Gourmet cat food review with feeding recommendations

Balancing nutrition is the basis for the well-being and good health of your pet. Providing a complete diet when feeding natural food is not just difficult, but almost impossible. Ready-made food “Gourmet” for cats is an excellent way to please your pet with a tasty treat and nourishing food, but at the same time fully cover the animal’s need for nutrients.

Manufacturer and features

The manufacturer of Gourmet food is Nestlé. It is a subsidiary of Purina. The main activity of the company is the creation of ready-made food for pets.

Gourmet brand cat food

The main feature of Gourmet food is that the recipe was developed by nutritionists taking into account the needs of the animal’s body. All products are subject to strict control. All components are purchased only from regular suppliers. Thanks to this, impeccable product quality is guaranteed.

Important! produces only wet food; the company does not have a line of dry food.

Production of pet food

What do veterinarians and cat lovers say about this food?

Veterinarians speak positively about the food, but not as a permanent daily diet. Experts believe that it can be used as a treat, combined with dry granules or natural food. They point out negative aspects: lack of a clear description of the ingredients, low content of meat, minerals and vitamins. Experts call canned fish the most successful product. Wet food is considered healthier - the risk of urolithiasis is much lower.

Reviews from animal owners who have chosen Gourmet as the main food or a mixed component vary. Many people note that cats eat the food with pleasure and feel good. Other reviews say the animals gain extra weight or have bad breath. In any case, it is worth remembering that each pet has individual characteristics, and the food offered may not suit him.

Lines and composition of Gourmet food

“Gourmet” food for cats is canned in packages of 50 and 85 g and cans of 85 g. The manufacturer has developed many lines of food that differ in composition.

Gold

Gourmet gold canned food for cats includes a line of pates.

“Tender filling” – this series produces an airy pate with jelly inside. The balanced composition contains 79% protein, fiber and fats. The components provide your pet with energy for the whole day and improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. The main feature of the product is its high content of vitamin A. Thanks to it, appetite increases, the coat becomes shiny and thick. The pate is made from chicken, beef, salmon and tuna.

For your information! The product is recommended for young and active pets.

“Gold Golden Collection” is the largest line from the famous manufacturer. It includes:

• Gourmet pate for cats with a high content of fats and proteins.
• Pieces of fish and meat in glaze, enriched with vitamins A, E and D. This is a low-calorie dietary product. The product is suitable for inactive animals to avoid excess weight gain.
• Creamy souffle of tuna, egg, trout with tomato.
• A mixture of vegetables and meat.

“Double Pleasure” is a classic series for pets of any breed. The food comes in the form of straws with rabbit, duck and turkey flavors.

In the production of the “Gold” series, a special technology is used to preserve the taste and smell.

Important! Contains no vegetable protein!

A la Carte (“A la Carte”)

The series represents a real restaurant menu of Italian cuisine. The assortment includes chicken with pasta, poultry with vegetables, turkey with peas and vegetables.

Gourmet “Gifts of the Ocean”

This is a line of various products, which includes sea fish. The canned food contains delicious pieces in a rich sauce.

Gourmet Perle

A series of canned food called “Pearl” is a complete, balanced diet with various flavors. In this line, each product has only one meat component: chicken, lamb or turkey. There is no mixture of ingredients here. The pieces are cooked in sauce.

Petit

This is a series of miniature containers. The product should be preserved in 50 g bags. This is a line for the most demanding cats. Mini packs are convenient because they can be used for one meal. Pieces of fish, lamb or beef are in a rich, flavorful sauce.

For restricted feeding

Complete food Purina Gourmet was created for sophisticated, capricious cats, for those that are picky eaters. It is possible that this is why it is so popular. And even a poor composition is not a hindrance if you need to feed a cat with a poor appetite.

There is no special line for sterilized cats, but spiders are quite suitable for them. The pieces contain less carbohydrates and fats, which will prevent your pet from gaining excess weight. And sterilized cats and female cats are susceptible to this, since after the operation the hormonal levels are disrupted.

