The Procter & Gamble Co., which owns the Iams pet food brand, announced a voluntary recall of canned Iams ProActive Health cat and kitten foods Wednesday.

The affected cat and kitten foods contain dates between September 2011 and June 2012 printed on the bottom of the cans.

"Diagnostic testing indicated that the product may contain insufficient levels of thiamine (Vitamin B1), which is essential for cats," Procter & Gamble said in a news release Wednesday. "Cats that were fed these canned products as their only food are at greater risk for developing signs of thiamine deficiency."

Procter & Gamble, in its news release, advised cat owners who have purchased the affected food to throw it out, although Petco, a major Iams distributor, said in its own release that it expects to have details soon about a refund process for affected cat food cans.