February 08, 2024
Jo Plumridge / Cats.com
The Cats.com Standard—Rating James Wellbeloved on What Matters
We’ve rated James Wellbeloved on six key criteria for quality. Here are our ratings for each:
Ratings
- Species-Appropriateness – 4/5
- Ingredient Quality – 3/5
- Customer Experience – 4/5
- Recall History – 5/5
- Variety of Products – 5/5
Overall Score: 4.4/5
We give James Wellbeloved a B rating.
Why Trust Cats.com
I tested three varieties of James Wellbeloved cat food, rating them all according to the Cats.com Standards. I researched the brand, looked at the ordering process, and tested the food on my feline housemates. Read on to find out what I thought about James Wellbeloved, based on testing the food in October 2023.
About James Wellbeloved
Founded in 1992, James Wellbeloved originally produced dog food after one owner started feeding her two poorly Boxer dogs simple foods that were less likely to lead to adverse food reactions. Seeing how successful this was, recipes grew and meals for cats and ferrets were quickly introduced as well.
The UK brand is popular with cat owners looking for a grain-free diet for their cats due to an intolerance to cereals, although not all their foods are grain-free. It’s a popular cat food in the UK, although the brand’s dog food is better known.
Sourcing and Manufacturing
James Wellbeloved is based in Somerset, UK, although the brand is now part of Mars Incorporated. Mars has many cat food brands under its belt, including Sheba, Whiskas, and Royal Canin—all of which are hugely popular brands in the UK. They also support research into the science of human and animal interaction at the Waltham Petcare Science Institute.
James Wellbeloved’s factory is in Castle Cary, England, and the brand works with trusted suppliers to ensure that all ingredients are traceable and meet their quality standards.
Recall History
I couldn’t find any evidence of James Wellbeloved cat food ever being recalled. There have been some negative reviews that I’ll cover later, but most of these refer to cats not liking the food.
What Kinds of Cat Food Does James Wellbeloved Offer?
As of October 2023, James Wellbeloved offers a selection of wet and dry foods for kittens, adults, and seniors. Only one of their dry foods is grain-free—the Adult Turkey & Veg Dry Cat Food. Wet grain-free food is offered in turkey, chicken, lamb, and salmon flavors. And in the dry food section, you’ll also find a high-protein food and one designed to help fight hairballs.
Dry James Wellbeloved Food:
- Adult Turkey & Rice Dry Cat Food
- Grain Free Adult Turkey & Veg Dry Cat Food
- Adult Fish & Rice Dry Cat Food
- Senior Turkey & Rice Dry Cat Food
- Kitten Turkey & Rice Dry Cat Food
- Light Adult Turkey & Rice Dry Cat Food
- Senior Fish & Rice Dry Cat Food
- Senior Chicken Dry Cat Food
- Adult Chicken & Rice Dry Cat Food
- Adult High Protein Chicken & Turkey Cat Food
- James Wellbeloved Hairball Adult Turkey
Wet James Wellbeloved Food:
- Grain-Free Adult Turkey in Gravy Wet Cat Food
- Grain-Free Adult Lamb in Gravy Wet Cat Food
- Grain-Free Senior Turkey in Gravy Wet Cat Food
- Grain-Free Senior Chicken in Jelly Wet Cat Food
- Grain-Free Kitten Turkey in Gravy Wet Cat Food
- Grain-Free Adult Chicken in Jelly Wet Cat Food
- Grain-Free Adult with Salmon in Gravy Wet Cat Food
- Grain-Free Senior with Salmon in Jelly Wet Cat Food
- Grain-Free Senior 11+ with Turkey in Gravy Wet Cat Food
- Grain-Free Adult with Salmon in Jelly Wet Cat Food
All of the foods are made from a single source of protein, so if you purchase the turkey flavor you’ll only get turkey meat, gravy, and fat.
What Did Our Test Cats Think?
My cats tried the Adult Turkey & Rice Dry, Grain Free Senior Turkey in Gravy, and the Grain Free Adult Chicken in Jelly.
Theo is an ex-stray foster cat whose age is estimated to be around seven. Due to his previous life on the street, he has a delicate stomach, so the grain-free wet food was ideal for him to try. I avoided giving Theo the biscuits as the ones we purchased weren’t grain-free. I have lots of experience with cats who have delicate stomachs and have found that grain-free food can help to improve these cats’ digestion and reduce smells in the litter tray. And the James Wellbeloved did exactly this, making the litter tray a considerably less smelly environment. Theo really enjoyed the food and ate everything.
Betty is a 14-year-old cat with hyperthyroidism but no other underlying health issues. Betty can be a little fussy with food and has a tendency to refuse everything except the lowest quality food. However, she thoroughly enjoyed the James Wellbeloved and finished off every bowl of both wet and dry food.
James Wellbeloved—Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Main Protein Source | Calories | Price | Our Grade |
| Adult Dry Turkey & Rice Cat Food | Kibble | Turkey Meal | N/A | £0.21 per oz | C |
| Adult Wet Chicken in Jelly Cat Food | Pouch | Chicken | N/A | £0.35 per oz | B- |
| Senior Wet Turkey in Gravy Cat Food | Pouch | Turkey | N/A | £0.35 per oz | B- |
#1 Adult Dry Turkey & Rice Cat Food
Jo Plumridge / Cats.com
All James Wellbeloved foods use a single protein source, but in the case of the kibble versions, this is meal as opposed to meat. As well as turkey meal, the kibble uses turkey gravy and a variety of digestible ingredients, although there is a small amount of maize gluten. With 31% protein and 20% fat, this is a fairly dense food and the dry food was of a slightly lower quality than the wet.
