Pure Balance Cat Food Review: 2024 Buyer’s Guide

Pure Balance claims to offer luxury food products at affordable prices. There is a broad range of flavors and variations on offer from this famous pet food supplier. So, which of their cat food options are most viable for your pet?

In this Pure Balance cat food review, we'll be taking a closer look at the brand's different cat food options. We'll overview several of the supplier's most popular products — including their flavors, ingredients, and more. Lastly, we'll also provide you with some additional information about this brand.

What is Pure Balance?

This is a brand of pet food that promises high-quality ingredients for a fraction of the price of many premium competitors. In recent years, the brand has grown increasingly popular with consumers that are trying to feed their cats healthy food on a budget. So, who produces the food, and what are its origins?

Pure Balance's origins and manufacturing processes are slightly less transparent than many industry competitors. The brand is a ‘Walmart Brand,' but the retail giant does not manufacture it. Instead, a company named Aisnworth's is responsible for sourcing, manufacturing, and supplying most of their products.

The exact arrangements are not clear cut. It appears that Ainsworth's is only responsible for manufacturing some of the product lines. Other pet food manufacturers around the country are responsible for producing certain items.

If you're concerned about the exact source of your cat food's ingredients, you won't find much relief at Pure Balance. The company isn't well-known for releasing information about its ingredient sourcing — there's no publicly available information about suppliers or other critical sources.

Overall, this brand's origins and transparency are slightly disappointing. While the brand is associated with Walmart, it's somewhat frustrating that there's no additional information about food sources, manufacturers, or other critical details.

Top Four Pure Balance Cat Food Options

As part of our review, we've developed a list of the top four cat food formulas currently offered by the company. Check out our list below:

• Pure Balance Chicken & Brown Rice
• Pure Balance High Protein Grain-Free SALMON Recipe
• Pure Balance Grain-Free Wild & Free Recipe Variety Pack
• Pure Balance Grain-Free Salmon Recipe & Turkey Recipe

It's time to learn more about these unique options:

Pure Balance Chicken & Brown Rice

One of this brand's most popular cat food products is the Pure Balance Chicken & Brown Rice kibble. As the name suggests, this option contains chicken and brown rice flavors that are designed to appetize cats. The grain-free production of this cat food helps you prioritize nutrients instead of fillers.

In terms of protein, you'll find a range of different animal proteins are used to manufacture this product. While there is pea protein, the primary protein sources include rendered chicken meal and fresh chicken. This brand places a significant emphasis on using farm-raised chicken, but it's important to note the other protein sources aren't classified as healthy options.

Unfortunately, some of the other ingredients are much vaguer. Terms like ‘natural flavor' don't provide context for what products are used to create the food. Additionally, while there is no grain in the food, there does appear to be many other carbohydrates, which slightly defeats the purpose of a grain-free product.

There are plenty of added vitamins and minerals that help you provide a well-balanced diet for your pet.

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Pure Balance High Protein Grain-Free Salmon Recipe

This is another dry food option that comes branded as a ‘grain-free' recipe. This product comes loaded with 40% protein, no corn, no grain, and no wheat. As with the first recipe on our list, one of the primary aims of this product is to provide a food option for those cats that do not require unnecessary carbs.

In terms of protein sources, the primary source is salmon. You'll find salmon meal, chicken meal, chicken fat, and dried egg inside of this product as well. Additionally, there are dried peas and a range of vegetable sources.

As with most of their products, you'll find a long list of minerals and vitamins that can help boost the health of your cats, including a vitamin E supplement. As with other products, there are quite a few hidden carbohydrates in this product when compared to its desire to be seen as a low-carb option.

If you already know your cats love the taste of salmon, this is a well-liked product that uses real salmon as one of its base ingredients. At its price, it's certainly worth a try — especially when you consider its well-reviewed by cat owners.

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Pure Balance Grain-Free Wild & Free Recipe Variety Pack

Third on our list is the ‘wild and free turkey' recipe from this brand. Again, this is another popular food option for cats. Its primary protein source is turkey, but you'll also find turkey meal, chicken meal, dried peas, chicken fat, dried egg, potato protein, and more. While it does have a decent amount of animal protein, the product still has heavy elements of plant-based protein.

This product's focus is high protein. Its primary ingredient is meat protein, and it promises that it is 100% real turkey. There are no artificial flavors or colors used in the creation of the product, which means you can avoid the pesky chemicals found in various other food recipes for cats.

This is another well-reviewed Pure Balance option. It appears to be well-liked with all types of cat owners (both kittens and cats). As with the other dry food options on our list, there are also plenty of vitamins packed into this recipe.

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Pure Balance Grain-Free Salmon Recipe & Turkey Recipe Variety Pack

If you're looking for a wet food option that's suitable for your cat, you might be considering the Pure Balance Chicken & Salmon Recipe in Gravy. While this brand's wet food comes in a variety of different flavoring options, we'll take a look at this formula for this review.

As with the dry food options on our list, this is a grain-free formula that comes high in protein. Its primary sources of protein are chicken, salmon, dried egg, chicken broth, and poultry liver. It also comes loaded with added vitamins and minerals.

While there are still several carbs in this product, it has been certified by AAFCO as a well-balanced product for cat nutrition. If your cat prefers wet cat food, this might be one of your best options.

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Which Pure Balance Cat Foods Have Been Recalled?

