Merrick Cat Food Review 2024: Everything You Need To Know

We love our furry feline friends. We want them to be healthy and enjoy their meals. We love watching them eat with gusto when we finally hit the jackpot of buying the food they actually like. But let’s face it — kitties are much pickier than their canine counterparts.

With the hundreds of choices for cat foods out there, we are tasked with finding the best cat foods we can provide that suits our cats’ needs, and is of course, also approved by them.

This article, Merrick Cat Food Review, talks about one of the most well-known brands when it comes to pet foods. The Merrick Cat Food line gives us a good selection of cat foods according to their life stage and dietary requirements.

With each bag or can of pet food, Merrick promises to provide real whole foods, higher quality ingredients, health you can see, and food crafted in their Hereford kitchen. According to their fifth promise, Merrick gives back to communities committed to making life better for pets and pet parents.

Merrick’s cat foods are divided into three lines: Purrfect Bistro, Backcountry, and Limited Ingredient Diet. 

To help you pick the right kinds of cat foods for your darling companion, we have created this cat food review of some of the brand’s highly-rated pet foods.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”Mary Nielsen ♥” link=”” color=”#ff9900″ class=”” size=”15″]You love what you see? Purrfect! Rest assured that I put these products on the list specifically due to their genuine quality and not for other reasons. I would just like to be transparent with you and inform you that FelineLiving may obtain a share of sales or other monetary compensation from the links on this page. I hope your furry friends will love these reviewed products and that it will spark joy in each pair of feline eyes! [/perfectpullquote]

Merrick Cat Food Comparison

Reviewed Merrick Cat Foods

1. Merrick Purrfect Bistro Grain-Free Indoor Senior Recipe
2. Merrick Purrfect Bistro Grain-Free Thanksgiving Day Dinner
3. Merrick Backcountry Raw Infused Game Bird Recipe
4. Merrick Backcountry Grain-Free Kitten Recipe
5. Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free
6. Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Real Salmon Pate

Merrick Cat Food Review: Purrfect Bistro

Purrfect Bistro is 100% grain-free and claims to be highly-digestible. It has Omega-3 and 6 for healthy skin and fur. Aside from animal protein, it includes high-fiber produce such as sweet potatoes, alfalfa, and peas.  Purrfect Bistro comes in both wet and dry types, and has a total of over 40 variants.

1. Merrick Purrfect Bistro Grain-free Indoor Senior

This line of cat foods is specifically made for indoor cats aged 7 years or older. This recipe has less calories and chicken fat but contains more protein for the benefit of senior pets’ muscle and joint health.

Its main ingredients are real chicken (deboned chicken) plus sweet potato. It has fiber for hairball control; Omega fatty acids for skin and fur health; and is enriched with vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and antioxidants.  

Aside from real chicken, chicken fat and sweet potato, the first five ingredients list turkey meal, potatoes, and chicken meal.

Guaranteed Analysis

Pros

• Seniors love it! Most buyers find that their picky senior cats absolutely love the Merrick Purrfect Bistro Grain-Free Indoor Senior cat food. Their feline companions just can’t get enough of it. One customer has stated that her kitties who have previously been suffering from loss of appetite, ate like their lives depended on it.
• Just the right size. The kibble size of the Merrick Purrfect Bistro Grain-Free Indoor Senior is small, which makes it easier for older kitties to chew, and thus, also easier for them to digest. It is especially perfect for senior felines who have less teeth than they used to have.  
• Helped resolve some digestive issues. Several pet parents have said that this food stopped, or at least significantly reduced the frequency of their senior pets’ vomiting. An owner of a 17-year old kitty said that the fiber content of the Merrick Purrfect Bistro Grain-Free Indoor Senior helped eliminate hard stools for his furry buddy. A handful of owners, noticed that the litter box odor was also reduced, as well as the amount of solid waste.
• Helps maintain a healthy weight. While it may be tasty and seem to motivate older mousers to eat, the Merrick Purrfect Bistro Grain-free Indoor Senior is said to have helped pets maintain a healthy weight. This is especially beneficial to senior pets who have started gaining more weight due to lessened activity.

