Best Reviewed
Cat Food
- Best canned cat food, but expensive Wellness Chicken Formula *Est. $1
- Best-value canned cat food Natural Balance Indoor Cat Formula *Est. $1
- Supermarket canned cat food Trader Joe's Chicken, Turkey & Rice Dinner *Est. $0
- Best dry cat food, but expensive Wellness Core Fish & Fowl Recipe for Adult Cats & Kittens *Est. $24
- Best value dry cat food Natural Balance Ultra Premium Dry *Est. $13
- Organic cat food Newman's Own Organics Chicken and Brown Rice *Est. $1
- Frozen raw cat food Feline's Pride Gourmet Chicken Dinner *Est. $95
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Natural Balance Ultra Premium Dry
Best value dry cat food
- Relatively inexpensive
- High-quality ingredients
- No by-products or glutens
- Product testing program
- Some grains are included
- A few questionable ingredients
While it's a little more expensive than the cheapest supermarket brands, experts say that the cost of Natural Balance Ultra Premium is low considering the quality of the ingredients. Notably, the meat content is excellent, and three of the top four ingredients are named meats or meat meals. Grains are used, but corn, wheat and soy (which often trigger allergies) are avoided. There are also no by-products, though some reviewers criticize other specific ingredients: canola oil, natural flavoring and sodium selenite. The company has been involved in past recalls as well as a class action suit for false advertising, though these were several years ago. Following the pet food recalls of 2007, the company set up a program that tests all batches of the foods it produces and posts the results for the public to see. Natural Balance Ultra Premium is a little harder to find than supermarket brands, but it is carried by some large national pet supply chains. If you can afford to pay more, however, Wellness Core Fish & Fowl Recipe for Adult Cats & Kittens (*Est. $24 for a 5.9-lb. bag) gets better reviews.
We found the best comparative reviews of Natural Balance Ultra Premium at About.com, PetsumerReport.com and PetFoodRatings.com. Reviews from cat owners can be found at Petco.com, ZooToo.com, OnlyNaturalPet.com and Amazon.com. At GreenLittleCat.com, Holly Tse evaluates Natural Balance as a company, with a focus on food safety and environmental practices.
Wellness Grain-Free Dry Cat Food for Adult Cats & Kittens, CORE Original Fish & Fowl Recipe, 11.8 lb. Bag
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Our Sources
1. About.com
Franny Syufy, About.com's guide to cats, includes Natural Balance Ultra Premium cat food in her list of top dry food choices, but discussion is limited compared with some other foods. She does note that she would "feed any of these foods to my cats." (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)
Review: Premium Dry Cat Foods for Adult Cats, Franny Syufy
While Natural Balance Ultra Premium earns a rating that's just a bit below the top foods, Christopher Eng says it's a great choice for those on a budget, as it delivers quite a bit for its price. He adds that the food is of good quality, with good ingredients (including flaxseed oil). But he disapproves of the inclusion of brewers yeast.
Review: Natural Balance Ultra Premium, Christopher Eng
3. PetsumerReport.comDetails/Subscribe
Natural Balance Ultra Premium gets a high rating here despite its inclusion of canola oil, which Susan Thixton says has not been tested for safety with pet foods. Thixton does like the inclusion of some high-quality ingredients like kelp and flaxseed, the use of several high-grade animal protein sources and that minerals are chelated for better absorption.
Review: Cat Food, Susan Thixton
4. ZooToo.com
Nearly 150 users have weighed in at this independent pet lovers' community, and most seem quite pleased, giving Natural Balance Ultra Premium an overall rating of 4.4 on a five-point scale. A few report that they are disappointed, but the overwhelming majority give good recommendations.
Review: Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium Cat Food, Contributors to ZooToo.com
5. Petco.com
Almost 70 users have written reviews of Natural Balance Ultra Premium, giving it a high overall rating of 4.8 on a five-point scale. Palatability and acceptance are frequently cited pluses, but some also note increased energy, better coats and less stomach upset than with other foods.
Review: Natural Balance Ultra Premium Cat Food, Contributors to Petco.com
Fewer than a dozen owners review this cat food here. Most are delighted with it, but two report that the litter box became extremely stinky. Staffers at this retail site note that this can be a temporary problem, lasting several months, when switching to a higher-quality cat food.
Review: Natural Balance Ultra Premium Dry Cat Food, Contributors to OnlyNaturalPet.com
This cat lover evaluates Natural Balance, along with five other health-food[D4] cat food companies, with a focus on their environmental impact and practices. She's pleased that the food is high quality and that most ingredients are from the U.S. However, she's disappointed that the company's idea of being green seems to be that their cans can be recycled.
Review: The Natural Cat Food Throwdown -- Calling Natural Balance to the Competition, Holly Tse, June 23, 2009
8. Amazon.com
Most of the handful of owners reviewing this cat food here are delighted with it. But one reviewer, a biochemist, argues that the price per pound makes homemade food with high-quality meats a better solution.
Review: Natural Balance Ultra Premium Formula Dry Cat Food, Contributors to Amazon.com
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California Natural Chicken & Brown Rice Cat and Kitten Dry Cat Food
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Taste of the Wild Dry Cat Food, Rocky Mountain Feline Formula with Roasted Venison and Smoked Salmon, 5 Pound Bag
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