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According to a recent study, a cat's taste buds are very different compared to other animals. They possess more receptors for bitterness than sweetness, this makes most cats very finicky and picky about what they eat. Lack of poor eating habits can thus lead to poor nourishment and unhealthy development. Hence, cat parents are required to pay special attention to what their kitties eat, how much they eat, and how often. Feeding them a bowl full of treats and meals is not enough, caregivers also need to consider the nutritional value of their feline friend’s meal.
Choosing the right cat food to provide an adequate amount of vitamins for cats is important. Besides, being carnivorous animals, cats prefer animal-based products over the plant-based ones. IAMS cat food is high-quality animal-based protein that includes essential amino acids required for your kitty’s nourishment.
Cats need specific nutrients for appropriate growth and development. Components like vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, carbohydrates, and fat are some of the essential nutrients present in good-quality cat food. Cats can get most of these nutrients from food like dairy, bone meal, legume plants, animal organs, and dietary supplements. The following are the necessary cat food nutrients to look for:
Look for the following to ensure you only invest in the best meals for your cats when buying cat food:
You can also choose IAMS cat food to feed your kitty a complete and nourishing meal. IAMS cat food contains unique fatty acids that result in healthier skin, shiny fur, adequate membrane structure, and improved health. Besides, the fermented fiber present in IAMS products improves intestinal health by boosting your kitty’s digestive and gastrointestinal functions.
With our wide range of cat foods, you can choose the one that fits your pet’s needs and preference. IAMS Proactive Health Healthy Adult is made with love to ensure your cat has a shiny coat, healthy skin, and strong muscles. It comes in different flavors like Chicken, Tuna and Salmon Meal as well as Chicken and Salmon Meal.
If you are concerned about issues like unhealthy weight and hairball, you can include IAMS Proactive Health Indoor Weight and Hairball Care. It is loaded with L-carnitine, natural fiber and high-quality protein for weight management and hairball care.
The following are some essential minerals for cats:
Cats need potassium for nerve function, muscular contraction, and heart rhythm as this mineral is an electrolyte.
Calcium is an important mineral for bone and teeth growth.
This mineral ensures muscle contraction, provides hydration, and powers nerve impulses.
Sodium and chloride work together as electrolytes to maintain acid-base balance, muscle contraction, nerve impulse transmission, and hydration.
This mineral is essential for your metabolism and vital growth. It also supports your teeth and bone health.
Cats need iron for transporting energy in their bodies.
This mineral works in conjunction with vitamin E and works as an essential antioxidant.
Cats require copper for bone growth, skin pigmentation as well as the absorption and transportation of iron.
This mineral is significant for enzyme function and digestion of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates in cats.
Another essential mineral for cats is zinc. They need it for metabolising lipids, protein, nuclei, and carbohydrates.
This mineral for cats is important for the development of thyroid hormones.
A lack of vitamins can result in the abnormal functioning of essential enzymes in cats. Hence, vitamins are important for its healthy growth and development. The following are some of the most essential vitamins for cats:
This vitamin improves the cat’s vision, bone, dental, reproduction, mucous membrane, and skin health. Kittens and pregnant cats need more vitamin A compared to adult and senior cats.
Cats need vitamin B12 for metabolising fat and carbohydrate. This vitamin is also necessary for a cat’s nerve conduction.
Cats require a minimum of 280 IU of vitamin D per kilogram of food as this vitamin helps in improving their calcium and phosphorous levels. Both calcium and phosphorous are necessary for better bone density, hence vitamin D is one of the most essential vitamins for cats.
Every adult cat should consume at least 1 to 3 IU of vitamin E per day as this vitamin is an essential antioxidant that protects them from cell oxidative damage.
Cats need very little vitamin K for preventing their blood from clotting.
This vitamin is necessary for releasing energy from fats, protein, and carbohydrates. Riboflavin deficiency may result in anorexia, bilateral cataracts, fatty liver, testicular hypoplasia, and periauricular alopecia.
It improves carbohydrate metabolism in cats. Lack of this vitamin may result in weight loss, vomiting, neurological distress, impaired vision, dilated pupils, vestibular signs, and seizures.
Niacin deficiency may result in fever, oral mucosa, tongue ulcer, and weight loss. This vitamin is essential for breaking down fats, carbohydrates, and proteins present in food.
Important for the synthesis of DNA and methionine (an amino acid), folic acid deficiency may cause anemia, weight loss, and leukopenia.
This vitamin is necessary for digesting amino acids, glucose, and fatty acids.
Biotin deficiency may cause skin issues in cats. This vitamin helps in the formation of fatty acids, certain amino acids, and DNA/RNA in cats.
Choline is an important neurotransmitter for the cell membranes and lipid.
Therefore, when buying cat food for your feline friend, make sure to check if it contains all the necessary nutrients to aid their better growth and development. You can also buy supplements to provide the necessary vitamins for cats. However, it is best to consult a veterinarian before choosing a new cat food brand or supplements for added vitamins and minerals for cats.
Some essential vitamins for cats include vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin D, vitamin K, vitamin E, niacin, biotin, and folic acid.
Cats absorb most of their mineral requirement from the food they consume. Cat food containing meat, liver, cereals, and fish are some of the good sources of minerals for cats.
