Wellness Grain-Free Wet Canned Cat Food, Turkey Dinner

This review is for the 24 pack of 3 Oz. cans of the Wellness Brand Cat Food.

Objectively speaking…
The cans are easy to ope and they have consistently arrived in excellent condition. There are 24 cans at 3 oz. each. That’s all I can really say objectively about cat food.

Subjectively speaking…
I could not believe the difference in my cats after switching to a canned cat food from dry food. My cats are 15 and 16 years old. They are healthy indoor cats who are still active and playful with no real health problems aside from my 16 year old cat having minor diabetes. I had been feeding a high priced prescription (vet recommended) dry food for the last 2 years only to have my 15 year old cat begin getting sick and regurgitating his food on a weekly basis. I took my cat to the vet repeatedly asking why this might be a problem. The vet simply told me that the cat may be a little under the weather or it was hairball related…which before had not been an issue. After a conversation with a friend in Dec 2010 they emphatically recommended canned cat food. I decided to do some research and was I glad that I did. My cats have been eating canned food for 2 months now and here are the changes I’ve noticed. My cat who was throwing up 2-4 times a week has only done so 4 times in 2 months (and I think that was because he was biting at some straw that I didn’t know about), their fur is ridiculously softer…like I just spent an hour brushing them, now it feels that way all the time. And although my cats are not prone to hairballs, my medium haired cat would get them on occasion and he has had only 1 very small one in 2 months as opposed to the weekly ones I’d find in the house. They have more energy and they just seem happier in how they interact and the littler box has less to be cleaned up and quite frankly it smells less offensive than it did before. Don’t get me wrong…cat boxes smell but I’ve been told (and now I feel I can attest to this) that dry food would dehydrate a cat and it would enter a system and absorb odors from the body and carry them out into the cat box to amplify the foul odors. Actual cat food like the Wellness brand (not many brands are grain or rice free) gets more fully digested by the cat and does not contain grains and rices and other fillers that are expelled with the body. I must say that I felt the fool not having taken more time to learn about the diet possibilities of my cats.

I will note that I also use the Wellness dry food (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup out each night) for my 2 cats to eat between their canned meals. This is also to keep them used to eating a little dry food in case I am in a situation where I cannot provide their can in the morning and night. For your reference I feed my cats each 1/2 a can in the morning and 1/2 in the evening (so 2 cans total daily). I am going to switch to the 12 oz cans though because they are much cheaper, you nearly double your canned food for the same price, I’m just going to buy a resealable lid and scoop out what is needed.

And as a side note, my cats eat most of the food when I leave it out but they do not finish it all. I do leave the food out for them to finish up which they usually do within 1-3 hours. Some people say you should never do this, some say they will leave it out all day…in my experience over the 2 months I have noticed no mold, illness or rejection of this food being left out for a few hours for my cats. The longest I’ve seen food remain in the is at the 7 hour mark and still, it was finished with no negative behaviors or effects noticed in either of my animals.

I hope this review helps you and please be aware specifically of what goes into certain brands. There are cheaper canned foods but they are not as good as this brand. I’ve checked and tried a few. This one is really different. There are a few websites which explain the health benefits more precisely and if you won’t take my word for it on this brand see for yourself. Also, the cost is well worth the response you will get from your cat and when measured against prescription dry food it really hasn’t been much different and the 12 oz sizes will make it even more affordable. Be good to yourself and your pets!

I received the new Wellness grain free formula cans with the revamped logo. Pleased with the quick shipping and quality of the food. Only wouldn’t purchase the 3oz cans again as I’ve introduced wet food with every meal for my 2 cats and the 12.5oz cans are a better value price wise – also on Amazon! So worth it and convenient. And if you prefer the easy open top/lid this one is for you – the 12.5oz is like a regular can and requires a can opener.

Over the last two years, our older cat (now 11 years old) had ongoing issues with diarrhea and vomiting. After several trips to the vet and numerous tests that found nothing wrong, we were left thinking that this was her lot in life, sensitive to hairballs with a testy stomach. We changed her to a vet-recommended food and went on with life, but as you can imagine, she was still suffering.

She was dehydrated, her coat was rough, she was losing muscle and constantly hungry because she was essentially living life as a non-voluntary bulimic. At one point, I hoped a test for her thyroid would be positive so we could just figure out what on earth was wrong with her.

Last month I decided I didn’t have anything else to lose so I started researching holistic treatments for her various symptoms. I happened upon a description of grain allergies in cats and I was astounded at the number of symptoms she had. Her eyes were always watery, her lips and gums a little swollen, and these were things her vet and I had attributed to “getting older” or her “hairball sensitivity” since none of the test had pinpointed a problem.

After some research to select a quality brand, I ordered Wellness Core Dry and Wet food. I didn’t bother to transition her, just started her on it right away. Besides, she wasn’t keeping down much of the other food anyway. She took to it right away, and she’s a picky one.
Within two days, the diarrhea was gone. Within a week, she brought up a hairball that would shame a lesser cat. It’s been a month now and the only bad thing I can say is that I wish I’d found this food sooner. No more watery eyes, no more swollen lips, and no more noxious fumes from the litter box. My husband and I cannot believe that fact, but it is true. A high-quality food WILL reduce litter box odor. I didn’t believe it until I…well…didn’t smell it.

I’m transitioning our other cat to it now and he already looks better for it. The food has a stronger odor than store-brand cat food. You’ll also want to note that it doesn’t have preservatives, so it’s bound to have a stronger smell. The wet food actually smells good, for cat food. We use the Wellness Core 3oz Grain-Free Chicken. I’m sure our experiences will vary, but I’ve watched a cat who was the epitome of finicky, who would turn her nose up at Fancy Feast if the same flavors were served back to back, gobble the same flavor everyday for the last 30 days without complaint, and most notably, without vomit. So I’d say she gives her claw of approval.

Bottom line? It’s pricy, sure. But it’s worth it for us. Considering the money we’re saving in paper towel clean up expenses alone, we’re probably saving a buck or two. I should also thank Amazon for making it Prime eligible, so it’s easier to buy it here than to find it in the store. So now, instead of begging me to feed them, our cats can start mauling the UPS man.

My cat is very happy with this food.