Welcome to yet another pet food review here at BarfPetFoods. If you’ve ever been here before or you scroll through our previous articles, you’ll notice that we’re rather fond of pet food reviews, which is no surprise given we’re fond of animals and want to provide you with the best advice possible when it comes to feeding your beloved four-legged friends, be they feline or canine.
In today’s review, we’re going to cat our expert eyes over James Wellbeloved’s range of cat food, examining a selection of products from their adult, senior, and kitten foods.
James Wellbeloved is an established and popular pet food brand, and having been around for several decades, it’d be easy to assume that their range of cat (and pet) foods are top-notch. But is that the case?
Let’s find out.
James Wellbeloved Adult Cat Grain-Free Dry Food (Turkey)
We’ll begin proceedings by looking at one of James Wellbeloved’s most popular items in their cat food range, their grain-free dry food for adult cats. At present, it’s available only in turkey flavour and comes in 1.5kg and 4kg bags.
As with all our pet food reviews, we’ll carefully examine the marketing blurb on the manufacturer’s website and see if the ingredient profile and analytical constituents live up to expectations.
According to their website, James Wellbeloved’s grain-free adult dry food is specially crafted for cats who are sensitive to grains and cereals and combines a selection of “nature’s nourishing ingredients” with tasty, easily digestible turkey and a full spectrum of vitamins and minerals to create a food that will keep your cat happy, healthy and full of life.
The benefits of this food are listed as follows:
- Made with 100% natural turkey.
- It contains cranberry extract, which itself contains organic acids and anthocyanidins.
- It contains Yucca extract to help with litter tray odour.
- It contains Omega-3 and Omega-6 oils to promote skin and fur health.
- Packed full of antioxidants and prebiotics to boost your cat’s immune system and maintain healthy gut flora.
An impressive list, for sure, but let’s check out the ingredient profile and macronutrient breakdown to see if it’s as impressive as James Wellbeloved is claiming it to be.
Ingredients: Turkey meal (33%), potato flakes, turkey fat (14.2%), pea starch, potato protein, turkey gravy (3.9%), tomato pomace, pea protein, whole linseed, dried meat-free stock, potassium chloride, fish oil, chicory extract (0.25%), calcium carbonate, sodium chloride, cranberry extract (0.05%), yucca extract (0.02%), rosemary extract (0.006%), green tea extract (0.003%), pomegranate extract (0.001%). Plus vitamin and minerals.
Analytical constituents (%): Protein 31; Fat 20%; Crude Ash 9.9; Crude Fibre 2.2; Omega-3 FA 0.9; Omega-6 FA 4.8; Vitamin E 600mg/kg.
What does the above tell us, and is the ingredient and nutritional breakdown as impressive as the sales patter made it sound?
To find out, let’s break it down into three easy-to-digest lists (no pun intended); one for the pros (‘The Good Stuff’), one for the cons (‘The Not-So-Good Stuff’), and one for the bits that could be improved (‘Could Be Improved’).
The Good Stuff
- The vast majority of the total protein content comes from a high-quality, animal-derived source, i.e. turkey meal.
- The first – and most abundant ingredient – is a form of (animal) protein.
- Not a grain or cereal in sight, which makes it an option for cats who require grain-free diets.
- It is a complete food that contains the full spectrum of vitamins and minerals.
- Provides adequate protein (31%).
- Price (see below for more details).
The Not-So-Good Stuff
- The second most abundant ingredient is potato flakes, which is basically just a filler as cats don’t require carbohydrates to live and be healthy. The same can be said for the potato protein and pea starch; these are merely included to fill out the product and boost the protein content (as they’re cheaper to include than animal-based protein sources).
Could Be Improved
- Although 31% protein is ample, we would like to see this around the 35% mark given that cats are carnivores and do require more protein than dogs, for example. However, 31% protein is fine, and your cat will get enough protein.
- The inclusion of Omega-3 is good to see, but it only accounts for 0.9%, whereas Omega-6 oil account for 4.8%. In an ideal world, this ratio would be more balanced, either 1:1 or 1:2 (Omega-3 to Omega-6). However, some is better than nothing, and you can also supplement your cat’s food with salmon oil or other oils rich in Omega-3.
Is James Wellbeloved Grain-Free Adult Cat Dry Food Cost-Effective?
If bought on Amazon, a 4kg bag will cost you around 29, and, using the feeding guidelines for a moderately active 5kg cat (70g per day), we can calculate the cost per daily serving:
4kg / 70g = 57 servings. 29 / 57 servings = 51p per daily serving / 15.30 per month.
Not bad, huh?
