Last updated Mar 31, 2023
We’ve taken a close look at Purina and graded it according to the Cats.com standard, evaluating the brand on species-appropriateness, product variety, price, ingredient quality, customer experience, and recall history.
The Cats.com Standard—Rating Purina on What Matters
We’ve rated the brand on six key criteria for quality.
Ratings
- Species-Appropriateness – 5/10
- Ingredient Quality – 5/10
- Product Variety – 8/10
- Price – 8/10
- Customer Experience – 6/10
- Recall History – 4/10
Overall Score: 6/10
In total, we give Purina cat food a 36 out of 60 rating or a C+ grade.
About Purina
Purina is one of the largest and oldest companies in the cat food industry. It started in 1894, when a group of three entrepreneurs founded the Robinson-Danforth Commision Company.
Believing that animal feed would sell despite the poor economy, the company started packaging up a mixture of molasses, corn, and oats and called it horse and mule feed.
During the next few years, the company expanded, got a new name, and explored various product offerings.
In 1926, the company, now called Ralston-Purina, established a pet nutrition and care center, where they developed their first pet foods.
Purina Dog Chow was introduced in the 1950s and reached national distribution in 1957. A few years later, cats, too, had a Purina food to chow down on. Purina Cat Chow was introduced in 1963.
The company’s growth continued through the 20th century, as they added on multiple brands, including household names like Friskies, Fancy Feast, and Kit & Kaboodle.
In 2001, Purina merged with the Swiss food giant, Nestlè. Today, Nestlè-Purina is the second-biggest pet food company in the world.
In 2017, Nestlè-Purina PetCare generated over twelve billion dollars in revenue. Put together, Mars Petcare, Inc. and Purina Petcare earn about half of the revenue in the global pet food industry.
Sourcing and Manufacturing
Purina says that most of their ingredients are sourced from North America, but grants that they will source from other countries when necessary.
For example, their grains are sourced from the United States and Canada. Most of their meat ingredients are sourced from the United States, with the exception of New Zealand lamb. Their vitamin packs are sourced from suppliers around the world.
All of their ingredients must meet or exceed FDA, USDA, or AAFCO standards for pet food and comply with Purina’s standards for ingredient safety and specifications.
Most, but not all, Purina foods are manufactured in company-owned manufacturing facilities. Purina operates dozens of plants in the United States and Canada. In addition to USDA and FDA regulations, the manufacturing process is overseen by onsite quality assurance staff and laboratories.
Has Purina Cat Food Been Recalled?
Purina has issued several recalls during its 90-year history in the pet food industry. Here’s a brief overview of Purina’s recalls in the last two decades.
2016
In March, 5 varieties of Purina Pro Plan wet dog food were recalled due to inadequate levels of vitamins and minerals.
2015 Beneful Lawsuit
In 2015, California dog guardian Frank Lucido filed a class action lawsuit against Purina, alleging that over 1,400 dogs, including three of his own, became sick or died after eating Purina Beneful dog food.
Analysis of Beneful dog food samples found that the foods contained three toxins—propylene glycol, mycotoxins, and heavy metals. The levels of these toxins, however, didn’t exceed the FDA’s permitted limits.
Ultimately, the court ruled in Purina’s favor. The United States District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that the lawsuit failed to prove that Beneful was unsafe.
You can learn more about the lawsuit here.
2013
Purina initiated a United States market withdrawal of their Waggin’ Train products after the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets found trace amounts of antibiotic residue in the treats. These antibiotics are considered safe in small quantities.
They’re legal in several countries, including China, where the treats are manufactured, but not in the United States.
Later in 2013, a batch of Purina ONE dog food was recalled due to low levels of thiamine.
2012
A single lot of Purina Veterinary Diets OM Overweight Management Feline Formula was recalled due to inadequate thiamine levels.
2011
Some Purina cat foods were recalled due to possible salmonella contamination.
2007
Purina recalled all sizes and varieties of Alpo Prime Cuts in Gravy dog food due to potential melamine contamination.
What Kinds of Cat Food Does Purina Offer?
Purina stands behind some of the most easily-recognizable brands in the cat food industry.
Fancy Feast was created in 1982 and is positioned as a gourmet cat food providing delicious, sensory experiences for cats. Fancy Feast includes over 100 recipes, including patés, broths, and morsels in gravy.
Purina ONE is marketed as a top-of-the-line cat food “dedicated to the lifelong potential of your pet”. The brand includes dry and wet foods.