If the cat is sedentary and likes to lie down, canned food with sauce will suit her. It has a reduced caloric content, so your pet will not gain weight. Seafood will also be useful due to its dietary composition.

Food for active animals

Gourmet food is more suitable for active cats. Especially pates with pieces of meat inside and a delicate sauce filling. They contain more proteins, which gives animals energy.

Pregnant and lactating cats require an increased portion. To get the necessary nutrients, you need to consult a veterinarian. It will help you create a diet.

Which food to choose for your pet

Veterinarians say that wet food is most suitable for pets. It is 75% liquid. If your cat is fed dry kibble, he needs to be given twice as much water. This is necessary to avoid digestive problems. When a cat eats wet food, it receives liquid at the same time as the food. This is a more natural process for the body. This type of feeding is considered the most preferable for animals suffering from urolithiasis.

When choosing food, you need to carefully monitor the animal's reaction. If a cat becomes lethargic, his urination frequency increases, his fur becomes dull, and the food is not suitable for him.

The best food for cats

Replacement feed

Gourmet has the following alternatives for affordable food options.

Veterinarians' opinion

Veterinarians recommend food for nutrition, but not for daily use. It is best to give it to cats as a treat, while adding natural products or dry food in granules to the diet.

Experts talk about one disadvantage, which is the lack of a detailed description of the ingredients included in the food. In addition, veterinarians believe that the products do not contain enough vitamins and minerals necessary for the full development of the animal.

Reviews from veterinarians

Maksim. I do not recommend Gourmet as a permanent food. The food is poorly fortified and contains strange additives. Suitable as a treat. I think that fish compositions are the most successful. In any case, wet food is healthier than dry food - there is less risk of giving your cat kidneys.

Anastasia. When choosing Gourmet food, give your cat several flavors to choose from. All animals are different. Naturally, hairless cats need to be fed differently from furry pets. If you have no experience in keeping animals, consult the clinic. They will help you balance your diet and tell you what vitamins to give along with canned food.

Veterinarians do not recommend Gourmet food as the main diet.

Kirill. The protein content in Gurma is normal. There are not enough vitamins and minerals, although the necessary ones are there. It's good that it contains ash. But it is not suitable as the only food. I would recommend Gourmet for a mixed menu: high-quality crackers with jars or straight bread with jars.

Differences between Gourmet and other Purina brands

The main feature of this type of food from other brands of the manufacturer is its consistency. A big advantage is the increased moisture content. If an animal eats only dry food, it needs to be given a lot of water for the gastrointestinal tract to function properly. Wet food eliminates this problem.

Comparison table: Gourmet replacement food

If you are choosing food for your pet to replace Gourmet, it should also be wet. It can be selected depending on the class:

• The economy option includes pates and pieces in sauce from Whiskas and Darling;
• You can purchase premium meals from ProPlan;
• premium super – “Hills”, “Leonardo”.

The composition comparison can be seen in the table:

Feeding recommendations

Gourmet food is available in canned or 85 gram packs. This portion is designed for one full meal. It will take 3 such packages when the animal eats three times a day. If we are talking about the Mont Petit series, then 50 grams is enough for a sedentary or elderly cat. But when feeding a young animal, you will need not 3, but 4-5 packs.

These are approximate portions and should be adjusted depending on the pet's appetite, age and activity.

Pros and cons of Gourmet food

Advantages:

• Balanced composition.
• High nutritional value.
• Variety of flavors and textures.
• Ready to eat.
• Availability both in price and assortment in the nearest store.

Flaws:

• Short shelf life after opening the package.
• No offers for pets with disabilities.
• Presence of sugar.
• Low meat content (about 4%).

Gourmet wet food is produced by a well-known manufacturer. The brand offers 4 extensive series that can satisfy the nutritional needs of the most capricious cats. The food is available in a wide range of different flavors: fillet pieces, pates, soufflés, etc. Suitable for complete nutrition of adult animals, contains vitamin and mineral complexes. Despite the fact that Gourmet food has both pros and cons, it is an excellent option for a balanced cat diet!