Our verdict: While James Wellbeloved grain-free adult cat dry food certainly has its shortcomings, you still get a lot of ‘bang for your buck’, i.e. a complete cat food with adequate protein and a full range of vitamins and minerals for around 50p per day. Therefore, if you’re looking for a cat food that doesn’t cost the earth and will provide your cat with everything they need, there’s no reason why James Wellbeloved’s grain-free adult cat food shouldn’t be that food.
James Wellbeloved Dry Kitten Food (Turkey)
Next on our list is James Wellbeloved’s most popular dry kitten food – their regular ‘Kitten’ food that comes in Fish and Turkey flavours (we’ll be reviewing the latter in this article) and in 1.5kg and 4kg bags.
As we did above, we’ll carefully the marketing blurb on the manufacturer’s website and see if the ingredient profile and analytical constituents live up to expectations.
According to their website, James Wellbeloved’s dry kitten food has been specifically formulated to meet the higher protein requirements of kittens while promoting bone development. It includes easily digestible turkey meal and contains a full spectrum of vitamins and minerals to ensure your kitten is happy, healthy, and full of vitality.
The benefits of this kitten food are listed as follows:
- Made with 100% natural turkey.
- It contains cranberry extract, which itself contains organic acids and anthocyanidins.
- It contains Yucca extract to help with litter tray odour.
- It contains Omega-3 and Omega-6 oils to promote skin and fur health.
- Packed full of antioxidants and prebiotics to boost your cat’s immune system and maintain healthy gut flora.
i.e., exactly the same as their adult food.
The question is, does the ingredient profile and macronutrient profile of their kitten food a) differ much from their adult food and b) tick all the boxes that need to be ticked? Let’s find out.
Ingredients: Turkey meal (27%), white rice, turkey fat (15%), brown rice, potato protein, pea protein, maize gluten, turkey gravy (3.9%), tomato pomace, dried meat-free stock, potassium chloride, chicory extract (0.25%), fish oil, calcium carbonate, carrot, sodium chloride, cranberry extract (0.05%), yucca extract (0.02%), rosemary extract (0.006%), green tea extract (0.0025%).
Analytical constituents (%): Protein 33; Fat 21; Crude Ash 9; Crude Fibre 1.2; Omega-3 FA 0.5; Omega-6 FA 5; Vitamin E 600mg/kg.
Of course, this is the non-grain-free version, so it isn’t directly comparable to the adult food above, but it’s interesting, nonetheless, to look at the differences between the two.
What does the above tell us, and is the ingredient and nutritional breakdown as impressive as the sales patter made it sound?
To find out, let’s break it down into three easy-to-digest lists (no pun intended); one for the pros (‘The Good Stuff’), one for the cons (‘The Not-So-Good Stuff’), and one for the bits that could be improved (‘Could Be Improved’).
The Good Stuff
- The vast majority of the total protein content comes from a high-quality, animal-derived source, i.e. turkey meal.
- The first – and most abundant ingredient – is a form of (animal) protein.
- Higher levels of protein compared to their adult dry foods (33% vs 31%). This is good to see, as kittens require higher levels of protein to promote development and growth.
- A full range of vitamins and minerals to support immune health and development.
- Price.
The Not-So-Good Stuff
- Probably a little too much filler for our liking. White rice is the second most abundant ingredient, with brown rice, potato protein, pea protein, and maize gluten added as well. These are all common fillers and are used to make the food cheaper to manufacture and boost the protein content (pea protein & potato protein). Kittens and adult cat can survive perfectly well without carbohydrates; therefore, there’s no real need for them to be included other than to make it cheaper to produce and, therefore, buy.
Could Be Improved
- 33% protein is more than sufficient for a growing kitten, but in an ideal world, we’d like to see this above 35%.
- The inclusion of Omega-3 is good to see, but it only accounts for 0.5%, whereas Omega-6 oil account for 5.0%. In an ideal world, this ratio would be more balanced, either 1:1 or 1:2 (Omega-3 to Omega-6). However, some is better than nothing, and you can also supplement your cat’s food with salmon oil or other oils rich in Omega-3.
Is James Wellbeloved Dry Kitten Food Cost-Effective?
If bought on Amazon, a 4kg bag will cost you around 23, and, using the feeding guidelines for a moderately active 3.2kg kitten (75g per day), we can calculate the cost per daily serving:
4kg / 75g = 53 servings. 23 / 53 servings = 44p per daily serving / 13.20 per month.
Very cost-effective, we’d say.