Friskies is one of the oldest and most popular cat food brands. In 2017, it was the United States’ leading wet cat food, generating almost 586 million dollars in sales. The Friskies product lineup includes economy-level dry food, wet food, and treats.
Beyond
Beyond is Purina’s natural food line. All Beyond foods are free of corn, wheat, and soy, with no poultry by-product meal or artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.
Purina Beyond foods are made in US facilities and are covered by Purina’s Traceability Guarantee. The brand’s Simple Origins line is Non-GMO Project verified. The Beyond cat food lineup includes wet cat food, dry cat food, and treats.
Deli-Cat
Purina Deli-Cat is a low-cost dry food. It’s a plant-based, corn-heavy food made with the flavors of turkey, fish, and liver.
Similar to Deli-Cat, Kit & Kaboodle is an inexpensive cat food brand. It offers just two recipes, and both are dry foods.
Purina Muse cat food is available in dry and wet varieties. All Muse cat foods are made with natural ingredients and are covered by the brand’s “Clean Plate Guarantee”. This guarantee promises a refund if your cat doesn’t love the food.
During Purina co-founder William Danforth’s experience as YMCA secretary in World War 1, he observed that soldiers got excited when their meals were called “chow” rather than “food”. When he got back, Danforth substituted the word “chow” for “feed” in the names of all their products.
When Purina started making cat food in the 1960s, they called it Cat Chow. Today, Purina Cat Chow is available in a variety of formulations for unique needs, including life stage and lifestyle.
Purina Pro Plan was developed in 1986 and, according to the company, was the first brand of pet food to feature real meat as the first ingredient. There are four lines of Pro Plan cat food.
The Savor line offers a variety of aromas, tastes, and textures. Focus provides nutrition geared towards specific health needs, including hairballs and urinary tract health. The True Nature line emphasizes instinct-satisfying, meat-based foods. The Prime Plus line is developed for senior cats age seven and over.
Pro Plan Veterinary Diets
This is Purina’s line of prescription diets for specific health needs. The lineup includes food for dental health, diabetes, GI issues, allergies, and more.
Purina Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Price per Ounce | Our Grade |
| Purina Beyond White Meat Chicken & Whole Oat Meal Recipe | Dry | $0.14 per oz | C |
| Purina Cat Chow Indoor Hairball & Healthy Weight Dry Cat Food | Dry | $0.05 per oz | D |
| Purina Fancy Feast Classic Pate Chicken Feast | Wet | $0.31 per oz | B- |
#1 Purina Beyond Simply White Meat Chicken & Whole Oat Meal Recipe Dry Cat Food
Chicken and chicken meal appear to be the primary protein sources in this dry cat food.
Like all Purina Beyond recipes, this dry food concentrates on recognizable, natural ingredients. Chicken and chicken meal are the first ingredients, followed by a variety of grains and other plants, including whole barley, rice, whole oat meal, and pea protein.
The food is free of artificial ingredients, including artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.
Overall, this dry cat food has moderate protein content, moderate fat, and high carbohydrate content. It has 421 calories per cup.
Ingredients
Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Barley, Rice, Whole Oat Meal, Dried Egg Product, Pea Protein, Dried Yeast, Beef Fat Preserved with Mixed-Tocopherols, Pea Fiber, Natural Liver Flavor, Phosphoric Acid, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, L-Lysine Monohydrochloride, Sodium Bisulfate, Dried Carrots, Dried Apples, Taurine, Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B-3), Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B-5), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B-2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Folic Acid (Vitamin B-9), Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Vitamin K), Vitamin D-3 Supplement], Choline Chloride, Minerals [Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite]. F-4260
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Whole Barley, Rice, Whole Oat Meal, Pea Protein, Pea Fiber
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Chicken appears to be the primary protein source
- No animal by-products
- No artificial ingredients
Cons
- Unnecessarily high carbohydrate content
- Pea protein is added as a concentrated source of plant protein
#2 Purina Cat Chow Indoor Hairball & Healthy Weight Dry Cat Food
Corn and poultry by-product meal appear to be the primary protein sources in this wet cat food.
Like most other foods for indoor cats, this Purina Cat Chow recipe is based on the premise that indoor cats are prone to hairballs and obesity, necessitating a low-calorie, high-fiber diet. It also contains what Purina calls an “immune health blend” of antioxidants.
The first ingredient in this food is corn meal, followed by poultry by-product meal, corn gluten meal, and soy flour. Plant ingredients appear to provide the majority of the protein in this recipe. Powdered cellulose and soybean hulls serve as sources of fiber.
