Thursday, February 13, 2014

If “Premium” Means “Cats Despise,” Then . . . Paws Premium Blended Formula Cat Food!


The Good: Nutritious enough, Generally affordable!
The Bad: Does nothing for urinary tract health/dental benefits, Both cats absolutely reject it
The Basics: Paws Premium Blended Formula Cat Food is one of the very few cat foods both of my cats agree on rejecting entirely!


My two cats, Timber and Gollum, are energetic and wonderful boys. Gollum, the older black cat, is a lot more conservative in his tastes, though lately has become much more outgoing (thanks to my wife and I working to bulk him up). Timber, by contrast, tries anything I bring into the house (including new treats for Myah, our Siberian Husky). There are very few foods that Timber rejects, so when he does, it’s pretty significant. The last time my local grocery store put some dry cat food on sale, I was excited because the Paws Premium Blended Formula Cat Food actually was affordable (it was an excellent sale for the grocery store’s most expensive bag of cat food). So, thinking I could spoil the cats, I was thrilled.

Sadly, neither Brillo, nor Gollum were excited by the Paws Premium Blended Formula Cat Food. More than any other cat food I’ve brought home for them, Gollum and Brillo were united in rejecting this food. In fact, they avoided it for the first two weeks I tried to serve it to them. Even now, they only eat it when I mix in other foods, sauces or they are literally without any other options.

Basics

Paws Premium Blended Formula Cat Food is a cat food formulated for adult cats. The Paws Premium Blended Formula Cat Food cat food regularly comes in a sixteen pound reinforced plastic weave bag that is priced in our local grocery store at about $18.99. As a cheapskate and poor person, this is one of the most expensive cat foods that is commonly available and it is unsurprising that ground yellow corn is at the top of the ingredients list.

The Paws Premium Blended Formula Cat Food food comes with four different pieces. They are each 3/8” to 1/2" long and wide and a thickness of around 3/16”. The pieces range from red and brown fish shapes to tan and dark brown chicken and turkey legs. The mix is evenly distributed between the various shapes and all are quite hard.

Ease Of Preparation

Paws Premium Blended Formula Cat Food cat food is a hard cat food that comes in a large bag, so preparation only involves opening the bag and measuring out the proper serving size for your cat, as determined by its weight. For both Timber and Gollum, that means a 1 – 1 1/2 cup serving (each) and the sixteen pound bag should have lasted us a month and a half at that rate, but because both of them have actively rejected this food, it has lasted over two months and I have at least half a bag left.

Gollum And Timber’s Reactions

This cat food smells very mealy, so maybe the cats don’t recognize it as food? The Paws Premium Blended Formula Cat Food has an aroma that is quite a bit more grainy than anything resembling a meat scent. There is a bready, salty scent to this cat food.

Neither cat eats this food until they are literally starving and have no other options. Unless we cover it with gravy, wet cat food, or some other additive, they refuse to eat it. The only times Gollum or Timber consume the Paws Premium Blended Formula cat food is when we have left them a bowlful and gone out for the day.

Nutrition

The Blended Formula Paws Premium Cat Food is a rather nutritious cat food, if cats would eat it at all. The guaranteed analysis of it indicates that it has a minimum of 31% crude protein and 11% crude fat. With no more than 4% crude fiber and 12% moisture, this is a food that is balanced, though it is not made of any meat ingredients that would make it exceptional in any way. Always have adequate water near your cat’s feeding area!

As well, those who are concerned about what goes into their pets will be pleased by how this is a mostly natural cat food this is, with only the bottom half of the ingredients are vitamins and chemicals. The main ingredients, however, are ground corn, soybean meal, and rice bran. While the end of ingredient list is a chemistry equation I can barely comprehend, the primary ingredients are all recognizable. Sadly, Paws Premium Blended Formula Cat Food does not have any specific dental benefits, nor urinary tract protection built into the formula.

Overview

Paws Premium Blended Formula Cat Food is a tremendously disappointing cat food that is virtually worthless as my cats do everything to try to avoid eating. Given that it is, at regular price, more expensive than cat foods Gollum and Timber eat, this is an overpriced cat food with no clear benefit.

For other cat foods, please visit my reviews (with Gollum and Timber’s help!) of:
Paws Premium Chicken, Turkey, & Salmon Flavor Cat Food
Friskies Mixed Grill Classic Pate Cat Food
Purina Kit & Kaboodle Original cat food

0/10

For other cat products, please be sure to visit my Pet Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2014 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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