Full review of Gourmet cat food

It is generally accepted that in the wild, cats eat fish, mice and milk. And when people get a tailed pet, it turns out that cats cannot digest milk, and feeding the animal fish can lead to metabolic disorders. It’s clear that no one will catch mice either. In the modern pace of life, not every cat owner can prepare food for their pet separately. Therefore, ready-made store-bought food has long entered the world of cat lovers. It’s so convenient - you just buy it and feed it. However, fodder is different. You need to learn to understand ready-made cat food so as not to run into a low-quality product.

Gourmet food for cats

Gourmet is a brand of wet cat food produced in France. Food manufacturers claim that their cat food is a real delicacy, and commercials with this product make cat owners feel an irresistible desire to buy the coveted jar.

Gourmet food stands out from other offerings thanks to quality marketing

Who is the feed manufacturer?

is a Purina company. The first small factory that began its worldwide fame was founded by William H. Danforth (1904). Small production could not meet customer demand. As a result of long and painstaking work, three companies (Purina, Spillers and Friskies) were merged. Since then, the large organization has expanded significantly; now Purina has representative offices all over the world.

In addition to Gourmet, the manufacturer has other brands (no less popular). These include food for cats (Cat Chow, Felix, Tidy Cats, Beyond, Friskies), for dogs (Dog Chow), as well as large brands for cats and dogs (Pro Plan and Veterinary Diets, Purina One and Purina ONE MINI, Darling ). There is no person who has not at least once encountered one of the listed products on the store counter.

openly and without hesitation talks about what principles underlie their production, what corporate policy is relevant for employees and how the concern is developing. Purina has taken custody of several animal shelters - such is its contribution to charity. And other animal shelters, nurseries and similar establishments can take advantage of special cooperation offers. Of course, all this is just part of advertising, but it gives the company invaluable experience. After all, food becomes better when people who know what cats and dogs need work on it.

Now Purina feed factories are opening even in small towns

Food class "Gourmet"

Each brand of cat food belongs to some class. There are 4 such classes in total, they determine the quality of the product:

• Economy class is the cheapest food that needs to be aggressively advertised. It contains no more than 18% protein (part of it can be obtained from plant materials).
• Premium class is a product that contains up to 22% protein, and some of it may consist of meat. Such food is more expensive than economy class food. The composition may still contain dyes and flavors, as well as ballast products (for weight).
• Superpremium is an expensive food that is rarely advertised. There is a lot of meat in it (up to 35%), but there are no “empty” products, and plant ingredients are the bare minimum. But premium food contains a lot of vitamins and microelements.
• Holistic is the so-called elite food that cannot be found in a regular store. The predominant ingredient is natural meat, there are no dyes or flavors in it, and vegetable raw materials are vegetables, fruits and herbs. Holistics do not need advertising, so no one has ever heard of most of these foods.

claim that their product does not contain artificial flavors or colors, and contains (albeit a little) natural meat. The price for this delicacy is one of the most affordable, which is why many people classify Gourmet as an economy class. Although the quality composition of the product brings it closer to the premium class.

Distinctive features

So, like every food, the canned food in the Gourmet line has its pros and cons, and now we will look at them in more detail so that you can decide whether you need to feed your cat this food or not.

pros

1. This food can be found in almost any store, so you don’t have to look for suppliers or order it online.
2. A wide range of different products - here you can find both pates and pouches. At the same time, there are many different tastes.
3. An acceptable price that allows even people with an average salary to purchase products.
4. The presence of a vitamin and mineral supplement in the food, which will have a positive effect on the health of your pet.
5. The consistency of the food is also one of the advantages, since liquid food can be consumed even by cats that have problems with the digestive system. This is their significant advantage over dry food, which can contribute to gastrointestinal problems.

Minuses

1. The specific composition is not specified. That is, the buyer does not know how much meat or fish is actually in the composition (and not even natural meat or fish, but processed products). Even the percentage ratio is not indicated, so it may well turn out that there are very few natural products there.
2. Mostly vegetable protein is used. This type of protein, unlike animal protein, is poorly digestible by animals.
3. The composition includes sugars and dyes, and without specifying which ones. They have a negative effect and are not a necessary component of the feed.
4. Mostly neutral customer reviews. Most people rate the food as average, noting that for cats you need to buy food with a large percentage of meat and natural products.
5. There are no products for small kittens. The product is suitable only for adult cats and female cats.

