If you are searching for the perfect cat food for your feline friend, you’ve likely come across Merrick cat food. Merrick is a staple brand in the pet food realm, and has grown to become one of the most well known brands out there. They have come a long way since their humble beginning creating dog treats, and now cater to our favorite feline friends as well.In this review we will discuss each aspect of Merrick cat food and help you make the decision on if this is the best brand for your furry friend.
Quick Review: Top-4 Cat Foods From Merrick
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Best Grain Free Food
Merrick BackCountry Cat Food Review
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Best Limited Ingredient Food
Merrick Limited Ingredient Dry Cat Food Review
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Best Canned Food
Merrick Cowboy Cookout Canned Cat Food Review
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Best Kitten Food
Merrick Purrfect Bistro Healthy Kitten
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Who is Merrick Cat Food?
Merrick pet food entered the pet food industry in the 1980’s when they first began offering dog treats called Flossie. With Flossie being such a booming success, they made their way into the pet food realm. Though Merrick originally created food for dogs only, they recently introduced their cat diets into the pet food scene. With creating diets that are packed with beneficial ingredients, Merrick cat food has easily become one of the most beloved diets out there.
What’s Special About Merrick Cat Food?
Merrick cat food is known for offering limited ingredient diets that are full of ingredients that promote overall health. With so many diets on the market that contain poultry byproducts and ingredients known to cause allergies, Merrick wanted to create something that would set them apart from the rest.
Merrick cat food takes pride in their limited ingredient diets that only offer quality protein. Aside from being free of meat byproducts, they also avoid common allergens such as wheat, soy, gluten, and soy. Not only do they avoid these ingredients, but they also include a handful of ingredients that promote skin health, immune health, as well as joint health. Their diets include omega fatty acids, probiotics, and ingredients that are high in antioxidants.
Merrick Cat Food Recall History
Food recalls can help us understand a company and their dedication to their customers. Recalls can affect even the most well known brands, but their reaction in handling these food recalls can tell us quite a bit about a brand. Merrick pet food has experienced three food recalls in their time on the market, though none of them affected their cat diets.
2010: Merrick dog treats are recalled due to a possible salmonella contamination.
2011: Merrick dog treats were yet again recalled due to possible salmonella contamination.
2018: Merrick dog treats were recalled due to possible elevated beef thyroid hormones.
Merrick Cat Food Formula Range
Merrick Cat Food offers a range of diet formulas to cater to feline friends of all kinds. Their formulas include their Purrfect Bistro diet, their BackCountry diet, and their Limited Ingredient diet. Each of these diets range in different life stages, as well as a range of flavor options to cater to cats with all tastes. In order to help you understand which range is best for your feline friend, let’s dive into what each diet offers.
Purrfect Bistro: This diet is grain free, high in protein, moderate levels of fat, and low levels of carbohydrates. Merrick claims that this is the perfect formula for an indoor cat, and is fortified with vitamins and probiotics that promote overall and long lasting health.
BackCountry: The BackCountry diet aims to take our cats back to their ancestral roots. With being high in protein and free of any grains, this diet mimics the benefits of a raw diet that our cat’s wild ancestors craved. This diet is filled with freeze dried raw protein, and is rich in ingredients that support skin and joint health.
Limited Ingredient: This diet is created with sensitive cats in mind. With limited ingredients and carefully selected protein, this diet aims to bring relief to cats with sensitive skin and stomachs.
Why The Merrick Cat Food Review?
Apart from the benefits we listed above, there are a list of reasons why we want to introduce you to Merrick Cat Food.
- Meat from real proteins and never any meat byproducts
- Grain free and limited ingredient formulas
- Fresh fruits and veggies for antioxidants
- Omega fatty acids for immune, skin, and joint support
- Added glucosamine and chondroitin for joint support
- Superb reputation in the pet food realm
Our Merrick Cat Food Reviews
Now that we’ve introduced you to Merrick cat food, let’s discuss some of our favorite diets they offer and help you decide if it’s a good option for your feline friend.
- Merrick Limited Ingredient Dry Cat Food Review
Pros
- Grain free
- Potato Free
- 1 source of protein (this one is chicken, but they have diets with other proteins as well)
- Probiotics for digestive health
- No grains, corn, or soy
- Vitamins and minerals for immune support
Cons
- This diet in particular contains chicken, so it’s not ideal for cats with chicken allergies. But they do offer other limited ingredients diets that are free of chicken.
