Gourmet food reviews from veterinarians

The Nestle Purina Petcare company produces Gourmet wet food, which is affordable and belongs to the economy class. Proper and balanced nutrition is the basis for a cat’s health and longevity, so we recommend buying at least premium food, and preferably super premium or holistic. Or switch your pet to natural food. Gourmet food contains a fairly large amount of vegetable protein, which manufacturers add to reduce the cost of production, and also contains preservatives and dyes. In this article we will look at the entire line of food and talk about what can replace them.

General characteristics of Gourmet food

The manufacturer of Gourmet cat food is based in France, but many branches are located in Russia. The head office is engaged in the development and testing of new products, while other branches are focused on mass production.

The company is a subsidiary of Nestlé, a well-known industrial giant that supplies food, drinks, desserts and more to the market. The first series of products intended for pets were launched in 1985. The Purina brand, in turn, opened in 2001.

Feed class

The Purina label includes foods that are affordable to middle-income consumers. In addition to the economy class lines, which include Gourmet, Cat Chow, Friskies, Felix and Darling, the manufacturer Purina produces premium food called ProPlan.

Advantages and disadvantages

Gourmet food is sold in small portions in foil packaging or metal cans. This allows you to diversify your diet - you can choose a new flavor for each meal or buy only those varieties that your pet prefers. In addition, eating in small quantities allows you to solve the issue of storing food, it does not spoil. The animal receives properly preserved food, which does not oxidize due to being left for a long time without a hermetically sealed container.

One of the most important features of Gourmet is that all the food in the line is wet. In addition to pieces of meat, pate or fillet, many types have a liquid gravy. According to Purina specialists, food containing 80 percent or more water does not upset the balance of substances in the cat’s body and is better absorbed. Also, in addition to the low price, other advantages of Gourmet include mineral supplements and availability - the food is sold in all major chains of pet stores and hypermarkets.

Among the disadvantages of Gourmet, it is usually noted that the food is mainly designed for adult cats over 1 year of age. There is only one type of pate available for kittens. There are no special series for therapeutic feeding. In addition, customers have questions about the composition: it does not indicate exactly what dyes and flavors are used in production. According to many cat owners, this point should be disclosed in detail by the manufacturer, since these impurities are considered potentially harmful to the body of pets.

In addition, the composition on the packaging indicates that the food is made from processed meat and fish products. This raises doubts about their quality among a number of buyers. But this drawback is relevant for any economy class cat food. A number of owners use Gourmet as an addition to homemade food that the cat eats on an ongoing basis.

Advantages and benefits of Gourmet food

1. Gurmet wet food for cats is a perfectly balanced food product, rich in a complex of vitamins, minerals and trace elements, that is, all those substances that animals simply need for full growth and development. A high percentage of protein compounds helps build muscle mass. Minerals and trace elements strengthen bones and teeth. Plant fiber improves digestion and promotes proper absorption of nutrients. The vitamin complex has a positive effect on the animal’s overall immunity.
2. A large assortment of Gurmet food is undoubtedly one of the main advantages of the company's products. From the many recipe solutions, you can easily choose the best option for any cat, taking into account its individual characteristics. The food is ideal as a main dish for continuous feeding. It is perfectly absorbed by the mustachioed body and is digested without problems. The food does not need to be further processed - heated, boiled or fried. It is completely ready to eat.
3. The general line of food includes a number of canned food Gourmet Gold, which, even against the backdrop of the excellent quality of all Gurmet products, stands out for the better. Buying Gourmet Gold cat food means providing your pet with a truly excellent treat. The recipes for these canned foods are varied. The composition includes the best meat of various animals and birds, as well as delicious fish and vegetables. Gourmet Gold food allows you to diversify your cat's food menu and bring her real pleasure from consuming this delicacy.
4. The price of Gourmet cat food is quite affordable and affordable for most cat owners. It cannot be said that it is low, after all, this is not an economy class product, but compared to the products of other manufacturers of high-quality animal feed, the cost of Gurmet is significantly lower. This advantage was achieved by Purina due to a balanced pricing policy and reduced costs for production and distributor services.

Of course, Gurmet cat food has many advantages, but there are also some disadvantages, although completely insignificant. After opening the package, the product must be consumed quickly, since in this form it cannot be stored for a long time, but this is natural, because there are no artificial preservatives in the food. The line of food does not contain products for small kittens, although the food itself, according to consumer reviews, is excellent for kittens from three months of age. All of the above can hardly be called shortcomings, just small little things noticed by the average buyer.

Assortment of Gourmet feeds and their composition

With a variety of Gourmet flavors, you can find a solution for even the most capricious cat. Several series of food are produced: Perle, Mon Petit, A la Carte and Gold. Each differs not only in filling, but also in release form.

The manufacturer writes that all food does not contain artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. Regarding the content of the main meat or fish component, Purina clarifies that there is at least 4%.

