ACANA Wet Cat Food Review

ACANA wet cat food receives the Cat Food Advisor second highest rating, 4.5-stars.

ACANA wet recipes are formulated with high levels of protein and a great source of hydration. They meet the nutritional levels established by AAFCO cat food nutrient profiles for kittens, adult and senior cat maintenance.

Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (kitten), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

The product line includes six cat foods.

Recipe and Label Analysis

ACANA Premium Paté Chicken & Tuna Kitten recipe was selected to represent the other products in the line for a detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.

Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.

Ingredients Analysis

The first ingredient is chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”. ¹

Chicken is naturally rich in the 11 essential amino acids required by a cat to sustain life.

The second ingredient is tuna. Tuna is an oily marine fish not only high in protein but also omega 3 fatty acids, essential oils needed by every cat to sustain life. 

This item is typically sourced from clean, undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings of commercial fish operations. ²

The third and fourth ingredients are chicken bone broth and fish bone broth. Broths are of only modest nutritional value. Yet because they add both flavor and moisture to a cat food, they are a common component in many wet products.

The fifth ingredient is chicken liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.

The sixth ingredient is salmon oil. Salmon oil is naturally rich in the prized EPA and DHA type of omega-3 fatty acids. These two high quality fats boast the highest bioavailability to cats and humans. Depending on its level of freshness and purity, salmon oil should be considered a commendable addition.

The seventh ingredient is tricalcium phosphate, a beneficial source of calcium and phosphorus. In addition, this additive is used in wet foods as an emulsifier — an agent designed to disperse a food’s fats more evenly in water.

The eighth ingredient is locust bean gum, a gelling or thickening agent found in some wet pet foods. Extracted from the seeds of the carob tree, locust bean gum can add a notable amount of dietary fiber to a cat food.

From here the list goes on to include a number of other items. But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of the product.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, ACANA Premium Pate Chicken & Tuna Kitten looks like an above-average wet product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 50%, a fat level of 35% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 7%.

As a group, the brand features an above-average protein content of 49.6% and a mean fat level of 27.5%. Together these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 14.9% for the overall product line, alongside a fat-to-protein ratio of 56%.

This means this ACANA wet product line contains above-average protein, below-average carbs and above-average fat when compared to typical wet cat food.

Has ACANA cat food been recalled in the past?

No, ACANA has had no known history of product recalls.

You can view a complete list of all cat food recalls since 2021 here.

To stay on top of any cat food product recalls, sign up for our free email alerts, here.

About

ACANA is a cat and dog food brand created by Champion Petfoods, a Canadian company. It was created in 1985 by Canadian entrepreneur Reinhard Mühlenfeld. Originally a tiny operation serving local Alberta farmers, it is now Canada’s largest pet food manufacturer.