Cats usually absorb all necessary vitamins from the food they eat. So, it is better to feed them a nourishing meal over vitamin supplements. Cats may need vitamin supplements only in case of deficiency. Please consult a veterinarian for more guidance on the same.
Cats need trace minerals like iron, copper, zinc, and manganese in very small quantities. They ideally depend on their daily diet for getting these minerals.
Cats ideally do not need additional supplements as they can absorb all necessary vitamins and minerals from their meal. However, it is best to consult a veterinarian doctor to know which supplement can be beneficial for your kitty.
Most of us check ingredients and nutritional information on packaging when buying food for our pets. However, reading the nutritional data on a cat food label can get confusing. So, how do you know whether your pet is getting the right food for a healthy body? In this blog, we look at what you can expect to find on a cat food nutrition label and help you improve your understanding of this information.
Cat food labels provide limited information regarding the nutritional value of the package contents. It is important for customers to know what can and cannot be determined from the label, and what information is particularly important. Major components of a pet food label include:
Guaranteed Analysis
Company/Customer Service Information/Satisfaction
Ingredient Panel
Manufacturing Code, Expiration, or 'Best Used By' Information
Feeding Instructions
AAFCO Statement of Nutritional Adequacy
Values in the guaranteed analysis are expressed as either minimum or maximum. A maximum guarantee (% max) means at most this specific amount of the nutrient is included in the formula. A minimum guarantee (% min) means at least this specific amount of the nutrient is included in the formula. The following four nutrients must be included on all pet food labels:
For example, a cat food with a 25% minimum crude protein guarantee should contain at least 25% protein but could contain much more. The only way to determine the actual amount is by laboratory analysis.
Other information may be guaranteed on cat food products, such as magnesium (% max), taurine (% min), ash (% max), and linoleic acid (% min).
Animal-feed laws, particularly those pertaining to pet food, are dealt with by AAFCO. AAFCO is a coalition of governmental organisations in North America that aids in regulating animal food. Cat food with AAFCO label has an assurance that certain standards have been followed while manufacturing the food. Therefore, the food is said to meet the nutritional levels required by your pet. MARS pet food too complies with the standards of AAFCO and is nutritionally sound for your pet.
Ingredients must be listed in order of abundance (largest quantity listed first).
Because ingredient definitions and designations are standardized, it is difficult to determine the quality of ingredients. Ingredient quality can only be determined from laboratory analysis and animal feeding tests.
Here is the information that is required on a cat food label:
Distributor Name and Address: This gives you information about the manufacturer of the food, so that you can get in touch with them if you have any issues about the product.
Net Weight: This tells you how much food is contained in the package.
Ingredient List: The ingredients are listed in decreasing order, depending on the weight of the contents.
Product Traceability: Using the information on cat food label, you can identify when the food was prepared and even the precise factory that made the package.
Statement of Nutritional Adequacy: A ‘complete and balanced’ cat food should either meet or exceed the defined standards of nutrient profile. It explains which exact cat age and lifestyle the food is meant for.
Assurance of Analysis: This indicates the product’s nutritional content. It must contain the highest amounts of crude fiber and moisture and the minimum amounts of crude protein and crude fat. Although optional, percentages for other nutrients are frequently included. However, the key elements mentioned in the assured analysis of the cat food nutrition label must meet AAFCO’s nutrient profile guidelines.
Calorie Declaration: Calories are stated on a kilocalorie per kilogram basis and other commonly used units of measurement such as kilocalories per cup. You can compare several cat food products using this information.
Direction for Feeding: You can use these recommendations to figure out how much food to give your cat each day. Additionally, you might need to change the amount of food your pet consumes to assist them in maintaining an ideal body condition.
AAFCO nutritional adequacy statements are required on all pet foods. Products may either be formulated or tested according to AAFCO procedures and recommendations.
A 'tested' statement indicates the product has been formulated, then fed to cats prior to sale to ensure it meets important criteria related to growth, maintenance, and/or reproduction.
Veterinary-exclusive products include statements such as, 'This product is intended for intermittent feeding only' and 'Use only as directed by your veterinarian.'
Manufacturing codes allow the company to track products for quality and inventory issues. In order to quickly and efficiently handle a customer inquiry, the company's customer service department will usually ask the customer for this code.
Expiration or 'Best Used By' dates are optional but are helpful in determining product freshness and shelf life.
Here are a few tips to help you read a cat food nutrition label.
Know the intent or purpose: The food must state that it is for cats on the container. Cats have highly specific nutritional requirements that necessitate a certain type of diet.
Choose the right product for your cat: The information on the back of the cat food container is extremely important. You can determine whether the food will offer a complete and balanced diet for your cat’s life stage by reading the nutritional adequacy statement. The term 'life stage' describes a cat's particular stage of growth. The information can also state that the food is suitable for cats at all life stages, for breeding cats (growth and reproduction), and, possibly, for indoor or outdoor cats.
The manufacturer's information should include the company name, address, and phone number so customers can quickly and easily obtain product information.
A toll-free telephone number should be provided as a convenience to the customer and to ensure that a charge is not incurred when calling for information.
The satisfaction guarantee should be an 'active' statement. This means that in addition to stating that the product is guaranteed, the company should indicate what action will be taken to meet customer expectations (replace product, money returned, etc.).