Our verdict: Like the above adult grain-free food, James Wellbeloved kitten food certainly isn’t without its flaws; however, you still get a hell of a lot for your money: a complete kitten food that has a decent amount of protein, a full range of vitamins and minerals, and costs of less than 50p per day. Who can argue with that? Not us, that’s for sure. And neither should you!
James Wellbeloved Complete Dry Senior Cat Food (Fish)
Las, but certainly not least, we’re going to review James Wellbeloved’s dry senior cat food. This senior cat food comes in both Fish and Turkey flavours (we’ll be reviewing the former) and is available in 1.5kg and 4kg bags.
As is the case with every single one of our cat food reviews, we’ll carefully examine the marketing blurb on the manufacturer’s website and see if the ingredient list and macronutrient breakdown live up to expectations.
According to their website, James Wellbeloved’s dry senior cat food has been formulated specifically for senior cats and supplemented with the amino acid taurine to promote heart health and a range of oils and joint supplements and extracts to boost joint health. It includes sustainably sourced fish and a wide array of vitamins and minerals to ensure your senior cat lives a happy and healthy life.
The benefits of this senior cat food are listed as follows:
- Made with 100% natural fish
- It contains cranberry extract, which itself contains organic acids and anthocyanidins.
- It contains Yucca extract to help with litter tray odour.
- It contains Omega-3 and Omega-6 oils to promote skin and fur health.
- Packed full of antioxidants and prebiotics to boost your cat’s immune system and maintain healthy gut flora.
Sounds very similar, doesn’t it…? But does the ingredient profile of their senior dry food make for good reading, or is all of the above mater king blurb purely hot air? Let’s find out.
Ingredients: Fish meal (18.6%), brown rice, white rice, maize gluten, olive oil, pea protein, fish oil (4.7%), fish stock (4.5%), tomato pomace, carrot, potassium chloride, chicory pulp, chicory extract, calcium carbonate, sodium chloride, cranberry extract (0.05%), glucosamine (0.045%), nettles (0.025%), yucca extract (0.02%), rosemary extract (0.006%), chrondroitin (0.005%), green tea extract (0.004%), pomegranate extract (0.001%).
Analytical constituents (%): Protein 33; Fat 17; Crude Ash 8; Crude Fibre 1.8; Omega-3 FA 1.0; Omega-6 FA 2.4; Vitamin E 600mg/kg.
What does the above tell us? Does the ingredient profile and macronutrient breakdown ‘walk the walk’?
To find out, let’s break it down into three easy-to-digest lists (no pun intended); one for the pros (‘The Good Stuff’), one for the cons (‘The Not-So-Good Stuff’), and one for the bits that could be improved (‘Could Be Improved’).
The Good Stuff
- The vast majority of the total protein content comes from a high-quality, animal-derived source, i.e. fish meal.
- The first – and most abundant ingredient – is a form of (animal) protein.
- 33% protein is a good amount for senior cats. They typically have lower protein requirements compared to kittens and adult cats, and 33% is just about right.
- A full range of vitamins and minerals to support immune health and development.
- Added extracts to boost heart and joint health.
- Higher levels of Omega-3 (compared to their adult and kitten foods), in addition to a better Omega-3 to Omega-6 ratio (1:2.4 vs 1:5).
- Price.
The Not-So-Good Stuff
- Probably a little too much filler for our liking. Brown rice is the second most abundant ingredient, with white rice, potato protein, pea protein, and maize gluten added as well. These are all common fillers and are used to make the food cheaper to manufacture and boost the protein content (pea protein & potato protein). Kittens and adult cat can survive perfectly well without carbohydrates; therefore, there’s no real need for them to be included other than to make it cheaper to produce and, therefore, buy.
Could Be Improved
- Higher amounts of certain extracts as in the current quantities, it’s unlikely they will have any tangible impact on health.
Is James Wellbeloved Dry Senior Cat Food Cost-Effective?
If bought on Amazon, a 4kg bag will cost you around 25, and, using the feeding guidelines for a moderately active 5kg senior cat (70g per day), we can calculate the cost per daily serving:
4kg / 70g = 57 servings. 25 / 57 servings = 44p per daily serving / 13.20 per month.
Our verdict: James Wellbeloved’s senior dry cat food is actually rather impressive. It contains the right amount of protein for senior cats, has more Omega-3 (and a better Omega-3 to Omega-6 ratio) compared to a similar adult cat and kitten foods in the James Wellbeloved range, uses sustainably sourced fish as its primary protein source and contains all the necessary vitamins and minerals necessary for health and vitality. Sure, it could contain fewer filler ingredients, but for the price, it really is a good, solid senior cat food.
