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Purina Pro Plan Cat Food Review of 2024: Recalls, Pros & Cons

Written by: Christian Adams

Last Updated on February 16, 2024 by Catster Editorial Team

purina pro plan review

Purina Pro Plan Cat Food Review of 2024: Recalls, Pros & Cons

Our Final Verdict

We give Purina Pro Plan Cat Food a rating of 4.0 out of 5.0 stars.

Purina Pro Plan Cat Food is full of recipes that your feline friend is sure to love. With several lines and flavors to pick from, even the pickiest of eaters will love to eat these foods. The lines also come in both dry and wet food options, ensuring that your cat’s palette is perfectly pleased.

This cat food line is best for young and middle-aged cats with no known weight or health issues. Even though the food is made in America, the cat food is primarily made from lower-quality meat products and includes a high carbohydrate content. As a result, this is not the ideal food line for overweight cats or cats with certain illnesses. Healthy cats, however, will absolutely adore these recipes.

Long story short, the Purina Pro Plan Cat Food is great if you have a healthy cat who is a picky eater and are looking for a convenient food option. However, some of the ingredients and features make it less than ideal for overweight, senior, or sick cats. To find out exactly what we mean by this, read on.

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At a Glance: The Best Purina Pro Plan Cat Food Recipes:

Image Product Details
Best Overall
Winner
Purina Pro Plan Savor Adult White Meat Chicken and Vegetables Entrée Purina Pro Plan Savor Adult White Meat Chicken and Vegetables Entrée
  • Cats love it
  • Chicken and turkey protein
  • High protein content
  • Best Value
    Second place
    Purina Pro Plan Savor Adult Chicken and Rice Formula Dry Cat Food Purina Pro Plan Savor Adult Chicken and Rice Formula Dry Cat Food
  • Cats love it
  • Meats are the first ingredients
  • Added vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and probiotics
  • Premium Choice
    Third place
    Purina Pro Plan Focus Adult Urinary Tract Health Formula Chicken Entré Purina Pro Plan Focus Adult Urinary Tract Health Formula Chicken Entré
  • Cats love it
  • High protein content
  • Helps urinary tract health
  • Purina Pro Plan Savor Adult Tuna Entree in Sauce Canned Cat Food Purina Pro Plan Savor Adult Tuna Entree in Sauce Canned Cat Food
  • 100% complete and balanced diet
  • Savory entrée packed with real tuna
  • Powerful antioxidants
  • Purina Pro Plan Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach Lamb & Rice Formula Purina Pro Plan Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach Lamb & Rice Formula
  • Formulated to be high in protein
  • Features real lamb
  • Fortified with live probiotics and natural prebiotic
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    Purina Pro Plan Cat Food Reviewed

    Purina Pro Plan is specifically designed to enhance performance, excellence, and expertise. The Purina brand claims that all their formulas are created with the help of over 400 scientists, including animal behaviorists, pet nutritionists, and vets.

    Currently, the Purina Pro Plan includes both wet and dry cat food, which can be broken up into five different lines:
    • Savor Line: Offers various tastes, textures, and aromas.
    • Focus Line: Focuses on particular health needs, such as urinary tract health.
    • Veterinary Diets: Offers food specific for cats with allergies, diabetes, gastrointestinal problems, and urinary tract problems (only available with a vet’s prescription).
    • True Nature: Based on your cat’s natural instinct for hunting meat.
    • Prime Plus: Specially formulated for cats over the age of seven.

    Still, Purina Pro Plan Cat Food is only slightly above average. Healthy cats are sure to love these recipes, but overweight and senior cats may need a different brand that includes more high-quality ingredients and fewer carbohydrates.

    Who Makes Purina Pro Plan and Where Is It Produced?

    Purina Pro Plan is manufactured by Nestle, a company that is more popularly known for its Hershey, Cadbury, and Nespresso products. All of their products are manufactured within the United States in Purina-owned factories. Although their products are made in America, the ingredients are sourced from around the globe.

    Which Type of Cats Are Purina Pro Plan Best Suited For?

    Purina Pro Plan is best for picky eaters who have few health issues. One area where Purina Pro Plan stands out is in cat approval. On top of our own experience, almost all the recipes were flooded with positive comments about how the pickiest of feline eaters love to chow down on the Purina Pro Plan cat foods.

    It is also much more suited for younger cats that have no known health issues. As we will learn, this food line is not the best in terms of food ingredients or protein-to-carbohydrate ratios. As a result, Purina Pro Plan is not ideal for cats with known illnesses, such as obesity or diabetes.

