Merrick may be a reasonable choice for some cats, but the brand is not a single recipe or nutrition profile. Cats.com rated it 6.3/10 (C+) in its 2025 review, citing stronger ingredient-quality marks alongside lower scores for species appropriateness and recall history. That is Cats.com’s editorial assessment—not a veterinary endorsement or an objective nutrition grade. Your decision should turn on the exact food’s label, life-stage statement, format, and fit for your cat.
What Cats.com’s rating says—and what it does not
Cats.com scores Merrick across six categories. Its 2025 review gives the brand 38/60 points, or 6.3/10 (C+):
| Category | Cats.com rating |
|---|---|
| Species appropriateness | 6/10 |
| Ingredient quality | 8/10 |
| Product variety | 7/10 |
| Price | 6/10 |
| Customer experience | 7/10 |
| Recall history | 4/10 |
| Overall | 6.3/10 (38/60; C+) |
The figures are Cats.com’s ratings under its own rubric, which considers species appropriateness, ingredients, variety, price, customer experience, and recall history. Its conclusion is that Merrick is acceptable, with tradeoffs that vary by recipe. The score cannot tell you whether a particular food suits your cat’s health needs, and it should not be read as a clinical or regulatory judgment. Read Cats.com’s review and scoring details.
Which Merrick foods are being compared?
Cats.com discusses three Merrick lines: Purrfect Bistro, Limited Ingredient Diet, and Backcountry. The review describes wet and dry foods, toppers or raw mixers, and treats. It says Purrfect Bistro includes grain-inclusive and grain-free options; Limited Ingredient recipes use one animal protein source; and some Backcountry recipes include freeze-dried raw meat. Those are line descriptions, not a guarantee that every named product is currently available. Merrick says Purrfect Bistro has not been discontinued; it advises shoppers to search by recipe name while packaging imagery is being updated. Check Merrick’s current FAQ and product guidance.
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#1 Best Overall
- Grain Free Dry Cat Food: Merrick Purrfect Bistro healthy dry cat food is crafted with added vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to support your cat’s overall health and vitality.
- High Protein Cat Food: Real chicken cat food made with real, nourishing ingredients including real salmon as the number 1 ingredient to support healthy muscles.
- Nothing Bad: Delicious grain free adult cat food rich in animal protein and made without corn, wheat, or soy to keep your cat living their best life.
- Immune Support: Dry food for cats delivers Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids to promote healthy skin and a radiant coat, and antioxidants for immune support.
- Balanced Nutrition: Outdoor or indoor dry cat food provides balanced nutrition with the ideal percentage of protein and healthy fats to help your cat thrive.
What the reviewed recipes show
The three examples in the Cats.com review illustrate why a brand-wide score should not substitute for reading the individual package. Their ingredients, moisture, and calorie figures differ.
Purrfect Bistro Grain-Free Chicken Pate canned food
Cats.com highlights chicken, chicken liver, dried egg product, and salmon oil, while also noting alfalfa meal and a higher carbohydrate level than some wet foods. The review reports 177 calories per 5.5-ounce can. These details refer to the recipe as reviewed; confirm the current ingredient panel and guaranteed analysis before buying. See the recipe analysis at Cats.com.
Rank #2
- Grain Free Dry Cat Food: Merrick Purrfect Bistro healthy dry cat food is crafted with added vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to support your cat’s overall health and vitality.
- High Protein Cat Food: Real chicken cat food made with real, nourishing ingredients including real salmon as the number 1 ingredient to support healthy muscles.
- Nothing Bad: Delicious grain free adult cat food rich in animal protein and made without corn, wheat, or soy to keep your cat living their best life.
- Immune Support: Dry food for cats delivers Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids to promote healthy skin and a radiant coat, and antioxidants for immune support.
- Balanced Nutrition: Outdoor or indoor dry cat food provides balanced nutrition with the ideal percentage of protein and healthy fats to help your cat thrive.
Purrfect Bistro Grain-Free Real Salmon + Sweet Potato dry food
The reviewed dry recipe includes salmon and animal meals among its leading ingredients, as well as sweet potatoes, peas, potatoes, and plant protein. Cats.com characterizes it as relatively high in carbohydrates and notes that dry food has less moisture than wet food. Its reported energy values are approximately 3,748 calories per kilogram and 412 calories per cup. Catster’s 2026 analysis of this recipe reports 38% protein and 34% carbohydrates; that is a recipe-specific secondary analysis, not a figure for all Merrick foods or necessarily for a later reformulation. Cats.com recipe review; Catster’s review.
Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Real Turkey canned food
Cats.com describes turkey and turkey liver as animal ingredients and flags pea protein and alfalfa meal as tradeoffs. The review reports 157 calories per 5.5-ounce can. “Limited ingredient” does not make this a diagnostic elimination diet: if you suspect a food allergy, ask your veterinarian about an appropriate evaluation and diet plan. See Cats.com’s recipe discussion.
Rank #3
- Grain Free Dry Cat Food: Merrick Purrfect Bistro healthy dry cat food is crafted with added vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to support your cat’s overall health and vitality.
