Is Meow Mix cat food bad for cats

Meow Mix Cat Food Review of 2024: Recalls, Pros & Cons

Review Summary

Our Final Verdict

We give Meow Mix cat food a rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars.

Meow Mix is one of the most popular cat food brands. Its manufactured in Alabama and Thailand, and cats all over the world love it. As their jingle states, cats ask for it by name. Because of its tasty flavor, affordability, and ease of access, Meow Mix is a favorite among cat owners and cats.

Still, Meow Mix isnt necessarily the best option for all cats. Because Meow Mix does not contain the healthiest ingredients, cats with health conditions need healthier brands tailored to their health needs. Nevertheless, many cats have lived long and healthy lives on Meow Mix, making it a great go-to option for healthy cats and homes on a budget.

To learn more about Meow Mix, read on. This comprehensive review tells you everything you need to know about Meow Mix, like its ingredients, recall history, recipes, and more.

At a Glance: The Best Meow Mix Cat Food Recipes:

Meow Mix Cat Food Reviewed

Overall, Meow Mix is a reliable and affordable brand loved by cats worldwide. Although cats love this food, it often contains unhealthy ingredients and plant-based protein, making it a less-than-ideal choice for cats with health conditions. Healthy cats, however, will be more than happy with this food and likely live a long life!

Who Makes Meow Mix & Where Is It Produced?

Meow Mix has a very long history, dating back to 1974. Initially, it was owned by the Ralston Purina Company, which is now called Nestle-Purina. Since then, the brand has been sold to various owners, such as Del Monte Foods.

In 2015, Meow Mix was bought by J.M. Smucker, who integrated it as part of the J.M. Smucker Big Heart Pet Brand line. This line also produces several other cat and dog foods, such as Dick Van Pattens Natural Balance and Rachael Ray Nutrish.

Today, all Meow Mix dry food is produced in Decatur, Alabama, which is also the companys primary facility. The wet cat food, however, is produced in Thailand. Unfortunately, the company does not release information relating to sourcing practices.

Which Type of Cats Is Meow Mix Best Suited For?

Meow Mix is best for healthy housecats with no known health concerns. As we will discuss later, Meow Mix doesnt necessarily have the best ingredients, but generations of cats have been raised on Meow Mix to live long lives. If your cat has no known health concerns, they will likely love Meow Mix.

Which Types of Cats Might Do Better with a Different Brand?

Because Meow Mixs ingredients arent the healthiest, cats with health conditions should eat another brand. Health conditions include cancer, obesity, allergens, or a sensitive stomach. For example, cats with sensitive stomachs should try Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Natural Adult Dry Cat Food instead.

Its vital to talk to your vet if your cat has health conditions. Your vet will direct you towards a healthier brand that targets your cats exact needs.

Discussion of the Primary Ingredients

Most Meow Mix foods have key ingredients in all their recipes. Lets take a look at the ingredients of both dry and wet Meow Mix cat foods.

Dry Food

Meow Mix is most known for their dry food varieties. Cats seem to love the mix, which is affordable and easy to find at the grocery store. Despite these benefits, the ingredients are not the best. The mix is very carb-heavy, and the ingredients are low-quality.

In many of the dry mixes, corn gluten meal is the primary protein source. Though it is a high-protein ingredient, it is a plant protein cats do not naturally consume. Another plant protein used frequently is soybean meal. Soybean meal comes with more health concerns than corn gluten meal because it is associated with health problems in cats because of its phytoestrogen content.

In addition to plant proteins, meat by-products (like chicken or beef) are used for protein and nutrition. Though meat by-products are cat-safe and better than plant protein, meat by-products are not good quality meat. Some of the more animal-based proteins actually only contain animal fat, not protein.

The number one ingredient in many dry mixes is ground whole corn. It is packed with carbohydrates, which is not suitable for cats. Still, the ingredient is added because it gives the kibble a crunch that cats love.

Finally, Meow Mix dry foods have flavor additives and additional minerals and vitamins. The vitamins and minerals are healthy for your cat, but artificial colors and flavorings can be harmful.

Wet Food

Though the Meow Mix dry cat food is easier for us to serve, cats love the wet food the most. It has a protein base that is mixed in with gravy and other ingredients. Like dry cat food, wet food comes in many flavors, though the ingredients are lacking.

As for the protein source, wet foods rely more on animal protein (like chicken or tuna), which is a good thing. They rarely come with plant protein. As a result, the protein source is much more cat-friendly.

The wet food includes an oil for the gravy or wetness of the can. For example, many fish-based recipes have soil-bean oil, which provides fat and a boost of flavor.

The recipe will be stabilized in different stabilizer ingredients, like guar gum. These ingredients are rarely cat-friendly and are often associated with cancer and other health conditions, especially when the ingredients are degraded.

A Flavor for Every Feline

Meow Mix provides a flavor for every feline. Because Meow Mix has such a long-standing consumer base, they have just about every flavor imaginable. Whether your cat likes tuna or chicken, Meow Mix has an option to please even the pickiest of eaters.

Part of the reason cats love Meow Mix so much is that it has such a high carb and fat content. On one hand, carbs are addictive and make cats feel full. On the other hand, fat tastes delicious, making your cat come back for more.

Poor Ingredient Quality

Even though cats love Meow Mix, that does not mean you need to feed it to them often. As mentioned, cats love Meow Mix because of its high carb and fat content. In any cat diet, protein should be the star of the show, not carbohydrates or fat. Both can make your cat fat and lead to other health issues.

