vs
Iams vs Purina Cat Chow

Iams vs. Purina Cat Chow

In this comparison article for Iams vs Purina Cat Chow, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Iams and Purina Cat Chow, we'll use up-to-date nutritional and price information.

There are many factors to consider when choosing the best pet food brand for your pet. Factors such as ingredient quality, guaranteed analysis, product safety, brand history, and cost are among the most important factors to consider.

Throughout this Purina Cat Chow vs Iams comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Iams Review Page or Purina Cat Chow Review Page.

Guaranteed Analysis: Purina Cat Chow vs. Iams

According to AAFCO, all pet food labels must provide a guaranteed analysis of nutrient content. The analysis must provide guaranteed minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture.

All percentages used in this comparison are averages reported on a dry matter basis.

Iams Cat Food vs. Purina Cat Chow Cat Food

Dry Cat FoodIamsPurina Cat Chow
Crude Protein35.7%38.4%
Crude Fat15.9%12.9%
Crude Fiber4.6%4.3%

Crude Protein Comparison For Cat Food

Cats require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Eleven of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining eleven are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these eleven essential amino acids.

If you look at the average percentages of crude protein, you'll notice that Purina Cat Chow typically guarantees 2.63% more protein. This is a fairly small difference between Purina Cat Chow and Iams, but still worth mentioning.


Crude Fat Comparison For Cat Food

There are many ways in which dietary fat contributes to the overall health of our feline friends. Here is a short list of benefits provided by fats (not exhaustive):

  • Help transport nutrients across cell membranes
  • Fats produce metabolites, which help control inflammation
  • Maintain healthy blood pressure
  • Slow the growth of yeast infections
  • Fats improve the taste/texture of food.

According to our data, Iams guarantees 2.97% more fat than Purina Cat Chow. Although this difference is relatively small, it's still a notable difference.


As you can see, Purina Cat Chow and Iams guarantee a similar amount of crude fiber.

Iams Pet Food Ingredients vs. Purina Cat Chow Pet Food Ingredients

Iams and Purina Cat Chow both use the following controversial ingredients in many of their products:

Corn Meal
Pea Protein
Brewers Rice
Corn Gluten Meal
Powdered Cellulose
Chicken By-Product Meal
Poultry By-Product Meal
Animal Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Iams.

Liver
Caramel
Beet Pulp
Canola Oil
Corn Grits
Iron Oxide
Fish Digest
Ground Corn
Wheat Gluten
Caramel Color
Vegetable Oil
Feeding Oatmeal
Poultry Giblets
Meat By-Products
Chicken By-Products
Dried Tomato Pomace
Dried Meat By-Products
Ground Whole Grain Corn
Poultry Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Purina Cat Chow.

Canola Meal
Ground Wheat
Soybean Flour
Soybean Hulls
Whole Grain Corn
Whole Grain Wheat
Ground Yellow Corn
Turkey By-Product Meal

We believe that certain pet food ingredients are linked to adverse health affects; these ingredients are classified as harmful.

Iams and Purina Cat Chow both use the following harmful ingredients in many of their products:

Blue 2
Red 40
Yellow 5
Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex

Here are some of the harmful ingredients used only by Iams.

Yellow 6
Added Color

Product Safety: Recall History of Iams & Purina Cat Chow?

Iams has been recalled 2 times.

  • Aug. 14, 2013: Salmonella
  • July 30, 2010: Salmonella

According to our records, Purina Cat Chow has never been recalled.

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog FoodIamsPurina Cat Chow
Per Pound$1.52$1.38
Per Calorie$0.0009$0.0008
Dry Cat FoodIamsPurina Cat Chow
Per Pound$2.03$2.03
Per Calorie$0.0012$0.0013

The average cost-per-lb is heavily influenced by the varying amounts of moisture present in each brand's food products (wet vs. dry food, dry vs. freeze-dried food, etc). However, the average cost-per-kcal eliminates the influence of moisture. Therefore, the average cost-per-kcal is the better metric to consider.

If you'd like to calculate the average cost-per-day or cost-pet-year of feeding Iams or Purina Cat Chow, input your pet's weight into our cost analyzer widget.

Averages price data can identify whether or not there exists a significant price difference between two brands. However, the actual price that you'll pay for Iams or Purina Cat Chow will depend on your shopping habits.

Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Iams and Purina Cat Chow. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.


Disclosure: PawDiet has an affiliate relationship with stores featured (or linked-to) in this article. We are compensated for referring customers. Thank you for shopping with our retail partners!

Where To Buy Iams Pet Foods

You can purchase Iams pet foods from the following stores:


33 Recipes In-Stock Today

15 Recipes In-Stock Today

24 Recipes In-Stock Today

Where To Buy Purina Cat Chow Pet Foods

You can purchase Purina Cat Chow pet food products from these retailers:


8 Recipes In-Stock Today

3 Recipes In-Stock Today

7 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

ProductIamsPurina Cat Chow
Dry Dog Food24 Recipes1 Recipes
Wet Dog Food8 RecipesNone
Dog TreatsNoneNone
Dry Cat Food13 Recipes8 Recipes
Wet Cat Food13 RecipesNone
Cat Treats2 TreatsNone

Top Rated Iams Recipes

Dog Food
Iams
Minichunks Chicken & Whole Grains Recipe
Check Price
Dog Food
Iams
Proactive Health Pate With Lamb and Rice
Check Price
Cat Food
Iams
Proactive Health Healthy Adult With Chicken
Check Price
Cat Food
Iams
Perfect Portions Salmon Recipe Pate For Healthy Adult Cats
Check Price

Top Rated Purina Cat Chow Recipes

Cat Food
Purina Cat Chow
Complete With Chicken Formula
Check Price
Cat Food
Purina Cat Chow
Naturals Original Formula With Real Chicken
Check Price
Cat Food
Purina Cat Chow
Nurture Muscle + Brain Development For Kittens
Check Price
Cat Food
Purina Cat Chow
Naturals Indoor Formula With Real Chicken
Check Price