Purina Cat Chow Indoor Complete contains multiple artificial colors, including Red 40, Blue 2, and Yellow 5, all of which are linked to serious health and behavioral issues.
Overall, Purina Cat Chow Indoor Complete is a plant-based dry cat food with moderate protein content, low fat, and high carbohydrate matter. Like most indoor formulas, it’s relatively low-calorie with 361 calories per cup.
Ingredients
Corn Meal, Poultry By-Product Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Soy Flour, Animal Fat Preserved with Mixed-Tocopherols, Powdered Cellulose, Animal Liver Flavor, Soybean Hulls, Calcium Carbonate, Phosphoric Acid, Salt, Natural Flavor, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Parsley Flakes, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Manganese Sulfate, Niacin, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Red 40, Copper Sulfate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Blue 2, Yellow 5, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Biotin, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K Activity), Sodium Selenite. L-4500.
Ingredients We Liked: None
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Corn Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Soy Flour, Soybean Hulls
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Economical
- Cats enjoy the food’s taste
Cons
- High carbohydrate content
- Made from vaguely-labeled animal by-products
- Contains minimally nutritious plant ingredients
- Contains artificial colors
#3 Purina Fancy Feast Classic Pate Chicken Feast
Chicken appears to be the primary protein source in this wet cat food.
This popular canned cat food is made primarily from chicken, followed by poultry broth, liver, meat by-products, and fish.
The food contains a few artificial ingredients, including artificial flavor and added color. Food dyes have been linked to multiple health issues among animals and people and may be worth avoiding. Because the dye is anonymously referred to as “added color”, it’s impossible to know which dye is used and which potential health effects it brings.
It’s thickened with guar gum, which is a natural thickener and stabilizer derived from guar beans. While common in wet cat food, guar gum isn’t a natural part of the feline diet.
Overall, this is a meat-based, high-protein cat food with moderate fat and moderate carbohydrate content.
There are 99 calories in each 3 oz can of this food.
Ingredients
Chicken, Poultry Broth, Liver, Meat By-Products, Fish, Artificial And Natural Flavors, Tricalcium Phosphate, Guar Gum, Added Color, Salt, Minerals [Potassium Chloride, Magnesium Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Potassium Iodide], Taurine, Vitamins [Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B-3), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B-5), Vitamin A Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Vitamin K), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B-2), Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Biotin (Vitamin B-7), Folic Acid (Vitamin B-9), Vitamin D-3 Supplement], Sodium Nitrite (To Promote Color Retention). D-6672.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Artificial Flavors, Added Color
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Primarily made from animal protein sources
- Rich in protein
- Relatively low carbohydrate content
- Cats love the way this paté tastes
Cons
- Made with artificial ingredients
- Meat by-products may not be the best protein source
What Do Customers Think of Purina Cat Food?
Millions of people buy and feed their cats Purina cat food every day. Most customer reviews are positive, saying that Purina food is affordable and appetizing.
At the same time, Purina gets its share of negative comments.
As we saw in the 2015 Beneful lawsuit, thousands of people have reported that their cats and dogs got sick after eating Purina food. With a reach as broad as Purina’s, it’s hard to know which of these incidents are coincidences and which are the result of something Purina did wrong.
Positive Reviews
“I’ve gone through a lot of foods including high end brands searching for something that wouldn’t come right back up after eating. I’ve tried the other flavors of BEYOND but my cats seem to prefer the Whole Oatmeal formula. I’ve noticed with this flavor there is much less heaving and vomiting after meals. I expect that with time it will stop altogether. Hairballs have lessened as well.” – Focus, reviewing Purina Beyond Simply White Meat Chicken with Oats
My 3 indoor cats just love Purina Indoor Formula cat food. My Callie cat is so healthy and is approaching 13 yrs of age and has eaten this food the whole time. I have to 4 yr old boy cats who are also healthy and they also love this food.” – NatureLover, reviewing Purina Indoor Complete Cat Chow
Negative Reviews
“My cat refuses to eat anything but this food. I’ve tried to switch her to grain free foods. High protein foods. Healthy foods. She will starve herself until she gets her junk food back. I’m rating it a 1 star because the ingredients are awful (cats don’t need corn), her fur isn’t healthy and her feces smells awful and is very soft. I’m not expecting poo to smell great but this is rancid I will continue to buy this because I can’t have her starving herself” – kitandluna, reviewing Purina Indoor Complete Cat Chow
“Junk food for cats, naturally they love it. I will feed occasionally, fed up with serving wholesome natural ingredients that most of mine turn tail and walk away.” – Farmerjane, reviewing Purina Fancy Feast Chicken Feast Paté
How Much Does Purina Cat Food Cost?