    Which Types of Cats Might Do Better with a Different Brand?

    If your cat is overweight or has diabetes, Purina Pro Plan is not the right food choice. Because of its higher carbohydrate content, you definitely want to look for a cat food that has more protein and fat while having fewer carbs. This is especially true for senior cats and cats with medical conditions, who tend to be slightly overweight and need extra help getting off the pounds.

    If your overweight cat is young or middle-aged, the Nulo Duck and Lentils Grain-Free Cat Food is a great option. It will keep your cat full while helping them lose weight. For senior cats with weight issues, we recommend the Royal Canin Aging Spayed/Neutered 12+ Dry Cat Food.

    devon rex cat eating
    Image Credit: Veera, Shutterstock

    Primary Ingredients (Good & Bad)

    One area where Purina Pro Plan falls short is in the ingredients and ingredient quality. Although cats certainly love these foods, the ingredients are not made from high-quality animal protein, and they are not ideal for most cats.

    As for the wet cat foods, they are typically based on chicken, turkey, beef, and fish flavors. The issue is that most of their meats are from low-quality animal by-products, not fresh and healthy meats. However, the meat flavor is pretty strong, meaning that cats love the taste.

    The dry cat food tends to be a bit better in terms of quality. It includes the same type of meats, but they tend to be made from slightly better-quality products. One negative is that the dry cat food tends to have more carbohydrates than fat and protein, which is an issue for cats, though this is true for all dry cat food products.

    In addition to meat or animal by-product ingredients, both the wet and dry cat foods include vegetables. Although vegetables do add minerals and vitamins, they also increase the carbohydrate content of the food, making the food overly carb-heavy.

    Something else that is found in the Purina Pro Plan food is a lot of additives, artificial flavorings, and artificial colorings. Obviously, all of these ingredients are highly processed, making them much less healthy and natural for any cat.

    Great Moisture Levels

    One thing that is great about the Purina Pro Plan Wet Cat Food ingredients is the moisture levels. Moisture is incredibly important for cats, especially as they age. As a result, the level of moisture in the wet cat food is really beneficial for cats of all ages.

    Low-Quality Animal Products

    As we already mentioned, one of the biggest downfalls of the Purina Pro Plan Cat Food is the low-quality animal products. The wet cat food has especially low-quality animal products, listing animal by-products as the protein of choice. By selecting low-quality animal products, your cat is not getting all the nutrients they need.

    High Carbohydrate Content

    Another issue with the Purina Pro Plan food is that it tends to have a high carbohydrate content, especially in the dry cat food. Although the dry food has slightly better animal products, nearly 30% of the nutrient breakdown classifies as carbohydrates.

    This is extremely problematic for cats because they have not evolved to consume as many carbohydrates. It causes them to gain weight really fast. Cats with diabetes and other health concerns might want to avoid high-carbohydrate foods. At least the wet cat food has a lower carbohydrate content, being closer to about 15% to 20%.

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    A Quick Look at Purina Pro Plan Cat Food

    Pros
    • Cats love the recipes
    • Affordable
    • Easy to find at the store
    • Wide variety of flavors
    • Dry and wet food options
    Cons
    • Not always made from high-quality ingredients
    • High carbohydrate content

    Recall History

    Purina has a rather lengthy recall history. For Purina Pro Plan, tubs of wet dog food were recalled in 2016 because of inadequate amounts of vitamins and minerals. Though this is the only recall history for Purina Pro Plan specifically, many of Purina’s other brands have been recalled several times, showing that Purina is not the most reliable of food brands.

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    Reviews of the 3 Best Purina Pro Plan Cat Food Recipes

    Let’s take a look at our top three favorite Purina Pro Plan Cat Food recipes.

    1. Purina Pro Plan Savor Adult White Meat Chicken and Vegetables Entrée in Gravy Canned 1Purina Pro Plan Savor Adult White Meat Chicken & Vegetable Entree in Gravy Canned Cat Food

    One great recipe is the Purina Pro Plan Savor Adult White Meat Chicken and Vegetables Entrée in Gravy Canned. This recipe is primarily made from a chicken protein source, meaning that the quality of the meat is slightly better than other recipes, though it is unclear exactly where the meats come from. Nevertheless, the fact that it is not made from animal by-products is a huge plus.

    Additionally, it has a high protein content and moderate carbohydrate content. About 60% of the recipe is protein, whereas only about 16% is carbohydrates. The remaining 24% is made from fat. These nutrients are much more cat-friendly than some other recipes in the line.