Assortment and features of feed

The entire range of the Gourmet brand consists only of wet food for cats:

• pates with different flavors;
• pates with liquid filling;
• fillet pieces in sauce;
• pieces of meat in pate;
• bits in jelly;
• “soups” - pieces of meat or seafood in liquid jelly (special series).

The manufacturer manages to achieve a wide range of products due to different tastes. Moreover, the recipe developers claim that this is the merit not of artificial flavors (unlike most other inexpensive foods), but of natural ones, because the types of meat and offal are indicated in the composition. Of course, it all depends on the “type” of wet food. For example, meatballs and pieces of fillet in sauce are essentially the same thing, the difference is in the name and wording of the recipe.

I had to buy gourmet food from different brands. Almost all of them had the same appearance - pieces of “something” in a translucent jelly. There is also a “Gourmet” of the same type, but the last time our cat tasted a pate with a liquid filling. Indeed, not every brand has this form of canned food. True, the pictures on the plate and on the packaging are radically different.

Reality doesn't always live up to expectations

Lines and composition of Gourmet food

They offer several lines of wet food:

• Perle;
• Mon Petit;
• Gold;
• Gold Terrine;
• Gold Delicate bits;
• Gold Delicate filling;
• Gold Double pleasure;
• A la carte.

The lines differ from each other in the shape of the dish, composition, and even packaging. In addition to these regular offers, special series are sometimes released. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the manufacturing company needs to study the demand (for example, canned shrimp “Gifts of the Ocean” are very loved by cat breeders, but are unprofitable). The main difference in the composition of canned food is the type of meat, but otherwise the same ingredients are used:

• meat and processed meat products (up to 4%) - lamb, beef, rabbit, liver, as well as poultry (up to 4%) - chicken, turkey, chicken, duck;
• vegetable protein extract;
• fish and fish products - salmon, tuna;
• vegetables: carrots, spinach, green beans up to 5%, tomatoes up to 7% (from dry tomatoes), eggplant, zucchini;
• yeast and bakery products (including pasta), cereals, sugars;
• preservatives and dyes;
• minerals mg/kg: iron - 9, iodine - 0.2, copper - 0.8, manganese - 1.8, zinc - 15;
• vitamins IU/kg: vitamin A - 800, vitamin D3 -120, vitamin E -18.

Photo gallery: some types of Gourmet food

Regardless of the series chosen, the developers promise that the following ratio will be observed in the food:

Carbohydrates are not listed at all in Gourmet, although plant ingredients are still contained. However, the main emphasis is on meat and offal.

Advantages and disadvantages

Gourmet cat food has proven itself on the market and is popular due to its obvious advantages:

• balance and completeness of the composition;
• a high percentage of animal and vegetable protein content, which replenishes the energy expenditure of the animal, optimizing the building of muscle mass;
• the presence in the recipe of fiber and plant fibers that improve digestion;
• the presence in the formula of natural ingredients, vitamins, microelements that strengthen teeth, claws, bones, and increase immunity;
• the presence of fish oil and vegetable oil in some canned foods, which have a beneficial effect on the coat and skin;
• a wide range that allows you to create a menu for your pet based on its individual characteristics;
• attractive smell;
• the possibility of using feed as the main one;
• economical and convenient packaging.

Like most premium and super premium pet food manufacturers, Gourmet brand products are subject to quality control throughout the entire technological chain (selection of components, appearance, packaging tightness, storage and transportation conditions).

However, picky felinologists also point out significant shortcomings of the product. Their bewilderment, first of all, is caused by the lack of information about the actual composition of the feed. The labels indicate that canned food contains processed meat and fish products, vegetable protein, grain, preservatives, and technical additives. There is no detailed explanation on the labels, like other manufacturers of super premium feeds.

