John Seeberg

Written by John Seeberg

Georgia Jeremiah

Reviewed by Georgia Jeremiah

Updated: May 30, 2024

Nutrience (Wet) Review

Updated: May 30, 2024

Our Verdict

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Highly Recommended

Nutrience wet product range is made up of 15 recipes, with ratings varying from 4-5 stars. The average rating of the whole range is 5 stars. 

This range of food caters for a variety of different feline needs.  From weight management, to sensitive skin and stomach.  Each recipe lists the first ingredient as animal meat and offers a good diet option.

Pros
  • Contains good quality animal protein and fish
  • High in protein
  • Low in carbohydrate
  • Rich in moisture and fat
Cons
  • More expensive than some cat foods
  • Contains plant protein

The table below shows each recipe in the range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (kitten), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

Product line Rating AAFCO
Nutrience Canadian Pacific Fish Pâté | Wet Cat Food 5 G&M
Nutrience Turkey, Chicken & Duck Wet Cat Food 5 G&M
Nutrience Care Weight Management – Wet Cat Food 4 M
Nutrience Chicken Pâté | Healthy Wet Food for Indoor Cats 5 G&M
Nutrience Free Range Chicken Pâté | Wet Food for Cats 5 G&M
Nutrience Healthy Kitten Food – Chicken Pâté 5 G&M
Nutrience Care Hairball Control Wet Cat Food 4 A
Nutrience Care Urinary Health – Wet Cat Food 5 A
Nutrience Sensitive Skin & Stomach – Hypoallergenic Wet Cat Food 4 A
Nutrience Chicken Pâté for Cats 4 M
Nutrience Pâté with Ocean Fish | Wet Food for Cats 5 G&M
Nutrience SubZero Prairie Red Pâté | High Protein Cat Food 5 G&M
Nutrience Fraser Valley Pâté 5 G&M
Nutrience Ocean Fish Pâté for Cats 5 A
Nutrience Care Weight Management – Wet Cat Food 4 M

Recipe and Label Analysis

Nutrience Canadian Pacific Fish Pâté Wet Cat Food 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.

Nutrience Canadian Pacific Fish Pâté Wet Cat Food recipe

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

45.5%

Protein

40.9%

Fat

5.6%

CarbsCarbohydrates

Salmon, fish broth , ocean fish, herring, natural flavour, fresh whole eggs, peas, canola oil, red lentils, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, calcium carbonate, sun-cured alfalfa meal, salmon oil, herring oil, coconut oil, salt, choline chloride, potassium chloride, freeze-dried salmon, dl-methionine, l-lysine, yeast extract, chicory root extract, yucca schidigera extract, rosemary extract, thyme extract, pumpkin, butternut squash, carrots, spinach, broccoli, apples, blueberries, cranberries, pomegranate, juniper berry extract, ginger, fennel, chamomile, peppermint leaf, licorice root, turmeric, valerian root, pea fiber, taurine, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), zinc proteinate, vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, iron proteinate, zinc sulfate, niacin supplement, thiamine mononitrate, copper proteinate, vitamin a supplement, sodium selenite, manganese sulfate, manganese proteinate, pantothenate calcium, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, biotin, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin B12, calcium iodate, folic acid.


Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 0.8%

Red denotes any controversial items

Ingredients Analysis

The first 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 second ingredient is fish broth. Broths are nutritionally empty. But because they add both flavor and moisture to a cat food they are a common addition component in many canned products.

The third ingredient is ocean fish. This item is typically sourced from clean, undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings of commercial fish operations. 1

Unfortunately, the phrase “ocean fish” is vague and does little to adequately describe this ingredient. Since some fish are higher in omega-3 fats than others, it’s impossible for us to judge the quality of this item.

In any case, fish meat is naturally rich in the 11 essential amino acids required by a cat to sustain life.

The fourth ingredient is herring. Herring is a fatty marine fish naturally high in protein as well as omega 3 fatty acids, essential oils needed by every cat to sustain life.

The fifth ingredient is natural flavour. 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 fresh whole eggs. Eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.

The seventh ingredient is peas which are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, they’re rich in natural fiber.

However, peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this cat food.

The eighth ingredient is canola oil. Unfortunately, canola can be a controversial item. That’s because it can sometimes (but not always) be derived from genetically modified rapeseed.

Yet others cite the fact that canola oil can be a significant source of omega-3 fatty acids.

In any case, plant-based oils like canola are less biologically available to a cat than fish oil as a source of quality omega-3 fats.

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.

This food also contains chelated minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better cat foods.

Finally, this food includes taurine which is an essential amino acid for cats associated with the healthy function of heart muscle and eye sight, and is crucial for maintaining good health in cats. 

We view the presence of taurine in this recipe as a positive addition.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Nutrience Canadian Pacific Fish Pâté Wet Cat Food recipe looks like an above-average wet product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 45.5%, a fat level of 40.9% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 5.6%.

As a group, the brand features an above-average protein content of 42.1% and an above-average fat level of 28.1%. Together these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 21.8% for the overall product line, alongside a fat to protein ratio of 67%.

This means that Nutrience wet cat food contains higher than average protein, lower than average carbohydrate and higher than average fat, when compared to typical wet cat food.

Final Word

These formulas provide a good variety of food options which have high protein content derived from animal meat and fish.  With added vitamins and minerals, this range is a very good diet option.

The Cat Food Advisor recommends this food.

Has Nutrience cat food been recalled in the past?

No. Nutrience cat foods have not had a product recall.

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

Nutrience is a Canadian-based company. Its mother company, Hagen, was founded in 1955.

All Nutrience dry pet foods are manufactured in a jointly held facility located in Vancouver, British Columbia. 

Nutrience sources its ingredients from Canada and the U.S.

Sources

1: [1. Adapted by The Cat Food Advisor from the official definition of other fish ingredients as published by the Association of American Feed Control Officials].

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