Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they require a diet primarily composed of animal protein. Cat owners must find products that meet their cat’s nutritional needs and provide all the necessary nutrients. One company that has been around for a while is I and Love and You, a natural pet nutrition manufacturer from Colorado.
When choosing commercial cat food, it is essential to look for brands that use high-quality ingredients and list a source of animal protein, such as chicken or fish, as the first ingredient. Other ingredients to look for include taurine, an essential amino acid for cats, and various vitamins and minerals. It is also important to avoid products that contain artificial preservatives, colors, and flavors. Proper nutrition is essential for the growth and development of cats. A nutritionally balanced diet can help kittens grow into healthy adult cats. In contrast, a diet deficient in specific nutrients can cause problems such as slowed growth, poor muscle development, and a weakened immune system.
We looked at the products that I and Love and You offer for cats. Look below to learn a little more about what this company offers and what we think about its products.
Key Features
- Natural cat food and treats.
- Ancestrally inspired nutrition.
- Wet and Dry recipes are available.
- Sustainable practices.
- Most products are made in the US. USDA inspected facilities.
- The company also offers dog nutrition.
- Available from the company, online retailers, and retail stores like Whole Foods.
- Cat-specific nutrition.
- Wide product range.
- 100% recyclable packaging.
Company Information
I And Love and You is a Boulder, Colorado-based company that makes natural-based pet care products and focuses on ancestrally inspired pet nutrition. The brand was started by a group of employees at a local pet food store who wanted to offer a human-grade, raw meal choice for pets. After a bit of work, the meals gained enough support that the team launched the I and Love and You brand in 2011 and have been going strong ever since.
The company was founded in 2011 to create pet products with premium ingredients containing no artificial colors, preservatives, fillers, or additives. The team creates recipes that a holistic veterinarian formulates, and they are sold at many brick-and-mortar and online retailers.
I and Love and You are very focused on pet health and sustainability. They use sustainable practices throughout the manufacturing process. 100% of their packaging is recyclable, and the company has a partnership to recycle and reuse bags, pouches, and cups with TerraCycle. The company also works hard to donate meals to needy pets and donates all excess products made for animals in need. On average, they donate 2,000 meals a month and have donated over one million meals in total.
The company makes dog and cat foods and is available in natural retailers like Whole Foods markets. They have a moderate selection of both wet and dry cat products. They offer some need-specific recipes but only currently provide dry and wet cat choices.
Where Is It Made?
Most of the products are manufactured in the US in USDA-inspected facilities. Ingredients are sourced from the United States and Canada whenever possible. Some select products are made in Thailand. These are XOXOs Wet Cat Food, Feed Meow Cat Pouches, and Treat Meow Sachets for Cats. The company ships to the lower 48 states, but products can be purchased from online retailers who may ship elsewhere.
Recalls And Lawsuits
There have been no recalls of any cat foods or products from I and Love and You. There was a voluntary recall of beef treats for dogs in 2015 but have been no involuntary recalls. To our knowledge, there has been no legal action or concerns regarding this company, its products, or its practices.
I And Love And You Ingredients
All of this company’s recipes are grain free. Recipes include animal proteins, vegetables, and added vitamins and minerals. Protein is an essential nutrient for cats, vital for providing energy, muscle development, and repair. Kittens have higher protein requirements than adult cats, as they need to support their rapid growth and development. It is crucial to choose cat products that provide sufficient levels of high-quality protein from sources such as chicken, fish, or meat.
Cats also have specific requirements for certain amino acids, including taurine, arginine, and methionine. These amino acids are essential for heart health, immune function, and vision. A diet deficient in these amino acids can cause health problems in felines.
In addition to protein and amino acids, felines also need a balance of other nutrients, including fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. A nutritionally balanced diet should provide these nutrients in the right proportions to support your cat’s overall health and well-being. When choosing food for your purr baby, it is important to consider the ingredients, the nutrient balance, and the product’s safety.
