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Cats.com rates Wellness cat food at 8/10 overall (20/25, B-). Its strongest praise goes to the CORE line’s animal-ingredient-forward, high-protein recipes and to canned Complete Health recipes, which the review generally prefers over the dry options. Its weakest category is recall history, scored 6/10. Unless stated otherwise, every score, grade and reported fact below comes from Cats.com’s Wellness review, last updated January 6, 2026. These are the reviewer’s assessments, not independent veterinary guidance, and this article did not independently confirm current formulas, prices or recall status.
What Cats.com concluded
Cats.com scores Wellness across five categories. The review’s broad conclusion is that Wellness offers a substantial range of recipes, with CORE standing out for protein-centric formulas built on animal ingredients, and canned Complete Health recipes generally preferred over its dry foods. The reviewer presents this as an assessment for shoppers to weigh, not as a universal recommendation.
| Category | Cats.com score |
|---|---|
| Species appropriateness | 8/10 |
| Ingredient quality | 8/10 |
| Product variety | 10/10 |
| Customer experience | 8/10 |
| Recall history | 6/10 |
The two Wellness cat food lines
Wellness sells cat food under two main lines. Cats.com describes them as follows, and the formula names it lists are the ones to match against current packaging.
CORE
Cats.com describes CORE as protein-centric and grain-free. Its range includes:
#1 Best Overall
- ENJOY A LIFETIME OF WELLBEING TOGETHER: Working with our staff of vets, nutritionists and scientists, we create each diet to deliver everything your cat needs to thrive, for a lifetime
- SPECIALLY MADE FOR ADULT CATS: This adult dry grained recipe features the right balance of protein and fat with real chicken as the first ingredient; formulated with a balanced blend of Omega Fatty Acids, vitamins and minerals
- WHOLE BODY HEALTH: Crafted to support your cat's total wellbeing including plenty of energy for playtime, a lustrous skin and coat, sound digestion and immunity, strong teeth and healthy eyes, plus controlled minerals for healthy hydration
- CATISFACTION PROMISE: Wellness offers a full range of wet and dry cat food to support your cat's specific taste preferences and needs with dozens of flavors, textures and solutions
- MADE IN THE USA: using only the finest globally sourced ingredients, we prepare each of our diets in our own state of the art facility; we craft delicious natural recipes with wholesome ingredients chosen for their nutritional benefits
- Dry: original recipes, air-dried food, and RawRev kibble blended with freeze-dried meat.
- Wet: pâté, Hearty Cuts, Signature Selects, Divine Duos and Simply Shreds.
Complete Health
Complete Health includes both grain-free and grain-inclusive dry foods. Its wet formats are pâté, gravies, minced, sliced, morsels and Healthy Indulgence. Cats.com also mentions Kittles treats and Bowl Boosters, and says the formulas target some life stages and lifestyles, including kittens, indoor cats and weight management.
Four recipes Cats.com graded
The review grades four specific recipes. The table reproduces its reported ingredients, calorie figures and grades. Calorie values are the reviewer’s figures and are not restated from a current label.
Rank #2
- GRAIN-FREE WET CAT FOOD: Canned cat food is free from grains, protein-dense, rich in meaty flavor, and nutrient packed to support your cat's daily needs, with real protein as the first ingredient.
- CHICKEN AND TURKEY VARIETY PACK: This healthy, natural food for adult cats is an excellent source of protein and essential fatty acids for balanced nutrition. Includes (8) cans of chicken in gravy, (8) cans of minced chicken, and (8) cans of minced turkey.
- SUPPORTS HEALTHY HYDRATION: Wet food is an easy way to increase your cat's moisture intake for daily hydration health. We recommend feeding cat food at room temperature and refrigerating the unused portion.
- NO CORN, WHEAT, OR SOY: Cat food doesn't contain added carrageenan, wheat, wheat gluten, corn, soy, artificial colors, or preservatives.
