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Score: 8.5/10
Bottom Line
Picky cats will love Optimum, but there’s no good options for senior cats.
PROS
CONS
We’ve done this Optimum cat food review with the help of our cats Toby and Karl.
Optimum is a well-known vet recommended pet food brand in Australia.
We tested their wet and dry cat foods with our cats.
Review summary:
The good?
Meat first.
Using meat as a first ingredient, Optimum gives cats the protein they need. Picky cats will enjoy the taste.
The bad?
Vague nutrition.
For a vet recommended cat food, I’d like to see more info about nutrition. Does this suit all cats?
The ugly?
Dry cat food.
Like most brands, the dry cat food falls behind in quality compared to the wet. Optimum is no exception.
In short:
Good.
Optimum seems good, and it is. This is a reliable choice for picky adult cats and our top vet recommended cat food.
Like most brands though, your best choice is the wet cat food, with the dry cat food less ‘optimal’.
Best for:
- Adult cat health
- Weight control
- Picky eaters
>> Check out Optimum cat food here
In the rest of this Optimum cat food review I’ll test this product with our cat testers Karl and Toby.
I’ll also take a deep dive into the nutrition of this cat food to find which cats benefit most from this product.
About Optimum
Optimum specializes in carnivore friendly cat food with the proper ratio of macronutrients.
They are an Australian company owned by Mars Petcare.
In the US, Mars Petcare is the leading cat food brand.
Mars Petcare own brands like:
- Advance
- Dine
- Whiskas
- Royal Canin
There are no recalls for Optimum cat food as of the writing of this article.
In short:
- Owned by Mars Petcare
- No recalls
- Australian based
Optimum Cat Food Review: Top Foods
Here are our current Optimum cat food reviews.
I’ve taken a look at the following areas:
- Nutrition
- Ingredients
- Value for Money
- Taste
- Trust
Here’s the results:
Optimum Wet Cat Food Review
Pros and Cons
Nutrition
Good.
Optimum is a complete meal for adult cats, per AAFCO’s nutrition guidelines.
They provide info for:
- Crude fat (min)
- Crude protein (min)
- Carbohydrate
- Metabolizable energy (ME)
There’s no info on fiber, ash and moisture. The market average is 1.1%, 2.4%, and 79.4% based on our research for those respectively.
Assuming protein and fat are similar to market values, I estimate the following:
- Protein: 58%
- Fat: 22%
- Carb: 3%
- Fiber: 5%
- Ash: 12%
This lines up with what cats need as carnivores.
The protein content is well in excess of a cats dietary requirement of 26% for adult cats. High protein diets improve taste.
The carb content is low at 2.9%. Well under what we recommend for good health (~12% dry matter).
The calorie content seems low at 600 kcal/kg (market average is 1,000 kcal/kg for wet cat food). This means the product is better suited to weight control.
Optimum adds Vitamin C to their urinary care cat food. According to research, vitamin C is not beneficial for urinary health and not required in a cats diet.
Finally:
The nutrition doesn’t seem to support senior cat health.
Old cats over 12 years need a calorie dense cat food to help maintain weight. They also need a high calcium to phosphate diet for kidney health (no info on that).
Notes:
- Suitable for adults
- High protein
- Low calorie
Nutrition: 9/10
Ingredients
Here’s a look at Optimum Kitten with Salmon Chunks in Jelly:
Ingredient List: Meat by-products and Meat (including Chicken, Sheep &/or Beef); Binders (including Gluten, Beef &/or sheep); Fish by-products and Fish (including Salmon); Flavour; Gelling Agents; Minerals & Vitamins; Vegetable Oil; Colouring Agents; Taurine; Antioxidants
Not bad.
Optimum Kitten (and adult) use the with label descriptor. This means that the named ingredient is in amounts of 3-25%.
Most of the meat is a mish mash of chicken, sheep, beef, tuna, and salmon. This includes by-products.
Whilst a controversial ingredient, by-products provide a range of nutrients for cats. The smattering of meats won’t suit those with allergies though.
The gelling agents ingredient can include gums and carrageenan.
Gums can reduce taurine absorption, and carrageenan may irritate digestion. Some cats are sensitive to gums and experience food intolerance.
Fortunately, there’s no grains, legumes or other starch rich food. This improves taste, lowers carb content, and means the protein quality is higher (as it’s all meat).
Check out more about Optimum cat food over at their website.
Notes:
- Mostly meat
- Includes by-products
- Added gelling agents
Ingredients: 7/10
Taste
Awesome.
