Performatrin Ultra Cat Food Review

Kate Barrington / Cats.com

We’ve rated Performatrin Ultra on ingredient quality, species-appropriateness, recalls, and more. Read our Performatrin Ultra cat food review to learn how this brand stacks up.

The Cats.com Standard— Rating Performatrin Ultra on What Matters

We’ve rated the brand on six key criteria for quality. Here’s how it rates in each of these six crucial areas.

In total, we give Performatrin Ultra cat food a 38 out of 60 rating or a C+ grade.

About Performatrin Ultra

The Performatrin pet food brand offers a diverse array of products for dogs and cats using high-quality ingredients without any artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. The brand claims to offer formulas tailored to the unique needs of different breed sizes, ages, and activity levels in both dogs and cats.

All of Performatrin’s pet products are scientifically formulated by their in-house pet nutritionist, though the brand doesn’t name this expert on their website. Neither do they provide any specific information about how they source their ingredients or where their products are manufactured.

Sourcing and Manufacturing

While the Performatrin website doesn’t provide much in the way of information about their ingredients or manufacturing, their pet food labels do. Performatrin pet food is manufactured in Canada using “domestic and imported ingredients.”

Though Performatrin appears to be a pet food company based in Canada, their products are formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by AAFCO for all life stages.

Recall History

To the best of our knowledge, the Performatrin pet food brand has not had a product recall to date. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to determine how old the company is, so it’s difficult to say whether the lack of recalls is due to quality brand management or simply being new to the industry.

What Kinds Of Cat Food Does Performatrin Ultra Offer?

The Performatrin Ultra brand offers over 50 different varieties of canned and dry cat food products. They offer recipes for adult cats and kittens as well as specialized formulas for healthy weight management and limited ingredient diets. Their canned foods come in pate, bisque, and stew textures, packaged in 3-ounce, 5.50ounce, or 13.2-ounce cans and 3.5-ounce bowls.

What Do Customers Think of Performatrin Ultra Cat Food?

Because Performatrin Ultra cat food is only sold in stores and from limited online retailers, it was difficult to obtain a lot of information about the typical customer experience. On Supermarket.com, Performatrin Ultra has eight 5-star reviews and sixteen 4-star reviews.

Let’s take a look at a few customer reviews from some of the most popular recipes from this brand.

Positive Reviews

“My cat has been on the Ultra food for a year and a half now. Age 7, indoor neutered male, he was always asking for more food before. He actually leaves some on the plate with the Ultra food. Healthy shiny coat and energy to play more are also noticeable changes.” – Dinnertime for Francis, reviewing Performatrin Ultra Turkey, Salmon & Duck Pate

“I have two VERY picky eaters and it’s a pain to ever find a brand that they will both eat. This brand of cat food is one of the few items that they both enjoy and you would think I starve them with how they eat this food like candy/treats. Awesome stuff! Great value and I feel like I’m giving them the best.” – Amandajo8629, reviewing Performatrin Ultra LID Green Pea & Duck Formula

Negative Reviews

“I bought this for my cat thinking it would be the same chunkier texture like trout bisque but it is not. This flavor is more of a pate (which my cat does not like).” – Pb6050, reviewing Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Salmon Bisque Cat Food

What Did Our Test Cats Think?

Bagel loved the green pea and duck formula dry food – so much that she chewed through the bag to sneak an extra helping when I left it on the counter! Kate Barrington / Cats.com

My test cats were very pleased with Performatrin Ultra cat food – both the dry food and canned food formulas. The dry food comes in small, triangular kibbles that should be easy for cats of all ages to chew and the canned food had a looser-than-average pate texture which made it easy to spoon out.

I also loved the packaging Performatrin Ultra uses. The resealable tops on their dry food bags are incredibly convenient and much easier to use than many brands.

Performatrin Ultra Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed

#1 Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Ocean Recipe Dry Cat Food

$36.09 At PetSupermarket

This grain-free dry food features a trio of proteins including ocean whitefish, salmon meal, and herring meal as the top three ingredients.

Because there appears to be so much animal protein in this formula, I was a little surprised to see two sources of concentrated plant protein as well – potato protein and pea protein. Following canola oil as the primary source of added fat, there is a long list of plant-based ingredients including starchy options like dried potato and green peas.

While this recipe is free from by-products, vaguely named ingredients, and artificial additives, it appears to be a primarily plant-based formula with several inclusions of high-quality animal protein. As such, I can’t give it a high rating in terms of being species-appropriate for cats.

Ingredients

Ocean Whitefish, Salmon Meal, Herring Meal, Pea Protein, Potato Protein, Canola Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Lentils, Dried Potato, Green Peas, Dried Egg Product, Natural Flavor, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Coconut Oil, Pea Fiber, Dried Apple Pomace, Dried Tomato Pomace, DL-Methionine, Sodium Bisulfate, Choline Chloride, Dried Kelp, Chicory Root Extract, Dried Carrots, Dried Sweet Potato, Dried Apples, Salt, Dried Blueberries, Dried Cranberries, Taurine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Rosemary Extract, Ginger, Oregano, Dandelion, Parsley, Chamomile, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium bifidum Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Carotene, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Iron Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate).

Ingredients We Liked	Ingredients We Didn’t Like	Common Allergens
Ocean Whitefish Salmon Meal Herring Meal	Pea Protein Potato Protein Canola Oil Lentils Dried Potato Green Peas	Fish

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein: 38%

Crude Fat: 18%

Crude Fiber: 4%

Moisture: 10%

Dry Matter Basis

Protein: 42.22%

Fat: 20%

Fiber: 4.44%

Carbs: 33.33%

Caloric Weight Basis

Protein: 34.02%

Fat: 39.13%

Carbs: 26.85%

Pros

• Includes three animal proteins as the first three ingredients
• No by-products or vaguely named ingredients
• Completely free from artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives

Cons

• Appears to be a primarily plant-based recipe
• Contains two concentrated sources of plant protein
• Doesn’t contain the moisture your cat needs

#2 Performatrin Ultra Limited Green Pea & Duck Formula Dry Cat Food

$18.04 At PetSupermarket

This limited ingredient diet from Performatrin Ultra contains a single source of novel animal protein – duck. Unfortunately, duck isn’t the first ingredient – green peas are. This formula also contains pea starch, pea protein, and pea fiber.

