IAMS IN
cat article detail banner
Chicken: The Complete Protein Source for Your Cat

adp_description_block188
Chicken: The Complete Protein Source for Your Cat

  • Share

Chicken is a key ingredient in IAMS™ cat food. Its protein can help maintain healthy muscle structure, and it naturally provides each of the amino acids essential to carnivorous animals. And chicken adds great taste.

 

 What Chicken Ingredients are Used in Cat Foods?

  • Common chicken ingredients include chicken, chicken meal, chicken by-product meal, and chicken fat.
  • Chicken is flesh and skin without internal organs or feathers.
  • Chicken meal includes flesh, skin, and bone that have been cleaned, dried, cooked, and ground.
  • Chicken by-product meal is flesh, skin, and internal organs, including intestines and bone, that has been cleaned, dried, cooked, and ground.
  • Chicken fat, a high-quality energy source, provides essential fatty acids that help support skin and coat health.

 

What Is Natural Chicken Flavor?

Another common chicken-based ingredient is natural chicken flavor, also called chicken digest. Natural chicken flavor adds palatability and nutrients. It is high-quality protein and fat material that has been reduced to amino and fatty acids to improve taste through an enzymatic process.

 

Why Are Internal Organs and Bone Included in Chicken By-product Meal?

Internal organs are a rich source of protein, fats, and minerals, such as iron, that are essential to cat health and they add a taste that cats enjoy. Including some ground bone provides a good source of minerals, such as calcium. Some pet food manufacturers formulate their products without such ingredients to appeal to cat owners, rather than for the health of the cats themselves. However, the nutritional needs of cats are not the same as those of humans.

 

The IAMS Difference

Dried (meal) chicken protein sources contained in our chicken-based cat foods, such as IAMS ProActive Health™ Healthy Adult - Chicken, undergo an extra refining process and contain each of the amino acids that are essential to cats.

 

  • senior-cat-nutrition-facts-and-fixes
    senior-cat-nutrition
    adp_description_block216
    Senior Cat Nutrition Facts and Fixes

    • Share

    So, your baby's not a baby anymore.

    You remember the first time you met like it was yesterday, but lately you find yourself wondering if your cat has entered the golden years.

     

    Here are some things to know about senior cats, including signs they’re ageing and ways to alter their diets to keep them going strong.

     

    Cats reach their senior years around age 11.

    Gasp!

    Is my baby ... old?

     

    But older cats are kinda like older people

    A 12-year-old cat is equivalent to a 64-year-old human.

    This 64-year-old

    ran a marathon,

    so you never

    know.

     

    Don't worry; it's normal.

    Just like people, cats often show signs that they're getting older:

    • Decreased activity

    • Joint weakness

    • A picky palate

    • Confused by the internet

     

    A complete and balanced diet is important, whether or not your cat has underlying health issues.

     

    Reasons to change a senior cat's diet:

     

    1. Obesity

    We get it. Indoor cats have less opportunity to exercise than outdoor cats. Just don’t let those calories add up to unwanted pounds.

    10 extra calories a day = up to 1 pound a year.

     

    2. Underweight

    Picky eating in older age often comes from a reduced ability to taste and smell. Cats 14 years and older are 15 times more likely to be too skinny.

    So make sure you’re feeding your cat a food that’s high in calorie density and as tasty as possible.

     

    3. Heart Disease

    Senior cats with heart disease may need a special veterinarian-prescribed food.

     

    4. Kidney Disease

    Senior cats with kidney issues may need veterinarian-prescribed food that's lower in potassium and protein.

     

    5. Diabetes

    Cats with diabetes may need to eat a special veterinarian-prescribed diet.

     

    6. Dental Issues

    Consider adding dry food to your cat’s diet which can help remove plaque buildup.

     

    Bring on the meat!

    All adults cats, regardless of age, should be fed a carnivorous diet.

    An animal-based protein should be the first ingredient on any cat food label.

     

    What about supplements?

    Good news: You don’t have to worry about providing additional supplements when you choose IAMS™. All foods are nutritionally complete and balanced.

     

     iams-shite-cat-sittingarticle-header
     iams-cat-sleeping
Close modal