Is Meow Mix Good For Cats To Eat It Regularly?

Choosing the right food for your feline friend can be challenging, especially if it’s one of picky eaters.

Looking for a specific food, either a dry or wet variety, can also be overwhelming. Going through Amazon or Chewy means reading about hundreds of different products, varying in price and flavor options.

In the course of your research, you’re likely to stumble upon Meow Mix cat food. It’s quite a popular and affordable option. It has many ratings on web stores and offers a diverse range of products.

But, can you be confident that you’re providing your cat with high-quality and nutritious sustenance solely based on popularity and affordability? The ideal cat food should be tasty and you want to see your kitty really enjoying it.

However, a cat’s nutrition is one of the crucial aspects for its health and longevity, therefore, an ideal pet food also needs to be of high quality.

Let’s see if Meow Mix is good for cats and whether you should introduce it as a part of your cat’s regular diet.

Is Meow Mix Good For Cats?

Meow Mix has been on the market for a long time – almost 50 years, to be precise. It was introduced in 1974 and, since then, has been selling cat food in many different flavors.

The table below shows five best-selling Meow Mix cat food products on Amazon.

At first glance, anyone will conclude that these products have a very good rating. I’m sure many of you will find this enough to make a decision about buying Meow Mix cat food.

However, it’s necessary to perceive both pros and cons of any product to make an objective judgment.

Let’s see the three things about this cat food that make it such a popular choice. 

1. Affordability

I believe all of you would like to buy the best products for your pet, including food, toys, and all other items they need.

However, in many cases, these products are quite pricey. Cats also love to eat, so, it’s necessary to buy cat food pretty often. If you have multiple cats in your household – you need to be ready to set aside a decent amount from your monthly budget that will be spent on cat food.

This is where Meow Mix cat food comes in handy. It meets basic feline nutritional needs and has a very affordable price.

2. Product Variety

Meow Mix offers dry and wet cat food, as well as tasty cat treats. 

There are different tastes available with this cat food, such as:

• Poultry and beef

• Chicken and tuna

• Seafood and poultry

• Salmon 

• Chicken, turkey, and salmon

• Turkey and giblet

• Tuna and whitefish

• Savory chicken breasts

I believe that even the most pickier eaters will find the one that they like among these diverse choices. 

3. Most Cats Really Like It

According to the way most cats react to Meow Mix cat food, one thing is certain: It’s definitely a very tasty food!

This can be interpreted as some type of junk food in the feline world. I mean, I would rather enjoy a tasty burger and fries rather than broccoli in most cases. I think most of you can relate to this!

The truth is that Meow Mix is likely to taste better than many other pet foods available on the market. 

If you have a cat that isn’t so crazy about eating, there’s a good chance that Meow Mix will evoke its appetite.

What Are Some Downsides Of Meow Mix Cat Food?

Now, we’ll look at the three characteristics that may be interpreted as potential downsides of this affordable and diverse pet food.

1. Ingredients Quality

The first thing to look out for when choosing a cat food is that it should be based on a meat protein. Three of five Meow Mix best sellers on Amazon contain whole ground corn as a first ingredient.

Of course, corn isn’t toxic and there’s nothing wrong with your cat eating it. However, it shouldn’t occupy the top spot or even a prominent position among the first five ingredients in a cat food.

Meow Mix mostly uses corn and soy protein, while we would love to see meat protein in every cat food. 

Although Meow Mix does include some meat protein, it would be a lot better to see it higher in the ingredients list.

Soybean is also a common ingredient in this cat food. According to Oakhurst Veterinary Hospital, this ingredient is a good source of protein and essential amino acids.

Still, we expect to see a quality meat-protein as a basic ingredient rather than soybean.

In general, when looking for high-quality food, you should be looking for one containing meat as a first ingredient. Corn and other grains aren’t desirable among the leading ingredients.

Meow Mix foods feature meal-by-products, such as chicken and turkey by-product meals. These are solid sources of protein, but still not as good as regular meat products.

This cat food contains artificial colors, while we would love to see that it’s entirely chemical-free.

2. Potential Concerns On Digestive Issues

To get an objective judgment of a product, it’s necessary to go through customers’ reviews.

I’ve found several comments on Meow Mix causing digestive upset in cats. One customer explained how his cats throw up far more after eating this specific food. 

There’s also one that suggests how Meow Mix food caused serious diarrhea in his cat. 

Furthermore, there’s also a comment on a lot of gassing and cat poop smelling really bad after eating this cat food.

Of course, some cats with delicate stomachs can react to any cat food. This doesn’t mean that any cat will develop digestive problems after consuming Meow Mix cat food.

Moreover, there wouldn’t be so many high ratings if pet parents found it as a common cause for digestive trouble.

3. A Recall Due To Potential Salmonella Contamination

According to the US Food and Drug Administration, there has been a recall of two lots of Meow Mix Original Choice Dry Cat Food in 2021 due to potential salmonella contamination.

Salmonella infection symptoms in cats vary. Some cats don’t show symptoms at all, while others can have a high fever, abdominal pain, and severe digestive problems. Sources of this infection include ingestion of some processed food, raw food, or hunting prey like rodents and birds.

It’s worth mentioning that the Meow Mix company didn’t receive any reports of pet illness. So, the withdrawal of the product was determined in time and potentially serious consequences were avoided.

Should Your Cat Eat Meow Mix Food?

A high-quality cat food, based on fine meat protein, is the type of food that’s healthy for your furry friend. 

However, just like we don’t stick to the healthiest options every moment of our lives, the same flexibility can apply to your cat’s diet.

There’s nothing wrong with your cat enjoying Meow Mix. This way, you will still let your cat enjoy a tasty meal, especially if it shows it really likes Meow Mix products.

Meow Mix isn’t bad cat food or something. It wouldn’t have remained a staple in the market for so long if it posed any harm to cats!

Still, I wouldn’t recommend that cats with certain health difficulties eat this food solely. The best solution would be to mix a meat-based food, with no artificial ingredients, with Meow Mix cat food.

What Are Some Cat Food Alternatives?

Below is the list of my favorites of both dry and wet foods. These cat foods are based on meat protein and are chemical-free and make a great choice for cats of all ages.

Final Thoughts

Is Meow Mix good for cats?

I would say it has a passing grade, especially for those of you who are on a budget. For those who are less constrained by financial considerations, I would recommend exploring other, pricier options.

This isn’t a bad option for cat food, but it contains grains and artificial colors. I would recommend you to allow your kitty to eat it, since the vast majority of cats indeed enjoy this cat food.

Cats with health issues can eat it, too, but their diet should be additionally enriched with food based on natural meat protein.