Review ad http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT3Ub2Ht_Z0

“I am not a vegetarian, look at these teeth they’re made for meat. Do I look like I’m stalking plants.”  Then the ad goes on stating that they don’t add corn gluten.

I was excited at first with this ad, thinking yes finally a cat food manufacturer gets it CATS ARE CARNIVORES!

But I had to check to be sure, and what a disappointment.

Here’s the ingredients for Iams Healthy Naturals Adult Weight Control

[Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Meal, Corn Grits, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Chicken, Dried Egg Product, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Dried Beet Pulp, Natural Flavor, Sodium Bisulfate, Potassium Chloride, Fish Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), DL-Methionine, Brewers Dried Yeast, Dried Apple Pomace, Dried Carrots, Fructooligosaccharides, Choline Chloride, Dried Peas, Calcium Carbonate, Dried Spinach, Dried Tomatoes, Vitamin E Supplement, Salt, Minerals (Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Carbonate), Vitamins (Niacin, Ascorbic Acid, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Inositol, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Vitamin A Acetate, L-Carnitine, Citric Acid, Rosemary Extract]

Chicken by product meal is listed first and chicken is listed after the grains.  But also notice the dried apple pomace, dried carrots, dried peas, dried spinach, and dried tomatoes.   Now look at the claim in the ad quoted above.  Here again is advertising to now those of us that are trying educate cat parents on proper cat nutrition.  Even their canned food has fruits and vegetables.

Here’s another Iams dry formula Iams Premium Protection Adult Cat

[Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Meal, Corn Grits, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Dried Beet Pulp, Chicken Meal, Dried Egg Product, Natural Flavor, Fish Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Sodium Bisulfate, Potassium Chloride, DL-Methionine, Fructooligosaccharides, Brewers Dried Yeast, Choline Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, Salt, Vitamins (Niacin, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Inositol, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Minerals (Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Carbonate), L-Carnitine, Rosemary Extract.]

Now this dry formula is better than the previously mentioned.  Meat is listed first and the only vegetable is beet pulp.  But it still has corn meal and corn grits.

As for the wet food here’s the ingredients for Iams Proactive Adult Filets with Chicken in Gravy.

[Chicken Broth, Chicken, Meat By-Products, Chicken By-Products, Natural Flavors, Corn Starch, Dried Beet Pulp, Guar Gum, Flax Meal, Carrots, Salt, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Potassium Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide) Titanium Dioxide, Choline Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Folic Acid, Menadione Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite (source of vitamin K3), Fructooligosaccharides, Broccoli, Taurine, Spinach.]

It has ingredients such as corn starch to thicken the gravy, but if you notice it has carrots, broccoli and spinach.

Another example of their wet food, Iams Proactive Health Adult Premium Pate with Country Style Turkey and Giblets

[Poultry Broth, Chicken, Meat By-Products, Chicken By-Products, Turkey, Poultry Giblets, Natural Flavors, Brewers Rice, Broccoli, Carrots, Dried Beet Pulp, Flax Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Guar Gum, Suncured Alfalfa, Potassium Chloride, Titanium Dioxide, Brewers Dried Yeast, Dried Egg Product, Minerals (Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide), Choline Chloride, Carrageenan, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Menadione Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite (source of vitamin K3), Folic Acid), Fructooligosaccharides, Taurine, Salt.]

This formula has broccoli, carrots, and potatoes.

To be honest I used to feed Culann Iams wet chicken and rice because of his sensitive stomach.  All the grain that was in this formula was rice. No veggies or fruit.  However they discontinued that formula and I had to dropped them.

Therefore their advertisement is false and they do not formulate all their foods for carnivores.  And since they do add veggies and fruits to their foods then they must secretly believe that cats stalk plants.

Lesson here is to read the labels carefully, don’t pay attention to ads and choose your cat’s food based on their carnivore needs.