Wellness CORE: cat food review, composition, reviews

Wellness cat food is a new American-made product on domestic shelves. Wellness CORE food is produced by WellPet (USA), which also makes products for dogs. The manufacturer positions it as a unique development belonging to the “holistic” class. In our stores it is offered as “super-premium” food.

According to the manufacturers, the Wellness CORE formula is developed in accordance with the natural needs of cats as predators. To introduce our readers to the composition and characteristics of the new brand, we studied the entire range, examined the composition in detail and found customer reviews.

The manufacturer promises

Priority of meat ingredients and indication of their mass fraction.
Grain-free composition.
Dry food is hypoallergenic - it does not contain dairy products, soy, grains, artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.
A complex of useful antioxidants, vitamins, pro- and prebiotics.

Well, it sounds beautiful and very intriguing. By the way, in addition to dry food, Wellness Core complete wet food is also produced, we will also consider them soon. Dry food is packaged in packages of 300 g and 1.75 kg.

Advantages and disadvantages

First on the list of ingredients are fresh fish and meat. But it is from these products that the animal receives the amino acids and proteins necessary for growth and development. Plant proteins, which are added to many cheap feeds, are poorly digestible by animals. The cat is a predator. This is due to the enzyme system, the structure of the stomach and intestines, and the shape of the teeth. You can’t feed her anything!
Preservatives and antioxidants are used exclusively natural: a mixture of tocopherols, dried cranberries, etc.
The food is completely hypoallergenic. The manufacturer does not use wheat, corn or their derivatives.
Rich in vitamins and minerals that help maintain immunity, regulate the digestive system, improve the condition of coat, skin and teeth.
The line contains diets for each age range: for young animals, young and mature cats.
The Wellness Core line includes not only dry food, but also canned food.

The first and rather significant disadvantage is this: Wellness Core food is difficult to buy in regular pet stores, not to mention supermarkets, where the choice of treats for animals is small. You will have to look for suppliers on the Internet and spend money on delivery.
There is no medicinal food and no division by breed.
Wellness Core is an expensive food and not every cat owner will be able to buy it on an ongoing basis.

Get acquainted with interesting cat breeds with the help of our encyclopedia: Don Sphynx, California Radiant, Kurilian Bobtail.

Types of Wellness Core

The line includes 4 types:

Core Original turkey with chicken.
Core Kitten turkey with salmon.
Core Sterilized with salmon.
Core Sterilized chicken with turkey.

What’s interesting is that the assortment of the line varies from country to country, for example, in the USA and Australia, Sterilized food is not sold, instead, Adult with turkey and duck, and Indoor with chicken and turkey.

Perhaps in Russia and Europe, food for neutered animals sells better, so Wellness marketers decided that food for sterilized animals would bring them more money. In our opinion, they did this in vain, because any food for castrates is pure marketing and does not inspire much trust in the manufacturer.

All the highest quality foods do not contain any gradation by age, sex status, or gender (Acana, Orijen, AATU, and other examples). In any case, the main thing for us is that the composition is good-looking and identical to the American one.

Manufacturer

The business originally started with dog biscuits in 1926, but Wellness food itself was created in the 90s. Experts in the field of veterinary medicine and nutrition were involved in the case. The developers set themselves a specific task: to launch food on the market that could become a truly revolutionary product.

In addition, the organization engages in volunteer work: helping American shelters, advocating for animal rights, and supporting the Institute for Host Animal Research.

Factories are located in the USA and France (dry), and in Thailand (wet). In addition to cat food, dog food is also produced. The American company WellPet LLC, in addition to the Wellness Core brand, owns the brands Old Mother Hubbard Natural Dog Snacks, Eagle Pack Natural Pet Food, Holistic Select Natural Pet Food.

In 2004, the food took a leading position in US retail stores.

Compound

Meat

So, in first place for Wellness Core feeds are:

Original: Turkey 26% (fresh meat 16%, meat meal 10%) (same as Kitten food).
Sterilized with salmon: Salmon 26% (fresh meat 16%, fishmeal 10%).
Sterilized Chicken with Turkey: Chicken 27% (fresh chicken 16%, dried chicken 16%, meat meal 15%).

So what about the main ingredient? This is a real marketing ploy, because the manufacturer decided to combine fresh meat and flour under a common name. If the components were listed in descending order of their mass fraction in the feed, then dehydrated meat (flour and fishmeal) would not be in first place.