    The one thing we do not like about this recipe is that it has a lot of plants, such as wheat gluten, carrots, corn, and tomatoes. Since cats do not naturally eat this in the wild, there is little reason to put it in their wet cat food. It also makes the carbohydrate content skyrocket. Plus, it also includes artificial flavors and coloring.

    Pros
    • Cats love it
    • Chicken and turkey protein
    • High protein content
    • Lower(ish) carbohydrate content
    Cons
    • A lot of vegetables
    • Includes artificial flavorings and color

    2. Purina Pro Plan Savor Adult Chicken and Rice Formula Dry Cat Food 2Purina Pro Plan Adult Chicken & Rice Formula Dry Cat Food

    The next recipe we recommend is the Purina Pro Plan Savor Adult Chicken and Rice Formula Dry Cat Food. Being in the Savor line, it includes meat, fish, or poultry, depending on the mix you want. This dry food is one of the only recipes in Purina’s line that very much delivers a meaty flavor that cats crave.

    Another great feature of this recipe is that it includes vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and even probiotics. All of these added nutrients can help your cat retain great health, now and into the future.

    The biggest drawback of this recipe is that it has a high carbohydrate content. About 50% is protein and 30% is carbohydrate. Though this is a lot of carbohydrate for cats, this is actually a lower carbohydrate content than many other dry cat food varieties outside the Purina Pro Plan line.

    Pros
    • Meats are the first ingredients
    • Added vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and probiotics
    • Fewer carbohydrates than other dry cat food options
    Cons
    • Still has a high carbohydrate content
    • Lower protein content

    3. Purina Pro Plan Focus Adult Urinary Tract Health Formula Chicken Entrée in Gravy Canned 3Purina Pro Plan Focus Adult Urinary Tract Health Formula Chicken Entree in Gravy Canned Cat Food

    The Purina Pro Plan Focus Adult Urinary Tract Health Formula Chicken Entrée in Gravy is a favorite for many cats. As the name suggests, it is specifically designed to support urinary tract health because it helps to maintain a low urinary pH. It also includes limited dietary magnesium, which is something that typically causes urinary crystal formation.

    One great feature of this recipe is that it has a pretty high protein content, although it has a high carbohydrate content too. Based on the nutrient wheel, it is about 65% protein and 20% carbohydrates. Even though this is a lot of carbohydrates, 65% protein is tough to beat.

    The biggest downside of this recipe is that the protein is primarily made from meat by-products and wheat gluten. It also includes certain plant proteins and thickeners, which can be problematic for natural carnivores like cats. Like the other recipes, it also includes artificial flavoring and colors.

    Pros
    • Cats love it
    • High protein content
    • Helps urinary tract health
    Cons
    • High carbohydrate content
    • Made from low-quality ingredients
    • Includes artificial flavoring and colors

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    What Other Users Are Saying

    Overall, we find Purina Pro Plan to be a good cat food brand for healthy indoor cats, but it may not be the best option for overweight cats. We are not the only ones who like this line, though. Here are reviews from some other Purina Pro Plan buyers.

    • “I have used several brands of food for my cats but this brand is what they like the best. This is what they like over anything else I have fed them. I feel it is a well-balanced diet for them. Also, the price is reasonable and it is easy to find to purchase. ”
    • “Our cat Butch is a senior FIV cat. He really enjoys the Pro Plan products. We are now using another Pro Plan product the Live Clear which is supposed to help with the dander. The company seems to make very good products and our Butch is thriving.”
    • As a cat owner, it is your responsibility to ensure the products you feed your cat are healthy and nutritious. We recommend reading reviews on Amazon before making any final decision about your cat’s diet. You can read reviews by clicking here.

    cat paw dividerConclusion

    The Purina Pro Plan Cat Food is a decent cat food option for healthy cats. Cats absolutely love this recipe, making it a favorite for many feline friends. You will also love buying this food because it is easy to find and affordable. Win-win!

    If you are most concerned about the quality of your cat’s food or your cat has weight and health issues, we recommend a different brand. Purina Pro Plan, though tasty, is not made with high-quality ingredients and contains a lot of carbohydrates. Although this is not a major issue for healthy cats, cats with weight problems might gain even more weight from this food.

    Nevertheless, if you want to try the Purina Pro Plan Cat Food, we recommend starting with the Purina Pro Plan Savor Adult White Meat Chicken and Vegetables Entrée in Gravy Canned or the Purina Pro Plan Savor Adult Chicken and Rice Formula Dry Cat Food. Both of these recipes are cat-approved and contain more protein and healthy ingredients than some of the other recipes within the line.

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