Cons

• A bit too crumbly. A few customers have found this cat food to have more food dust than other brands of pet foods. The small, crumbly kibble tend to leave food dust on the cat’s dish. The food dust adds to the weight of the bag, but is not actually consumed by their pets.

Conclusion

The Purrfect Bistro Grain-free Indoor Senior seems to be a great choice for a lot of senior cats. The flavor motivates them to eat and have a healthy appetite, which is very important in older cats. This cat food also seems to have improved or even resolved some existing digestive issues that a few cats had.  The perfect kibble size makes it easier for older ones to chew.

2. Merrick Purrfect Bistro Minced Thanksgiving Day Dinner

This grain free canned cat food has minced real deboned turkey in tasty gravy. The rest of the first five ingredients are real chicken (deboned chicken), chicken liver, turkey broth, and deboned duck.

Truly a Thanksgiving feast for your fur baby! It also has nutritious sources of carbohydrates and fiber, such as sweet potato, cranberries, and organic alfalfa. 

Guaranteed Analysis

Pros

• Quality Ingredients. Cat owners love the high-quality, nutritious food in the Merrick Purrfect Bistro Grain-Free Minced Thanksgiving Day Dinner. They especially appreciate the fact that its ingredients do not include fillers such as corn or food by-products. Most customers who buy this cat food are more than willing to pay a bit more for cat food with high nutritional value. 
• The gravy.  Kitties seem to enjoy licking the tasty liquid that comes with this canned food.  This wet food contains turkey broth, which makes for an excellent-tasting Thanksgiving gravy. One pet parent finds that even with the sauce, the food content of the can is well-packed and seem to have more solid food in it instead of just having a lot of liquid.  
• Great flavor. This Thanksgiving feast in a can sure is popular among kitties. A majority of customers rave that their pets absolutely love the Merrick Purrfect Bistro Grain-Free Minced Thanksgiving Day Dinner. They just cannot get enough. One customer said that it is the only canned cat food that her four furry buddies would eat.

Cons

• Recipe changes. Some customers have complained that the ingredients of this variant have changed. It previously did not contain deboned chicken. Others have noted that the addition of duck and chicken increases the cat food’s fat content. A few kitties who previously ate the old formula did not care for the new one.

Conclusion

The Merrick Purrfect Bistro Grain-Free Minced Thanksgiving Day Dinner is definitely a feast for felines who enjoy its flavor. The gravy seems to be worth licking their dishes clean for.

This is a bonus as some pet parents feel that cats do not get enough hydration. More importantly, this tasty cat food has ingredients with very high nutritional value, such as turkey, chicken liver, and organic alfalfa among others.

 Let’s move on to Merrick Backcountry, Merrick’s ancestral-diet line for the wild cat in your kitty.

Merrick Cat Food Backcountry

Merrick Backcountry is the perfect choice for your carnivorous feline. It is called ancestral-diet cat food by Merrick as it is grain-free and contains a mix of protein and freeze-dried raw pieces of meat, poultry, or fish. 

This line has multiple protein choices for your cat, such as beef, chicken, salmon, whitefish, rabbit, and duck among others.

3. Merrick Backcountry Raw Infused – Game Bird Recipe

This grain-free dry cat food contains freeze-dried raw pieces of meat mixed with kibble. The raw components of this cat food go through a process called High Pressure Processing (HPP) to ensure safety.  The high protein content of the Merrick Backcountry – Raw Infused – Game Bird Recipe helps build muscle-tissue and energy levels.

This game bird variant contains real chicken (deboned chicken), chicken meal, turkey meal, salmon meal, deboned duck, deboned quail, and chicken liver, chicken fat among others.

