Honest Sheba Cat Food Review
Disclaimer
As a Chewy and Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This does not impact our reviews and comparisons..
Score: 8/10
Bottom Line
Sheba offers a great quality product at an affordable price. Most cats will enjoy the taste of these foods despite some recent product changes.
PROS
CONS
Sheba offers a variety of flavors of wet canned foods and treats. If you’re after a quality product at a budget price with a proven track record to deliver the nutrients your cat needs, Sheba Cat Food may be your best bet.
The goal of this website is to help cat owners learn more about taking care of their cats. I am not a veterinarian and I recommend seeking the advice of a vet for any further questions.
The advice in this article is not intended as medical advice.
Sheba Cat Food Review: A Short Summary
Overall, Sheba is a good budget wet cat food choice high in animal based products. Our cats enjoyed eating Sheba products and the food has great reviews online. I’m confident most cats will enjoy Sheba.
Sheba is as good as it gets for budget cat food.
What you have to get around is the use of meat by-products. There’s some controversy about the use of these meats, which are not well founded.
The nutrition is great in Sheba and will suit cats of all life stages.
I really can’t say more than if you’re after a budget food, Sheba is one of the best options out there.
In this article, I’ll go through the cat food products in the Sheba range. I will compare ingredient quality, nutrition quality, and taste results from testing.
Finally, I’ll go over some frequently asked questions about Sheba.
Sheba Cat Food Analysis
Sheba offers a range of wet cat food and treats. I’ll be analyzing the wet food options in this article.
Here is a list of wet cat food choice available from Sheba. They come in four categories as seen below:
Sheba wet cat food perfect portions in gravy
- Sheba roasted chicken entree cuts in gravy
- Sheba gourmet salmon entree cuts in gravy
- Sheba tender trout entree cuts in gravy
- Sheba tender turkey entree cuts in gravy
- Sheba savory mixed grill entree cuts in gravy
- Sheba savory cuts in gravy with sustainable tuna
- Sheba delicate white fish & tuna entree cuts in gravy
- Sheba gourmet tuna & shrimp entree cuts in gravy
- Sheba signature salmon & shrimp entree cuts in gravy
Sheba wet cat food perfect portions in pate
- Sheba tender white fish & tuna entree in pate
- Sheba gourmet chicken & tuna entree in pate
- Sheba roasted chicken & liver entree in pate
- Sheba savory chicken entree in pate
- Sheba delicate salmon entree in pate
- Sheba roasted turkey entree in pate
- Sheba tender beef entree in pate
- Sheba signature seafood entree in pate
Sheba wet cat food perfect portions bistro
- Sheba chicken in alfredo sauce entree bistro
- Sheba salmon in creamy sauce entree bistro
Sheba wet cat food perfect portions garden medleys
- Sheba tuna & vegetables entree in gravy garden medleys
That’s quite a lot of choices on offer, not to mention the numerous variety packs on offer.
In this article, I’ll compare a few options from each type of food for analysis.
Sheba Cat Food Ingredients
For a budget wet cat food, Sheba has good quality ingredients. Their products are high in animal based protein. They don’t include soy, peas, wheat, corn, and plant protein in their products.
The ingredient score ranges from 62 to 87 out of 100 for all food categories looked at.
Let’s take a look at the positives. Most of the ingredients are from animal based food sources in their product range.
A lot of the meat ingredients are vague and don’t specify body parts. This includes ‘chicken’ or ‘poultry broth’. That means the foods may contain a range of different organs and parts that aren’t sold to humans.
That said, animal based foods are still a better option than grains and/or plant protein sources.
All foods seem to use tapioca starch, which may help increase thickness. This raises the carbohydrate content. However, this is the only carbohydrate ingredient which is good.
They also use gums which impacts on taurine absorption.
For a budget wet cat food this is about as good as it gets. The Sheba range use a simple list of ingredients that doesn’t contain soy, peas, carrageenan or plant protein sources.
Whilst the use of vague meat sources isn’t that desirable, it’s hard to put too much at fault with Sheba.
We score cat food out of 100. The score can over or underestimate the true ‘quality’ (which is why it’s important to look at my nutrition section for a full picture).
A higher score is a sign of a better quality food. The weighing of ingredients based on the labelling as these words equate to different quantities of food. That’s taken into account with scoring.
