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Because science, real science, is not a philosophical exercise. Nutrition is a matter of chemistry and biology. The need for taurine in the feline diet was not determined by pondering the matter, nor was the fact that cats are indeed obligate carnivores, but by feeding trials. That's the way real nutrition is done.

I'm more than somewhat leery of "experts." "Experts" are the ones, complete with fancy degrees to "certify" them, who have given us the "low-fat"/high-carb hysteria for the last several decades. It looks to me as if paleo (low-carb and higher fat) does better things for people.

It's also "experts" who have foisted statins on us, with which I totally disagree.

And while I'm glad that surgery has advanced to the point where scary operations such as bypass and valve replacement can be routine, I find it horrible that so many people "need" them. There are also major questions about whether people live much longer after undergoing these operations.

Again, I'm not too stupid to feed myself, and I'm not too stupid to read about cat nutrition and figure that out.

I'm more than somewhat leery of "experts." "Experts" are the ones, complete with fancy degrees to "certify" them, who have given us the "low-fat"/high-carb hysteria for the last several decades.

You're free to make up your own reality and trash the technically trained, but I find real, hard science [not the kind of pop-drivel that fuels fads] to be a lot more useful. Fancy degrees? Belittling people who spend the time and effort to understand chemistry, physiology, biology, and practical animal management? You don't pick that kind of thing up by reading a couple of articles written for a general audience and compress years of schooling into 20 minutes.

And while I'm glad that surgery has advanced to the point where scary operations such as bypass and valve replacement can be routine, I find it horrible that so many people "need" them.

When humans lived more "naturally", say, in medieval Europe prior to the adoption of chimneys, when everyone huddled together to stay warm and share fleas and lice, nobody lived long enough to develop these problems. A 30 year old adult was a very old human in 1250. Live long enough, and your body will wear out, as opposed to being overrun with infections or parasitic infestations. We're seeing the same thing in indoor cats, spared the contagious diseases and physical perils of the outdoor life. They live long enough to develop problems.

I'm smart enough to know how little I know, and I realize that taking care of my cats as they age means keeping up with the science.