Iams Hairball Control Cat Food

Final Thoughts On The Best Cat Food For Urinary Health

My personal preference for the best urinary cat foods would be Hill’s Science Diet Wet Cat Food, Adult, Urinary & Hairball Control. The main reason I picked this variant is that my cat wont ever walk up to the water bowl unless she really needs to drink. And theres no way to coax her to drink more water.

So, wet cat food is a must to increase the moisture content in her diet. Then another reason for choosing this variant is the formulation. It has the right balance of all the nutrients needed to promote urinary health.

The taste is enticing and a high-quality protein source means your furry feline will be able to maintain her muscle mass. I suggest you buy the bigger packaging as it is more cost-effective.

Royal Canin Feline Intense Hairball

Royal Canin is an excellent company in the special kitty diet landscape. The company has something for everyone, including a unique food for cats. Royal Canin Hairball Care is tailored to suit cats over the age of 1, so its best to avoid using it for kittens.

This food reduces hairballs by moving the hair gently through the GI tract. This also controls hairball development thanks to a specific blend of dietary fibers intended for healthy stomachs! Unfortunately, there isnt a lot of variety in flavor. Whats more, this isnt the cheapest food around.

What Is Hairball Prevention Food

Before you can choose the best cat food for hairballs, you need to make sure that you know how these foods work. Sometimes, the best food for hairballs will be a hypoallergenic diet. Undiagnosed allergies to foods and issues with inflammatory bowel disease can sometimes contribute to hairballs. These conditions cause your kittys intestinal tract to swell, making it harder to pass food.

Hypoallergenic cat food can eliminate the inflammation problem. Usually, they include limited ingredients that avoid common causes of allergies in cats. Your vet will be able to give you more guidance on the kind of food to look for here.

Another option is to look for a high-fiber cat food diet. Different kinds of fiber in your cats diet perform various roles. For instance, indigestible fiber the kind your cat would usually get from its preys bones and fur sweeps hair through the intestinal tract.

There are also sources of soluble fiber, like beet pulp and oats, that can support your kittys gut health too. Getting the right combination of ingredients in your cats diet will reduce the chances of suffering from hairballs.

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Why Use A Urinary Tract Cat Food

As cats age, they develop different urinary problems and because your kitty is sneaky about it, you wont notice the symptoms unless you are very attentive. Sometimes this can be dangerous because if there is a blockage in the urethra, it can be fatal.

More often than not, the problem could be caused by Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease , which is a collection of various symptoms. There are several reasons for urinary health issues in cats but the most common ones are kidney stones, debris in the bladder and/or urethra, blockage in the urethra from urine build-up, and inflammation.

Stress, injury, congenital abnormality, and problems with the spinal cord can also be the contributory factors. However, theres one aspect that often goes unnoticed but it could be playing a major role in aggravating urinary problems and its symptoms.

It is the dietary intake of your cat. If your furry feline isnt getting proper nutrition, it will show up in form of health issues. Ingredients in cat food influence the pH of urine, its concentration, and volume.

Pdp: Accordion: Detail: Block186 Ingredients

Salmon, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Grits, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Chicken Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Powdered Cellulose, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Brewers Rice, Chicken Fat , Natural Flavor, Sodium Bisulfate, Dried Egg Product, Brewers Dried Yeast, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Fructooligosaccharides, Vitamins , Pyridoxine Hydrochloride , Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement , Inositol, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Calcium Carbonate, Minerals , Taurine, L-Carnitine, Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid , Rosemary Extract

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Customer Ratings By Feature

Ingredients

Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Grits, Corn Gluten Meal, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Turkey, Powdered Cellulose, Natural Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Brewers Dried Yeast, Dried Egg Product, Sodium Bisulfate, Caramel Color, Choline Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Fish Oil , Fructooligosaccharides, Vitamins , Taurine, Minerals , Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid , L-Carnitine, Rosemary Extract

Directions

Does Hairball Control Gel Work

Aside from experimenting with foods specially intended to remove hairballs, you can also consider using the gels that we mentioned above. These lubricated gels contain various substances that are intended to help hairballs slide through the GI tract.

Ultimately, you need to avoid giving your cats too much of this substance, because it can make them feel sick or lead to issues like diarrhea. However, if you follow the guidelines given by your vet, then using a gel could be a safe strategy.

Vets recommend substances like the Nutri-Vet, Multi-Vite Paw-Gel for cats. Vets are responsible for this particular gels formula. The great thing about this lubricant is that you dont have to force it into your cats mouth. All you need to do is apply the gel to your cats paw, and theyll consume it as they groom themselves.

