Why adding chicken to your cat’s diet is essential for their health

IAMS Cat Food offers chicken as number 1 source to build up cat’s nutrition and immunity 

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. 

According to Dr. Cissy Ramos, a practitioner from Vets in Practice and a pet nutrition specialist, “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. Dr. Cissy Ramos said, “Adding certain sources of protein especially, animal sources, cats can easily process it, break it down, and use it up in their body,” She added, “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 non-essential amino acids. ​However, the remaining 11 categories of essential amino acids can only be provided through a nutritious diet to meet their needs. Dr. Ramos said, “When you have good quality protein, the cat can receive a good amount of amino acids that are important for its health.” She added, “The protein from chicken contains multiple levels of essential amino acids, such as Lysine, Phenylalanine, Arginine, and Taurine.” 

Dr. Ramos emphasized the crucial role of Lysine for cats. She said, “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. Dr. Ramos said, “ 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. Dr. Ramos noted that Taurine is necessary to support excellent eyesight. She noted, “We know for a fact that cats are hunters and they need good eyesight for that.” 

Taurine, an essential amino acid for cats, is a critical component that supports heart muscle function, vision, digestion, and fetal development. Dr. Ramos noted, “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.” 

Dr. Ramos recommends the IAMS brand to cat owners like herself, saying: “It is necessary for cat owners to choose a diet that is made by a trusted brand: 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. Dr. Ramos said, “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. It also contains 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 can help address specific health concerns in cats. Dr. Ramos points out that common health problems for cats include hairball issues and obesity. “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,” she explained. “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.