Read more about what that means over in my cat food labelling guide.
| Sheba product range | Selected product | Label type | Ingredient quality score | Ingredients |
| Sheba cuts in gravy | Roasted chicken entree | Entree | 82/100 | Water, Chicken, Poultry Liver, Animal Plasma, Tapioca Starch, Glycine, Fish Oil, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Natural Flavor, Magnesium Sulfate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Caramel Color, Choline Chloride, Taurine, DL-Methionine, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex |
| Sheba wet pate | Roasted turkey entree | Entree | 87/100 | Turkey, Chicken, Poultry Liver, Water, Poultry Broth, Guar Gum, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Fish Oil, Magnesium Sulfate, Tapioca Starch, DL-Methionine, Taurine, Choline Chloride, Salt, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex |
| Sheba bistro | Chicken in alfredo sauce entree | Entree | 87/100 | Water, Salmon, Chicken, Poultry Liver, Animal Plasma, Tapioca Starch, Sunflower Oil, Dried Egg, Potassium Chloride, Fish Oil, Glucose, Glycine, Magnesium Sulfate, Xanthan Gum, Salt, Sodium Caseinate, Natural Parmesan and Butter Flavor, Natural Flavor, Choline Chloride, Ascorbic Acid (Preservative), Taurine, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Calcium Carbonate, DL-Methionine, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Oxide Colorant, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Potassium Iodide, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex |
| Sheba garden medleys | Tuna & vegetables entree | Entree | 61/100 | Water, Chicken, Tuna, Poultry Liver, Carrots, Green Beans, Animal Plasma, Tapioca Starch, Egg Product, Glycine, Potassium Chloride, Fish Oil, Natural Flavor, Magnesium Sulfate, Xanthan Gum, Salt, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Choline Chloride, Taurine, DL-Methionine, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Potassium Iodide, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex |
Below is our grade for Sheba ingredient quality.
Learn more about the ingredients in Sheba cat food on their website.
Ingredient Quality Grade: B+
Sheba Cat Food Nutrition
All Sheba products wet food options contain acceptable nutrition for cats. The wet foods are all over 40% protein. Both the Sheba gravy and pate perfect portion choices meet AAFCO requirements for all life stages.
The other options (garden medleys and bistro) are suitable for adults only.
Cat’s prefer a diet closer to 50% protein on a dry matter basis. All Sheba products are a little below this, but more than enough to keep your cat healthy.
All Sheba products range from 15-28% fat on a dry matter basis.
Cat’s prefer a diet with 25-40% fat on a dry matter basis. This is the ‘tastiest’ amount. Sheba appears to be around the low end of this range. They use fish oil to add omega 3 fatty acids.
All Feline Natural products are between 3-12.5% carbohydrate on a dry matter basis. It’s best to give cats a diet with less than 12% carbohydrate on a dry matter basis. This is because cats have reduced tolerance for carbohydrate.
Whilst some products are a tad high (due to the tapioca starch), the product range is around the mark. All products are grain, and corn free.
AAFCO recommends that all wet cat food contains 0.2% taurine on a dry matter basis. All products in the Feline Natural range are over 0.2% taurine, so your cat will get enough of this amino acid.
There isn’t much information available on micronutrients. I would be a little hesitant recommending this product for kidney health.
Overall, the nutrition is much better than most cat food products on the market. It is a little below what is ‘optimal’ but certainly fine for most cats needs. The pate choices are best if you want to keep the carb content low.
Here is a table summary of all Sheba cat foods. All nutrients are listed on a dry matter basis.
| Sheba Cat Food | Range | Texture | Water | Protein | Fat | Carb | Fiber | Ash | Taurine | Calcium | Phosphate | Calcium/Phosphate Ratio | Magnesium | Cal/kg | Cal/g (dry matter basis) | Life stage |
| Sheba roasted chicken entree in gravy | Perfect portions in gravy | Wet (gravy) | 84.0% | 43.8% | 15.6% | 12.5% | 9.4% | 18.8% | 0.4% | N/A | 1.8% | N/A | 0.15% | 875 | 5.5 | All |
| Sheba roasted turkey entree in pate | Perfect portions in pate | Wet (pate) | 80.0% | 45.0% | 25.0% | 7.5% | 7.5% | 15.0% | 0.3% | N/A | 1.3% | N/A | 0.13% | 1,112 | 5.5 | All |
| Sheba chicken in alfredo sauce entree | Bistro | Wet | 84.0% | 43.8% | 28.1% | 3.1% | 6.3% | 18.8% | 0.4% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1,075 | 6.7 | Adult |
| Sheba tuna & vegetables entree | Garden medleys | Wet | 84.0% | 43.8% | 15.6% | 12.5% | 9.5% | 18.8% | 0.4% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 751 | 4.7 | Adult |
Our nutrition score for Sheba is below.