Another bonus for this particular gel is that it comes with a flavor designed to appeal to your kitties. That could make encouraging them to eat it is a much easier process.

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The Were All About Cats Standardrating Iams On What Matters

Weve taken a close look at Iams and graded it according to the Were All About Cats standard, evaluating the brand on species-appropriateness, ingredient quality, product variety, price, customer experience, and recall history.

Heres how it scored in each of these six key areas.

• Recall History 4/10

Overall Score: 5.1/10

In total, we give Iams cat food a 31 out of 60 rating or a D grade.

Pdp: Accordion: Detail: Block458 Ingredients

Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Corn Grits, Corn Gluten Meal, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Salmon, Powdered Cellulose, Natural Flavor, Sodium Bisulfate, Dried Egg Product, Chicken Fat, Caramel Color, Potassium Chloride, Brewers Dried Yeast, Choline Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Fructooligosaccharides, Vitamins , Pyridoxine Hydrochloride , Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement , Inositol, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Taurine, Minerals , L-Carnitine, Rosemary Extract

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How To Prevent Hairballs

Theres nothing that you can do to prevent hairballs from happening with your cat completely. However, there are things you can do to reduce the chances that your kitty will struggle too regularly. For instance:

• Groom your cat regularly:The more fur you remove from your furry friend when grooming, the less theyll consume. Combing or brushing your cat regularly is an excellent way to fight hairballs. Plus, youll get your kitty looking as good as new in no time and they will benefit from a far more healthy skin. Grooming is also a perfect way for you to bond with your cat. If your kitty doesnt love brushing, then you can always think about taking them to a groomer.
• Give your cats special food: This is what were going to focus on today. Hairball formula cat nutrition is designed to help reduce hairball problems by improving the performance of your cats digestive system. These meals also and boost the health of your kittys coat! Look for foods that contain real meat as the first ingredient plus other wholesome grains, vegetables, and fruits.
• Use hairball gels: There are special gels that you can get from pet stores these days to assist with hairballs. These lubricate the digestive system and help hairballs pass more naturally.

What Makes A Best Cat Food For Urinary Crystals

As I mentioned earlier, food plays an important role in your cats urinary health. High-quality cat food with the right ingredients can prevent such issues and might even help in treating urinary problems by pairing along with the treatment prescribed by the vet.

Here is a quick lay down on the ingredients that make cat food good for urinary health:

Wet v Dry Urinary Cat Foods

Both wet and dry best urinary cat food options are designed specifically for urinary health contain nutrients and minerals necessary to combat infections and inflammations. However, there is one important factor we cannot ignore- moisture.

If your cat drinks adequate water, there is no reason why dry food wouldnt work. But in case your cat doesnt have the natural drive to drink water often, wet food might be a good option.

Berberis Vulgaris

Common Barberry, or Berberis Vulgaris, is known to promote healthy bladder and urinary tract. It has an immunity-boosting effect on humans as well as feline health.

Cantharis

This is a homeopathic strain obtained from beetles and is considered useful for acute cystitis attacks. Cantharis provides quick relief from urinary crystals.

Staphysagris

This is another natures gift that helps provide comfort to cats suffering from urinary infections and soothes the urinary tract.

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Substantial Quantities Of Corn

After seeing two great protein sources listed, youll notice that there are three corn ingredients next. Cats dont need carbohydrates since theyre obligate carnivores. That doesnt mean corn is bad for them, but we dont like to feed our cats too much of it.

That said, we do like whole-food ingredients and all dry cat foods use carbohydrates of some kind to bind the food together and act as filler calories. At least whole grain corn is a healthy whole food thats preferable to cheaper fillers that weve seen used by other brands.

Unfortunately, we see one of those cheaper fillers a bit farther down the list with the corn gluten meal. This is a cheap ingredient thats used to help boost the foods protein content. While it does add some protein to the blend, corn gluten meal isnt protein that cats can digest easily. And since its harder for your cat to digest, the calories arent used well, which can lead to obesity and even diabetes.

Want to see more cat food reviews? Check out our review page here!

Iams Proactive Health Dry Cat Food

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Pdp: Accordion: Detail: Block186 Product Description

Your cat is unique thats why IAMS makes a cat food thats just as unique as they are. Help keep your cats at their best with IAMS PROACTIVE HEALTH Adult Indoor Weight & Hairball Care Dry Cat Food with Salmon. This kibble recipe is designed to provide your cat with the nutrients they need and assist with weight management and hairball control. Help your cat sustain a healthy weight with this unique formula, without the loss of flavor. Made with L-carnitine, it helps burn fat and maintain a healthy metabolism. It features a proprietary fiber blend including beet pulp that can help control hairballs. This cat food formula contains the optimal omega 6:3 fatty acid ratio to help your kitty grow and maintain a soft, shiny coat, with real salmon as the first ingredient. This formula is full of essential vitamins and nutrients, including vitamin E to help maintain a strong immune system. Plus, it nourishes heart health with calcium and potassium. Your cat will be eager to get their paws on this purr-fect fish cat food formula, and you can rest easy knowing youre feeding them a meal that contributes to healthy nutrition.

