Helping the body help itself
Millennia of evolution has fine-tuned human and feline bodies to the environments in which they lived. Systems developed inside us which help keep us healthy without any conscious input. The digestive system developed to extract nutrients from the food available, the immune system developed to fight off invasive bacteria or viruses and the respiratory system developed to absorb oxygen.
Although these systems function without us having to think about them, how we behave can have an impact on how well they can do their job. Air pollution and smoke can damage the respiratory system, poor nutrition can reduce the effectiveness of the digestive and immune systems. Some conditions are even a direct result of lacking a nutrient, scurvy being the best example. Few foods eaten by humans or cats can heal an injury or cure a disease not caused by a deficiency. However, eating a balanced diet can provide the body with the defensive armor to prevent catching a disease or the tools to help heal an injury quickly, in humans and cats.
Many people take January to reset their dietary habits and swap foods which are less healthy for options which promote health. #Veganuary is a good example of seeking to replace animal proteins with plant proteins. This can help with human health, however, the opposite is needed to help cats live healthy lives. Their digestive system is that of a carnivore, so they absorb nutrients from meat. They cannot absorb the proteins in soya the way a human can. The best way for you to ensure your cat is the fittest it can be is to ensure it has a 100% meat-only diet.