On the upside, this formula appears to be made with a simple list of main ingredients which, theoretically, could be beneficial for cats with food allergies and sensitivities. I don’t love peas for cats, however, especially not as a main ingredient over a source of animal-based protein.

This formula contains over 25% less protein than the previous, which isn’t surprising given the first ingredient. I do appreciate the use of chicken fat as the primary source of added fat but there are too many plant-based ingredients for me to give this formula a high rating for species-appropriateness.

Ingredients

Green Peas, Duck, Duck Meal, Pea Starch, Pea Protein, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Natural Flavor, Pea Fiber, Flaxseed, DL-Methionine, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Rosemary Extract, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Carotene, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Iron Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate).

Ingredients We Liked	Ingredients We Didn’t Like	Common Allergens
Duck Duck Meal Chicken Fat	Green Peas Pea Starch Pea Protein	None

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein: 30%

Crude Fat: 12%

Crude Fiber: 3%

Moisture: 10%

Dry Matter Basis

Protein: 33.33%

Fat: 13.33%

Fiber: 3.33%

Carbs: 50%

Caloric Weight Basis

Protein: 28.81%

Fat: 27.98%

Carbs: 43.21%

Pros

• Limited ingredient formula for allergies/sensitivities
• Contains a single, novel source of animal protein
• Chicken fat provides a nutritious source of essential fatty acids

Cons

• Appears to be a primarily plant-based recipe
• Carbohydrate is the first ingredient on the list, not protein
• Contains some added (natural) flavor

#3 Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Turkey, Salmon & Duck Pate Canned Food

$47.79 At PetSupermarket

Compared to the previous two dry foods, this canned food formula appears to be more animal-based. It contains turkey, turkey liver, salmon, and duck as four of the first five ingredients with no starchy, plant-based proteins like peas or potato protein.

That being said, this recipe does contain a few plant-based ingredients including several gums used as thickeners. The brewers dried yeast may be included as an added source of protein.

I do like that this recipe contains menhaden fish oil as a natural source of omega-3s, but it appears after both flaxseed oil and sunflower oil. All in all, however, the estimated carbohydrate content of this recipe is much lower than the previous dry foods which makes it more species appropriate.

Ingredients

Turkey, Turkey Broth, Turkey Liver, Salmon, Duck, Red Peppers, Carrots, Natural Flavor, Guar Gum, Tricalcium Phosphate, Sweet Potatoes, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Spinach Flakes, Brewers Dried Yeast, Xanthan Gum, Cassia Gum, Flaxseed Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Sunflower Oil, Menhaden Fish Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Taurine, Salt, Inulin, Dried Kelp, Sodium Ascorbate (To Promote Color Retention), Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Dried Blueberries, Dried Cranberries, Dried Apples, Thiamine Mononitrate, Oregano, Parsley, Sage, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid.

Ingredients We Liked	Ingredients We Didn’t Like	Common Allergens
Turkey Turkey Liver Salmon Duck	Guar Gum Brewers Dried Yeast Xanthan Gum	Fish

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein: 10%

Crude Fat: 8%

Crude Fiber: 1%

Moisture: 78%

Dry Matter Basis

Protein: 45.45%

Fat: 36.36%

Fiber: 4.55%

Carbs: 13.64%

Caloric Weight Basis

Protein: 30.84%

Fat: 59.91%

Carbs: 9.25%

Pros

• Four of the first five ingredients are animal-based proteins
• No starchy plant ingredients or concentrated plant proteins
• Menhaden fish oil provides a natural source of omega 3s
• Rich in moisture to support your cat’s hydration

Cons

• Contains a significant number of plant ingredients
• Made with several gums as thickeners

How Much Does Performatrin Ultra Cat Food Cost?

Performatrin appears to be a moderately priced cat food brand, though prices vary among their different product lines. The Performatrin Ultra line is a little more expensive than the original Preformatting line of products, possibly because it includes novel proteins and limited ingredient diets.

At the time of this review, Performatrin Ultra dry cat food ranges from $13.99 for a 2.5-pound bag up to $37.99 for a 13.2-pound bag, making the average cost for their dry food about $2.87 per pound or about $0.18 per ounce. Performatrin Ultra canned foods are about $0.31 per ounce.

For the average 10-pound cat who eats between 2 and 2.5 ounces of food per day, Performatrin ultra would cost about $0.30-$0.40 per day for dry food and around $1.00 per day for wet food.

Overall, Is Performatrin Ultra Cat Food a Good Choice?

While Performatrin Ultra uses high-quality animal ingredients in all their recipes, they are outweighed by starchy carbohydrates and plant-based proteins. The brand’s canned food formulas were much lower in added carbohydrate than their dry foods, but still contained a significant number of plant ingredients.

Overall, I can’t happily recommend Preformatting Ultra’s products as being species-appropriate for cats. This brand is also a little hard to find online and in stores, so you’re really better off going with a brand that’s more available and that uses more animal than plant ingredients.

Where Is Performatrin Ultra Cat Food Sold?

Because Performatrin is a Canadian company, you’re most likely to find it in-store in Canada. The brand appears to be sold in specialty pet stores and smaller independent retailers, though you can also purchase it online at PetSupermarket.com.