- High Protein Cat Food: Real salmon dry cat food made with real, nourishing ingredients including real salmon as the number 1 ingredient to support healthy muscles.
- Nothing Bad: Delicious grain free adult cat food rich in animal protein and made without corn, wheat, or soy to keep your cat living their best life.
- Immune Support: Dry food for cats delivers Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids to promote healthy skin and a radiant coat, and antioxidants for immune support.
- Balanced Nutrition: Outdoor or indoor dry cat food provides balanced nutrition with the ideal percentage of protein and healthy fats to help your cat thrive.
How to read the nutrition and feeding evidence
Merrick states that all Purrfect Bistro cat foods are formulated using AAFCO complete-and-balanced nutrient profiles. This is the manufacturer’s claim about formulation; it is not the same as saying every food was validated through an AAFCO feeding trial. Merrick’s FAQ.
Verified Pet Food Data, a secondary disclosure and label compilation updated July 11, 2026, found one of four WSAVA-aligned criteria it tracks confirmed and three undisclosed for Merrick. It found no AAFCO feeding-trial statement on the 105 Merrick foods in its verified set. The dataset says “undisclosed” means it could not confirm information from public sources; it does not establish that the answer is unfavorable or that a food is deficient. It is not a regulator or a WSAVA endorsement. View Verified Pet Food Data’s Merrick page.
Rank #4
- Grain Free Dry Cat Food: Merrick Purrfect Bistro healthy dry cat food is crafted with added vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to support your cat’s overall health and vitality.
- High Protein Cat Food: Real salmon dry cat food made with real, nourishing ingredients including real salmon as the number 1 ingredient to support healthy muscles.
- Nothing Bad: Delicious grain free adult cat food rich in animal protein and made without corn, wheat, or soy to keep your cat living their best life.
- Immune Support: Dry food for cats delivers Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids to promote healthy skin and a radiant coat, and antioxidants for immune support.
- Balanced Nutrition: Outdoor or indoor dry cat food provides balanced nutrition with the ideal percentage of protein and healthy fats to help your cat thrive.
For the product in your hand, check the package’s nutritional adequacy statement and life-stage wording rather than inferring them from the brand name or a review of another recipe. Compare wet and dry foods with your cat’s overall feeding plan in mind: moisture and calorie density are different, and the numbers above apply only to the reviewed examples.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the recall record supports
Cats.com lists Merrick recalls in 2010, 2011, and 2018, involving salmonella concerns in earlier treat recalls and potentially elevated beef thyroid hormones in beef-based dog treats in 2018. Catster’s 2026 account likewise says the notices it found concerned dog products and treats, and says Merrick cat food had not been recalled. The cited review sources therefore identify prior recalls involving Merrick dog products or treats, not cat food. This is a product-specific account of the notices those sources discuss, not an independent audit of every historical notice. Cats.com’s recall discussion; Catster’s recall discussion.
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- Grain Free Cat Food: Merrick Purrfect Bistro Grain Free Wet Cat Food Chicken Recipe Pate delivers balanced and natural nutrition to support your cat’s overall health.
- Premium Ingredients: High protein wet cat food crafted with real, wholesome ingredients including real deboned chicken as the first ingredient to support strong muscles.
- Healthy Wet Cat Food: Canned cat food pate with added vitamins, minerals, and nutrients cats need to thrive, and no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or soy.
- Delectable Cat Food: Feline natural wet cat food featuring premium ingredients in a deliciously smooth pate that keeps discerning cats purring with satisfaction.
- Build the Bowl: Purrfect Bistro pate wet cat food comes in a variety of flavors that are the ideal complements to Purrfect Bistro dry cat food for a mealtime experience cats love.
How to decide whether a Merrick recipe fits your cat
- Start with life stage and needs. Read the exact package’s nutritional adequacy statement, life-stage designation, and feeding guidance. Discuss a therapeutic or allergy-related diet with your veterinarian.
- Compare the whole recipe. Look at named animal proteins, plant protein ingredients, moisture, calories, and the guaranteed analysis. Do not treat one food’s carbohydrate level or ingredient list as representative of Merrick as a whole.
- Choose format deliberately. Weigh wet versus dry food in the context of your cat’s total diet, hydration, and calorie needs.
- Check the current package. Merrick says packaging imagery is being updated and recommends searching by recipe name. Confirm the ingredient panel, guaranteed analysis, and life-stage statement on the product you receive.
- Compare current cost and stock. Retail listings can change; compare the package size and price per ounce or calorie at the time you shop. Merrick says Purrfect Bistro food and toppers are sold nationwide through independent pet specialty stores, Petco, PetSmart, and select online retailers. Merrick’s FAQ.
Verdict
Merrick is an option worth evaluating recipe by recipe, not a blanket recommendation for every cat. Cats.com’s C+ reflects its editorial rubric: it rated ingredient quality highest and recall history lowest, while the recipes it examined showed meaningful differences in ingredients, moisture, and calories. Use the rating as context, then make the choice from the exact current label and your cat’s individual needs.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
