IAMS Cat Food Review: Top 5 Products Ranked for Quality and Nutrition

Buying pet food involves a certain level of trust between us as pet parents and the food company. Reputation plays a bigger part in the pet product industry, than in human food as we don’t really taste our pet’s food, and base our choices on what we know about the brand.

We have created this Iams cat food review to take a closer look at one of the pioneers of the pet food industry. Iams is manufactured by Mars, Inc worldwide, and Spectrum Brands in Europe.

Paul Iams founded the company in 1946. Iams developed the world’s first animal-based protein dry foods for dogs. In 1999, then owner Clay Mathile sold the company to Procter & Gamble for $2.3 billion – the largest cash-only deal in P&G’s history at the time.

In 2014, Iams was purchased by Mars, Inc, along with Eukanuba and Natura pet food brands. The European business was sold to Spectrum brands.

Iams cat food features high-quality animal protein as the number one ingredient. It has no wheat, artificial preservatives and colors. They also promise to provide complete and balanced nutrition without fillers.

Iams aims to focus on tailored nutrition. Their cat food products are divided into two pretty straightforward categories. The first is according to age and activity level. The second line is for unique dietary requirements.

Age and Activity has wet and dry cat food variants, while Special Need has kibble only. Read the Iams cat food review below to help you decide which is the best cat food for your pet.

Iams Cat Food Review

1. ProActive Health Original with Chicken 

This kibble is specially crafted to support your cat’s overall well-being with a recipe that starts with real chicken as the first ingredient.

This high-quality protein helps maintain strong muscles, while the crunchy kibble texture not only satisfies your cat’s taste buds but also helps reduce plaque buildup for better dental health.

Packed with natural fiber and prebiotics, this formula supports healthy digestion, while omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids nourish the skin and promote a soft, shiny coat.

Added calcium and potassium help maintain strong bones and a healthy heart, making it a balanced choice for adult cats.

Whether your feline friend prefers lounging indoors or exploring outside, this nutrient-rich food delivers complete and wholesome nutrition tailored to their needs.

---

2. Iams ProActive Health Kitten

Like its adult cat counterpart, this product aims to provide nutrients essential for healthy digestion, immune system, skin and coat, muscles and heart.

The nutrition from the ingredients in this dry kitten food is like those found in mother’s milk.

With real chicken as the first ingredient, this protein-packed kibble provides the essential building blocks for developing muscles and energy.

Each bite is chock-full of vital nutrients, including vitamin E to support a strong immune system, omega-3 DHA to promote healthy brain development, and prebiotics to aid in gentle, effective digestion.

Tailored for the unique needs of growing kittens, this recipe delivers balanced nutrition to support every playful pounce and curious adventure.

---

3. Perfect Portions Indoor Chicken Recipe

This product offers a tasty and nutritious mealtime solution specially formulated for indoor cats of all ages.

This grain-free wet food is high in quality protein from real chicken and chicken liver to help maintain strong muscles and support a healthy lifestyle.

Each twin-pack tray features two individual servings of tender cuts in savory gravy, making it easy to serve fresh food every time—just snap, peel, and serve with no messy leftovers.

Enhanced with antioxidant vitamin E, this recipe also helps support your cat’s immune system.

With its convenient packaging and mouthwatering flavor, it makes mealtime easy and satisfying for both you and your cat.

---

4. Perfect Portions Salmon Paté

These food trays deliver a smooth, flavorful meal packed with high-quality proteins from chicken and salmon to help maintain strong, lean muscles.

Each convenient twin-pack features two individual servings, allowing you to serve a fresh, mess-free portion every time—just snap, peel and serve.

This grain-free pate contains zero fillers, grains, or artificial preservatives, giving your cat the clean, wholesome nutrition they deserve.

Perfect for adult cats, it’s a simple and delicious way to support their health with every bite.

---

5. Urinary Tract Health with Chicken

This product is specially formulated to help reduce urinary pH and support a healthy urinary tract in adult cats.

Made with real chicken and wholesome ingredients, this delicious dry food provides high-quality protein for strong muscles while promoting overall wellness.

It features a tailored fiber blend with beet pulp to support healthy digestion and an optimal omega-6:3 fatty acid ratio to nourish the skin and coat.

Packed with essential nutrients like calcium and potassium, this formula helps maintain strong bones and a healthy heart.

Give your cat the complete and balanced nutrition they need to thrive, while supporting their urinary health every day.

---

6. Indoor Weight & Hairball Care

This cat food is designed to meet the special needs of indoor cats. It has 10% less fat compared to Iams' Original recipes.

Formulated with L-carnitine, this recipe helps burn fat and maintain a healthy metabolism, making it ideal for less active cats.

A tailored fiber blend that includes beet pulp works to minimize hairball formation, promoting easier digestion.

With real chicken as the first ingredient, your cat gets high-quality protein to support strong muscles and satisfy their appetite.

This balanced formula offers targeted nutrition to keep your indoor cat healthy, happy and comfortable.

---

Have Iams cat foods ever been recalled?

Yes. Iams’ cat food has been recalled a few times since the brand was established in the 1940s. In 2010, Iams Proactive Health canned cat food were recalled due to low levels of thiamine. That same year, the Feline Renal formula was recalled due to potential salmonella contamination.

Along with other brands who sourced ingredients from China at the time, Iams issued a recall of several products in 2007 due to potential melamine contamination. There have been no cat food recalls from Iams since 2010.

Parting Words

Iams is one of the most trusted, economical brands commercially available to pet parents. To many cat owners, it has proven itself worthy of keeping their cats on a steady Iams diet for many years. To these customers, Iams cat food is the best food for their pets.

Compared to other commercially available brands of cat food, Iams has a slightly better ingredient composition. Their dry foods do not contain any artificial food colors. All of their cat foods are made from real animal protein.

They offer a great selection of products for cats of all ages and activity levels, and food options for those with special dietary needs. We especially like the Iams Special Need dry foods we reviewed as they are effective in resolving the issues that they target, and are also affordable. We all know how expensive pet medical bills can get. The Iams Special Need product line allow us to save on otherwise very expensive prescription diets.

Even though it may have received a lot of positive feedback from pet parents whose cats had various health issues, these foods are not medicines and may not necessarily resolve your cat’s issues.

Is it the best cat food in the market? Not really, as far as ingredient quality is concerned. There are other pet foods that are far better, but they also come with a much higher price tag. Based on its ingredients, price, and reviews from other cat parents, we think that Iams is a brand that is worth trying. We hope this review helped you decide which are the best cat foods from Iams for your pet.