Is Purina Pro Plan a good cat food brand

The Best Cat Food Brands, According to Vets in 2022

In addition to high-quality protein sources and nutritious animal protein by-products like liver and other organ meats, you may find grains on your foods ingredient listand thats perfectly acceptable for your cats diet. Dr. Simpson says. Grains and corn are often misrepresented as pet food fillers; however, these ingredients are actually good sources of vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and fiber, she explains, adding that, though cats are obligate carnivores, they can digest the carbohydrates found in conventional cat foods.

How do I choose between the different types of cat food?

Factors like age, breed, and health can certainly play a role when selecting the right consistency of food for your cat, as do their personal preferences, Dr. Simpson says. On one hand, dry cat food, like kibble, comes in an array of shapes and textures, and can help with dental concerns like tartar control. Plus, pet owners on a budget and low on time may like that dry food tends to be more convenient to feed and less expensive than wet cat food.

On the other hand, wet food has a higher moisture content, which can be beneficial for cats who need more hydration in their diets like those with diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and lower urinary tract disease, Dr. Simpson says. She also notes that the consistency of wet food, which ranges from pates to stews, is easier for cats with fewer teeth to chew. You can even mix a little dry and a little wet food together if your cat doesnt seem to like the texture of just one.

What not to feed your cat?

Outside of standard dry, moist, and wet cat foods, Dr. Simpson cautions cat owners against feeding cats all-raw or homemade diets. The former, she explains, offers no benefits over regular commercial cat food in terms of nutritional needs, and can even lead to nutritional deficiencies and food-borne illnesses. Meanwhile, the latter also puts cats at risk of deficiencies. If youre interested in making your cats food at home, Dr. Simpson recommends getting in touch with a veterinary nutritionist through the American College of Veterinary Nutrition.

Speaking of getting in touch with an expert, that is the best route to take if youre completely unsure what might be, say, the best dry cat food or canned food for your kitty. With hundreds of different brands and potentially misleading advertising and online information, it can be confusing and frustrating to choose the best diet for your cat, Dr. Simpson says. The best way to choose an appropriate diet is to ask your veterinarian for a recommendation.

The best vet-recommended cat food to try

With that in mind, theres no way we could feature every single healthy, protein-rich cat food brand on the market right now, but with the guidelines referenced by Dr. Simpson (and some help from the internets most enthusiastic reviewers), weve highlighted some of the best cat food brands for you to try below.

Its no coincidence that foods from Hills Science Dietand Hills Prescription Diet, the brands arm that addresses health concerns like sensitive stomachs, urinary tract issues, and maintaining a healthy weightregularly appear on the shelves at vets offices. This brand is a standard-bearer when it comes to AAFCO- and WSAVA-compliant foods, and it employs over 200 scientists at its Global Pet Nutrition Center.

Hill's Science Diet Adult Perfect Digestion Salmon Dry Cat Food

Hill's Science Diet Adult Savory Turkey Entree Canned Cat Food

Another favorite among veterinarians, Royal Canins in-house team of veterinarians and nutritionists puts all of its meals through an extensive development process before presenting them to customers. Among its special offerings you can find kitten food and meals made especially for older and senior cats, plus recipes rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for shinier coats.

Royal Canin Indoor Adult Dry Cat Food

Royal Canin Intense Beauty Thin Slices in Gravy Canned Cat Food

For science-backed recipes packed with healthy proteins and carbs that wont put a huge dent in your wallet, Purina Pro Plan is an excellent choice. From indoor cats to senior cats to cats that are prone to hairballs, this brands offerings have an option thatll keep your cat well-fed and healthy. Purina One, a less expensive alternative from the same brand, doesnt offer as many health-specific recipes, but will still provide your cat with a balanced diet.

Purina Pro Plan Chicken & Rice Formula with Probiotics High Protein Cat Food

Purina Pro Plan Savor Adult Tuna Entree in Sauce

Merrick is a standout among pet food brands for its team of nutritional experts, company-run canneries and factories, and its enduring dedication to making foods free of artificial flavors, preservatives, or fillers. Its Purrfect Bistro line of cat foods contains all the necessary vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, and fiber that a happy, healthy cat needs. And the line features salmon, beef, and chicken recipes that are made to promote hairball control and healthy skin and coats.

Merrick Purrfect Bistro Grain-Free Real Salmon + Sweet Potato Recipe Adult

Merrick Purrfect Bistro Beef Pate Grain-Free Canned Cat Food

This brand isnt on the same name-recognition level as, say, Purina, but its nutritional chops put it on the map all the same. In the name of continued advancement in pet nutrition, Farminas Vet Research team works with independent vets to develop its recipes. Said recipes contain ingredients sourced from heavily vetted farms and producers, so you can trust your cat is enjoying healthy, high-quality meals.

