The Importance of Fish Oil in Kitten Food-mob

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The Importance of Fish Oil in Kitten Food

We include fish oil in IAMS™ dry kitten food to help promote healthy skin and a healthy coat in your kitten. Learn more about fish oil and meal, what it does, how it can help your kitten and why it is an important component in all IAMS dry kitten foods.

What Is Fish Oil?

Fish oil is extracted from fish and is composed of special types of fats. Fish meal, which is used in IAMS dry kitten foods, is a good source of natural fish oil.

The Nutritional Benefits of Fish Oil

Fish oil from deep, cold-water fish contains omega-3 fatty acids. Fatty acids are a smaller component of fat, and omega-3 fatty acids are a type of fatty acid with important nutritional value. Fish oil has a unique fatty acid composition with high concentrations of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

The fatty acids in a kitten’s diet are incorporated into the body’s tissues and are critical for many body functions. For instance, animal cell membranes, including those in the skin, contain fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are responsible for the production of substances that promote healthy skin conditions, especially when balanced with omega-6 fatty acids (found in common ingredients such as chicken fat and corn oil) in a ratio between 5:1 and 10:1.

All IAMS dry kitten foods, such as IAMS™ ProActive Health™ Healthy Kitten, contain fish oil as a high-quality source of omega-3 fatty acids.

The Effects of Fish Oil on Your Kitten’s Skin and Coat

Studies conducted by nutritionists at The IAMS Company found significant improvements in skin and coat when cats¹ were fed a diet that contained omega-3 fatty acids in a balanced ratio with omega-6 fatty acids versus the same diet without the balanced ratio.

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. When fed fish oil, cats showed:

Decreased shedding
A more uniform coat
Increased shine
Increased coat density
Richer color
A softer coat

¹ Data on file, The IAMS Company, 2000.

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What You Should Know About Changing Your Cat’s Diet
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Deciding when and how you should change your cat's diet takes some planning. Because cats are creatures of habit, it is not uncommon for them to prefer their current cat food to a new food. They, like humans, become accustomed to something, such as a particular food, and may not welcome a disruption to their routine.

Tips for Successfully Changing Your Cat’s Diet
The following tips should help you change your cat's diet and successfully transition your cat to a new food:
Introduce the new food gradually. This is the most successful way to ease your cat into the diet change. Start by mixing 25% new food with 75% current food. Slowly change the proportions over the next three days or so by gradually increasing the amount of new food and decreasing the amount of current food. At the end of this weaning process, you should be feeding 100% of the new food. You may encounter difficulties; for example, your cat might choose to eat only the old food, or not eat at all. However, a healthy cat can miss meals for a day or two with no ill effects.
Watch your body language. Bringing a new food into your home, placing it into a bowl, and declaring that your cat had better eat it might cause your cat to go on an eating strike. It is better to introduce the new food to the cat using a pleasant tone of voice. Gently encourage the cat to try the new food.
Don't give in to demands. It is important not to give up too soon. During the initial two-day period, do not give your cat treats or table scraps! Cats train us as much as we train them. Giving in to their demands only reinforces refusal behavior and makes it more difficult to make a nutritious dietary change.
Expect a challenge when changing from a moist food to a dry food. The biggest challenge in switching diets occurs when changing from a moist food to a dry food. If your cat continues to resist eating dry food, mix a little warm water with it. You may even want to put the moistened food in the microwave for a few seconds. If you mix the food with water it is important to discard the uneaten portion after 20 minutes. This prevents spoilage. The same rule applies for canned food. After the cat has become accustomed to the moistened food, you can wean him or her onto the dry food.
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