There are no complaints about the ingredients themselves: both fresh meat and dehydrated meat are fairly high-quality sources of animal protein.

Surprisingly, the American official website does not indicate the percentage, unlike the Russian composition. The meat components of American food look like this (the components are translated literally):

Original: boneless turkey, boneless chicken, turkey meal, chicken meal.
Kitten: Boneless Turkey, Turkey Meal, Boneless Chicken, Chicken Meal.

In principle, the compositions are quite similar, it’s even strange that they decided to indicate the percentage on Russian packaging. After all, it is much more profitable to simply list the ingredients without details. Maybe the manufacturer is really trying to be honest with the consumer, or did someone screw someone over?

In second place are:

Original: Chicken 21% (meat meal 16%, dried chicken 5%) (same as Kitten).
Sterilized with salmon: dried potatoes.
Sterilized chicken with turkey: peas.

It is not entirely clear what the manufacturer means by meat meal and dried chicken, most likely they are one and the same thing - what in English sounds like chicken meal. Hello again, marketers - combining two similar components under a common name allows you to move the ingredient higher on the list.

However, Sterilized food also contains a little meat:

Sterilized with salmon: in 5th place herring (fish meal) 8%, tuna (fish meal) 5% and dried fish protein 2% in 15th place.
Sterilized chicken with turkey: in 4th place is turkey (meat meal) 4% and in 7th place is dried chicken protein 3%.

Dried protein is highly processed freeze-dried protein from dried animal tissue. Its nutritional value is much lower than that of fresh and dehydrated meat, since its quantity is low.

The Original and Kitten foods also have salmon (fishmeal) 5% in 6th place.

Conclusion about meat

So, let's summarize where there is more meat:

Original and Kitten: 52%.
Sterilized with salmon: 41%.
Sterilized chicken with turkey: 54%.

Well, they got smart with the composition. It’s strange, but Wellness Core Original and Kitten food from the official website have the first 4 meat components, and in sixth place there is also herring flour, which is not included in the food compositions sold in Russia.

We can conclude that not only the types of feed, but also their compositions differ in different countries. I don’t know whether this is good or bad, one way or another, the percentage of meat ingredients in the food is not bad, there are no veiled, blurry components, no suspicious by-products, and the percentage of meat in the food corresponds to the declared super-premium class.

Types and lines

The company produces healthy canned food for pets.
Manufacturers claim that during the manufacturing process of food, raw materials are processed exclusively at low temperatures, therefore, the beneficial properties of the ingredients are preserved to the maximum. The line includes ready-made food for kittens, pregnant and sterilized cats. Wellness cat food has the correct concentration of nutrients, so it fully meets the requirements of the cat’s body.

The Wellness Core range of cat products includes dry and wet food. And the most popular brands are the following:

"Wellness Co. Signature Select." Chicken and beef pieces in sauce in the form of canned food. Additionally includes probiotics, dried endive root, mineral elements and a vitamin complex. A special feature of the food is its ability to remove hairballs.
"Wellness Core Adult Cat All Breeds Sterilized." The menu for sterilized cats includes turkey and rooster meat as the main components. Suitable for pets who don't move much and don't go outside.
"Wellness Core Original Turkey with chicken for adult pets." For purrs prone to allergies. A grain-free diet that completely excludes artificial dyes, dairy, gluten and other components that increase the risk of developing allergies.
Wellness Chicken Formula. The best canned food for cats.
"Wellness Core Tender Kats". Wet food consisting of small pieces of turkey and duck meat.
Wellness Cat Core Kitten. Grain-free diet for small cats, including a considerable amount of protein and fat, which meets the needs of a small cat's body. The recipe combines meat and fish products, and supplements them with vitamin D, which has a positive effect on the health of bone tissue.

Carbohydrates and Supplements

The plant components are approximately the same in all types:

Peas are more preferable in food for cats and dogs than grains. Contains a lot of vegetable protein, carbohydrates and fiber, while having a low glycemic index.
Potato protein is a cheap substitute for animal protein with vegetable protein. Incomplete for cats.
Dried potatoes are better than potato flour, but worse than whole potatoes, since they are processed before they are added to the feed. Source of fiber and complex carbohydrates.
Dried beets 2-4% - either fodder beets or beet pulp - a source of fiber.
Fiber is a plant dietary fiber of unknown origin.
Dried chicory root 0.5% – contains the prebiotic inulin.
Cranberry – it is not known in what form it was added to the composition. Its effectiveness in preventing urolithiasis has not been scientifically proven, and its presence in food is most likely a marketing ploy.
Dried kelp is a useful component, but it is hardly added in such quantities that it would provide real benefits to the cat’s body.
Yucca Schidigera - added to feed to reduce fecal odor.