Farmina N&D Prime Boar & Apple Recipe Adult Cat Dry Food

Farmina Natural & Delicious Prime Boar & Apple Canned Cat Food

With premium ingredients packed and an ever-expanding in-house Health and Nutrition Advisory Board, VetDiets mission is true to its name, producing meals that prioritize your cat's health and wellness. This 25-year-old, family-run company has delicious meals made for all life stages (from kittens to older cats), and for specific needs like immune system support and weight control. It even makes healthy cat treats, for when your cat has been an especially good girl or boy (in other words, always).

Vetdiet Chicken & Rice Formula Adult Dry Cat Food

Vetdiet Adult Cat Chicken Formula Wet Food

Natures Logic was founded on the value of whole-food nutrition, meaning its products dont contain added synthetic ingredientsall the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients your cat needs come from meats, veggies, and healthy carbs. For quality control and contamination prevention, the brand directly purchases or approves all of its ingredient sources, and it tests every batch of food that come out of its U.S.-based manufacturing locations.

Nature's Logic Feline Chicken Meal Feast Dry Cat Food

Nature's Logic Feline Rabbit Feast Grain-Free Canned Cat Food

Earthborn Holistics cat foods are made in the U.S. out of its own kitchens and factories, which have been family-run for almost 100 years, since the brands founding. It offers both whole-grain and grain-free dry cat food, as well as grain- and gluten-free wet food made with hearty proteins like chicken liver. Across the board, its foods feature animal protein sources like salmon, chicken, duck, and beef as their first ingredient.

Earthborn Holistic Feline Vantage Natural Dry Cat & Kitten Food

Earthborn Holistic Harbor Harvest Grain-Free Natural Canned Cat & Kitten Food

Related:

Purina Pro Plan Cat Food Review

Is Purina Pro Plan a safe, healthy, and high-quality choice for your cat? Find out in our unbiased Purina Pro Plan cat food review.

The Cats.com StandardRating Purina Pro Plan on What Matters

Weve analyzed Purina Pro Plan and graded it according to the Cats.com standard, evaluating the brand on species-appropriateness, ingredient quality, product variety, price, customer experience, and recall history. Heres how it rates in each of these six key areas.

Ratings

• Species-Appropriateness 6/10
• Ingredient Quality 5/10
• Product Variety 7/10
• Price 5/10
• Customer Experience 8/10
• Recall History 5/10

Overall Score: 5.8/10

We give Purina Pro Plan cat food a 36 out of 60 rating or a C+ grade.

About Purina Pro Plan

Sixty years after the company developed its first pet foods, Purina launched a brand called Purina Pro Plan. The brand emphasizes performance, excellence, and expertise. According to Purina, each formula is created with the combined expertise of over 400 scientists, including pet nutritionists, vets, and animal behaviorists.

In this article, well learn more about Pro Plan and its product selection to decide whether or not this brand delivers the quality it promises.

Sourcing And Manufacturing

Purina Pro Plan is manufactured in the United States in Purina-owned facilities. The company uses ingredients sourced around the world.

Has Purina Pro Plan Cat Food Been Recalled?

In 2016, tubs of Purina Pro Plan wet dog food were recalled due to inadequate levels of vitamins and minerals. Other Purina brands have been recalled multiple times.

What Kinds Of Cat Food Does Purina Pro Plan Offer?

Purina Pro Plan offers wet and dry cat food broken into five lines.

• 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.
• Like the Focus line, Veterinary Diets are formulated for cats with allergies, gastrointestinal problems, diabetes, and urinary tract problems. Theyre only available with a veterinarians prescription.
• The True Nature line emphasizes instinct-satisfying, meat-based foods.
• The Prime Plus line is developed for senior cats age seven and over.

Purina Pro Plan Cat Food Top 3 Recipes Reviewed

$27.08 At Chewy

$25.73 At Amazon

Chicken appears to be the primary protein source in this dry cat food.

This is a dry cat food from the Savor line. It sticks to the Purina Pro Plan promise to include meat, poultry, or fish as the first ingredient in every dry recipe. Chicken sits at the top of the ingredient list. Chicken is followed by brewers rice and corn gluten meal, both of which are denser, drier ingredients and may in fact represent a bigger chunk of the foods calorie content than chicken.

But this kibble isnt all plants. It contains poultry by-product meal and dried egg product as protein sources and beef fat as a primary fat source. Later on the ingredient list, it also contains fish meal.

For an added pop of flavor, the food contains natural liver flavor, which is most likely made from hydrolyzed liver. Chicken is a common source of the liver used in cat food, but beyond speculation, the source remains anonymous.

Like other Pro Plan foods, this product contains artificial flavors and colors. Though it doesnt appear that artificial flavor is harmful, some artificial colors are associated with health problems in both animals and humans.

In addition to the standard variety of added vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, this food contains added probiotics, which may support digestive health.

Overall, this food has moderate protein content, moderate fat, and high carbohydrate content.