The exact quantities of certain ingredients are not specified in the Gourmet food.

For example, manufacturers of Gina food, comparable in price to Gourmet, indicate the name and percentage of all ingredients, including technical additives (caramel color, natural polysaccharide). Hills food label lists more than 30 ingredients. In addition, the manufacturers of these feeds specifically specify that the products do not contain artificial additives. Gurme simply does not have such information.

Upon careful study of the composition of the feed, doubts arise as to Gourmet’s compliance with the declared super premium category in terms of meat or fish content.

For example, in the description of the composition of canned fish, the first place is “fish and fish by-products” - 4%, but it is not clear what exactly was used as the original product. It could be fillets, but it could also be fins, bones, gills and other waste.

Meanwhile, Gina with chicken and fish contains 14.6% tuna, 4% salmon, 1.8% chicken. The total percentage of fish and meat component in this food is 20.4%, versus 4% in Gurma.

Gourmet is also poorer in the content of vitamins and microelements. The label indicates the presence of vitamins A, E, D, iron, copper, manganese, zinc. However, the Hills recipe lists 9 vitamins and 14 microelements, while Gina contains more than 10 vitamins and 10 microelements.

Thus, in terms of the content of natural products and nutrients, Gurme is closer to premium or even economy class food.

Gourmet Cat Food Review

Gourmet wet cat food is produced in France and Russia by Nestle Purina Petcare. The official website is https://www.gourmet-cat.ru, it contains information about the entire line of feed (compositions, feeding recommendations, storage conditions). This food belongs to the economy class.

In addition to this food, it also produces other diets for pets. For example, under the brands Darling, Cat Chow, One, Pro Plan (premium class), Dog Cow, Friskies, Felix.

Composition of Gourmet food

Let's look at the composition of Gourmet cat food using the example of the "Perle Mini-fillet in gravy, with duck" option. You can see its composition in the photo below, we recommend clicking on it to enlarge it for easier reading:

The difference between Gourmet and other Purina foods

The main difference between the food, as stated earlier, is its wet consistency. When eating only dry food, the cat always needs a lot of water, but this is not necessary with wet food. In general, there are few differences from other economy class food from Purina; you can read reviews of them on our website. ProPlan, which belongs to the premium segment, has a more balanced composition, but it is not the best among other premiums.

Read a review of wet food of all classes on our website. As well as a rating of the best industrial cat food.

Gourmet cat food - reviews

Gourmet cat food has been sold on the shelves of Russian pet stores for a long time, and it is available in most pet stores. Therefore, reviews about it are not uncommon; many have managed to share the results of feeding and their impressions. Below we publish some informative reviews.

Reviews from veterinarians

Customer Reviews

Hi all. Today I will share a review of Gourmet cat food. In general, my pet most often eats what we cook for ourselves, especially loves red fish and meat. But sometimes I give him ready-made food, and lately I’ve often been taking Gourmet bags.

The food is placed in a beautiful package, the pieces themselves look quite decent, my pet always eats them with pleasure. I can recommend this food as an additional tasty treat, but I would not give it on an ongoing basis as the main diet.

Thank you for your attention!

We feed our cat only good food that contains at least 30% meat. We usually order from PetShop, but one day we overlooked it, didn’t order new food, and ran out of supplies. I had to buy what was in the nearest store, but they only had Whiskas dry food and canned Gourmet Gold pates. Of course, you can’t take whiskey, so I took a couple of jars of Gourmet Gold.

I took different flavors, in the review I will give the composition of only one, but they are all almost the same. Here is the composition of tuna pate: meat and offal, fish and fish products (tuna 4%), vegetable products, minerals, sugars, preservatives. Nutritional value: moisture 77.0%, protein 11.0%, fat 7.0%, crude ash 3.0%, crude fiber 0.1%. Vitamin composition: vitamin A 1440 IU/kg, vitamin D3 220 IU/kg, iron 10 mg/kg; iodine 0.2 mg/kg; copper 0.9 mg/kg; manganese 1.9 mg/kg; zinc 10 mg/kg.

