• @BorgDrone
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      89 months ago

      Well, it doesn’t. Kidney failure is the leading cause of death for cats. So much so that a Japanese professor is working on medication to improve kidney function in cats, which is expected to double their lifespan. Source

      Cats are desert animals by origin and they have super efficient kidneys to retain as much water as possible. This also makes them much more fragile. Compare it to a highly tuned racing car, when you push it to the limit you get the most performance but also get more wear on the parts which reduces the lifespan.

      • @blahsay@lemmy.world
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        fedilink
        29 months ago

        Very interesting! I’ll be more aware and avoid salt in future for my cat. Thanks!

        Weird they seem poorly adapted to their diet though. 🤔

        • Drusas
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          fedilink
          29 months ago

          Cats do require some salt, much like people do. You just need to keep it limited.

        • @BorgDrone
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          19 months ago

          That’s evolution for you. No sense in having kidneys that last a long time if you’re dying today from dehydration.