Honest Wellness Core Cat Food Review

Disclaimer: As a Chewy and Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This does not impact our reviews and comparisons.

We’ve done this Wellness Core cat food review with the help of cat taste testers.

Wellness Core is a high protein version of Wellness, a popular brand.

I tested 3 products from Wellness Core (wet and dry) with our cats.

Review summary:

The good?

Fussy cat friendly.

We tested Tiny Tasters with 5 cats, who devoured the wet pate. Other foods also performed well with our cats.

Great variety of flavors to boot.

The bad?

Pricey.

More affordable choices like Fancy Feast are also fussy cat friendly, low carb, and easy on the wallet.

The ugly?

High carb dry.

The wet cat food is low carb, but the dry pushes the limits. A similar story like most brands, so what can you do?

In short:

Solid.

Wellness Core is great for picky adults or kittens. Their dry food is a bit carby for our liking though.

Best for:

• Picky cats
• Quick serve pouch
• Easy digestion (wet)

>> Check out Wellness Core here.

Want more info on Wellness Core cat foods?

In this Wellness Core cat food review, I’ll share results from testing.

I’ll take a look at the background of this company. Finally, I’ll answer frequently asked questions.

Table of Contents

More below!

I am not a veterinarian and I recommend seeking the advice of a vet for any further questions. This article is not intended as a replacement for medical advice.

Wellness Core Cat Food Range

Wellness Core offer a range of dry and wet cat foods.

Below is a table of cat foods we’ve reviewed and our grade based on testing.

Check it out:

Wellness Core Range	Reviewed	Our Grade	Food type	Description
Tiny Tasters	Yes	8/10	Wet (pate)	Wet pate in easy serve pouches
Simply Shreds	Yes	8/10	Wet (shreds)	Supplemental wet pouch food
Grain-Free Dry	Yes	7.5/10	Dry (kibble)	65% animal-protein dry cat food
Digestive Health	No	N/A	Wet & dry	Cat food with added prebiotics and superfoods
Classic Pate	No	N/A	Wet (pate)	Wet pate canned cat food
Hearty Cuts	No	N/A	Wet (shreds)	Thick meaty cuts with a gravy
Core 95	No	N/A	Wet (pate)	A grain-free wet canned cat food with 95% animal protein

To learn more about a particular category, use the quick links below.

• Wellness Core Grain-Free Indoor Dry Cat Food
• Wellness Core Tiny Tasters Wet Cat Food

Wellness Core Cat Food Review: Top Picks

In future we’ll add more products to this review.

Here’s our current Wellness Core review/s:

1. Wellness Core Grain-Free Indoor Dry Cat Food Review

Nutrition

Could be better.

This cat food is a complete meal for adult cats.

Carbs:

A bit high at 29% dry matter.

We recommend keeping total carbs at or under 12% for easy digestion and blood sugar control.

Some cats are more averse to high carb diets.

Protein:

Moderate.

At 43% dry matter, it meets AAFCO’s protein guideline for adult cats.

However, the peas lower protein quality (estimated ~36% protein based on quality). This makes it a less ideal choice for kittens or seniors, that need extra protein.

Other:

High calcium to phosphate ratio (1.4:1).

A low phosphate diet can benefit cats with kidney disease.

Calorie content is 3,561 kcal/kg. This is low compared to most dry foods (average 4,000 – 5,000 kcal).

Since it’s marketed for indoor cats, this makes sense to help with calorie control.

Notes:

• Complete meal for adults
• High carb
• Low calorie (compared to other dry cat foods)

Nutrition: 5.5/10

Ingredients

Here’s the ingredients for Wellness Core Indoor Dry Cat Food:

Ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Potatoes, Tomato Pomace, Ground Flaxseed, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Chicken Flavor, Chicory Root Extract, Choline Chloride, Cranberries, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate, Dried Kelp, L-Carnitine, Zinc Proteinate, Mixed Tocopherols added to preserve freshness

Ok quality.

This cat food uses the recipe descriptor which means the named ingredients are between 25-94.9% quantity.

The chicken & turkey are the top ingredients, offering high quality protein and micronutrients. Great stuff.

Rest of the ingredient list includes peas, potato, and tomato. All higher carb ingredients that offer little benefit to cats.

Peas offer moderate quality protein, but may increase digestive upset.

Notes:

• 25%+ meat ingredients
• Added peas & potato
• Mixed quality

Ingredients: 6.5/10

Taste

I served Wellness Core Indoor Dry Cat Food to our cat Toby, and he liked it.

This cat food has a mild non-meaty smell. It comes in small tiny chunks.

Reviews online are mostly positive, however some report recent recipe changes.

Notes:

• Cat approved
• Mild smell
• Small chunks

Taste: 9/10

Value for Money

Affordable.

For the quality on offer, this seems about right.

Similar brands:

• Solid Gold
• Crave
• Taste of the Wild

Value: 9/10

Final Thoughts

Average.

This dry cat food is great tasting and comes at an affordable price. Lower calorie compared to most.

However, the carbs a tad high and protein quality could be better.

Best for:

• Picky cats
• Adults
• Weight control

Where to buy Wellness Core Indoor dry cat food?

• Amazon
• Chewy
• Pet Circle (Australia)

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.

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2. Wellness Core Tiny Tasters Review

Nutrition

Great!

This cat food is a complete meal for adult cats & elderly cats.

Carbs:

Very low.

Comes in at ~3% dry matter which is perfect for easy digestion.

Protein:

High.

At around 47% it’s above AAFCO’s protein guidelines for adults. It’s also above what’s recommend for elderly cats to prevent muscle loss.

Since there’s no plant or grain protein, the quality is high as well (estimated ~40%).

