Kitty Chow

Here at wired.com, we believe in hard science.

But we also love kitties!

So to feed both obsessions, we got our paws

on some Purina Kitten Chow to find out what's inside.

Now, since our furry friends are obligate carnivores,

it means they don't really need plants in their diet.

But they can digest soy flour, a protein

with more amino acids than an equivalent quantity of beef.

Still, there's no pussyfooting around the fact,

mousers prefer real meat.

Even ground up byproducts, like roly poly fish heads,

or chicken necks, feet, and the occasional feather, yum.

Animal fat is also included as a source of arachidonic acid,

their healthy skin and proper wound healing

when kitties get careless.

But while curiosity may kill the occasional cat,

heart failure is far more common.

So Purina adds taurine to strengthen cardiovascular function

while preventing retinal degeneration later in life.

A pint sized puss likewise need copper sulfate

to grow connective tissue, ferrous sulfate to prevent anemia

and zinc sulfate to ensure baby toms

have well developed testes.

At least til it's time for a certain fateful trip

to the veterinarian .

And finally, to keep feline coats perfectly sleek and full,

there's biotin, the same vitamin found in expensive

human hair conditioners, but they're worth it.

Good kitty!

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