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High Dietary Taurine Effects on Feline Tissue Taurine Concentrations and Reproductive Performance¹

Department of Development Biochemistry, New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY 10314

The reproductive performance and outcome of kittens was determined for female cats fed 0.05, 0.2 or 1% taurine. No adverse effects of high taurine diets were noted in the adults or offspring, and the reproductive performance was slightly better than that of females fed the normal (0.05% taurine) diet. Body weight at birth and brain weight at weaning were significantly greater in the very high taurine group than in the normal taurine group, although the greatest growth rate was achieved by the normal taurine group. The concentration of taurine in milk of lactating females was substantially higher in cats fed the higher taurine diets. Brain of adult cats was resistant to increases in brain taurine concentrations, as was brain of newborn cats. However, brain of juvenile cats responded to higher dietary taurine intake with increased taurine concentrations. These results indicate that the higher taurine content in cat foods recently introduced for prevention of feline dilated cardiomyopathy should have no adverse effects over a prolonged period on health and reproduction of cats.

KEY WORDS: • cats • high taurine diet • reproduction • taurine

¹ Supported by National Institutes of Health grant HD-16634 and by the New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.

Manuscript received 26 April 1991. Revision accepted 9 July 1991.

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