Additionally, much of the protein in Meow Mix food is from poor-quality ingredients. For starters, cats should not eat plant protein. Animal by-products are a better protein source than plant protein, but they arent as healthy as animal protein.

Even when the recipes use animal protein, however, most ingredients are plant-based. This isnt necessarily a critique of Meow Mix alone. Almost all dry cat food varieties are primarily made from plants to get that crunchy texture cats know and love.

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A Quick Look at Meow Mix Cat Food

Pros

• Cats love it
• A large variety of flavors
• Affordable
• Easy to find at the store

Cons

• Does not contain all cat-friendly ingredients
• Fattening
• Low-quality protein sources

Recall History

Meow Mix has one voluntary recall from April 2021, where J. M. Smuckers Co. announced that the Original Choice Dry Cat Food (30-lb bags) could potentially contain salmonella. More details about this recall can be read about here.

In 2015, Meow Mix was found to have the highest mycotoxin mold contamination. These results were found in a study that was crowdfunded by a consumer advocacy group.

In case you were unaware, mycotoxins are created by either mold or fungus, and they typically grow on grains, wheat, and corn. Consuming mycotoxins can lead to acute or chronic illnesses. Small ingestion of mycotoxins over time, for example, can lead to cancer, kidney failure, and liver toxicity.

Reviews of the 3 Best Meow Mix Cat Food Recipes

Here is a look at the top three Meow Mix Cat Food Recipes:

1. Meow Mix Tender Favorites with Real Tuna & Whole Shrimp in Sauce

The Meow Mix Tender Favorites with Real Tuna & Whole Shrimp in Sauce is our favorite. Even incredibly picky eaters love this food and the taste of real tuna and shrimp in a cup.

We love this recipe because it contains more animal-based protein and fat than the dry food varieties. In fact, this recipe is about 78% protein, whereas the other two were only about 39% protein. Plus, this protein comes from animals, not plants.

The biggest downside of this recipe is that cats shouldnt have fish every day. Though it is suitable occasionally, recipes made with chicken or turkey are much more cat-friendly. Still, this is a much more manageable downside since you can limit how much you feed your cat with this recipe.

Calorie Breakdown:

Pros

• Cats love it
• Fortified with vitamins and minerals
• Contains animal-sourced fat
• Contain animal-based protein
• Majority of calories are protein

Cons

• More expensive than dry cat food
• Cats should not have seafood every day

2. Meow Mix Tender Centers Salmon & White Meat Chicken Dry Cat Food

The Meow Mix Tender Centers Salmon & White Meat Chicken Dry Cat Food has a flavor that cats go crazy for. It combines salmon and chicken with a crunchy outer layer and a meaty center. This recipe is high in protein, though cats love it most for its delicious flavor and dual texture.

As for the ingredients, it contains animal-sourced fat. The primary protein source is chicken by-product meal. Although chicken by-product meal is not high quality, it still is better than plant-based protein, which cats have not evolved to eat.

Much like the other dry food variety, this one contains several unhealthy ingredients. For example, it has corn syrup, dye, and other harmful ingredients. All these ingredients are linked to obesity and other health concerns common in cats.

Calorie Breakdown:

Pros

• Affordable
• Easy to find at the store
• Cats love it
• Fortified with vitamins and minerals
• Contains animal-sourced fat
• Contains animal by-products for protein

Cons

• Contains a lot of plant ingredients
• Contains animal by-products

3. Meow Mix Original Choice Dry Cat Food

The Meow Mix Original Choice Dry Cat Food is easily the most popular recipe. Using delicious flavors of turkey, salmon, and fish, this original recipe has been loved by cats for generations. It provides a taste that cats cant get enough of.

At the same time, the Meow Mix Original Choice Dry Cat Food is fortified with essential vitamins and minerals, ensuring your cat gets all of the nutrition they need. Plus, it contains animal-sourced fats, which cats need in a healthy diet.

The main downside of this mix is that it isnt made with the best ingredients. Most of the protein comes from corn gluten meal. As we learned above, it is a plant-based protein, not an animal-based protein. Additionally, the fact that it offers the flavors of meat is deceiving. It doesnt contain a lot of animal protein, though it has animal by-products.

Calorie Breakdown:

Pros

• Affordable
• Easy to find at the store
• Cats love it
• Fortified with vitamins and minerals
• Contains animal-sourced fat

Cons

• Contains plant protein
• Contains animal by-products

What Other Users Are Saying

Its important to do your research before buying food for your friendly feline. In addition to reading our review, you can read what other users are saying below.

• Petmom My finicky 15-year-old kitty has decided that this is the only food he will eat. I love the bigger size cups and the convenience of the tear-off lid. It has the consistency of tuna, and its very juicy, which is great for kitties who dont like to drink water.
• Kirsten Love this food, as its the only brand/flavor my picky cat really seems to like.
• Amazon As cat owners, its up to us to feed our cats delicious and nutritious food. To ensure that you always feed your feline the best food on the market, always read customer reviews first. You can read some by clicking here.

Conclusion

Meow Mix is an affordable and convenient brand cats love. Though it does not contain the healthiest or cat-friendly ingredients, most healthy cats can live long and healthy lives on this food. If your cat has health conditions, however, we recommend talking to your vet about a cat food specific for your cats needs.

If you are sold on Meow Mix, try the Tender Favorites with Real Tuna & Whole Shrimp in Sauce. Of the recipes we looked at, it had the most animal protein. Just be sure to alternate food since cats should not eat seafood every day.