All foods contain a complex of natural antioxidants, the composition of which has not been disclosed, and you shouldn’t rely too much on them - usually such additives are nothing more than a marketing ploy.

The salmon feed also contains rapeseed oil - since the degree of its purification is not known, we can assume that this is the most inexpensive refined oil. May contain toxic erucic acid, which has a bad effect on the functioning of the heart, blood vessels, liver and other organs. It is best to avoid foods that contain rapeseed oil.

Sterilized contains added glucosamine hydrochloride and chondroitin sulfate, which should have a positive effect on the joints of our pets, but their effectiveness has not been scientifically proven.

Conclusion about the carbohydrate component

They didn’t deceive us, there really is no grain, peas are used as the main carbohydrate ingredient. In the composition of the American food, carbohydrates and other additives are practically no different, but in the Russian version there is no tomato pulp and some natural chicken flavoring.

Composition and properties

The Wellness Core formula is formulated to AAFCO standards to meet the natural needs of cats using only the highest quality natural ingredients.

Thus, the recipe for ready-made food for cats is dominated by turkey and chicken meat, as well as flour from these components, in addition to peas and dried and then ground herring. Manufacturers include chicken fat, tomato cake, flax seeds, salmon oil, cranberry berries and chicory root extract in the diet. Wellness cat food does not contain grains, and the source of carbohydrates is dried potatoes and peas. Fiber in the product structure is presented in the form of tomato pomace, and chicory extract acts as a prebiotic inulin. Due to the presence of cranberries, Wellness food has antioxidant properties.

In addition, the recipe contains beneficial microorganisms that restore and improve the cat’s intestinal microflora, an amino acid important for the proper functioning of the heart muscle and glucosamine, which is responsible for the health of the urinary system. Manufacturers include chondroitin in Wellness food, which is beneficial for joint tissues, vitamins A, levocarnitine, Zn ions, iron sulfate and other substances necessary for the normal functioning of the cat’s body. The diet is absolutely hypoallergenic and excludes dairy components, artificial colors, flavor enhancers and prohibited preservatives.

General conclusion about Wellness Core food

Pros of food:

A decent amount of animal components corresponding to the declared super-premium class.
Grain-free composition.
Nice packaging design.
Good guaranteed analysis.

Cons of food:

Inconsistency of compositions in Russia and the USA - we know how suppliers like to embellish the composition of feed, but in this case we cannot even compare the original and the translation.
Explicit marketing with ingredients - combining meat components under a common name.
Marketing with KSD prevention (cranberry), healthy digestion (prebiotics), immune support (chicory?) and joint support (glucosamine and chondroitin) - these supplements are not dangerous, but there is no way to reliably test their usefulness.
Salmon feed contains rapeseed oil, which may contain a toxic substance.
Inflated price - the average price in Russia per package is 1.75 - 1450 rubles, and Sterilized food is even more expensive - more than 1500 rubles. For comparison, a 1.8 kg package of Acana food costs an average of 1,600 rubles. At the same time, Acana contains 75% meat, mostly fresh, and Wellness Core contains a maximum of 54% in total, that is, both fresh and dehydrated, and even contains a small amount of freeze-dried protein.

We cannot say unequivocally that the food is bad, it would be unfair, but in terms of price-quality ratio, Wellness Core food loses.

Reviews of Wellness food for kittens

Marina: “A little Briton appeared in our house not so long ago. The owner from whom we bought it fed his cats Wellness Cor food. I had not come across this brand before, but I decided not to retrain my kitten. I was afraid that he would refuse other food. The food is good, natural composition. Very economical. Packs 1.75 kg. It lasts me a long time. True, it’s not cheap, but the composition is worth it.”

