Our Verdict
The Merrick Purrfect Bistro range is made up of 16 recipes which all receive the Cat Food Advisor rating, 4.5-stars.
Merrick uses high-quality protein and freshly-caught fish in its products and the recipes are grain free and contain added taurine.
Pros
- Grain-free
- No artificial colors, flavors or preservatives
- Added taurine
- Variety of flavors
Cons
- Pricey
The table below shows each recipe in the range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile.
| Product line | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| Merrick Grain-Free Beef Pate | 4.5 | A |
| Merrick Grain-Free Chicken Pate | 4.5 | A |
| Merrick Grain-Free Duck Pate | 4.5 | A |
| Merrick Grain-Free Kitten Dinner Pate | 4.5 | A |
| Merrick Grain-Free Minced Grammy's Pot Pie | 4.5 | A |
| Merrick Grain-Free Minced Thanksgiving Day Dinner | 4.5 | A |
| Merrick Grain-Free Morsels Chicken Casserole | 4.5 | A |
| Merrick Grain-Free Morsels Cowboy Cookout | 4.5 | A |
| Merrick Grain-Free Rabbit Pate | 4.5 | A |
| Merrick Grain-Free Salmon Pate | 4.5 | A |
| Merrick Grain-Free Surf + Turf Pate | 4.5 | A |
| Merrick Grain-Free Tuna + Tilapia Pate | 4.5 | A |
| Merrick Grain-Free Tuna Pate | 4.5 | A |
| Merrick Grain-Free Turkey Pate | 4.5 | A |
| Merrick Indoor Adult Pate | 4.5 | A |
| Merrick Indoor Senior Pate | 4.5 | A |
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Recipe and Label Analysis
Merrick Purrfect Bistro Grain-Free Beef Pate 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.
Merrick Purrfect Bistro Grain-Free Beef Pate
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Deboned beef, beef broth, deboned chicken, chicken liver, natural flavor, dried egg product, calcium carbonate, dried cranberries, organic dehydrated alfalfa meal, sodium phosphate, guar gum, potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, salmon oil, taurine, agar-agar, ground flaxseed, locust bean gum, xanthan gum, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, thiamine mononitrate, niacin, D-calcium pantothenate, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement, folic acid, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K), vitamin D3 supplement), yucca schidigera extract, minerals (zinc amino acid complex, sodium selenite, manganese amino acid complex, iron amino acid complex, copper amino acid complex, cobalt glucoheptonate, potassium iodide).
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 1%
Red denotes any controversial items
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient is deboned beef. Beef is defined as “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered cattle” and includes skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.1
Beef is naturally rich in all 11 essential amino acids required by a cat to sustain life.
The second ingredient is beef broth. Beef 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 deboned chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”. 2
Just like beef, chicken is also naturally rich in the 11 essential amino acids required by a cat to sustain life.
The fourth ingredient is chicken liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.
The fifth ingredient is natural flavor. 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 dried egg product, a dehydrated form of shell-free eggs. Quality can vary significantly. Lower grade egg product can even come from commercial hatcheries – from eggs that have failed to hatch. In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
The seventh ingredient is calcium carbonate, likely used here as a dietary mineral supplement.
The eighth ingredient is dried cranberries, a nutrient-rich fruit that’s also high in fiber.
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.
We view the presence of taurine in this recipe as a positive addition.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Merrick Purrfect Bistro Grain-Free Beef Pate recipe looks like an above-average wet product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 45.5%, a fat level of 13.6% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 32.9%, alongside a fat-to-protein ratio of 30%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 47.2% and a mean fat level of 20.8%. Together these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 24% for the overall product line, alongside a fat-to-protein ratio of 44%.
This means the Merrick Purrfect Bistro wet product line contains above-average protein, below-average carbs and above-average fat when compared to typical wet cat food.
Final Word
Merrick Purrfect Bistro is an all-natural and grain-free product. The range includes a wide variety of flavors, along with the necessary moisture to help keep cats hydrated.
Highly recommended.
Has Merrick Purrfect Bistro Wet cat food been recalled in the past?
Yes, Merrick has had two recalls, these were limited to its treats. You can read the full details on the Dog Food Advisor but in summary:
In January 2010, the company issued a voluntary recall out of fear that its beef treats were contaminated with salmonella. No animals were reported sick as a result of eating the treats, but Merrick issued subsequent recalls for the same reason several times that year and into 2011.
In 2018, it recalled a wide range of treats due to elevated levels of a naturally-occurring beef thyroid hormone. This wasn’t a life-threatening issue, but one dog became ill as a result of eating the treats (that animal later made a full recovery).
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
Merrick was founded in 1988 in Garth Merrick’s family kitchen in Hereford, Texas. Garth began home cooking for his beloved dog, Gracie, to make sure she was eating the most nutritious and wholesome food possible.
Nestle Purina Petcare purchased Merrick in July 2015.
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