Guaranteed Analysis

Pros

• The raw bits are a hit! The freeze dried raw bits are quite popular among cats who like this variant.  Some pet parents even give the raw tidbits as treats. Some pick the raw bits out and eat them first before digging into the kibble.  Even a few ferret owners are raving.
• Converted wet food only fans. A lot of owners whose cats previously consumed wet food exclusively were said to have liked the Merrick Backcountry – Raw Infused – Game Bird Recipe.  According to them, this is the only dry food that their cats like. This makes it a good choice to try on cats that owners wish to convince that there is more to kibble than they thought.
• Rich in protein. Merrick Backcountry – Raw Infused – Game Bird Recipe has a higher protein content than your average dry cat nourishment. The dry cat kibble is protein-packed with deboned meat. It has actual freeze-dried raw pieces of pure meat.  It does not contain fillers such as grains and by-products.

Cons

• Raw bits are too big for some. Some kittens and cats find the freeze-dried raw bits to be a bit too large for their liking.  While the kibble bits are small and perfect for little kitties, some are not able to reap the benefits of having the freeze-dried meat mixed with their dry food.

4. Merrick Backcountry Kitten Recipe Cuts

This protein-rich wet cat food is cut into morsels and comes in a single-serve pouch full of gravy.  The Merrick Backcountry Grain-Free Kitten Recipe Cuts contains real chicken (deboned chicken), duck broth, deboned duck, chicken broth, and chicken liver.

Guaranteed Analysis

Pros

• Nutritious and high quality. Healthy food is especially important to growing kittens. Merrick Backcountry Grain-Free Kitten Recipe Cuts is protein-rich and fortified with vitamins and minerals vital in kittens’ developing muscle tissues.
• Good sized morsels. This wet kitten food comes in small chunks instead of the usual pate for kittens. They’re small enough for kittens to eat, but large enough to get them chewing, especially when teething.
• Flavor. The deboned chicken plus duck soaked in tasty gravy proved to be popular among young kitties who have tried the Merrick Backcountry Grain-Free Kitten Recipe Cuts.  One pet parent said that her kittens try to finish their servings first, and then steal morsels from their siblings.

Cons

• Slightly pricey. A handful of customers find this wet kitten food somewhat expensive compared to other foods.

Conclusion

The high protein content of this wet kitten food is perfect for growing kittens.  It is vital that they are able to build strong muscle tissues.

A lot of kittens seem to love it, and as a result have developed good appetites.  While it is on the pricey side, many pet parents believe the quality ingredients are worth the price.

Merrick Cat Food Limited Ingredient Diet

This brand is especially made for felines with special dietary requirements due to food sensitivities or allergies. It is also grain-free, and contains only one type of animal protein ingredient, along with carefully selected carbohydrate sources. 

5. Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet Real Chicken Recipe

This dry food has real deboned chicken as its single-source protein.  It is grain-free, does not have artificial flavors or colors, and has no preservatives. 

Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free – Real Salmon Recipe is rich in Omega fatty acids for healthy skin and fur.  Aside from deboned chicken, it also has chickpeas and dried alfalfa.

Guaranteed Analysis

Pros

• Helps with digestive issues. Many pet parents of cats who have various digestive problems stated that their pets’ issues were gone after switching to this particular recipe.  Their symptoms range from chronic diarrhea to vomiting. It also has probiotics that help promote healthy digestion. Some customers state that they discovered this dry cat food through their vet’s recommendation.
• Improved skin and coat. Owners of cats with skin allergies have noted a significant improvement in their cats’ skin and fur after feeding them with this Merrick cat food brand.  They noticed a lot less scratching and shiny, healthy fur on their pets. 
• They are more active. Some felines have shown more activity and just seemed much healthier since eating Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free – Real Chicken Recipe. Pet parents noticed a renewed playfulness in their pets as a result of their overall health improvement.