Other:

High calcium to phosphate ratio (1.7:1).

We’ve mentioned this earlier, but it’s the best choice for cats with kidney disease.

Calorie content is 1,291 kcal/kg. This is high compared to most wet foods (average 700-1,200 kcal).

That makes it best suited to skinny cats, which are generally older ones over 12.

Notes:

• Suited for any age
• Great for skinny cats
• Low carb for easy digestion

Nutrition: 9.5/10

Ingredients

Here’s a look at Wellness Core Tiny Tasters duck (first 10 ingredients):

Duck, Chicken, Chicken Broth, Water Sufficient For Processing, Natural Flavors, Tapioca Starch, Sunflower Oil, Tricalcium Phosphate, Locust Bean Gum, Potassium Chloride, Guar Gum

Decent quality.

This cat food uses the recipe descriptor which means the named ingredients are between 25-94.9% quantity.

Chicken and duck are main ingredients. Great high quality protein, and micros.

Some of the ‘fillers’ aren’t amazing.

There’s tapioca starch. It’s a source of carbohydrate, which cats don’t need.

The sunflower oil is of no benefit to cats. It’s high in linoleic acid, which cats can’t convert to active omega 6 (arachidonic acid).

Finally there’s added locust bean gum and guar gum.

Gums can decrease the absorption of taurine, and irritate digestion. We deducted points for these ingredients.

Ingredients: 7.5/10

Read more:

• How to Read a Cat Food Label

Taste

The name ‘Tiny Tasters’ should taste good right?

Well it does.

Our 5 cats enjoyed two products and was an instant hit. Customer reviews online are mostly positive.

Here are our results:

Here’s what Wellness Core tiny tasters cat food looks like out the pouch.

Both products have a firm chunky pate texture. They don’t have a strong smell and aren’t watery.

Taste: 9.5/10

Value for Money

A bit pricey.

Whilst you can buy 12 x 3 ounce packs, it’s still going to test your wallet.

My thoughts are the quality is worth considering this product, but you’ll want to test with your cat first.

Similar brands:

• Tiki Cat After Dark (see review)
• Feline Natural (see review)
• Ziwi Peak (see review)

Value: 6.5/10

Final Thoughts

Good.

Wellness Core Tiny Tasters is great for cats of all ages, particularly underweight cats. It’s low carb and is picky cat friendly.

It is pricey though, and could have fewer fillers in the pouch.

Best for:

• Skinny cats
• Picky eaters
• All life stages

Where to buy Wellness Core Tiny Tasters?

• Amazon
• Chewy
• Pet Circle (Australia)

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Wellness Cat Food Made in China?

No.

Wellness Core gets their products from Thailand.

It is not known how much of their ingredients are from this country.

What Is the Difference Between Wellness and Wellness Core Cat Food?

Wellness Core is a higher protein.

All Wellness Core cat food products contain at least 40% protein on a dry matter basis.

The Wellness Core range are also grain and soy free.

Is Wellness Core Better?

Mostly yes.

Wellness Core is a little better due to the higher protein content.

Cats prefer a diet with around 50% protein on a dry matter basis as they are obligate carnivores.

A cat uses protein as a main source of energy as opposed to carbohydrate.

Related:

• 7 Tips to Feed Your Cat for Awesome Health

Does Petco Sell Wellness Cat Food?

Yes.

Petco sells Wellness and Wellness Core cat food.

Does Wellness Cat Food Have Taurine?

Yes.

Wellness cat food products have added taurine.

This amino acid is also found in animal based products, especially shellfish products.

Wellness and Wellness Core is high in animal protein. The products contain enough taurine per AAFCO nutrition recommendations for your cats health.

What Do Customers Think of Wellness?

Mixed.

Whilst our cats enjoyed Wellness Core, customers are hot and cold over it.

This isn’t unusual, as most cats take time to come around to new tastes.

Before trying cat food, consider the following:

• Texture (does your cat prefer a pate or shreds?)
• Flavor (what meats does your cat like?)
• Smell (is your cat put off by strong smelling products?)
• Moisture (does your cat prefer a dry chunky loaf or watery product?)
• What did they eat as a kitten?

Remember that cats are neophobic. This means they are hesitant to try new foods off the bat.

Give them time and remember to heat your cat food to a warm temperature before serving. Cats prefer warmer meat.

Learn More:

• 5 Best Wet Cat Food for Picky Eaters

Wellness Cat Food Recall History

There have been two recalls of Wellness cat food products.

In 2017, there was a recall of a few flavors of canned Wellness cat food products due to quality control issues.

In 2011, there was a recall of canned Wellness cat food products due to a lack of thiamine. A deficiency of this vitamin can cause drooling, weakness, and loss of appetite.

Wellness have addressed these safety and nutrition concerns.

Learn More:

• Check Cat Food Recalls on FDA

Do Cats Need Grains in Their Diet?

No.

Cats are obligate carnivores and get their nutrition from animal based foods. Grains have no nutritional or health benefits for a cat.

Grains are high in carbohydrate. Cats have a limited ability to tolerate carbohydrates in their diet.

It’s best to limit your cats diet to less than 12% carbohydrate on a dry matter basis. This may prevent digestive issues and problems relating to high blood sugar.

Learn More:

• Can Cats Eat Rice?
• Do Cats Need Carbs?

Conclusion

Wellness Core is a high protein cat food.

Our top pick from their range is Tiny Tasters, which we scored an 8/10 overall.

It’s great for skinny cats, picky eaters, and health.

However, it’s pricey and has a few fillers in the pouch.

Wellness Core is best for:

• Picky cats
• Skinny cats
• All life stages

>> Check out Wellness Core here.