| Website | Meals for Mutts |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Available from: | Pet Circle |
Meals for Meows is Meals for Mutts, but for cats. Clue’s in the name with that one. Originally formulated from the guy behind Lifewise, manufacturing switched circa 2017 to Hypro. They’re one of the few smaller Australian manufacturers.
Let’s take a look at the Kangaroo & Turkey recipe and see if it’s any good…
Kangaroo is a great ingredient. It’s high in protein, low in fat (3~4%), and offers an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. It’s free range, organic, and environmentally friendly to boot (read up on “Kangatarianism” for more info). It’s one of the best meat ingredients for pets with allergies, as is turkey.
It has to be said that Kangaroo and Turkey “meat” is open to interpretation. We often hear disapproval of “by-products” as a cheaper ingredient in pet foods, and this is likely the case with this ingredient. Australian guidelines aren’t as stringent as they are in the US, so it’s likely this “meat” will contain off-cuts and by-products. It depends on the quality of the source, but Australian standards don’t require Australian manufacturers to be specific.
Brown rice is one of the best choices of grain, so no qualms there, although cats don’t need grains period. Alfalfa is a “super food” ingredient and provides calcium, potassium, and a range of vitamins and minerals. It also contains endocrine disruptors and anti-nutrients (which can interfere with the absorption of nutrients). It’s a great ingredient in small doses, but concerning when it’s as prominent as we find here. I wonder if it’s used more to bulk up the protein, and we can’t say for certain how much there is in the food.
Omega fatty acids are good to see, as are the range of vitamins and minerals. Yucca S(c)hidigera is a welcome inclusion to aid joint health.
Interestingly this food has one of the lowest levels of ash (5%) in all the cat foods I’ve reviewed.
Overall it ‘s a candidate for a good food, but with the quality of meat open to interpretation and the concern with the amount of alfalfa I’ve given the food 4 stars instead of 5. It’s a food worthy of adding to a rotation.
Ingredients
Kangaroo and Turkey meat, ground brown rice, alfalfa, natural fats and oils, omega 3, 6 & 9, coconut oil, turmeric, parsley, pre & probiotic, kelp, vitamins A, C, D3, E, K, B1, B2, B6, B12, niacin, taurine, pantothenic acid, folacin, biotin, and natural organic acids, plus minerals, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, copper, zinc, iron, selenium, manganese and iodine. Also contains Yucca shidigera extract and natural flavours, and is preserved using natural vitamin E and rosemary extract.
I recently wrote a review re this food.
I had a few of my devon rexes on it and one developed a skin allergy.
I have just put two kittens on it and both have had skin reaction. Absolutely not hypo-allergenic with that % of reactions.
In a positive note, The cats that did not react look great.
Thats three reactions.
I also tried meals for mutts puppy and has severe reaction.
Actually, in certain circles, garlic is recommended as a control for worms including tape worm. It may make your pet vomit by it is eliminating the PESTS!!!
Same thing for hairballs. Vomiting is Not automatically a sign of illness or bad food!!!! It helps to get rid of what is disturbing in their stomach which I may not be aware of otherwise.
Hi Lori, garlic is only toxic if fed in excess – many cloves. In dry foods garlic is added in small amounts.
Here you go 🙂
https://www.petfoodreviews.com.au/dry-cat-food/meals-for-meows-grain-free/
I have 10 cats and not one of them would touch this food which has never happened before, it didn’t smell off but had some kind of strange herb smell not sure if that had anything to do with it, I purchased the $70 bag to, wasn’t impressed.
I found that two of my cats got urine infections shortly after starting this food. Perhaps it was dehydrating them and they weren’t having enough water. I don’t know the reason, but I will have to change.
Tip: please be sure an ample supply of fresh water is provided daily. Dishes get slimey if not washed in soapy water at least every other day. Clean dishes and food go a long way in preventing germs from invading internally. Winter months too..important to keep water unfrozen as much as possible for cats and dogs.
My only concern for Meals for Meows is the salt content which is not listed in the nutritional analysis. My cat seems to like it a lot but i’ve noticed that she’s drinking lot more water compared to other brands of dry food.
This company failed to disclose the chemical make up of the ingredient ((Natural Flavors))
MSG is a common hidden ingredient in pet foods, even in so-called “premium” and “natural foods.” Monosodium glutamate is used to enhance the flavor of many processed cat food.
MSG (the monosodium salt of glutamic acid) is used to intensify meat and spice flavor. Believed responsible for the so-called Chinese restaurant syndrome, in which diners suffer from chest pain, headache and numbness after eating a Chinese meal.
MSG causes brain damage in young rodents and brain damage effects in rats, rabbits, chicks, and monkeys. Baby food processors removed MSG from baby foods.
Depression, irritability, and other mood changes have been reported.
On the FDA list of additives needing further study for mutagenic, teratogenic, subacute, and reproductive effects.
Thank you for that thoughtful information!!!
This is my concern also – particularly with sodium listed as an ingredient although how that compares with “salt” or “sodium chloride” I don’t know…