The Primary Ingredients Of Iams

Whenever we want to get a better understanding of a pet food, the first place we look is the ingredients list. Once you know what ingredients were used in a food, you can get a good feel for its overall quality.

Ingredients are listed in descending order according to the amount of each thats in the blend. So, the first ingredient listed is the most prevalent, and the last ingredient is used in the smallest amount. The first five ingredients could be considered to be the primary ingredients of any cat food, and in the case of the IAMS ProActive Health Healthy Adult Dry Cat Food, those ingredients are chicken, chicken by-product meal, ground whole grain corn, corn grits, and corn gluten meal.

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Which Types Of Cats Is Iams Best Suited For

With dozens of different recipes in many flavors, theres an IAMS food for every feline. Whether you feed your cat dry food or wet, youre sure to find a food thats a great fit. They even make special blends for cats in different life stages, so from kitties to seniors, theyve got you covered.

Some owners prefer to feed their cats special diets like grain-free and IAMS caters to these pet parents as well. There are formulas to aid digestion, improve your cats coat, prevent hairballs, maintain healthy weight, and more.

Regardless of whether you feed your cat dry or wet food, you need a bowl that is sure to keep the mess containedyou can do just that with the Hepper Nom Nom Bowl.

This is designed with your cats comfort in mind. The whisker-friendly bowls are low and wide to prevent whisker fatigue, and the wide catch tray ensures that all food stays exactly where it shouldinside the bowl.

At Excited Cats, weve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!

Hill’s Science Diet Wet Cat Food Adult Urinary & Hairball Control

Our choice is the Hill’s Science Diet Urinary & Hairball Control, the best Overall Urinary Cat Food Option.

Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease is often the main culprit and the root cause can be anything from bladder stones to cancer. Whether your cat is suffering from urinary health issues or she is at a greater risk of developing it due to her age, specially formulated urinary cat foods can reduce the risk, promote faster healing, and provide relief from the discomfort.

Here we review the best cat food for urinary crystals to help you choose the right one for your kitty. Well also discuss the major causes behind FLUTD, its symptoms, and what to look for in ideal urinary cat food.

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What Kinds Of Cat Food Does Iams Offer

Iams emphasizes tailored nutrition for cats individual needs, saying that their recipes are crafted for cats of specific life stages and activity levels.

Their dry cat food selection is limited to the ProActive Health line, while their wet selection is broken down into three linesPurrfect Delights, Purrfect Delicacies, and Perfect Portions.

Pdp: Accordion: Detail: Block291 Ingredients

Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Grits, Corn Gluten Meal, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Turkey, Powdered Cellulose, Natural Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Brewers Dried Yeast, Dried Egg Product, Sodium Bisulfate, Caramel Color, Choline Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Fish Oil , Fructooligosaccharides, Vitamins , Taurine, Minerals , Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid , L-Carnitine, Rosemary Extract

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It Starts With Quality Protein

When the first ingredient listed in a cat food is any whole-food animal-based protein, its usually a good sign. With this IAMS food, we can see that chicken is the most used ingredient. Thats a great start and shows that they prioritized quality ingredients and protein content with this blend.

The second ingredient on this list is chicken by-product meal. That doesnt sound as good as chicken by itself, but by-product meal is actually quite nutritious for cats. In the wild, cats eat their prey whole, which means theyre eating organs, bones, and more. For domestic cats, these are glaringly absent from their diet. But by-product meals use organ meats and other tissue that can provide necessary nutrients for your cat.

Since were on the subject of protein, lets take a quick look at the nutritional label, where we can see that this food contains a minimum of 32% crude protein. Thats quite a bit more than many dry cat food blends weve seen. And since protein is so important for cats, thats going to get a thumbs-up in our book.

What Do Customers Think Of Iams Cat Food

Iams cat food receives primarily positive customer reviews, though the brand has come under fire at least once in recent memory. Thousands of people boycotted Iams after learning about the treatment of animals in a research facility doing contract work for Iams.

In 2002 and 2003, the animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals conducted an undercover investigation of the Sinclair Research Center, a contract laboratory for Iams. PETA investigators released video footage from the lab, some of which you can watch on YouTube.

After the footage was released, Iams severed their relationship with Sinclair Research.

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