Their products range from ultra-cheap to premium, covering everything from grocery store kibble to veterinary products available by prescription only. There’s a Purina food for every budget.
If you’re shopping for wet food, daily feeding costs range from about $1.22 per day for Friskies cat food up to $6.40 a day for Muse grain-free filets in broth.
Purina’s dry foods are cheaper than their wet foods. Kit & Kaboodle, for example, will cost about $0.09 per day. Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diet DM costs about $0.71 per day.
Overall, Is Purina a Good Choice?
Purina cat foods are affordable, easy to find in stores around the world, and cats usually love the way they taste. However, they aren’t the safest or the most species-appropriate choice.
The company has initiated at least five recalls and one market withdrawal since 2004, and most of their recipes contain at least a few artificial ingredients and plenty of plant matter.
If you choose to buy Purina food, opt for their wet foods, which have higher meat content, lower carbohydrates, and provide the hydration cats need.
Purina Muse stands out as their simplest wet food, while some canned Pro Plan and Beyond recipes may also be a good choice.
If you’re on a budget, Purina Friskies and Fancy Feast are good options to consider. While they contain animal by-products and artificial ingredients, these foods are more carnivore-appropriate than most dry foods and some premium wet foods.
Where To Buy Purina Cat Food?
Purina cat food is easy to find in grocery stores, pet specialty retailers, and big box stores around the world. Online, you’ll find it on Amazon, Chewy, and a variety of other online retailers.
I’m interested in knowing if Purina Wet Cat Food is cooked or raw ?
Hi Richard, all Purina wet cat foods are cooked, not raw. Thanks for commenting!
Within the last year Purina has changed the formula of their canned Purina One grainfree ocean whitefish and their Fancy Feast sole, cod and shrimp recipes. My cat once gobbled these selections with gusto but he sniffs and walks away now. Even I can see the food is difference in color and smell when I compare older batches with the newest. Another time the tops of the aluminum cans were splattered with a dark substance that actually deteriorated the finish on the can. Repeated contact resulted initially with polite concern, denials and bunches of coupons. Now when I query them about yet another change to a Fancy Feast product they don’t answer at all. As a consumer and a Nestles stock holder I have lost all confidence in their products. I cannot say anything good about this company’s products anymore and would say beware to anyone who feeds this to a treasured pet.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Debra.
I whole heartly agree with Debra. My 15 year old cat is acting the same way.
When i explained this problem with Petco today they said they would be happy to suggest some other brands to try on my cat which I plan on doing. I am tired of throwing my money away on this junk.
I have feed my cat Purina Pro Plan wet pate for years and he loved it. Now he just sniffs and may take one bite and walk away.
Agree. I have eight rescues so buy alot of cat food. I will no longer buy ANY of the Fancy Feast seafood flavors. They all have a darker grayish color (they say it’s because they removed the food coloring which can’t be because they are all much darker than before). I fear they are either manufacturing them in China so they can source and add whatever ingredients they want (which sounds like “meat by products” varies per batch.) Or are they adding insect protein?
Please don’t advertise Purina being a good cat food. Especially when you rate it 5 out of 10. Look at your ratings on Ingredient quality as well
Hi Gary, thanks for your comment and suggestion. It sounds like you may have spotted a contradiction somewhere in the review or elsewhere on the site, but I’m not sure what you’re referring to. If you could clarify, I’ll be happy to correct any inconsistencies.
Best,
Mallory
Have you changed the cat chow recipe besides the shape. My 11 Yr old cat and my feral cat used to love the Naturals dry cat food . Now they won’t eat it at all.Has anyone else noticed this in their cat(s)?
Hi Lois, it appears that the Purina Naturals cat food has had the same recipe for a while and I haven’t seen any indication that the recipe has changed, but you can contact Purina’s customer support line to report your concern and get more details on any changes. https://www.purina.com/contact-us
Yes, my one cat won’t eat the newest bad i bought!
I used to feed Purina dry food to my cat but the last year and a half if he has any of it vomits all over the place. Changed his dry food over to a different brand and no vomiting. Something is not right with Purina dry food.
I do feed my cats wet but they love Royal Canin dry. RC has a moderate calorie urinary formula which the cats automatically loved but their absolute favorite is the Glycobalance which is chicken flavored and has more protein. I also give them Purina Pro Plan HydraCare. I mix it with about 5 packages of cold water and they drink it all down. Like liver flavored Kool Aid.