The composition of all products is approximately the same; clarifications can be found in individual release forms. The components specified by the manufacturer are listed below (the order may vary):

• Meat and meat processing products (present in the composition, including fish flavors, in first place).
• Fish and fish by-products (not included in meat flavours).
• Plant protein extracts.
• Minerals.
• Amino acids.
• Products of processing of plant raw materials.
• Thickeners.
• Sahara.
• Vitamins.
• Preservatives.
• Dyes.

Gold

This line has many forms: pieces in sauce, pate and much more. Review below.

Delicate filling

Flavors:

• beef;

• chicken;

• salmon;

• tuna.

The composition does not contain vegetable protein or plant processing products.

Sauce de Lux

Flavors:

• chicken;

• beef.

Pate

Flavors:

• chicken;

• rabbit;

• tuna;

• beef;

• turkey.

The composition does not contain vegetable protein extract and fish.

Pate for kittens is available with veal flavor.

It contains no vegetable protein extract or dyes.

Souffle

There are two flavors with vegetables:

• lamb and green beans;

• trout and tomatoes.

There is no vegetable protein extract in this form, but vegetables are present. The first flavor is 1.2% dried green beans and the second is 1% dried tomatoes. Equivalent to 10.8% and 9% fresh vegetables, respectively.

Delicate bits

Flavors:

• lamb and green beans (5% green beans);

• beef and tomatoes (7% tomatoes);

• chicken and carrots (7% carrots);

• turkey and spinach (4% spinach).

All flavors are free of preservatives and thickeners, and the first two also have no dyes.

Terrine

This type of food does not contain plant protein extracts. Instead of the latter, the first flavor contains vegetables.

Flavors:

• duck, carrots and spinach (9% carrots, 4% spinach);

• rabbit.

Pieces in sauce

All flavors contain grains, and they come right after the meat or fish component, which cannot be a good sign. Although among the advantages of this form it is worth noting a large number of tastes.

Flavors:

• duck and olives (4% olives in sauce);

• chicken and liver (no vegetable protein extracts or plant by-products);

• salmon and chicken;

• trout and vegetables (4% vegetables, no vegetable protein extracts and plant processing products, dyes and preservatives);

• duck and turkey (no processed plant products, only fish);

• rabbit and liver (no processed plant products or preservatives, only fish).

Perle (Pearl)

There are two forms of release - sauce de luxe and tender fillet. Below we will look at the flavor options and composition. Both types contain no preservatives. Also, all flavors contain fish and its products (including meat).

Sauce de Lux

The composition contains various flavorings, depending on the taste.

Flavors:

• beef;

• chicken;

• salmon;

• veal.

Tender fillet in sauce

Flavors:

• lamb;

• chicken;

• salmon;

• duck;

• turkey;

• beef.

Petit

Available in mini-portions of 50 grams in sauce with flavors:

• salmon;

• lamb;

• chicken;

• beef.

There are no preservatives or processed vegetable raw materials in the composition; all flavors contain fish.

A la Carte (A la Carte)

The food is produced under the name Recipes from the Chef. Shapes:

• Salmon a la Florentine (4% each spinach, green beans and zucchini).

• Chicken and pasta a la Perlini (baked goods of which 0.4% pasta; 2.7% spinach).

• Beef a la Jardinier vegetables (4.5% carrots; 6.3% tomato; 4.5% zucchini).

• Turkey and side dish a la Ratatouille (8.1% green peas; 4.5% carrots).

• Poultry a la Provençal vegetables (6.3% tomato; 4.5% eggplant; 4.5% zucchini).

There are no preservatives in the composition. All types contain fish and its products.

The percentage of dyes and flavoring additives in all types of food is not disclosed by the manufacturer.

Types of cat food Gurmet

This type of food is known and popular due to its large assortment. There are no dry foods among these products. Gurmet is produced in the form of canned food or bags of wet food. Below are the main lines of this brand of cat food.

1. Gourmet Gold is available in the form of meatballs with a special gravy, as well as in the form of pates. There are varieties with rabbit meat, duck meat, chicken and liver, offal, and fish. Many recipes include vegetables and grains.
2. Mon Petit is canned food in a miniature container weighing 50 grams. There are several types with lamb, beef and fish fillet. Contains beneficial yeast. The main advantage is that after opening they will not have time to spoil and will quickly end up in the cat’s stomach!
3. A La Carte is a complete treat for picky cats. The composition contains grains and vegetables: pasta, florentine, ratatouille and other Mediterranean products. Real Italian cuisine for your mustachioed pet!
4. Perle - each package with a specific taste. No mixes or prefabricated recipes. If it's turkey, then only turkey, and so on.
5. Gifts of the Ocean - the name speaks for itself. These are canned foods with a variety of seafood: flounder, tuna, shrimp, etc.

The manufacturer is constantly developing new recipes based on various ingredients and does not stop at the achieved popularity of its products.

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.

Replacement feed

Gourmet has the following alternatives for affordable food options.