Taurine
Description: An amino acid with an important role in the nutrition of cats. It is a sulfur-containing amino acid which is not incorporated into proteins synthesized by the body, but is rather found as a free amino acid in many tissues. This is an essential nutrient for cats.
Properties: Assists in the absorption of dietary fats. Involved with normal heart function.
Actions: Taurine is conjugated to bile acids to form water-soluble bile salts to assist with digestion.
Deficiency: Because cats have minimal ability to synthesize taurine and they conjugate bile acids to taurine, cats are susceptible to deficiency of this nutrient if it is not supplied in the diet. Cats are most likely to develop a deficiency if they are fed dog foods, homemade foods and vegetarian foods that are not supplemented with taurine.