As obligate carnivores, cats have a remarkable nutritional blueprint that’s been thousands of years in the making. Their bodies are precision-engineered to extract maximum nutrition from animal protein — including organ meat. But what makes organ meat so critical to your cat’s health?
Cats’ Natural Prey Diet
In the wild, cats obtain all their nutrients from prey, including organs. Their ancestors thrived on diets rich in both muscle and organ meat, and modern domestic cats have the same nutritional needs. A diet mimicking natural prey helps keep your cat healthy and strong.
Nature’s Multivitamins
Organ meats such as liver, heart, and gizzards contain concentrated nutrition that are important for feline survival. Organs are metabolic multitaskers. Think of them as nature’s multivitamins — packed with highly digestible nutrients that support everything from energy levels to immune health.
Taurine: The Non-Negotiable Nutrient
Taurine is an amino acid that is critical for your cat’s heart, vision, digestion, and overall well-being. Unlike some other animals, cats can’t produce taurine on their own, so they need to get it from their food. The heart muscle happens to be one of the best sources of taurine, so feeding hearts is good for cats’ hearts!
Nutrient Powerhouses
Other essential nutrients can be found in organ meats like livers and gizzards:
Vitamin A: Liver is loaded with Vitamin A, which is essential for vision and immune function.
Vitamin A is only found in animal protein, whereas its precursor, beta-carotene, is found in
plants. Cats have limited ability to convert beta-carotene to vitamin A, so they must eat the
preformed vitamin.
Vitamin D: Cats can’t make vitamin D from sunlight, so they need to get it in their food — and
liver meat is a fantastic source!
B-Vitamins, Iron, and Trace Minerals: Found in both liver and gizzards, these nutrients help with
energy production, metabolism, and overall vitality.
Lean Protein: Chicken gizzards are an excellent source of lean protein.
Did We Mention They’re Delicious?
Cats can’t benefit from food they won’t eat. As we all know, cats are notoriously picky, particularly kittens and senior cats. Organ meats are highly palatable and naturally aromatic, making them incredibly enticing — even for the fussiest eaters. Adding liver, heart, and gizzards to their diet can help encourage them to finish their meals and get all the nutrients they need.
A Diet Designed for Thriving
Your cat’s body is a marvel of metabolic efficiency. By including nutrient-dense organ meats in their diet, you’re not just feeding great-tasting food, you’re honoring their evolutionary design. At Tiki Cat®, we believe in feeding cats what their bodies naturally need to thrive — the diet their bodies were designed to eat. That’s why we proudly include high-quality liver, gizzard, and heart in many of our nutritious (and delicious!) recipes, like:
Tiki Cat ® After Dark®: Our best-selling, high-protein recipes in a range of flavors and textures.
Tiki Cat® Baby: Specialized nutrition for newborn kittens through age 1.
Tiki Cat® Silver™: Designed just for cats 11+ years.
Does your cat enjoy organ meat? Let us know below!