- Merrick Limited Ingredient Canned Food Review
Pros
- Grain free
- Potato Free
- 1 source of protein, chicken
- Gluten free
- Omega fatty acids for skin and joint health
- No grains, corn, or soy
- Vitamins and minerals for immune support
Cons
- This diet in particular contains chicken, so it’s not ideal for cats with chicken allergies. But they do offer other limited ingredients diets that are free of chicken.
- Merrick BackCountry Cat Food Review
Pros
- #1 ingredient is real deboned chicken, and also includes turkey
- Freeze dried chunks of real chicken
- Grain free and gluten free
- Omega fatty acids for skin, immune, and joint health
Cons
- This diet contains multiple protein sources, so it may not be ideal for cat’s with protein allergies.
- Merrick Purrfect Bistro Dry Cat Food Reviews
Pros
- #1 ingredient is deboned chicken
- 100% grain free
- Calorie control to help maintain a healthy weight for indoor cats
- Omega fatty acids for skin and joint health
- Antioxidants from fruits and veggies for immune support
Cons
- Purrfect Bistro often contains multiple protein sources, so it may not be ideal for cats with protein allergies
- Merrick Purrfect Bistro Canned Food Reviews
$54.99
Pros
- #1 ingredient is real deboned tuna
- 100% grain free
- Pate style recipe
- Omega fatty acids for skin and joint health
Cons
- We can’t find any cons with this impressive canned diet!
- Merrick Purrfect Bistro Indoor Senior Cat Food
Pros
- #1 ingredient is real deboned chicken
- 100% grain free
- Added fiber for hairball control
- Added probiotics for digestive health
- Omega fatty acids for joint, skin, and immune health
Cons
- This diet does contain chicken, so it may not be ideal for cats with chicken allergies.
- Merrick Cowboy Cookout Canned Cat Food Review
Pros
- #1 ingredient is real deboned beef
- Chunks of meat in a tasty gravy
- 100% grain free
- Created for all life stages
Cons
- This canned diet does contain multiple forms of protein, meaning it may not be ideal for cats with protein sensitivities.
- Merrick Purrfect Bistro Healthy Kitten
Pros
- #1 ingredient is real deboned chicken
- DHA for healthy brain development
- Antioxidants to support a healthy immune system
- 100% grain free
- Added vitamins and minerals to support healthy growth
Cons
- We can’t find anything wrong with this impressive kitten diet!
FAQ
Why do some cats benefit from a limited ingredient diet?
A limited ingredient diet is a wonderful option for cats that struggle with diet sensitivities. Food allergies can cause an upset stomach, sensitive skin, fur loss, and more. Though there are other possible causes to these symptoms that should always be discussed with a veterinarian, it’s very possible that your feline friend is struggling with a food allergy. A limited ingredient diet simply eliminates the ingredients that are known to cause allergies, and offers as few ingredients as possible to help you get to the bottom of their sensitivities. By offering multiple different limited ingredient diets with different options of protein, Merrick can help you get to the bottom of your cat’s discomfort and find a diet that works for them.
What do veterinary professionals think of Merrick cat food?
Veterinary professionals support any diet that offers a large variety of diets to choose from. By offering diets for cats of all ages, dietary needs, and even lifestyle, Merrick helps to create a personal diet option for each cat that consumes it. Though Merrick is not considered a veterinary diet, it is supported by most veterinary professionals due to the quality diets they offer.
Is canned food better than dry food for cats?
When it comes to the topic of canned food, every cat is different. Though some cats simply enjoy the added flavor boost in their diet, other cats rely on a canned diet for their health. In order to help you understand the best option based on age range, let’s break it down.
Kittens age 6 weeks to 12 weeks benefit from the added calories and moisture of a canned diet. While they can certainly begin to enjoy dry kibble, it offers them a wonderful transition from mom’s milk to their adult kibble diet.
For cats aged 3 months to 7 years of age, it is truly up to you when it comes to can or dry food. While cats can certainly benefit from added hydration and a boost of flavor, they don’t necessarily need a canned option if they enjoy their dry kibble.
As our cats reach their senior years, canned cat food will begin to offer more and more benefits. Senior cats enjoy the added hydration, the soft texture on their aging teeth, as well as the added fatty acids that support skin and joint health.
As you can see, there are many benefits to a canned diet. Though it’s not mandatory to support their health, canned cat food certainly has a place in certain stages of their lives.