Nutrition Score: B+
What Do Customers Think Of Sheba?
Most online customer reviews for Sheba are positive.
Taste is a subjective in the cat food market. Many pet food manufacturers add spray dried animal plasma or flavors to trick cats into liking their food.
Positive factors reported by customers include:
- It’s the only wet cat food my cat will eat
- Great for stubborn cats
- Good for cats that lack teeth (pate option)
- Soft food good for a cat with throat problems
Negative factors reported by customers include:
- Opening the tubs hurts my hands
- It seems like they’ve changed the recipe and my cat doesn’t enjoy it anymore (April 2022
- Amount of food in each portion is laughably small
What Do Our Cats Think Of Sheba?
We tested two pate options which all five of our cats enjoyed.
5/5 cats enjoyed Sheba roasted turkey entree.
Product details: All 5 cats loved this and were once again trying to steal each others. Not a strong smell.
5/5 cats enjoyed Sheba chicken & liver pate.
Product details: All the cats loved this. Not an overpowering smell. Cats, especially Jojo and midnight were stealing the other cats food they loved it so much!
Overall, it’s very likely your cat will enjoy Sheba cat food. Our grade for the taste is below.
Taste Score: A+
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Makes Sheba Cat Food?
Sheba Cat Food falls under the company Mars, Inc. who also makes brands like Pedigree and Whiskas. The company has been selling cat food since the 1950s, although they did not gain popularity until around 1980.
During this time, cats were popular house pets in many homes across the United States and Europe and companies wanted to capitalize on this growing pet market.
The company was originally a producer of canned meats but branched out into pet foods in 1989.
As mentioned, Sheba is owned by Mars Petcare. Mars Pet Food accounts for over 30% of the U.S pet food market share, making it the biggest in America.
Why Was Sheba Discontinued?
Sheba discontinued in 2011 due to economic factors. They came back into production in 2014 due to popular demand.
Many countries sell Sheba cat food. Australia calls their Sheba products ‘Dine’.
Where is Sheba sourced and manufactured?
Sourcing and manufacturing may vary in different regions, although the exact location is unclear. Sheba states the following on their website:
‘Our ingredients are carefully selected for the health and well-being of the pets we feed. For this reason, we’re committed to sourcing our ingredients from suppliers located near our manufacturing facilities when possible.’
Sheba sells in at least 18 countries around the world.
Has Sheba Cat Food Been recalled?
There have been no recalls of Sheba cat food. Other brands as part of the Mars Petcare company may have recalls.
Consumer advocacy group Choice tested the Australian branch of Sheba cat food (called Dine) and found a low level of calcium to phosphate ratio in a few products.
A low level of calcium to phosphate can cause hyperphosphatemia. This leads to bone loss and muscle spasms.
It’s not known whether products sold in other locations have similarly low levels of calcium.
How many calories are in Sheba cat food?
Sheba wet cat foods range based on a 1.5 ounce serve size, with 40-50 calories per serve being a typical serving amount.
An adult cat may need somewhere around 200-300 calories per day depending on activity level.
Learn More:
What is the quality of protein in Sheba Cat Food?
Sheba cat foods contain predominantly meat ingredients. Meat ingredients like turkey, chicken, and salmon are high-quality protein sources.
Animal protein is high in essential amino acids needed for life. High-quality protein maintains the structure of body tissues including muscles and organs.
Most of the meat sources in Sheba are ‘unnamed’ (e.g. chicken, salmon) meaning they may include a variety of muscle meats and organs.
Sheba doesn’t use any plant proteins in their cat food formula. This makes the foods easier to digest.
Conclusion
Sheba is a brand that focuses on wet cat food products. This is a good quality food option for a budget, that most cats will enjoy.
Sheba foods are high in animal protein as the main ingredient source and lower in carbohydrate. Most Sheba products are suitable for cats of all life stages.
The main downsides of the product are the packaging which is hard to use for some. Sheba also use unnamed meat ingredients. This can affect taste and consistency depending on meat sources used.
Overall – Sheba is a great budget pick.