Unfortunately, food recalls are rife in the pet food industry. If you're going to choose a new cat food producer, it's critical to select a supplier that can be trusted to maintain high-quality standards. So, has Pure Balance cat food been recalled in the past?

This is one of the few pet foods brands that has not issued any recalls in the past two years. This a testament to consistent food standards and slightly makes up for the company's lack of transparency on the production end of their business.

Regardless, if you have a pet, it's always important to check the latest recall information. Not doing so could put your cat at risk. You can find current and past recall information for all US pet food brands on the internet.

Pure Balance Buying Guide

Now that you've read our overview of Pure Balance's top food products, it's time to learn more about this unique cat food brand and what it can offer to you and your pet. Below, let's learn more about this brand — we'll also provide you with tips and information to keep in mind when you're shopping for cat food.

Is Pure Balance Cat Food Good for Cats?

If you're looking for the best food for cats, it's important to find brands that offer ingredients you can trust. As you can tell, many of the ingredients in pet food brands can be confusing. Most pet owners have never seen terms like menadione sodium bisulfite complex, pea protein, animal fat preserved, and beet pulp.

This brand is a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to nutrition. On the one hand, the formulas avoid certain unnatural ingredients and health hazards. On the other hand, elements such as pea protein, beet pulp, sweet potato, and other components aren't the best option for your cat.

So, while Pure Balance isn't the healthiest choice for your cat, many of its formulas do include excellent ingredients if you're trying to provide nutrition to your pet. As always, it's essential to explore the ingredients list of each product and determine if you're comfortable with the additives and unnecessary ingredients in the food.

If you're someone who is looking for a limited ingredient option, the four formulas on our list might not be the right choice for your cat. While some people appear to consider these options to be ‘limited ingredient,' They have other cat foods that they explicitly advertise under this category. It's better to be safe than sorry — seek out the alternative Pure Balance flavors if this is a priority.

What Cat Food Ingredients Should I Try to Avoid?

Pet food is notorious for containing extra ingredients that aren't healthy (even for animal consumption). If you're purchasing cheap cat food, you can sometimes run into issues with quality. So, which ingredients do you need to be careful about next time you're shopping for cat food? Let's take a look:

• Rendered fats
• Corn gluten
• Wheat gluten
• Grain
• Certain meats and by-products
• Propylene Glycol
• Unnecessary preservatives
• Unnecessary chemicals
• Animal fat preserved
• Beet pulp
• Sweet potato (Not always necessary to avoid sweet potato)
• Pea protein
• Ethoxyquin
• Butylated Hyrdoxytolene
• Butylated Hydroxyanisole
• Added food dyes
• Recalled pet items

Fortunately, this brand is firmly committed to avoiding many of the above ingredients. As you will see in the advertising on many of their products, they avoid the use of corn and wheat when manufacturing their cat food products.

It's essential to be super vigilant when you're buying cat food. Pet food producers are notorious for cutting corners and using substitutes.

Is Pure Balance Popular with Pet Owners?

This brand has been extraordinarily active at marketing itself as a pure source of food for cats. The company includes farm-raised ingredients, no grains, and a lack of additives, which has made it popular with health-conscious pet owners. A glance at online reviews indicates that this brand is extremely popular with pet owners around the United States.

It appears that most of the problems associated with the products are related to suppliers, not the producer of Pure Balance. For example, some customers have complained about receiving expired cat food after ordering from online. Again, this is the fault of the distributor that is selling the products on the internet.

Transitioning to Pure Balance

If your cat is trying this brand for the first time, it's important to transition them slowly. Cats are notoriously fussy about switching foods, so it's critical to change their food source gradually to avoid complications. Pure Balance recommends that you enact this process over a seven to10 day period. Below is their recommended transition schedule:

• Days 1-2: 25% Pure Balance // 75% Current Food Source
• Days 3-4: 50% Pure Balance // 50% Current Food Source
• Days 5-6: 75% Pure Balance // 25% Current Food Source
• Continuing: 100% Pure Balance

Keep an Eye on Your Cat

If you're switching your cat to this brand, it's also essential to keep an eye on their behavior and health as you transition them to a new food source. While most cats will respond positively to their products, there may be ingredients or nutrients that are not suitable for your pet. By keeping an eye on your cat during the transition phase, you can ensure that you're not causing any adverse reactions by switching their cat food.

Where Can I Buy Pure Balance Food for My Cat?

If you're hoping to purchase this brand of food for your cat as quickly as possible, you'll be pleased to know several online retailers offer a broad range of flavors and products. You will find both Walmart and Amazon stock an extensive list of their cat food products. You'll also be able to find a wealth of customer feedback on each of these platforms.

Amazon and Walmart both offer speedy shipping options, so you won't need to wait long for your food to arrive in the mail.

Verdict: Pure Balance Isn't Perfect, But It's Still a Bargain

So, is Pure Balance cat food one of the best cat foods on the market? While this brand isn't the best cat food option, it's safe to say you receive value for money. Some of the ingredients in their food products aren't the healthiest option for your cat.

While there isn't any grain, corn, or specific negative carbs, there is still a range of other carbs loaded into each of the products on our list. Also, they don't offer much transparency on its production methods or sources of food.

This brand is extremely popular with consumers for a reason. With a wealth of positive feedback about this cat food brand online, it's easy to see this is a favorable option for many pet owners across the country.