Proteins
I and Love and You uses a variety of animal proteins. This is a good sign, as felines need meat-heavy diets. One thing that stands out is that this company uses traditional and novel proteins. Chicken, beef, turkey, cod, salmon, tuna, whitefish, rabbit, lamb, egg, duck, and trout are all proteins available. Protein content varies by recipe, but on average, the wet food has 10% protein, and the dry lines have 37% protein. Real, named meat is the first ingredient in all their recipes.
Vegetables
I and Love and You include vegetables and some fruits in their recipes. These include sweet potatoes, peas, lentils, pumpkin, beets, carrots, spinach, cranberries, and apples. Not every recipe has all of these.
Other Ingredients
Other ingredients like vitamins, minerals, and a variety of micronutrients are added to recipes. These include prebiotics and probiotics, amino acids, minerals, and vitamins. Folic acid, manganese, niacin, iron, calcium, taurine, vitamin B12, and vitamin D3 are included.
I and Love and You Recipes
The company offers three different lines of dry kibble and three types of wet food. The dry kibble lines are Naked Essentials, Nude Food, and Lovingly Simple. Wet options include the Original Recipe Line, XOXOS, and Feed Meow. They also offer two selections of treats.
Wet/Canned
Original Recipe Chicken Me Out Pate
- Grain-free chicken pate.
- 9.5% protein.
- Chicken, chicken broth, chicken liver.
- Several flavor varieties.
- No added carbohydrates.
Original Recipe Chicken Me Out Pate is one of the brand’s best sellers. It has chicken, chicken broth, and chicken liver as the first three ingredients. It also uses salmon oil. This pate has a crude protein content of 9.50%, 7.0% fat, and .75% crude fiber. The moisture content is 78% maximum. This is a very straightforward, no-nonsense pet nutrition line, with animal proteins as the main ingredients, and it comes in several flavor varieties. (In some places and retailers, this is referred to as the Naked Essentials wet line). The Whasically Whabbit flavor is another top seller of this line.
Ninja Cat Jiu Jit Stew Variety Pack
- Canned stew.
- Packed with animal proteins as the first 6 ingredients.
- Flavorful.
- High in moisture.
- Easy to digest.
The Ninja Cat Jiu Jit Stew is a stew line with three flavor options, salmon, chicken, and tuna. These are whole meat, grain-free stews. These are full of real animal protein. The Salmon Chanted Evening, for example, has salmon, salmon broth, vegetable broth, chicken liver, chicken, and dried egg whites as the first six ingredients. High in moisture and flavor. Lower in fiber and easy to digest.
Dry/Kibble
Naked Essential Chicken & Duck
- Dry, grain-free kibble.
- For all ages.
- Chicken, chicken meal, turkey, duck, and dried egg.
- Digestive formulas and limited ingredient formulas are also available.
- 34% protein.
Naked Essential Chicken & Duck is a top seller for dry kibble. The first three ingredients are chicken, chicken, meal, and turkey meal. Then comes dried garbanzo beans, dried peas, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), pea starch, duck, flaxseeds, dried plain beet pulp, natural flavor, sunflower oil, fish oil, salt, dried egg product, and dried sweet potatoes.
This one is for kittens and adults. We like the fact that it is for all ages. Kibble contains 34% protein, 14% crude fat, and 4% fiber. There is also a digestive support line with chicken and pumpkin and a limited ingredient formula, Lovingly Simple Salmon & Sweet Potato, a limited ingredient dry kibble for kitties with food allergies.
Toppers/Single Serve
Food Meow Single Serve Boost Pouch
- Specially formulated single-serve pouches.
- Tummy for digestive health.
- Boost for overall health.
- Shine for the coat.
- Meal or topper.
Feed Meow is a line of specially formulated single-serve pouches to boost digestive, overall, and coat health. These come in Food Meow Tummy, Boost, and Shine. Tuna and chicken serve as the primary protein sources. Pouches can be a standalone meal or used as a topper.
Treats
Hair Meow’t Hearties Superfood Treats
- Hairball support treats.
