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Humans aren’t the only ones who need a good mineral supplement. There’s a high chance your cat would benefit from minerals as well.
While giving your cat a supplement may sound strange at first, it’s actually quite common. A lot of vets recommend giving pets omega-3 capsules for extra healthy fats, or glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health as they age.
But one of the more overlooked (and impactful) ways to improve your cat’s wellbeing is with a high-quality mineral supplement. Sadly, most cats don’t get the nutrition they need from diet alone, and adding a mineral supplement can make a big difference in your cat’s life.
Why Minerals Are Important for Cats
Like humans, many cats become deficient in minerals, especially as they age. And—like humans—a lot of their mineral deficiencies come down to food quality.
Most cats don’t eat the diet they’ve evolved to eat. Canned cat food has replaced the combination of fresh meat, raw organs, bones, insects, and occasional vegetable matter that cats ate in the wild.
In fact, cats are more susceptible to nutritional imbalances than most other pets. Because they’re carnivores—in the wild, the only plants they get are from the stomachs of animals they eat—cats have less nutritional flexibility than dogs, rodents, birds, and other omnivores. Their metabolisms can’t adapt as well to dietary gaps—for example, unlike omnivores, cats can’t decrease the metabolic enzymes they produce, even when their diet doesn’t require those enzymes to break down nutrients[*].
As a result, cats are constantly “spending” minerals on metabolic processes, even if they aren’t replenishing those minerals from their diet. That means even small mineral deficiencies will snowball over time, which can have steep costs for your cat’s wellbeing.
Signs of a Mineral Deficiency in Cats
Symptoms of a mineral deficiency in your cat may include:
- Lethargy
- Pale gums
- Poor appetite
- Dull coat
- Weight loss
- Acting strange or short-tempered
- Loss of coordination
- Sudden increase in meowing or scratching
- Tooth decay or plaque buildup
These are all common signs that your cat may be mineral deficient.
4 Benefits of Giving Your Cat a Mineral Supplement
The good news is that a well-rounded mineral supplement will give your cat all the minerals it needs, which can translate to a variety of benefits.
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Stronger Teeth and Bones
Your cat’s teeth and bones rely on several different minerals, including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and potassium.
Much like humans, cats experience a decline in bone mineral density as they age[*]. Their bodies become less efficient at using minerals to build bone and maintain teeth. Their bones and teeth also leach more minerals, making them more susceptible to problems like brittleness and fractures.
Supplementing your cat’s food with plenty of minerals is a good way to keep its mineral stores topped up, ensuring that it has everything it needs to build strong, dense bones and teeth.
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Softer Fur (with Less Shedding)
Copper and zinc are essential for your cat’s skin health, and deficiencies in either can lead to a dull, brittle coat, flat coloring, and hair loss.
Unfortunately, these are two of the most commonly depleted minerals in cats. One major reason is that domestic cats don’t usually eat bone. In the wild, cats eat small animals like mice and birds which add plentiful copper and zinc to their diet.
If you’re feeding your cat at home, giving it a mineral supplement can help it grow silky, lustrous fur. It will also shed less, which keeps your home cleaner.
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Flexible Joints
A lot of cats suffer from arthritis or chronic joint pain as they get older[*]. Decreased joint mobility can cause your cat pain and decrease its quality of life, and can also be a gateway to other health issues. For example, joint pain may lead your cat to move less, which can cause it to gain weight, leading to additional health problems that compound over time.
A wide variety of trace minerals are involved in joint repair and inflammation signaling. A good mineral supplement can help relieve joint discomfort, nourish inflamed cartilage, and improve your cat’s comfort, especially as it ages.
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Longevity
A mineral supplement keeps your cat’s immune system strong, improves bone and joint health, maintains healthy skin and teeth, and guards against a lot of the age-related diseases cats can develop in their later years.
We all want our pets to be with us as long as possible, and we want their lives to be comfortable and happy. Giving your cat the nutrients it needs, is one of the best ways to ensure its wellbeing, especially as it ages.
The Best Mineral Supplement for Your Cat
Unfortunately, pets often get the bottom of the barrel when it comes to supplements. A lot of companies take products that don’t meet the requirements for human consumption and repackage them for pets because the standards are lower, and it’s a way for the company to avoid financial loss.
Alternatively, companies will market supplements as high-quality, while selling nutrients in their cheapest, least bioavailable forms.
I think that’s cruel. Your pet either doesn’t benefit from the supplements it takes or is actively harmed by them.
That’s why I created BEAM Minerals Complete Feline Minerals. It contains the full spectrum of essential minerals your cat needs to thrive, including the ones most commonly lacking in modern cat food. It’s also rich in flavonoids, antioxidant compounds that prevent inflammation and gently detox cells of environmental toxins.
Consider adding a full-spectrum mineral supplement to your cat’s diet. It’s one of the best things you can do to support your cat’s long-term wellbeing, I think you’ll both notice a difference.
