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Is anything cuter than an adorable kitten with a gorgeous, healthy coat? We don’t think so. That’s why we include fish oil in IAMS™ dry kitten food to help promote healthy skin and a healthy coat for your furry bundle of joy.
Let’s dive deeper into fish oil and meal, what it does, how it can help your kitten and why it’s an important component in all IAMS™ dry kitten foods.
Let’s dive deeper into fish oil and meal, what it does, how it can help your kitten and why it’s an important component in all IAMS™ dry kitten foods.
You guessed it: Fish oil is fat or oil extracted from fish. Fish meal, which is used in IAMS™ dry kitten foods, is a good source of natural fish oil — which is a high-quality source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Now, time for a science lesson! Fatty acids, a smaller component of fat, are critical for many kitten body functions. Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of fatty acid with important nutritional value for kittens. Fish oil from deep, cold-water fish contains omega-3 fatty acids including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
When a kitten eats food with fatty acids, the fatty acids are incorporated into their tissues, including the skin. (Turns out you really are what you eat!) Omega-3 fatty acids produce substances that promote healthy skin conditions, especially when balanced with omega-6 fatty acids (found in common kitten food ingredients such as chicken fat and corn oil).
So what does all this mean for your kitten? Feeding a complete and balanced diet with a balanced ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids is proven to promote healthy skin and a shiny coat in cats1. Studies reveal that when fed fish oil, cats show:
DHA from fish oil has also been shown to promote healthy brain and vision development in kittens — important for all the hours of play and nighttime zoomies your kitten will experience in their lifetime.
All IAMS™ dry kitten foods, such as IAMS™ ProActive Health™ Mother And Kitten, are formulated with fish oil and an optimal ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Proper nutrition as a kitten can help support your kitten’s soft and shiny coat now — and for all the years to come.
1 Data on file, The IAMS™ Company, 2000.
Kittens can get hairballs, although it’s not as common as in adult cats. Kittens are adept learners, and as they grow up, their grooming habits will mature as well. This could lead to hairballs, especially if your kitten has longer hair.
Most cats spend a considerable amount of time grooming their coats. As they groom, they can swallow hair, which may build up over time in their stomach. If the hairball doesn’t pass from the stomach, the cat will attempt to eliminate it by coughing or gagging.
Many cats will get a hairball at some point in life, but some kittens, such as long-haired breeds and cats that groom excessively, are especially prone to hairballs.
You can help reduce the number of hairballs your kitten or cat experiences in a few ways:
The right diet can help provide hairball relief to both kittens and cats. For instance, the beet pulp in IAMS™ dry kitten formulas helps move hair through the digestive tract.
Maintaining skin and coat health may reduce the risks of excessive shedding, ingestion of hair from grooming, and, consequently, hairball formation as your kitten grows into an adult cat. High-quality, animal-based protein and fat, found in the IAMS™ kitten formula, provide important nutrients for skin and coat health.
In cats and kittens that are prone to hairballs, frequent brushing can help reduce the amount of hair they ingest, thereby reducing the risk of hairball formation.
