Our Verdict
Blackwood wet cat food receives the Cat Food Advisor rating, 4 stars.
This food includes meat as a primary ingredient providing a good quality protein source. Real meat is always the first ingredient, and the recipes are grain free. They also do not contain corn, wheat, soy, artificial colors, or flavors and are made for cats of all life stages.
Pros
- Meat is named as the first ingredient
- No corn, wheat, soy, or artificial colors
- Appropriate for cats of all life stages
Cons
- Contains plant based protein
Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (kitten), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
The Blackwood product line only includes two wet cat foods.
| Product line | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken & Salmon With Pumpkin & New Zealand Mussels | 4 | A |
| Chicken & Chicken Liver With Pumpkin & New Zealand Mussels | 4 | A |
Recipe and Label Analysis
Blackwood Wet Cat Food Chicken & Salmon With Pumpkin & New Zealand Mussels 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.
Blackwood Wet Cat Food Chicken & Salmon With Pumpkin & New Zealand Mussels recipe
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Chicken, chicken broth, salmon, pumpkin, natural flavors, chicken liver, pea meal, agar-agar, potassium chloride, parsley, choline chloride, salt, dandelion greens, dried new zealand green mussels, salmon oil, taurine, calcium carbonate, zinc proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, magnesium proteinate, sodium selenite, calcium iodate, thiamine mononitrate, niacin supplement, vitamin E supplement, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, biotin, vitamin a supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 1%
Red denotes any controversial items
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 chicken 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 third ingredient is salmon. Salmon is an oily marine and freshwater fish not only high in protein but also omega 3 fatty acids, essential oils needed by every cat to sustain life.
The fourth ingredient is pumpkin. Pumpkin is a nutritious addition high in complex carbohydrates, beta-carotene and dietary fiber.
The fifth ingredient is natural flavors. Natural flavors doesn’t give us much information about the particular ingredients included in this cat food for flavoring purposes.
We’re pleased that the flavorings used are natural, but more details are required to give any further information about these natural flavoring ingredients. Flavorings are used to make the foods more appealing and tasty for our cats.
The sixth ingredient is chicken liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.
The seventh ingredient is pea meal. A non-digestible by-product typically derived from the hulls of yellow peas and sometimes used to dilute the energy (calorie) content of a food.
Except for the usual benefits of fiber and a small amount of protein (less than 7%), pea bran meal provides only minimal nutritional value to a cat.
The eighth ingredient is agar agar, a natural vegetable gelatin derived from the cell walls of certain species of red algae. Agar is rich in fiber and is used in wet pet foods as a gelling agent.
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.
Recipe star rating: 4
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Blackwood Wet Cat Food Chicken & Salmon With Pumpkin & New Zealand Mussels recipe looks like an above-average wet product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 43.2%, a fat level of 40.9% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 7.9%.
As a group, the brand features an above-average protein content of 44.3% and an above-average fat level of 40.9%. Together these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 6.8% for the overall product line, alongside a fat to protein ratio of 92%.
This means this Blackwood Wet Cat Food contains higher than average protein, lower than average carbohydrate, higher than average fat, when compared to typical wet cat food.
Final Word
The Blackwood wet cat food does not contain corn, wheat, soy, artificial colors, or flavors. It lists good quality meat as the first ingredient in both recipes and is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO cat food nutrient profiles for all life stages.
Has Blackwood cat food been recalled in the past?
No, Blackwood has never been recalled.
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
Blackwood Pet Foods is a family-operated brand that’s based in Ohio. Founded around 20 years ago, the company offers super premium wet and dry dog food, cat food, puppy food, and kitten food.
Grain-free and gluten-free options are available, along with sensitive diet recipes for pets with unique dietary needs.
Blackwood is manufactured in the United States and all of its recipes are AAFCO approved.
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Article reviewed by
Veterinarian
Dr Georgia Jeremiah has a first class honors degree in comparative pathology with field experience in anatomic and clinical pathology, studying disease processes in a multitude of species.
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