Enter a keyword below to search for articles and products.
We all love corn. And why not? Corn on the cob is soft, sweet, and buttery. Just the sight of it can make our mouths water. However, did you know that even cats like corn. This might make you wonder whether corn is good for your feline friend. The answer is yes. In fact, corn is present in many cat foods. It is packed with protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Continue reading to know the importance of corn for cats.
Since cats are omnivores, they need a high amount of protein to support their bodily functions. Hence, corn alone is not enough. One medium ear of corn contains 3.5 grams of protein. And cats need at least 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight.
If your cat is around 8 pounds, they require 16-gram protein at the least. Basically, your cat might have to eat at least 4 or 5 medium ears of corn. And doing that would increase their calorie intake. Hence, corn can only be a part of your cat’s day-to-day diet, not the whole meal. That being said, here are a few benefits of including corn in your cat’s diet:
Carbohydrates might not be the most vital nutrient for cats; however, it is highly digestible. This ensures that your fur baby feel energetic throughout the day. When your cat gets enough carbs, they do not have to use protein to produce energy. Proteins available in their body can focus on their primary role--muscle and tissue growth.
Corn is packed with fatty acids which maintain skin health and prevent inflammation. These fatty acids must be supplied through a balanced diet because your cat cannot produce them in their body.
Antioxidants are essential for cat health since they minimise damage to cells. Vitamin E optimises a cat’s T-cell activation, whereas beta-carotene increases antibody levels and improves vaccine recognition. Here's good news for you: corn is rich in both!
Corn is included in cat food formulas in various forms, such as ground corn, corn meal, corn grits, corn gluten meal, and corn bran. When reviewing the ingredients list on cat food packaging, you may see one or more of the following corn ingredients:
Corn ingredient | What it is |
Ground corn or corn meal | Finely ground and chopped whole corn |
Corn grits | The portion of ground corn containing little or none of the bran (fiber) or germ (the small protein portion at the end of the kernel) |
Corn bran | The outer coating of the corn kernel; largely fiber |
Corn gluten meal | A dried protein source that remains after the corn’s bran, a large portion of carbohydrates, and germs have been removed |
As a cat owner, you might want to serve your feline friend the best corn cat food. However, not all types of corn snacks are suitable for your pet. As a cat parent, you want to avoid feeding your fur baby with corn chips, popcorn, fried kernels, and corn husks. Stick to grilled or boiled sweet corn without any seasoning.
Corn is included in the formulas for all IAMS cat foods, including IAMS™ ProActive Health™ Healthy Adult and ProActive Health™ Healthy Kitten. It is more appropriate to associate the corn used in our products with “cornbread” rather than “corn on the cob.” The difference is similar to cooked corn versus raw corn. We use only the highest-quality corn in our products. The corn is finely ground, which breaks up the outside covering of each kernel, and then it is cooked for better digestibility.
Corn grits and cornmeal are used in our foods as high-quality sources of carbohydrates, which are an important source of energy. Corn generally also results in lower glycemic and insulin responses than rice. This can be especially beneficial for senior and overweight cats.
IAMS Cat Food offers chicken as number 1 source to build up cat’s nutrition and immunity
Author: Dr. Cissy Ramos
To help owners better maintain the health and development of their cats, IAMS has developed a line that is uniquely tailored for cats’ needs and has chicken as its number one ingredient. IAMS Cat food includes Taurine as an additional supplement for natural variability and production process.
A study conducted by WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition reports that cats prefer food that is similar to their natural prey such as mice or birds. Likewise, the evolutionary ancestors of cats did not consume fish.
Cats are considered as strict carnivores and they’re still highly related to their ancestors. Their teeth and skull conformation are actually designed to hunt and kill prey efficiently.
In fact, cats are obligate carnivores and they eat meat out of biological necessity. The same study also found that 52% of a cat's calorie intake is from protein, which can be synthesized best through animal-based protein. Therefore, cats require quality protein sources to be included in their diet for sustenance.
Animal-based protein can help cats maintain healthy muscle structures and provide them with natural forms of amino acids. Adding certain sources of protein, especially animal sources, cats can easily process it, break it down, and use it up in their body. Animal sources proteins like chicken can greatly contribute to the quality of protein in their diet and they do get appropriate amount of essential amino acids from it.
In total, cats can internally produce 11 essential amino acids. However, the remaining 11 categories of amino acids can only be provided through a nutritious diet to meet their needs. When you have good quality protein, the cat can receive a good amount of amino acids that are important for its health. The protein from chicken contains multiple levels of essential amino acids, such as Lysine, Phenylalanine, Arginine, and Taurine.
Cats can get a great amount of Lysine from chicken. If there is deficiency in Lysine, the side effects would be low appetite and depression for cats.
Another crucial essential amino acid for cats would be Phenylalanine. If cats have a low amount of Phenylalanine, there are instances that black cats can turn into brown cats because Phenylalanine is in charge of production of melanin for cats. It’s not just for the coloring but that’s the most obvious sign that there’s a deficiency.
Cats need more Taurine compared to other mammals as it supports excellent eyesight. We know for a fact that cats are hunters, and they need good eyesight for that.
Taurine, an especially essential amino acid for cats, is a critical component that supports heart muscle function, vision, digestion, and fetal development. The recommendation of Taurine for cats is around 35 to 55 milligrams of Taurine per kilogram per day. In fact, low levels of Taurine in kittens can lead to blindness, heart failure, congenital defects, and poor immune response.
It is necessary for cat owners to choose a diet that is made by a trusted brand like IAMS: palatable, complete, balanced, contains high quality protein, and enriched with amino acids. This will play a key role for the proper development and normal functioning of cats and enhance their wellness.
The importance of considering the life stage of cats when feeding them is also crucial for cat’s nutrition. With this, IAMS food products offer different varieties of cat foods–dry or wet and for each life stage. For each life stage, there are specific recommendations for the amount to feed and the levels of nutrients that they need.
IAMS cat food is formulated with colostrum and contains DHA found in mother’s milk for kittens cognition, as well as a signature blend of wholesome fiber and FOS natural prebiotic for healthy digestion. IAMS is scientifically proven to help increase the level of Vitamin E in your cat for healthy natural defense.
In addition, IAMS food products can help address specific health concerns in cats. Cats habitually groom themselves and have a tendency to ingest their fur. Of course, the risk of hairball formation is much higher for long-haired cats. Additionally, indoor cats tend to be obese due to overfeeding, inactivity, or sometimes it is simply caused by genetics.
IAMS offers hairball formula which cater to cats in order to reduce the passage of hair in the cat’s digestive tract. . IAMS also offers cat food that is specifically designed for weight management for cats who are obese.
Having protein in your cat’s diet is vital for its overall health and long-term wellbeing. For more information about IAMS Cat visit https://iams.asia/ph. IAMS Cats is available at all leading supermarkets and grocery stores nationwide.
