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Kitten Food, Flaxseed Meal and Omega 3 Fatty Acids

With all of the different kitten food options and ingredients available, it’s important to learn what your kitten needs and what is less essential. You may have heard of flaxseed meal, an ingredient included in some wet cat foods. Is flaxseed meal, a source of omega-3 fatty acids, a necessity for your kitten?

Learn more about this ingredient and how it can affect your kitten’s health for the better.

What Is Flaxseed Meal?

Flaxseed meal is the ground seed of the flax plant. The oil in flax is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids like alpha-linoleic acid, which is the parent compound of other omega-3 fatty acids.

In kitten and cat food, flaxseed meal is used to provide omega-3 fatty acids to give a balance of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in the diet. IAMS research shows that balancing the amount of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids helps maintain a healthy skin and coat.

Why Are Omega-3 Fatty Acids Important?

Including omega-3 fatty acids like alpha-linoleic acid in a kitten’s diet can help:

Maintain skin and coat health
Support healthy brain cells and learning ability
Maintain healthy cell growth

Why Choose a Kitten Food with Flaxseed Meal?

Alpha-linolenic acid may be an essential omega-3 fatty acid; however, it may take several generations for the signs of deficiency to become evident in a cat. When choosing a wet food, consider one that contains flaxseed meal to help maintain your kitten’s health during this time of rapid growth and development. IAMS™ Perfect Portions™ Healthy Kitten Pate with Chicken is formulated with omega-3 sources, including flaxseed meal, to provide guaranteed levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

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How to Keep Your Cat’s Urinary Tract in Tip-top Shape
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Is your feline leaving puddles of urine in your bathtub or on your tile floors? Making lots (and lots) of trips to the litter box? Or crying out in pain when they pee?

Sounds like
tinkling trouble.

Urinary problems pester lots of grown-up cats, especially dudes, bro.
Your furry friend might have feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD), which is just scientific jargon for a collection of painful conditions that can wreak havoc on your kitty’s bladder and/or urethra.

So, what common urinary tract conditions are we talking about, exactly?
Some of the most common FLUTD diseases include urinary tract infections, urinary stones caused by a buildup of minerals, obstructions within the urethra or an inflamed bladder.

What causes FLUTD?
Not drinking enough water
Not urinating often enough
A urine pH level that’s too high
Too many minerals and not enough water in the urine
Being a male cat — because their urethras are longer and narrower
Stress or anxiety

Keep your
eyes peeled for
peeing problems ...

How to check if your cat has a urinary tract infection (UTI) or other urinary health issue:
The American Veterinary Medical Association says to watch for these major signs:

Straining to go
Frequently urinating a little at a time
Prolonged attempts to go
Crying out while urinating
Excessively licking their genital area
Peeing outside the litter box
Passing blood in their urine

Get your cat back
on the right tract.

How to treat
FLUTD:
Decide whether you need an immediate vet visit.
First things first, if your feline seems to be in a lot of pain or isn’t able to pee at all, get to the vet — stat!
Your cat might have a urethral obstruction, a life-threatening condition that your veterinarian must treat quickly!
Seriously, don’t dillydally.

Next, try these tips to help get your cat’s system flowing again:
Feed smaller, more frequent meals.
Always provide your cat with clean, fresh water.
Encourage your feline to drink as much as possible to help keep mineral buildup at bay and flush your feline’s urinary system.

Finally, don’t forget about litter boxes and S-T-R-E-S-S!
Be sure you have the right number of litter boxes — usually one more box than the number of cats you have.
Place litter boxes in quiet parts of the house.
Always keep litter boxes clean — they should be scooped once or twice a day.
Maintain a steady routine and make your home as stress-free as possible. Consider how your own stress level, any visiting house guests and any other pets might be affecting your cat.

Take this old adage to heart:
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
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