The kibble is of a reasonable size and our test cat Betty found it easy to eat, even as an older cat with slightly fewer teeth. It’s easily digestible as well, and the grain-free aspect makes this a great option for cats with sensitive tummies.
We like the fact that the vast majority of the total protein content comes from a high-quality animal-derived source, but it is a shame that the second biggest ingredient is potato flakes—cats are carnivores and don’t require carbohydrates to be healthy. The food comes in bags of either 1.5kg, 4.5kg, or 10kg.
Ingredients
Turkey Meal (27.5%), Brown Rice, Turkey Fat (13.9%), White Rice, Maize Gluten, Potato Protein, Turkey Gravy (3.9%), Tomato Pomace, Dried Meat-Free Stock, Potassium Chloride, Chicory Pulp, Fish Oil, Chicory Extract (0.25%), Calcium Carbonate, Carrot, Sodium Chloride, Cranberry Extract (0.05%), Yucca Extract (0.02%), Rosemary Extract (0.006%), Green Tea Extract (0.003%), Pomegranate Extract (0.001%).
Ingredients We Liked: Turkey Meal, Turkey Fat, Turkey Gravy, Fish Oil, Cranberry Extract, Yucca Extract, Brown & White Rice
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Maize Gluten, Potato Protein
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Single source protein.
- Good protein content.
- Hypoallergenic.
What We Didn’t Like:
- Potato protein to bulk out the food.
- Kibble was a little flaky to the touch.
#2 Grain-Free Adult Chicken in Jelly Wet Cat Food
Jo Plumridge / Cats.com
What I like most about the James Wellbeloved wet food is that it’s grain-free, only uses a single source of protein, and doesn’t have masses of ingredients to pad it out. This version is made with 100% natural chicken, which is great, but is padded out with pea protein.
The brand’s chicken wet food comes in jelly, but there are other flavors in gravy so you can find which texture your cat prefers (or give them both if they’re not fussy!). We found the food to be fairly strong smelling, in a way that our test cats found appealing. Texture-wise, the chunks are much smaller than you’ll find in some other brands—we have heard of some cats therefore leaving the chunks and just eating the jelly. However, both my test cats really enjoyed the food and cleared their bowls every time.
There’s a fairly low protein content in the food but a high moisture count to keep your cats hydrated. The grain-free food had a positive effect on Theo’s stomach.
Ingredients
Chicken (40.7%), Pea Protein, Tomato Pomace, Minerals, Tomato Powder, Chicory Extract, Sunflower Oil, Linseed Oil, Cranberry Extract (0.013%), Fish Oil, Yucca Extract (0.005%).
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Fish Oil, Cranberry Extract, Tomato Pomace, Yucca Extract
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Pea Protein
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Single source protein.
- 100% natural chicken.
- Grain-free and hypoallergenic.
What We Didn’t Like:
- Pea protein to bulk out the food.
- Chunks are on the small side.
#3 Grain-Free Senior Turkey in Gravy Wet Cat Food
Jo Plumridge / Cats.com
This food is specifically formulated for cats seven and up, with added glucosamine. This is a great supplement for helping older cats’ joints maintain mobility. Like the adult wet food, it’s made from a single protein source, which in this case is turkey.
This food comes in a nice-looking gravy, with the same smaller-sized chunks. This was useful for older cats, as it is easier for them to chew and digest. Like the chicken food above, this food had a positive effect on test foster cat Theo’s stomach and led to a less smelly litter tray.
Again, this food does not have a particularly high protein content and fiber levels are lower than in the adult cat food, which seems counter-intuitive as older cats are more prone to constipation. But the moisture content is high and this will go a long way towards keeping cats hydrated.
Ingredients
Turkey (40.7%), Pea Protein, Tapioca Starch, Tomato Pomace, Minerals, Sunflower Oil, Linseed Oil, Fish Oil, Glucosamine by Fermentation (0.075%), Chicory Extract, Cranberry Extract (0.013%), Yucca Extract (0.005%).
Ingredients We Liked: Turkey, Fish Oil, Cranberry Extract, Tomato Pomace, Yucca Extract, Cranberry Extract, Glucosamine
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Pea Protein, Tapioca Starch
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Single source protein.
- 100% natural turkey.
- Grain-free and hypoallergenic.
What We Didn’t Like:
- Pea protein and tapioca starch to bulk out the food.
- Chunks are on the small side.
How Much Does James Wellbeloved Cat Food Cost?
James Wellbeloved cat food is available from a variety of sources in the UK, so you may find some price differentiation. For 1.5kg of dry food, you can expect to pay around £14–£17, while a box of 12 wet pouches comes in at around £11–£13. James Wellbeloved does sometimes offer bundle discounts.
These prices make James Wellbeloved a more expensive option, although they’re not as pricey as vet-prescribed foods. You are essentially paying for the grain-free and more natural ingredients used in these cat foods than budget brands such as Felix.
Where Is James Wellbeloved Cat Food Sold?
James Wellbeloved is fairly widely available online in the UK and in some pet stores. It’s worth shopping around to see who has the best offers or discounts on the brand, so here are some places you’ll be able to find it:
- James Wellbeloved Shop
- Amazon
- Zooplus
- Pets at Home (online and in-store)
Overall, Is James Wellbeloved a Good Choice?
James Wellbeloved isn’t perfect. Its wet and dry foods use pea protein to bulk out the food and the protein content could be higher. Smaller chunks in the wet food aren’t particularly appealing to some cats either. However, both wet and dry foods are made with a single-source protein.
More importantly, all the wet foods and one of the dry foods are 100% grain-free and hypoallergenic. Our testers have used the James Wellbeloved foods for a number of foster cats. They found it particularly effective for formerly stray cats who often have some gastrointestinal issues. I would buy the food again for cats with upset tummies or those with food sensitivities.
Similar Brands
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