Merrick, a pet food company, started in 1988 when this family started making dog treats on their ranch in Hereford, Texas. Their first offering was a dog treat named Flossie, and the success inspired the family to start manufacturing all-natural dog food. is there any Merrick cat food recall this year?
After twenty-five years since the company started, Merrick introduced its first cat food line. In 2015, Nestle Petcare announced its buyout of Merrick Pet Care.
If you have been going through the cat food brand options, then Merrick has caught your eye. These bags of cat food have aroused the curiosity of many cat owners. Sure, it sounds cool in theory, but is Merrick the right cat food choice for your feline-friendly household?
Overall, it’s quality food, but there has been some talk about declining the nutritional value of the products since Purina purchased them. Let’s know the brand, reviews, recall, history, comparison with other brands, and other topics, which will help you better understand the Merrick cat food.
Merrick Cat Food Brand History
At about 40 years old, Garth Merrick tackled what seemed like a daunting task: to craft a dog food that was not only “natural” but also up to the high standards of the organic movement.
The vegetables and meats that went into Merrick’s dog food had to be raised without the aid of fertilizers or pesticides. The Merrick family kitchen-tested the new line of foods on their dog, Gracie.
Merrick dipped his toes in the pet food industry by manufacturing a single line of treats. Supported by his wife, Susie, and their four children, he invented what would come to be known as Flossie’s Dog Treat.
Made from beef tendons, the treats were designed to clean dogs’ teeth. Encouraged by the success of the treats, the Merrick family then developed dog food products. “We like to believe that we’re offering the best dog food on the market at the lowest possible price,” Merrick told the Associated Press in 1990.
Merricks helped consumers humanize their dogs by naming their dog foods after dishes that humans tend to serve themselves, such as “Smoothed Comfort” and “Grammy Pot Pie.”
Sourcing And Manufacturing
Merrick makes “five promises” regarding its materials and manufacturing practices.
Merrick’s first promise is to partner with local producers, in principle, to support local communities and ensure the freshness of their ingredients. As a U.S. company, most of Merrick’s content is sourced from the United States, and Merrick does not source any material from China.
Merrick uses what he calls “nutritious, whole foods.” According to their nutritional philosophy, they do not use artificial additives, sweeteners, colors, or preservatives.
Merrick promises to provide balanced nutrition by using 30% to 80% protein from meat, poultry, and fish, along with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Merrick’s fourth promise is something they refer to as “the good health you can see.” They say their foods contain healthy fats, highly digestible meat proteins, and “industry-leading” levels of glucosamine and chondroitin.
All Merrick foods are prepared in a company-owned kitchen in Hereford, Texas. Their kitchen is Safe Quality Food (SQF) Level 3-certified and certified by the USDA National Organic Program.
Where To Buy Merrick Cat Food?
You can buy Merrick cat food from pet products retailers, farm and ranch stores. If you want to buy it online, you can buy it from Petco, Chewy, Amazon, PetFlow, Walmart, and Doctors Foster & Smith.
Merrick Cat Food Recall 2022
Merrick cat foods and treats have been recalled several times. Here is an explanation of the recall.
In May 2018, some Merrick beef-based dog treats were recalled due to potentially elevated beef thyroid hormones. The company said it was aware of a single customer complaint from a sick dog.
The affected treats were sold through pet speciality, grocery, and online retailers nationwide, with limited distribution in Canada. Several years ago, the U.S and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted, and they tested the routine and found salmonella in some Merrick pet treats, triggering other recalls.
Those recalls were for August 2011, January 2011, and July/August 2010. No disease was reported at the time of these recalls.
There was a recall situation in October 2003 that did not directly involve any Merrick brand but did include any dry dog food manufactured by Merrick at its facility in Texas. The Food was Go! Natural, and it was linked to the deaths of more than 20 dogs in the San Francisco Bay Area.