How to switch a cat from natural food to dry food

Cat food reviews

Tatyana: “I learned about this food in England when I was doing an exchange student internship there. The family I lived in fed their cats only this food. Having returned to Russia, I looked for food in our pet stores, but, unfortunately, I did not find it there. The food was found on the Internet. I ordered it for my neutered cat. I've been breastfeeding for six months now. The cat eats with pleasure, no allergies to the food have appeared. I haven't started to gain weight. The disadvantage is that it is expensive, but this is not food of the “economy” and “premium” classes, whose only advantage is the price.”

Vladimir: “My Sphynx was constantly allergic to food. I bought different brands, not the cheapest ones. Something is always wrong. The clinic advised me a new food from the USA, Wellness Core with chicken and turkey. At first I was confused by the fact that the food contained chicken. Cats often have allergic reactions to it. But everything worked out fine. The cat reacted with distrust to the new food. I had to gradually get used to it. I’ve been breastfeeding for two months now – no allergies. It seems that the manufacturer is not deceiving the buyer. The food is indeed hypoallergenic. It costs a lot, but I don’t skimp on my pet’s health.”

Cat, cat and kittens

If you are a responsible cat owner like me and try to give your little furries only the best, then you are also thinking about choosing the right food. It can be quite difficult to understand the composition of feeds and carefully read labels, and price is not always an indicator of quality. Is a $30 product really three times better than a $10 product? What should you do if your cat doesn’t like the food because it turns out that you wasted a lot of money? What are the specific indicators of a good dry food? Where is the high-quality product, and where are only advertising slogans?

It can be quite difficult to get your head around it all. It takes owners a lot of time and effort to choose the best product for their pets. Let's try to figure it out. Let's start with the fact that there are different categories of food represented by different brands. The most popular trend now in the West and in the USA is grain-free cat food. The logic here is that cats are not accustomed or adapted to grain-based diets like humans. Instead, they require essential amino acids and essential nutrients in much larger quantities. Cats need meat and vegetables to have enough strength and energy to run and jump around the house.

Some of these brands are widely advertised on the Internet, so you may recognize them. The following ratings are based on consumer reviews and study of food composition, since truly high-quality cat foods should always indicate sources of meat protein, do not contain by-products, and do not contain fillers such as corn, wheat or soy (which is why the food is grain-free), does not contain artificial ingredients or preservatives. Of course, each cat is unique and not all products may be suitable or to their taste, especially if the pet suffers from food allergies or other diseases. In these cases, when choosing a diet, consultation with a veterinarian is necessary.

1. Natural Balance

This cat food is very highly rated by consumers and ranks high in all Western ratings. Natural Balance products are free of grains and other common allergens. Suitable for cats at different stages of life and with many diseases.

Fun fact: Natural Balance also makes dog food and pet food. That's right, they make food for zoo animals!

Some note that the product packaging is not as bright and attractive as that of other brands, but the content (and this is the most important thing!) more than compensates for everything.

2. Wellness Core

Wellness Core focuses primarily on incorporating high quality ingredients (especially proteins) and other essential nutrients and benefits to keep cats healthy and fit. Each food includes five different meats, potatoes, cranberries and tomatoes as sources of antioxidants and phytonutrients.

Consumers generally rate this food highly and give positive reviews, but some note that the small size of the kibble is not very suitable for adult cats.

3. Halo Spot's Stew

Not all Halo products are grain-free. They have a segment of such products in the Spot's Stew line. The food uses high-quality ingredients, contains all the essential amino acids, healthy vegetables and essential nutrients for the health of cats. Consumers have a positive assessment of this brand and note that it is good, high-quality food for their pets. Many people claim that only thanks to this product their cats are so healthy and active.

4. Felidae

Felidae brand foods receive rave reviews on Amazon and other sites, and also rank high in Western ratings and reviews. Be careful, as not all of the brand's products are grain-free, although they all contain meat as one of the first few ingredients, and also have all the essential nutrients, enriched with Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, which promote improved digestion, healthy skin and coat. However, if you are looking for a grain-free food, read the label carefully!

Unlike the first three foods, which currently need to be ordered from Europe or the USA, this one can even be found here in retail sales.

Grain-free food is suitable for both adult cats and kittens, which means it can not be changed throughout the pet’s life. Many consumers note that they have been feeding Felidae cats all their lives and have no intention of changing the brand. Read more information about this food here.