- COMPLETE & BALANCED NUTRITION: Wellness cat food is created by nutritionists & veterinarians to nourish and sustain your pet's wellbeing.
| Recipe (as named by Cats.com) | Format | Main ingredients per Cats.com | Calories per Cats.com | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complete Health Pate Chicken Entree Grain-Free Canned Cat Food | Canned pâté, grain-free | Chicken, chicken liver and turkey; carrots and cranberries noted as nonessential plant ingredients | 34 kcal per ounce; 101 kcal per 3-ounce can | B+ |
| CORE Signature Selects Flaked Skipjack Tuna & Wild Salmon Entree in Broth | Canned, in broth | Primarily fish-based; tapioca starch and guar gum | 25 kcal per ounce; 70 kcal per 2.8-ounce can | B+ |
| CORE Grain-Free Indoor Formula Dry Cat Food | Dry kibble, grain-free | Deboned chicken and chicken meal lead, alongside peas, potatoes and fiber sources | 445 kcal per cup | C |
| CORE Kitten Turkey & Chicken Liver Recipe Canned Food | Canned, kitten | Turkey, chicken liver, chicken, chicken meal, herring and menhaden fish oil | 108 kcal per 3-ounce can | B+ |
- The Signature Selects recipe drew customer criticism of its texture, according to the review.
- The indoor dry formula is flagged for a relatively high carbohydrate share. The review does not give a carbohydrate percentage in the material available here, so “relatively high” is the only quantified-in-words claim to rely on.
How to compare Wellness formats fairly
Cats.com itself cautions that wet and dry foods should be compared only after accounting for moisture and calorie density. A 3-ounce can and a cup of kibble are different units, so compare calories on a like-for-like basis (per ounce, or per feeding at the amount you actually serve). When you compare, also account for:
- Line: CORE against Complete Health, which the review’s conclusion addresses directly.
- Grain content: grain-free against grain-inclusive formulas, which only Complete Health offers in dry form according to the review.
- Life stage and lifestyle: kitten, indoor or weight-management labelling, checked against the current package.
- Ingredient panel: the order and identity of protein sources, plus any plant ingredients.
- Nutrient analyses: the review’s charts are calculated from the guaranteed analysis and may not match typical nutrient values. Treat them as estimates.
- Cost: price per ounce or daily feeding cost, using a live listing rather than historical figures.
Manufacturing and company background
According to Cats.com, Wellness began in 1997 as a branch of WellPet LLC. The review traces WellPet to the 1926 founding of Old Mother Hubbard Dog Treats, says WellPet became part of Berwind Corporation, and identifies Tewksbury, Massachusetts as the headquarters. These are historical and company details as the review reports them.
Rank #3
- GRAIN-FREE WET CAT FOOD: Canned cat food is free from grains, protein-dense, rich in meaty flavor, and nutrient packed to support your cat's daily needs, with real protein as the first ingredient.
- SEAFOOD VARIETY PACK: This healthy, natural food for adult cats is an excellent source of protein and essential fatty acids for balanced nutrition. Includes (8) cans of chicken/lobster pate, (8) cans of chicken/herring pate, and (8) cans of turkey/salmon pate.
- SUPPORTS HEALTHY HYDRATION: Wet food is an easy way to increase your cat's moisture intake for daily hydration health. We recommend feeding cat food at room temperature and refrigerating the unused portion.
- NO CORN, WHEAT, OR SOY: Cat food doesn't contain added carrageenan, wheat, wheat gluten, corn, soy, artificial colors, or preservatives.
- COMPLETE & BALANCED NUTRITION: Wellness cat food is created by nutritionists & veterinarians to nourish and sustain your pet's wellbeing.
The review says most production takes place at a Mishawaka, Indiana facility, while certain wet-food formats are made in Thailand. The exact formats are not listed in the material this article draws on, so check the country-of-origin information on the package for a specific product. Wellness’ quality and ingredient-screening statements are company claims, and the review reports them as such.