Cons

• Food dust. Some buyers noticed that the bags they received had a lot of food dust in it. They find that the dry food is too crumbly for their liking that it gets easily crushed and turn into food dust.  Cats usually do not eat the food dust, and just goes to waste.  

Conclusion

Digestive issues can be very stressful for pets and their owners too. They could lead to dehydration among other numerous problems.  Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free – Real Chicken Recipe offers relief for kitties who are suffering from problems such as vomiting and diarrhea. 

Resolving such problems allows them to feel better and become more active and playful. However, some owners find that it is too expensive to have that much food dust in their bags.

6. Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet Real Salmon Recipe 

This canned wet kitty food is specially formulated for cats with food sensitivities and sensitive stomachs.  It comes in pate form.

Like its dry counterpart, deboned salmon is its only animal protein source. It is grain and potato free, and has no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.

Guaranteed Analysis

Pros

• Great for pets with digestive issues. Most feline owners who have fed this to their pets who suffer from irritable bowel disease or frequent vomiting found that the symptoms disappeared shortly after switching to this wet food brand. A lot of sensitive kitties appear to benefit from the Merrick cat food brand’s single-source formula.
• Flavor. The salmon flavor is quite popular among those who have tried it, according to customer reviews. They seem to love it so much and lick their bowls clean, as noted by several buyers.
• Great for skin and fur. As this type of food is usually purchased by owners of sensitive cats, many kitties who have skin allergies have shown significant improvements in their skin and fur.  According to a number of cat food reviews, no more scratching, and their coats are softer, thicker, and shiny.

Cons

• Strong odor. A few cat food reviews find this salmon pate’s fish scent to be too strong.  One pet owner says that it gave her pet extra smelly stools.

Conclusion

The Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Real Salmon Recipe Pate is perfect for kitties with food sensitivities and digestive problems. As this canned food only has one source or animal protein, it is an easy choice for felines who have adverse reactions to certain types of meat or other ingredients.

While the empty cans might have a strong smell and require some rinsing, many still think that the health benefits that this food gives to their furry buddies are totally worth it.

FAQs

Is Merrick a good brand for cat foods?

Yes! When rated for quality of ingredients, customer experience, and product variety, the Merrick brand has mostly positive ratings. Animal Food Advisor generally considers Merrick to be a good quality brand with healthy ingredients that will suit the majority of pets. They've rated the Classic range 4.5 stars out of 5, the Grain Free range 5 stars, the Backcountry range 5 stars and the Limited Ingredient Diet range 4 stars.

Where are the kitty foods by the Merrick brand made?

They're all made right here in the United States. In Hereford, Texas to be specific.

How much should I feed my feline buddy?

The amount of foods your kitty consumes depends on his life stage (whether he's a kitten, and adult, or a senior), how active he is, and what his ideal weight should be.

Which is better — wet or dry foods?

Each of these has their own advantages and disadvantages. For example, wet foods have higher moisture content and are less processed. However, wet foods have shorter shelf lives.

Dry foods, meanwhile, contain higher calories, carbs, and proteins. But, your feline companions will need to drink lots of water to compensate for the lower moisture content.

The best answer is to give your pets a healthy balance of wet and dry foods for variety. You can also offer one of these as a treat.

Is Merrick owned by Purina?

Nestle Purina Buys Merrick Pet Care. July 21, 2015 — According to a Yahoo! news report, Nestle Purina PetCare Company has purchased Merrick Pet Care in a recent buyout agreement. The company is a leading producer of natural and organic pet foods. Merrick's foods are made in the USA.

Have Merrick cat foods ever been recalled?

No. There were some dog treat recalls a decade ago, but there were never any recalls for the Merrick brand’s feline lines.

Is Merrick cat and dog food made in China?

Merrick never uses ingredients from China and all of their products are hand-crafted and produced in Hereford, Texas using locally sourced ingredients. Merrick offers their customers four promises for their pets – the quality they want, the nutrition they need, and the taste they love.