Hello! My veterinary recommended me to feed my cat Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets for senior cats. Do you recommend it as well? Thanks!
Hi Julie, not necessarily! If your senior has kidney disease, a Purina Pro Plan veterinary diet may be a fair solution for a tight situation, but otherwise, a veterinary diet is not necessary for senior cat health.
I’m curious what ‘Top 3 Recipes Reviewed’ actually means, since I believe Purina Beyond Grain Free would have gotten a higher score than the Fancy Feast.
Hi Roman, good question. In the same way that we rate brands according to the We’re All About Cats Standard, we apply the same grading system to individual recipes. The grades shown in that section are based on the Standard, which considers six equally-weighted dimensions. These are species appropriateness, ingredient quality, product variety, price, customer experience, and recall history. You can learn more about our rating factors here: https://cats.com/cat-food-reviews
Isn’t the Beyond the one that includes insect protein?
How can you recommend any Purina food if it is well known that Nestlé uses GMO cultives, they add grain in the pet food, and they use by-meat products of unknown sources? As far as we know they can be using fishes with high doses of mercury or parts of animals with tumours that have been discarded for human consume. Also its food contains sugar that is completely unnecessary for cats. It’s no a 5/10 it’s more a 1/10 like most supermarkets brands.
Can I change Hills Metabolic Diet to Purina Cat Chow with my 11 year old diabetic cat? He gets Pro Zinc Insulin twice daily.
Hi Ella, you should be able to make that transition, but it’s important to closely monitor your cat’s blood sugar to make sure that he gets the right amount of insulin. I would recommend talking to your veterinarian before making the switch. Additionally, Purina Cat Chow is not the ideal food for a cat with diabetes. You might like our veterinarian-reviewed article on feline diabetes: https://cats.com/feline-diabetes
I have issues with Purina Catfood. The Purino Pro Veterinarian Adult Essential Catfood is mostly corn, so how can these cheaper versions be any better?
My cats were two brothers, and after several years on Purina food, treats & probiotics one can became obese while the other cat became very skinny. After Thousands $$$ in tests ( the Veterinarian thought he was dying of cancer), nothing was conclusive. I tried giving whole foods, meat I’d eat etc & he slowly came near normal. I kept going back to Purina Essentials Pro Veterinarian Formula because I thought it was healthy! They have to add so many vitamins & taurin to the corn base or the cats would die. Makes me sick to my stomach as my two cats are now more affectionate, playful & their fur looks better just a month after introducing a biologically appropriate food that is over 65% REAL meat- not all corn! (Cats are carnivores). Recently saw the Documentry Pet Fooled on how the Candy Industry has bought out all the brand name pet foods & loads them with corn & wheat! So sad, as it cause arthritis, obesity & cancer. Please don’t feed your pet foods containing corn & wheat especially cats as it isn’t biologically appropriate.
So true. Corn based cat food will cause sickness in cats. Purina is now owned by Nestle chocolates.
My cat and the cats of several friends that I checked with vomit when eating fancy feast wet food. We have all had to stop feeding this to them.
I am hvaing a hard time finding a dry food my cat will eat. She would only eat Deli cat. CAn you text me your closest food to that?
Hello Kay, how many different types of food have you tried? Deli-Cat food is a pretty standard mixed-meat dry cat food and I’m sure you can find many similar options. Purina Cat Chow, for example, should be similar. A slow transition will also help your cat to become acclimated to the new flavor.
I don’t like feeding my senior cat Purina, but she won’t eat anything else including the kidney specific diet her vet put her on. She’ll go days without eating more than a few bites of anything that isn’t Purina. I don’t know how to break this habit or if there is any Purina food that would be (mostly) good for her.
Ive seen one of my cats try and eat plastic. And yet she will not touch purina dry food. My older cat throws up when she eats it.
Its good for the price. But if you care about your cats health dont buy this cheap crap
Thanks for sharing your experience, Ashley.
Umm i’m not seeing Purina Felix listed? Was contemplating giving my one Felix so finding that missing I’m not sure how good it is?
Hi Peter, this article was geared towards a US audience, so we didn’t include Felix. Sorry about that! To give you a brief summary of my thoughts on Felix, it really depends on which variety you choose, but the ingredients generally look a bit vague with relatively generous plant inclusions, making it a less-than-ideal choice both in terms of ingredient quality and nutritional composition.