5. Instinct

Instinct has one of the shortest ingredient lists I've ever seen on a cat food package, yet the words are easy to understand for the average consumer. Plus, there are no fillers or soy. The food is designed for all breeds and ages. Most reviews are positive, but the food may not be suitable for picky cats or pets with health problems (for example, if they are allergic to chicken protein).

The product's first ingredients are chicken meal and chicken fat, followed by tapioca and "natural chicken flavor." I don't mind tapioca (it's a starchy grain derived from cassava roots, a high-calorie, easily digestible food widely consumed in tropical countries, virtually fat-free, protein-free, and gluten-free), but I still prefer what my cat eats. -something more significant as meat sources than chicken fat and "natural flavor". In addition, it is not clear how a natural aroma differs from an artificial one.

6. Blue Buffalo

Again, not all Blue Buffalo cat foods are grain-free, but all of them (both dry and wet) have good customer reviews. They have several different flavors and scents to choose from that appeal to cats and their owners.

What sets Blue Buffalo food apart from other brands is that it contains special “LifeSource® Bits,” small, dark kibble that are specially formulated to provide the best nutrition for cats. They contain a precise blend of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants selected by veterinarians and animal nutritionists (kelp, vitamins E, C, A, D, B12, beta-carotene, blueberries, barley, alfalfa, flaxseed, parsley, cranberries, omega- 3 and omega-6 fatty acids, yucca extract, taurine, L-lysine, L-carnitine). These substances help cats fight free radicals, maintain the immune system, healthy skin, coat, joints, heart, eyes, and maintain health and activity at different stages of the life cycle. The food is prepared in a special cold way so as not to destroy the nutrients.

The first ingredient in duck flavored food is deboned duck meat (fillet). What is the first ingredient in salmon flavored food? Deboned salmon, of course. These are all great foods that are great for your cat.

I note that the animal must be accustomed to this food, as well as to other grain-free foods, gradually, mixing new food with old food so that there is no digestive upset.

7. Orijen

Unlike many other companies, Orijen manufacturers only make grain-free food. They don't fuss with fillers, grains or by-products. This company is based in Canada and uses only fresh, local ingredients for their products. They call their food "biologically optimal" to show that this is exactly what your cats and dogs should be eating. Instead of grains, Orijen contains fruits and herbs that cats need. These foods are quite expensive, but they get great rave reviews and top the cat food ratings.

Like Felidae, this food is available both in some retail pet stores and online. I will warn you that it was very difficult to accustom my cat to it. Due to the fact that no flavors are used in the production of holistic food, cats do not immediately find the smell of this product very attractive, and it takes time to get used to it. Read the article about Orijen food here.

8. Petcurean Go! Dry Cat Food

Not the entire line of Go! grain-free. Only two of the three products in this series are actually grain-free. These products are designed to help animals achieve optimal levels of health. Just like all the other brands above, they use high-quality meat as one of the first few ingredients, followed by vegetables, fruits and healthy minerals. The food is well balanced and healthy.

I note that the food granules are quite small and may not be to the taste of all adult large cats. The food recently appeared on sale with us, as well as the Now food from the same manufacturer. My picky lady liked the food, although the granules are similar to kitten food from other manufacturers. More details about Go! read here.

9. Life's Abundance

A special feature of Life's Abundance cat food is its fast preparation method - the ingredients are heated incredibly quickly, but to such a low temperature that all nutrients are retained. The key sources of protein in this product are chicken and catfish. The cats seem to like the food. It is safe and recommended for cats of all ages.

10. Freeze Dried Raw: Stella and Chewy's

One of the most extreme dietary trends in the cat food business is raw meat products. These include refrigerated fresh foods in large plastic tubes, frozen meats, and freeze-dried (vacuum-dried frozen foods) raw pieces of meat that act as pellets! This is truly grain-free food! Stella & Chewy is one of the few companies that offers such products.

Marie Moody created Stella & Chewy after seeing how quickly her pet Chewy recovered from an illness on a raw diet. She discovered a vacant niche in the alternative nutrition market and filled it. Supporters of this movement and brand speak eloquently about their great experiences and benefits in using this product. So this must be something special!

Apparently, the freeze-drying process (freeze-drying meat) is actually patented by the company. All you have to do is give your cat the product as regular dry food or add some water for rehydration, especially if your cat rarely drinks water. This approach supports optimal cat health.

Have you fed your pet any of the foods listed above? Please tell us about your experience in the comments!