Choosing a brand of cat food isn't always easy. There are so many brands, and they all promise the same thing: that it's a complete food for your feline friend, when sometimes the reality... isn't quite like that. That's why it's so important to look at the packaging and only choose brands that, like Cats Health Gourmet , make their products with natural ingredients.
But what exactly is Cats Health Gourmet ? What are the characteristics of their cat food? Is it really worth trying? Well, I've had the chance to let my cats try it, so I'll tell you what my impressions and my furry friends had.
What is Cats Health Gourmet?
This is a brand of dog and cat food manufactured by the company Nutrición y Formación Canina SL (NFNATCANE) , located in Palencia, Spain. The company offers two lines of pet food: one called "Health," which includes dog food in various flavors and sizes (for puppies, large breeds, salmon, digestive aids, hypoallergenic formulas, etc.), and the other, "Gourmet," which features food made with premium or super-premium ingredients. The cat food falls under this latter category.
What are their characteristics?
Container
Let's start with the external appearance, which is the first thing that catches your eye, especially if you've seen dozens of pet food brands. Why? Well, because they don't overcomplicate things. Unlike most, it only has one large label on one side that shows the brand, its benefits, a detailed list of ingredients, and the price (€15,5 for a 3kg bag).
One thing that you may like a lot is its closure system, which is the ideal one so that the aroma of the food is not lost. In my case I am not going to use it, since I have a specific container for feed that I am filling with the food of the furry ones, but without a doubt it is something to highlight since cats will use it very well, as they usually prefer feed that is somewhat aromatic.
Ingredients
Cats are carnivores, so it makes no sense to give them grains or byproducts . While rice is the least harmful grain (most digestible), it's still not recommended as it can cause food allergies. This cat food contains no grains or byproducts , which is definitely a big plus.
But it does have a minimum of 42% hydrolyzed meat (that is, it has been broken down into very small parts, which reduces almost to a minimum the risk of the animal suffering an allergic reaction) from beef, duck, turkey and chicken, and is also made with salmon and trout.
Of course, it also contains substances that will make the coat shiny and the health good, such as brewer's yeast , the salmon's own omega 3 oil , pre- and probiotics or the much necessary taurine without which neither the eyes, nor the heart nor the reproductive system of cats would function as they should.
Croquette color and size
If you have ever given feed, for example from the supermarket, to one of your cats, you will surely find it curious that the Cats Health Gourmet croquettes are only one color: brown. This is so because no artificial colors have been used.
Regarding the size, I do find them a bit large for kittens, but not for adults . They're about half a centimeter wide and thin (perhaps 0,2 cm thick). They're good for them to chew on .
It is advisable? The experience of my cats
While I have no experience as a feline nutritionist, and having fed my cats various brands, I definitely recommend Cats Health Gourmet. One of the challenges companies that make cat food with natural ingredients face is including the ingredients in just the right proportions so that, firstly, they are highly palatable, and secondly, that they agree with the cats. And achieving that isn't always easy.
I myself can tell you that I have offered feed with very good ingredients to mine and they have not wanted it. But that is not the reaction they have had with Cats Health Gourmet, which has surprised me because they are very gourmets.
Do cats like it? Let's talk about its palatability and digestibility
Cats are like children: if they don't like something, they won't eat it or they'll do it reluctantly 😉. In the picture above you can see Bicho happily devouring it. Besides, it's very important that the food doesn't cause them any problems. One of my cats, Keisha (the gray cat you see at the very top of the picture), had allergy problems a while ago, and because of that, she can't eat certain things. This food agrees with her , as do the other two brands. But not only that, they seem to really like it because they always lick their lips afterward.
Another detail I've noticed is that the droppings are somewhat smaller and less smelly. This confirms what they say about its high digestibility . You can check this yourself: if you give them, for example, ten grams of feed and their droppings weigh around that amount, are rather soft, and have a very strong and unpleasant odor, you can be sure their body hasn't absorbed much of that food. But if they weigh less, are relatively hard (or at least firm), a dark brown, almost black color, and don't have a particularly unpleasant smell, then the feed you gave them is good.
So, if you are looking for a feed that is as natural as possible to give it to your four-legged friend, this brand should be on your list of possible options.