My kitties used to Love fancy feast pates, but not anymore. I crack open a can, they get excited, take a whiff & walk away…they must have changed recipes. There must be a huge change in their canned food within the last year or two. Honestly, I’m so angry with the amount of food I’ve had to throw out, not to mention the cost. They also were “gravy lovers,” I could always get them to lick the gravy off of a can of “gravy lovers “even if they didn’t eat the meat, but they just walk away. What the heck is going on??????
I would be sure to rule out an issue on your kittens’ end—while the food may be to blame, you wouldn’t want to overlook a health issue that’s causing your kittens to lose interest in the food. Other than that, I appreciate you mentioning this! We’ll keep this experience in mind while working on any updates to existing content related to Fancy Feast.
Same with all my cats. See my earlier comment.
What are your thoughts on Purina Pro Plan LiveClear?
I apologize if you already went over this. I tried a search and could find any info on it.
Hello AJ, thank you for commenting! I’m glad you mentioned this—I’ve added it to the topic list. Purina’s LiveClear formulas are not the best option nutritionally, and they’re also not a complete solution for people with allergies. If you’re already feeding another comparable formula and have allergies, it might be worth it to switch over and use it as a complement to your allergy medications, but it won’t solve all of your problems.
Hey! If you had to pick your top 3 dry cat food, what would they be? Based on quality -price! My cat eats acana, but I’m always wondering what really is the best choice!
Hi Jonas, you might appreciate our article on the best dry cat food. I can’t really summarize it any better than this article does. 🙂
My cat is 20 years old and has been eating Purina Fancy Feast Elegant Medleys chicken and turkey varieties for 16 years. Over the past few months they changed the formula for all of these products. The food smells different, looks different and my cat will barely eat any of it. Is there any possibility that Purina will bring back the original recipes for these Elegant Medley products?
Hard to say. If you contact the company and make sure they’re aware of the issue, you could somewhat increase that possibility. Thank you for sharing.
I own one 12 year old at and feed two outdoor feral cats. I’ve been feeding my cat Fancy Feast, Friskies, and the Purina Cat Chow dry for over 6 yrs, and the ferals the exact same food for 2 yrs, and no problems, Now, for the past month I have a serious problem with all of them not wanting to eat the wet and barely tolerating the dry. While glad they are still eating the dry I am now certain that something was done to the recipe of the wet food that is causing them to not eat it. Inflation is really hurting pet owners and to have to toss out food and waste so much money is especially disgusting when a food manufacturer keeps denying CHANGING the ingredients in a food that has CLEARLY been changed. I’m now on the hunt for a different brand but it is extremely upsetting for me and my kitties. 8/19/2022
That sounds frustrating, Sandra! I’m sure the cats appreciate your attention, though it sounds like they’re not making it easy on you! Hope you can find something that works for your kitties and your budget.
You can find a few more affordable picks here:
https://cats.com/best-cheap-cat-food
This is embarrassing. You have no animal nutrition qualifications and you are judging food made by a team of animal nutrition experts. Fed up with people spreading false information. You seem to be against by-products, do you even know what they are? They’re the organs that humans don’t won’t eat but are full of minerals and vitamins, and are what a cat would be eating in the wild when they consume a whole mouse. If they don’t use by-products in pet food, they go to waste, which is pretty terrible for the environment and sustainability.
Hi Amy, the concern with byproducts mostly relates to the fact that these ingredients are seldom held to the same quality standards as non-byproducts, and this may lead to decreased digestibility and, potentially, an increased health risk (though a lot of other factors are also at play here). However, these ingredients are far from the biggest problem you could find in cat food, and you’re right that professional formulation and rigorous testing through feeding trials tell us more than this non-expert evaluation.
Why are you giving Purina such a bad rating? I have feed my cats Purina products for over 30 years and found them to be very good for my cats. I had one of my cats live to be 22 years old and I have 2 cats now that are 15 years old and 16 years old and they eat only Purina cat food, both dry and canned.
Hi Sharin, good question. Purina is certainly a popular brand and many pet parents swear by it. If it works for your cat, great! Our rating system is based on how closely a product approximates a biologically appropriate diet for cats, taking into account additional factors like product recalls, customer satisfaction, and price. In this case, the high carbohydrate content (particularly corn, wheat, and soy ingredients) combined with the frequency of recalls significantly detracted from Purina’s overall score.
DO NOT BUY PURINA!!! Look at the listed things up there, this website will not spell it out for you due to Purina being a big company. Even the Fancy Feast option is horrendous.Stay well away from every, single Purina product.