In June 2003, Go! Natural (a brand belonging to Petcurean, a Canada-based company) had contracted with Merrick to manufacture the pet food. A few months later, there were complaints of dogs becoming ill with severe liver problems after eating the food.
Petcurean issued a recall. After an investigation, the FDA found that the food contained an unknown BHA; although this alone was not “a definite cause” of the liver problems experienced by dogs, no such definite cause was ever found.
.Although, A class-action lawsuit was filed against PetCurean, Merrick’s, and the retail chain where the pet food was sold, Pet Food Express. That suit was dismissed, and the lawsuit was settled out of court in 2007.
In September 2002, consumers were warned not to buy or use specific Merrick Beef Steak Patty Pet Treats due to potential salmonella contamination in Canada. The Canadian health officials were following reports that at least five people had become ill after handling dog treats in Calgary.
There appears to be a Canada-only recall of a few hundred cases of the beef patty, and no other Merrick products were affected.
What Kind of Cat Food Does Merrick Offer?
The founder of this Company, Garth Merrick, states that Merrick’s differentiates itself from the “efforts we make to preserve the natural goodness and nutritional integrity of the Whole Foods ingredients we use,” explaining that “we use the fewest steps.” It can be used, and we avoid artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
They believe this approach keeps the customers – and most importantly their pets – satisfied that diets contribute significantly to their pet’s happiness and well-being. They have been doing this since the beginning and will continue to do so.”
Merrick’s has a diverse cat food offering, including dry food, wet food, raw mixers, and treats. They’re broken down into three lines—Perfect Bistro, Limited Ingredient Diet, and Backcountry.
Reviews of the 3 Best Merrick Cat Food Recipes
#1. Merrick Purrfect Bistro Healthy Grains Real Salmon & Brown Rice Recipe Review
We like the Merrick Purrfect Bistro Healthy on top Merrick recipes for cats, and we think most healthy adult cats can take advantage of this excellent recipe. Like all Merrick formulas, this recipe features real deboned salmon as the number one ingredient for its total dose of fishy goodness.
But for higher protein content, this is followed by chicken and turkey meals. They use barley grains, brown rice, and oatmeal now and then for an easy-to-digest meal. This recipe contains 400 calories per cup, for 3,676 in each bag.
The guaranteed analysis of this product is 36% Crude Protein, 17% Crude Fat, 3.5% Crude Fiber, and 11% Moisture. It is loaded with many vitamins and minerals to feed your cat’s internal organs for optimum health.
Reviews: Most customers gave this product positive feedback, while some gave critical feedback. After seeing all the reviews of users, we are talking about that. They said that this recipe has great quality ingredients and is best for fur babies.
And some of them said that they were disappointed with broken kibbles and their cats did not eat them. By users’ reviews, this product got 4.4 stars out of 5.
Pros
- complete protein
- Best for daily health
- Easily digestible cereals
Cons
- It might not work for all cats
#2. Merrick Backcountry Grain-Free Morsels Real Rabbit Recipe Cuts Review
Merrick Backcountry Grain-Free is a delectable decision if you want to promote a more natural diet. The first ingredient is a real rabbit, an excellent protein for felines. So, this will work great if your cat is on food tests – or if they are sensitive to other proteins.
In addition to the real rabbit, it contains lamb and beef broth – along with the natural deboned lamb. So you’re getting a protein-rich recipe that replenishes muscles and promotes healthy body functions. It contains taurine, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals that help with immunity and digestion.
In one pouch, this product contains 80 calories, for a total of 944 calories for all pouches included. The guaranteed analysis of this product is 9% Crude Protein, 3% Crude Fat, and 1.2% Crude Fiber. It would help if you were feeding at least three food packets per day so that this selection can be a bit pricey with many cats.
Reviews: Some buyers said that the recipe is great because their cats like to eat more than other food, also picky eaters like it a lot, and it keeps their felines healthy. Some of them said their cat’s Price is slightly higher than other brands. After all, it is worth 4.6 stars out of 5.