Recall history as Cats.com reports it
Cats.com’s recall section covers 2011, 2012 and 2017. It rates recall history at 6/10. The events it describes are:
Rank #4
- ENJOY A LIFETIME OF WELLBEING TOGETHER: Working with our staff of vets, nutritionists and scientists, we create each diet to deliver everything your cat needs to thrive, for a lifetime
- SPECIALLY MADE FOR INDOOR CATS: This Indoor dry grained recipe was crafted to support cats with a less active lifestyle with healthy fiber, L'Carnitine and just the right balance of protein and fat from chicken, perfect for cats that love poultry
- WHOLE BODY HEALTH: Crafted to support your cat's total wellbeing including plenty of energy for playtime, a lustrous skin and coat, sound digestion and immunity, strong teeth and healthy eyes, plus controlled minerals for healthy hydration
- CATISFACTION PROMISE: Wellness offers a full range of wet and dry cat food to support your cat's specific taste preferences and needs with dozens of flavors, textures and solutions
- MADE IN THE USA: using only the finest globally sourced ingredients, we prepare each of our diets in our own state of the art facility; we craft delicious natural recipes with wholesome ingredients chosen for their nutritional benefits
- February 2011: 21.6 million cans of Wellness cat food recalled over inadequate thiamine levels.
- 2012: recall events concerning dog food.
- 2017: a precautionary canned-food recall after metal was found in products made at a facility, plus a separate dog-food recall.
This is Cats.com’s reported history, not a complete or current recall record. Check the manufacturer’s notices and official recall announcements before relying on it.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Customer ratings and feedback
Cats.com reports a Chewy rating of 4.2/5 for Complete Health pâté, based on 1,469 reviews, with 80% of customers saying they would recommend it. The review does not date this snapshot, so treat it as a point-in-time figure rather than a current rating. Customer comments in the review mention palatability, texture, odor and digestive experiences. These are individual anecdotes; they do not establish medical effects or typical outcomes for any cat.
Best Value
- ENJOY A LIFETIME OF WELLBEING TOGETHER: Working with our staff of vets, nutritionists and scientists, we create each diet to deliver everything your cat needs to thrive, for a lifetime!
- SPECIALLY MADE FOR INDOOR CATS: This Indoor dry grain free recipe was crafted to support cats with a less active lifestyle with healthy fiber, L'Carnitine and just the right balance of protein and fat from chicken, perfect for cats that love poultry
- WHOLE BODY HEALTH: Crafted to support your cat's total wellbeing including plenty of energy for playtime, a lustrous skin and coat, sound digestion and immunity, strong teeth and healthy eyes, plus controlled minerals for healthy hydration
- CATISFACTION PROMISE: Wellness offers a full range of wet and dry cat food to support your cat's specific taste preferences and needs with dozens of flavors, textures and solutions
- MADE IN THE USA: using only the finest globally sourced ingredients, we prepare each of our diets in our own state of the art facility; we craft delicious natural recipes with wholesome ingredients chosen for their nutritional benefits
Price and where to buy
Cats.com gives historical price examples, including about $0.47 per ounce for one Complete Health recipe, with different costs for other wet and dry formats. These figures may be out of date. Wellness is sold through independent pet retailers, chains, some big-box stores, Amazon and Chewy. Current stock and exact listing names were not verified for this article.
How the review was done
According to Cats.com, the reviewer researched brand origins, recalls, manufacturing, ingredients and customer experience. Products were bought at full retail, and the reviewer reports no direct company input or influence. The reviewer fed two wet foods and one grain-free kibble to the reviewer’s own cats, and sent one CORE wet food for independent lab testing of nutrient content and contaminants. The lab results are not reproduced in the material this article draws on. The testing covered one product, so do not assume every Wellness formula has been tested.
Before you buy
- Read the current package label and confirm the exact formula name, since Cats.com’s grades apply to the recipes it names.
- Compare the live price per ounce or per feeding, not the historical figures in the review.
- Check the manufacturer’s current notices and official recall announcements for the product.
- Match the life-stage and lifestyle claims on the label to your cat’s age, weight and activity.
- If your cat has a health condition or a special diet need, ask your veterinarian before switching foods.
Cats.com’s review is a useful starting point for shortlisting Wellness recipes. It is most informative about formula range and ingredient panels, and least current on prices, ratings and recall status.
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.
