Iams Cat Food Review in 2022

If some of these recipes seem like something your cat would like and you’re thinking of purchasing Iams food, this buying guide is for you. Here, we take a closer look at the brand in general, including the company information you should know about, ingredient analysis and why you may want to give Iams cat food a go. By the end, you should feel more informed about the company and whether their recipes are the right fit for your pet.

Company Information

IAMS is a popular brand name for pet food that is manufactured by Mars, Inc worldwide and Spectrum Brands in Europe. Created in 1946 by Paul Iams (hence the name!), the company has decades of experience in pet food manufacturing under its belt. Originally, Iams made and sold only dry dog food – in fact, Paul created the world’s first animal-based protein dry pet food. First, the food was called Iams 999, then Eukanuba, and finally, Iams.

In 1999, the brand was sold to Procter & Gamble, which is what allowed Iams to become available worldwide. In 2014 though, the company was sold to Mars, Inc, however, Spectrum Brands remains the owner of the European branch.

Today, Iams is one of the largest and most popular pet food companies. There are a lot of options to choose from, including many Iams dry cat food recipes – which is what we focused on in this article – and wet cat food formulas. There are two main categories that recipes fall into: those tailored for age and activity, and those tailored for individual dietary needs. So, you can find anything from high-protein formulas, to senior-specific recipes, to hairball care, urinary tract health and more. Besides these, there is also Iams healthy naturals line, which is focused on farm-raised produce plus high-quality protein. All in all, a wide selection of products, which is always a plus.

Why Choose This Brand?

If you want cat food that is nutritious, tasty, and affordable, Iams is the right choice. The company never cuts corners when making cat food, ensuring all the ingredients used in their recipes are of good quality, nutritious and safe. Equally important, since its creation, Iams has been researching new ways to improve upon existing pet foods. In fact, they were the first to suggest that cats should be treated as carnivores and fed as such, and also among the first to tailor recipes by life stage, developing puppy and senior pet food. As such, Iams’ cat food recipes are quite healthy and nourishing, typically rich in protein. User reviews confirm this as most are generally positive – always a good sign. Mostly though, Iams seems to offer nicely balanced cat food in terms of quality, price and product variety. In other words, although this may not be the world’s healthiest cat diet, the brand does offer affordable, nutritious options for parents on a budget.

Ingredient Analysis

When deciding whether to buy cat food, the first thing to look at is the ingredient list. Look for real, natural ingredients, including real meat, which should always come first. While Iams offers a wide range of cat food recipes, most of their formulas contain similar ingredients. Typically, you’ll find meat or poultry as the first ingredient, followed by meat by-products, some grains and a few vegetables or fruits. Let’s talk about each macronutrient group in a little more detail so you can decide whether some of the recipes are right for your cat.

• Protein

All recipes we reviewed and tried contain either chicken or turkey as the first ingredient, or alternatively fish like salmon or ocean fish. All of these are good protein sources as they naturally provide the amino acids necessary for carnivores to thrive. Fish also provide good fats, so fish-based recipes are a great option for cats struggling with poor skin and coat health. Typically, Iams cat food recipes contain meat by-products as second ingredients, which, while not the greatest of protein sources, can be nutritious and healthy. Thankfully, all meat by-products in these recipes are properly named, so we know with certainty where they come from.

• Fat

Pretty much all Iams formulas contain healthy fat sources such as chicken fat and fish oil. Both of these are beneficial for cats as they provide a nice balance of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids – crucial for a healthy immune system and skin and coat health. As far as we can tell, no recipe contains bad fat sources, such as lard or unspecified animal fat.

• Carbohydrates

Iams doesn’t seem to use a whole lot of vegetables, fruits and seeds in their cat foods. Instead, the company seems to focus on several core carbohydrate sources such as corn, rice and dried beet pulp, and there are sometimes extra grains like sorghum or spinach. Overall, a pretty simple carbohydrate list that varies slightly from recipe to recipe. While many pet parents today seem to avoid corn meals, Iams claims that research has shown that a specific combination of carbohydrates in the feline diet, such as corn meal, provides an optimal balance of nutrients. We don’t know if that’s actually true as they don’t list sources, however, what we do know is that high-protein, well-balanced recipes can indeed benefit from the inclusion of grains like corn as they’re easily digestible and provide energy. As for other carb sources, dried beet pulp is a fantastic choice as it contains fiber – great for digestion and hairball control.

You may also like other cat food buying guides, such as Low-Carb Cat Food, Cat Food for Urinary Tract Health, and Cat Food for IBD.

Pros & Cons

Now that we have gone through the most important aspects of Iams cat food, let’s take a look at the main pros and cons of this diet. Hopefully, this should help you decide if this is the brand for you and your kitty.