We offered Optimum wet cat food to our cat tester Karl. He loved both serves.
Customer reviews are also overwhelmingly positive for Optimum wet cat food.
Here are the results of our taste testing:
- Food Test 1: Optimum Urinary Care with Ocean Fish
- Amount eaten: 100%
- Smell: Water, soggier smell. Sea, ocean smell
- Texture: Quite runny, fish is soft
Here is a short video of Karl trying Optimum Urinary Care with Ocean Fish.
Taste: 10/10
- Food Test 2: Optimum Kitten with Salmon Chunks in Jelly
- Amount eaten: 100%
- Smell: Slight fishy smell
- Texture: Slightly Chunky, slightly mushy. Slightly moist but not overly watery
Here is a short video of Karl trying Optimum Kitten with Salmon Chunks in Jelly.
Value For Money
Mid-range.
Optimum isn’t budget friendly, but it’s not the most expensive. They offer bulk buy options with up to 24 packs.
Here are similar cat foods to consider:
Value: 7.5/10
Final Thoughts
Great.
Optimum is best suited for picky adult cats and weight control.
It’s low calorie content doesn’t suit underweight senior cats, and it’s a tad pricey.
Best for:
- Adult health
- Weight control
- Picky eaters
Where to find Optimum wet cat food?
Scoring Explained: We use our own calculations to fairly compare brands. For nutrition, we look at ingredient weighting. We taste test products with our cats and compare to customer results. We also check if it’s a well-known brand customers approve of and can trust.
Optimum Dry Cat Food Review
Pros and Cons
Nutrition
Average.
Optimum is a complete meal for adult cats, per AAFCO’s nutrition guidelines.
They provide info for:
- Crude fat (min)
- Crude protein (min)
There’s no info on fiber, ash, carbs, and moisture. The market average is 3.1%, 7.6%, 19.2% and 10.5% based on our research for those respectively (as fed).
Based on that, I estimated the following:
- Protein: 38%
- Fat: 15%
- Carb: 34%
- Fiber: 4%
- Ash: 9%
The protein content meets the needs for adult cats (26% dry matter). However, adjusting for quality I estimate ~27% protein.
That borderline for what cats need.
The carb content is high at 34%. In excess of what we suggest for good digestion and metabolic health.
There’s no info on calorie content.
You’ll notice there’s added Vitamin C, which as we’ve said before, is not beneficial for a cats urinary health.
Notes:
- Suitable for adults
- High carb
- Protein lacking
Nutrition: 3.5/10
Ingredients
Here’s a look at Optimum Adult With Ocean Fish:
Ingredient List: Poultry, poultry by-products & ocean fish (including salmon &/or tuna); cereals; cereal protein; natural flavours (chicken); salt; vitamins and minerals; natural plant fibre; amino acids; antioxidants; ocean fish flavour; iulin and yucca
This cat food uses the with label descriptor. This means that the named ingredient is in amounts of 3-25%.
In this case, that’s ocean fish. What that really means, is everything else is 75%.
Thankfully, above ocean fish is poultry. That means there’s at least more poultry than fish to offer high quality protein.
Unfortunately, there’s cereals and cereal protein which do two things. Bump up the carbs, and lower the protein quality.
Notes:
- Uses with descriptor
- Added cereals
- Needs more meat
Ingredients: 6/10
Taste
Ok.
Our cat Toby enjoyed Optimum dry cat food. Discs are round, which is great for easy eating (cats may reject sharp edged kibble).
Customer reviews seem mixed. That said reviews are sparse online, so it’s hard to get a read.
Notes:
- Limited reviews
- Mild savory smell
- Small round discs
Taste: 8/10
Value For Money
Good.
Whilst it lacks sizing options, Optimum is reasonable for price. That said, there’s cheaper.
Similar options:
Value: 8/10
Final Thoughts
Average.
Whilst their wet cat food is decent, Optimum’s dry cat food offering falls short.
It’s best suited as an occasional meal for picky adult cats.
The main issues are the high carb content, lack of calorie info, and lackluster protein quality
Best for:
- Adult cats
- Occasional eating
- Convenience
Where to find Optimum dry cat food?
- Pet Circle
- Amazon
Conclusion
Optimum is an Australian cat food brand recommended by vets. They’re owned by Mars Petcare.
We recommend their wet cat food as the best choice in their range with an 8.5/10 score.
It’s great for picky adult cats, and weight control.
Though it’s a tad pricey, and isn’t suited to skinny senior cats.
Best for:
- Adult cat health
- Weight control
- Picky eaters
>> Check out Optimum cat food here
