Chelated Iron

Not clearly. Chelated iron is often claimed to be better absorbed and gentler on the stomach, but there is little evidence for this in cats, and ferrous sulfate is already a well absorbed form.

Chelated iron is iron bound to amino acids or proteins, often listed as iron proteinate or iron amino acid chelate. Cats need iron for hemoglobin, and the Merck Veterinary Manual notes that iron deficiency causes a microcytic, hypochromic anemia. Complete cat foods add iron in measured amounts. A cat with anemia or another medical condition should be evaluated by a veterinarian.

Source: merckvetmanual.com

Chelated iron is a form of iron attached to amino acids or proteins. It is added to cat food to supply iron for red blood cells. Labels may call it iron proteinate or iron amino acid chelate. Both names describe iron bound to amino acids or protein fragments.

Meat is a good source of iron in a form cats use well. The Merck Veterinary Manual states that iron and copper found in most meats are used efficiently. Manufacturers still add iron to many foods because iron content varies across ingredients.

Source: merckvetmanual.com

Iron proteinate means iron that has been bound to partly broken-down protein. It is a type of chelated iron. Some labels group it with other proteinates, such as zinc and copper proteinate, inside a bracketed mineral list. The iron itself is the same mineral the body uses from any source.

Pettings gives chelated iron 4 out of 5 and lists it as a chelated mineral. It appears on 44 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. Our How We Score page explains how ingredient scores are set. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.