Chelated Manganese

It may be. Chelated manganese is bound to amino acids, which is thought to help absorption and limit competition with other minerals, but studies comparing forms in cats are lacking.

Chelated manganese is manganese bound to amino acids or proteins. Manganese is one of the trace minerals in a cat's nutrient profile, set out by the National Research Council in its 2006 report on dog and cat nutrient requirements. Complete cat foods add it in small amounts. If your cat has a medical condition, ask your veterinarian about mineral supplements.

Source: nap.nationalacademies.org

Chelated manganese is a form of manganese attached to amino acids or small proteins. It is added to supply manganese, which the body needs for enzymes involved in bone and cartilage formation and in energy metabolism. Labels may call it manganese proteinate or manganese amino acid chelate.

Manganese proteinate is manganese bound to partly broken-down protein. It is one of the common chelated forms used in pet foods. You may see it next to zinc proteinate and copper proteinate in a bracketed mineral list. Each name is listed separately by its own ingredient name.

Cats on a complete and balanced food do not usually need extra manganese. Cornell Feline Health Center says supplements are usually unnecessary on a balanced and complete diet and should never be given without a veterinarian's approval. A veterinarian can tell you whether a specific cat has a reason to need more.

Source: vet.cornell.edu

Pettings gives chelated manganese 4 out of 5 and lists it as a chelated mineral. It appears on 67 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.