Unfortunately, the presence of vitamins and minerals in the food does not in any way compensate for the disgusting composition... There is only 4% tuna, there is some sugar, there is no analysis of how many by-products. Surprisingly, the pate itself has a moderate smell and is greasy.

The cat devoured all the flavors, but this is not surprising, he is an omnivore. One 85 g jar was enough for three feedings. The price of such a jar is 40 rubles. Considering the price, it is better to buy chicken; it will be much better for the cat’s health than this set of offal.

We received Gourmet cat food for free! Well, or almost free, we paid for delivery. You can also order for a trial. Look at the photo for the appearance. The smell is standard for this type of food.

I didn't really like the composition. The canned food contains only 4% chicken meat, vegetables come in second place, the pack contains 5% chicken, and vegetable protein extract comes in second place. The second photo shows spiders in comparison with canned food from the same manufacturer.

The cat's reaction: she sniffed the canned food and began to eat the spiders from the pack. And then the cat came and pushed the cat away, only after that she began to eat the pate. I rate the food three stars, no more.

By age category

The food is produced only for cats over one year old, moderately active. There is no gourmet for kittens, as well as for older cats.

If we consider the composition, pate can be used for older cats, since it is easier to chew. It is in this form that contains more proteins, which will help an elderly pet remain active. Vitamin D strengthens bones, potassium improves heart function.

Kittens also eat this food well, but the composition is not suitable for a growing organism. Little ones need a well-balanced one that contains all the necessary substances for development. An older kitten can be fed canned food, supplementing the diet with vitamins and minerals.

Price and where to buy

You can buy Gourmet wet food cheaply in online pet stores:

1. "Old Farm" (link):
   Wet food Gourmet Perle 85 g x 24 pcs - 665 RUR;
2. Wet food Gourmet Gourmet A La Carte 85 g x 24 pcs - 665 RUR;
3. Canned food Gourmet Gold 85 g x 24 pcs — 972 rub.
4. "ZooPassage" (link):
   Pouchi Gourmet Pearl 85 g - from 22 rubles;
5. Pouchi Gourmet A La Carte 85 g - from 29 rubles;
6. Canned food Gourmet Gold 85 g - from 41 rub.

Prices shown are valid at the end of October 2021 and may change over time. For the exact cost, see the pet store websites using the links above.

Varieties of food

There are 5 types of food produced under the Gourmet brand.

Gourmet Gold

Gourmet Gold (Golden Gourmet) is the most extensive line, which includes:

• pates with chicken, rabbit, tuna, beef, turkey;
• meatballs with lamb and green beans, beef and tomato, chicken and carrots, turkey and spinach;
• pieces in pate with duck, carrots and spinach in French and pate with rabbit in French;
• pieces in gravy Double pleasure with chicken and liver, salmon and chicken, trout and vegetables, duck and turkey.

The Gourmet Gold food line is the most extensive of all.

Gourmet Mon Petit and Gourmet Perle

The Mon Petit (My Baby) and Perle (Pearl) lines are canned foods with one main component, varying in weight. Mon Petit - mini-canned food in 50 g jars, Perle in 85 g jars. The food is fried pieces of meat or fish in sauce.

The manufacturer offers several flavors:

• salmon;
• chicken;
• lamb;
• duck;
• beef;
• turkey.

Gourmet Gifts of the Ocean

The Ocean's Gifts line is sold in Europe under the name Fisherman's Delights. It is extremely rare on the shelves of Russian stores.

There are only 4 flavors in the collection:

• white fish;
• salmon;
• flounder;
• tuna.

Gourmet A La Carte

A La Carte literally means a restaurant menu.

These are canned foods with a complex multi-component recipe:

• a la Florentine (a la Florentine) - pieces of salmon with spinach, zucchini and green beans;
• a la Perline (a la Perlini) - chicken with pasta and spinach;
• a la Jardiniere (a la Jardiniere) - beef with carrots, tomatoes and zucchini;
• a la Ratatouille (a la Ratatouille) - turkey with green peas and carrots;
• a la Provencale (a la Provencal) - poultry with zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes.