In animals, fats form the only large-scale energy store. Fats are a more concentrated energy source than carbohydrates; oxidation yields roughly nine and four kilocalories of energy per gram, respectively. Animals generally either store absorbed fatty acids or oxidize them immediately as a source of energy. Particular fatty acids are needed for the production of phospholipids, which form an essential portion of cell membranes and nerve fibres, and for the synthesis of certain hormones. Animals can synthesize their own fat from an excess of absorbed sugars, but they are limited in their ability to synthesize essential polyunsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic acid and linolenic acid. Thus, fatty acids are not just an alternative energy source-they are a vital dietary ingredient. The main vegetable oils are good sources of linoleic acid, and most of these also contain a smaller proportion of linolenic acid. Cats have lost one of the principal enzymes used by other animals to convert linoleic acid to arachidonic acid, which is needed for the synthesis of prostaglandins and other hormones. Since arachidonic acid is not found in plants, cats are obligate carnivores, meaning that under natural conditions they must eat animal tissue in order to survive and reproduce.
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