Though its not particularly groundbreaking, this food has a few nice qualities. The addition of probiotics is a nice touch. The foods carbohydrate content is a little bit lower than that of the average kibble. Otherwise, this food doesnt appear to be much different from the typical kibble youd find at the grocery.

The food has 492 calories per cup.

Chicken, Brewers Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Poultry By-Product Meal, Dried Egg Product, Beef Fat Naturally Preserved With Mixed-Tocopherols, Wheat Flour, Soy Protein Isolate, Fish Meal, Natural Liver Flavor, Brewers Dried Yeast, Inulin, Potassium Chloride, Added Color, L-Lysine Monohydrochloride, Phosphoric Acid, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, VITAMINS [Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B-3), Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B-5), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B-2), Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Folic Acid (Vitamin B-9), Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Biotin (Vitamin B-7), Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Vitamin K)], Taurine, Choline Chloride, MINERALS [Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite], Dried Bacillus Coagulans Fermentation Product, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Vitamin C).

Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Beef Fat

Ingredients We Didnt Like: Brewers Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Wheat Flour, Soy Protein Isolate, Added Color

Crude Protein: 40%

Crude Fat: 16%

Crude Fiber: 2%

Moisture: 12%

Protein: 45.45%

Fat: 18.18%

Fiber: 2.27%

Carbs: 34.09%

Protein: 36.75%

Fat: 35.7%

Carbs: 27.56%

Pros

• Contains added probiotics
• Slightly lower carbohydrate content than other dry foods
• Relies on animal-sourced fat

Cons

• Contains artificial colors and flavors
• High carbohydrate content
• Low moisture content

What Do Customers Think of Purina Pro Plan Cat Food?

Purina Pro Plan is regarded as one of Purinas highest-quality brands and is well-accepted by most customers.

Most Purina Pro Plan product listings receive high ratings and positive feedback. On Consumer Affairs, the brand receives a mix of negative and positive reviews, with things leaning towards negativity. Most complaints are from people whose cats got sick after eating Purina Pro Plan, though there dont seem to be any clear connections between the illness and the food. One reviewer in 2017 found pieces of plastic in their Purina Pro Plan cat food. Another in 2015 said their bag was crawling with maggots.

Positive Reviews

My 3 cats eat this food with no problems. Its not outrageously priced boutique food. Purina has strict testing done to its dog and cat foods. They follow WSAVA (.org) guidelines and are one of 4 companies that do this in the US. Queensnake88, reviewing Purina Pro Plan Savor Chicken & Rice Formula

My 20 year old cat loves the gravy and eats this right up. I can mix his medications in and know hes getting all of it. Jeanie, reviewing Purina Pro Plan Savor Adult White Meat Chicken & Vegetable Entree in Gravy

Negative Reviews

I have been ordering the chicken in gravy flavor for 2 years . Noticed the price went up significantly 3 of the cats ate the chicken in gravy every morning shared 1 can in separate bowls they used to eat the bowls clean . Now they sniff or take ome lick and walk away. I bought the smaller 12 pk variety pack (with the beef flavor pate, turkey pate ,chicken w/gravy ) to see if they were just tired of the flavor No All 3 refused to eat amy of the flavors including the chickens they are for 2 years Did they change the ingredients ? Source of ingredients ? Just rather odd they would alway finished their bowls and now snub walk away Onylme, reviewing Purina Pro Plan Focus Adult Urinary Tract Health Formula Chicken Entree in Gravy

My cat loves the taste of this food, so I bought it. After reading the ingredients, I am sorry I did! It has no better nutrients than store brands or say, meow mix. Great price, good taste for a cat, but a list of ingredients that cats dont need to live. Too many carbs!! Pro Plan is NOT a premium ingredient food. Look for yourself. Pam67, reviewing Purina Pro Plan Savor Chicken & Rice Formula

How Much Does Purina Pro Plan Cat Food Cost?

Purina Pro Plan is a touch pricier than most other brands in the Purina family. On a day-by-day basis, it would cost about $3.55 per day to feed a 10-lb cat one of Purina Pro Plans wet foods and about $0.58 per day to feed her one of their dry recipes.

Overall, Is Purina Pro Plan a Good Choice?

Despite being more expensive and marketed to a quality-oriented consumer, Purina Pro Plan foods contain the same types of ingredients youd expect to find in Purina Cat Chow or Fancy Feast.

Some Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diet foods may appeal to cats with certain health conditions. For example, Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets NF Kidney Function Advanced Care may be a good option for cats with kidney disease.

For the average buyer, however, Purina Pro Plan doesnt appear to be one of the best brands on the market.

Where To Buy Purina Pro Plan Cat Food?

Purina Pro Plan is sold in major pet retail chains and some independent pet specialty stores. Click here to find a Pro Plan retailer near you. If youd prefer to shop online, you can buy Purina Pro Plan through Amazon, Chewy, and PetSmart.