IAMS Proactive Health Specialized Care Cat Food is a specialized formula designed specifically for cats who spend their lives indoors. Although it does not boast a very impressive ingredient list, it is very low-priced cat food, that may be a reasonable choice for some cat owners.
Most good indoor cat formulas are designed to help cats lose a little weight (indoor cats don’t receive the exercise that their outdoor-living counterparts do), as well as omega fatty acids to reduce shedding, and probiotics to help ensure digestive health.
Additionally, many indoor formulas contain a lot of different fiber sources, which helps to accelerate the passage of hairballs through the digestive tract.
Pros:
The two most valuable features of IAMS Proactive Health include its low-price point, which makes it an affordable choice for owners, and its inclusion of L-carnitine. L-carnitine protects your cat’s heart health and helps many cats to lose weight. Many cats do like the taste of IAMS, which is important too.
Cons:
The single biggest disappointment about IAMS Proactive Health Specialized Care is its lack of a whole protein at the beginning of the ingredient list. However, there are a number of other troubling features of this food, including the heavy reliance on grains, and the lack of significant sources of omega fatty acids, antioxidants or probiotics.
These types of ingredients often support the health of all cats, but they are especially desirable in foods designed for cats who live indoors and suffer from the typical health challenges associated with an indoor lifestyle.
Ingredients:
IAMS Proactive Health is made without a lot of the ingredients you’d want in a high-quality food. For example, most of the best cat foods feature a whole protein, such as chicken, salmon or duck, as the first ingredient.
However, IAMS instead uses chicken by-product meal as its primary protein source. While chicken byproducts and chicken meals are not necessarily poor ingredients, they are generally not celebrated when they appear as the primary protein source. Chicken is included in the recipe, but it occurs much farther down the list than you’d like.
Additionally, several grains are used to make up the carbohydrate content of the food, which may be off-putting to some owners. Finally, there aren’t any proper fruits or vegetables (aside from grains) used in the food, nor does it contain any good sources of omega fatty acids, antioxidants or probiotics.
Price:
IAMS Proactive Health is a low-priced cat food, that is marketed toward budget-conscious owners who still want to feed their cat well. It is much cheaper than most premium cat foods, but it also lacks a lot of the quality ingredients that are found in these foods.
To help reduce your cat-food costs as much as possible, consider purchasing IAMS in the largest quantity possible, as this will help bring down your per-meal costs.
Ideal For:
IAMS Proactive Health Specialized Care Cat Food does have a few limitations, so cat owners looking for a premium food will likely want to look elsewhere.
However, owners of indoor cats who have tight budgets should give the food some consideration.