- Salmon and chicken liver.
- Easy digestion and coat health.
- 19% protein.
Hair Meow’t Hearties superfood treats are salmon, and chicken liver treats designed to support easier digestion and coat health. This is a special formula to help with hairballs and has 19% protein.
What We Like
There are several things we love about I and Love and You. For starters, they use high-quality animal proteins and novel proteins, which we appreciate. Additionally, they work hard to keep sustainable practices and donate to millions of needy pets. We really like that a holistic veterinarian with species-specific nutrition in mind designs all recipes. I and Love and You’s website is easy to navigate and has plenty of information about products and pet care. Products do not have any artificial fillers or additives, which is another great positive.
Pros And Cons Comparison Table
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Natural ingredients | Some recipes are high in plant-based proteins |
| Novel proteins | High carbohydrates in some recipes |
| Holistic veterinarian-approved recipes | High-calorie counts |
| Wide variety of products | Does use some vegetables as filler |
| Grain-free | No fresh options offered yet |
| Options for digestive health, allergies, and sensitive stomachs | |
| Recyclable containers | |
| No cat food or treat recalls or lawsuits | |
| Affordable prices | |
| Available from the company as well as many other retailers |
How Does It Compare?
Overall this is a higher-quality feline food. It is made with natural, ethically sourced ingredients, most of which come from the United States and Canada. Meals do not contain artificial fillers, additives, flavors, or colors. Recipes are meat focused and use a variety of proteins as well as muscle and organ meat. Their wet options are versatile and offer plenty of flavor selection. These are some of the top choices for feline nutrition. Their kibble is flavorful and good quality, though similar to other natural cat food options on the market. We would definitely keep this brand as a top contender among the wet and dry options available.
Some recipes are high in plant-based ingredients and carbohydrates, which may make specific formulas harder to digest. Some canned recipes contain ingredients like cassia gum and xanthan gum, which work as stabilizers but can impact flavor. There are some options with fewer carbohydrates and plant-based materials.
All nutritional information is available on the brand’s website in great detail. Owners can review everything that is in every recipe before they purchase.
Customer feedback is generally excellent. Many purr parents report switching to this brand for digestive concerns and having good results. The canned stews, in particular, get rave reviews, and hungry kitties run from across the house to eat dinner. Additionally, customers appreciate the wide variety of products available. In fact, some owners share that this is the only wet food their purr baby will eat. Cats truly like the flavors, and it is easy to digest. It is a very popular pick for fussy eaters and those with sensitive stomachs.
There are not too many negative reviews of this company, which is an excellent sign. Some customers reported a concern about product consistency, and others expressed concern about the ingredients in the dry food, mentioning the higher carbohydrate load of some recipes. Other than that, customers and kitties alike are delighted with this brand.
How Much Is I And Love And You?
I and Love and You are moderately priced. The brand is more expensive than some but far more affordable than many other premium options. Cans average between $1,20 and $1.75 each. Kibbles start at $15 for a 3.4-pound bag, and prices vary by recipe. These are outstanding deals for the quality of the products and are very affordable for most budgets.
Is It Worth The Price?
Yes, this brand is worth the price. The wet products are of very high quality and very affordable. Dry kibbles are good quality, along the same price points as many other brands.
Final Thoughts
There are plenty of cat nutrition companies and options to choose from. I and Love and You is a highly recognized natural pet nutrition company that focuses on providing pets with meal options that meet their biological and ancestral needs. This brand focuses heavily on sustainability and providing natural, unaltered, healthy ingredients. Overall, they make very high-quality wet meals with plenty of flavor options. The dry kibbles are also quite nutritious, though some can contain higher carbohydrate levels than some owners want and may be harder to digest. Thankfully they offer many different formulas, including those for sensitive stomachs and easy digestion.
We appreciate that there are so many options and that the brand is straightforward about where its ingredients come from, its history, and what they stand for. This is a company that has never had a recall of their cat food or treats and works hard to provide the very best in natural nutrition for our feline family members.
