 for cats. You can also browse all Kittysum cat supplements.

Related guides: Taurine dosage for cats: daily amounts by weight · Taurine for cats

More taurine guides: Can cats have eggs? · Natural taurine supplement for cats · Taurine in chicken for cats

Key Terms Explained

• Taurine: an amino acid-like nutrient that cats must get from animal-based food.
• Dry matter basis: a nutrient amount measured after removing all water from a food.
• Organ meat: heart, liver and other organs, which are often richer in taurine than muscle meat.
• Leaching: the loss of taurine into cooking water when meat is boiled.
• AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials): the group that sets nutrient profiles for US pet food labels.

New related guides: Taurine for homemade cat food · Taurine in dry cat food · How to add taurine to cat food

This article is for general education and is not veterinary advice. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Kittysum products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.