Pros
- Contains high moisture
- raw-infused diet
- more natural recipe
Cons
- Pricey for a multi-cat household
#3. Merrick Purrfect Bistro Complete Care Grain-Free Sensitive Stomach Review
If you have a kitty with a sensitive stomach, then Merrick’s products will help you. Merrick Purrfect Bistro Complete is specially formulated to aid in digestion. Packed with prebiotics and probiotics, it helps your kitty’s gut flora thrive.
Its first ingredient in this recipe is deboned chicken, which provides enough protein for your kitty. However, it does cut down on calorie content to keep your cat at a healthy weight and protect their immunity.
In one cup, this product contains 404 calories, for a total of 3,694 calories per bag. The guaranteed analysis is 34% crude protein, 16% crude fat, 2.5% crude fiber, and 11% moisture.
Each bag also contains 90,000,000 CFU for a healthy gut! If you have a perfectly healthy cat with no known sensitivities, this selection may not be necessary for your kitty.
Reviews: Customers said this food gives their felines plenty of relief from sensitive tummies. It is perfect for senior indoor cats, and they said that Two of their fur-boys have sensitive stomachs and 2 have urinary problems, so they just tried this Merrick brand and found it to be fantastic! They also do not see any problem consuming it along with their prescribed meal.
Some of them said that My cats love other Merrick foods, but this one was a flop, and they won’t touch it. From the customers’ reviews, this product got 4.4 stars out of 5.
Pros
- Easily digestible ingredients
- Live prebiotics and probiotics
- Grain-free
Cons
- Not necessary for every cat
Average Price And Duration In Comparison With Other Pet Food Brands
Merrick vs. Wellness
- According to the AAFCO, all pet food labels must provide a guaranteed analysis of nutrient content. Comparing Merrick to wellness, both brands provide roughly the same crude protein.
- Merrick and wellness almost provide the same amount of crude Fat and fiber.
- Merrick’s cost-per-lb for wet cat food is $3.63, and for dry, it is $6.12. Whereas Wellness costs-per-lb for wet cat food is $3.92, and for dry, it’s $7.40.
- As the Price of the Merrick, the brand seems lower than the Price of Wellness, so in our opinion, Merrick is a little better than wellness for your pet.
Merrick vs. Blue Buffalo
- Merrick guarantees 2.95% more protein Than Blue Buffalo, according to the data. However, this difference is relatively small; it is still notable. For wet foods, both brands provide the same amount of protein.
- Merrick and Blue Buffalo both have roughly the same amount of crude Fat. Blue Buffalo slightly provides more Fat for wet foods (about 3.57%).
- With regards to crude fiber, both brands provide roughly the same amount.
- Merrick’s cost-per-lb dry cat food is $3.63 and for wet food is $6.12. At the same time, Blue Buffalo costs-per-lb dry cat foods $3.67, and for wet food is $5.62. In our opinion, Blue Buffalo is slightly higher than Merrick.
FAQ
Who makes Merrick cat food?
In July of 2015, Merrick Pet Care company was bought by Nestle Purina PetCare Company, transitioning from Swander Pace Capital.
Does Merrick cat food have ingredients from China?
Merrick doesn’t source any ingredients from China, and it uses all nutritious, whole foods; according to that, they do not use artificial additives, sweeteners, colorings, or preservatives.
Did Merrick change their formula?
No, the formula has been changed, making some owners concerned about the future of Merrick’s quality. So far, only Purina has involved sharing canning techniques with Merrick.
Conclusion – Is Merrick Good For Cats?
Merrick’s has some great recipes to consider for your feline friend. However, if you’re looking for a particular formula, they can still be a bit limiting. For example, there are no kitten or senior dishes to offer.
Furthermore, they only have three food lines available. Even though Merrick’s has excellent ingredients that go above and beyond in cat nutrition, they may not meet the needs of all cats.
So, please remember to check with your vet on any new diet to make sure your cat is getting the best nutrition possible for them.