Our Verdict
Wellness CORE Signature Selects canned cat food receives the Cat Food Advisor second highest rating, 4.5-stars.
Made from natural ingredients, this range is high in protein and contains essential fatty acids to help maintain your cat’s healthy coat.
Pros
- Healthy protein blend
- Supports daily hydration
- Contains essential fatty acids
- Cats love the flavor
Cons
- Slightly expensive
- Runny consistency
- Needs to be refrigerated after opening, but best enjoyed at room temperature
Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (kitten), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
The product line includes eight cat foods.
| Product line | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| Flaked Skipjack Tuna & Wild Salmon Entree in Broth | 5 | M |
| Shredded Chicken & Chicken Liver | 4.5 | M |
| Shredded Chicken & Beef | 4.5 | M |
| Shredded Chicken & Turkey | 4.5 | M |
| Flaked Skipjack Tuna & Shrimp Entree in Broth | 5 | M |
| Chunky Chicken & Turkey Entree in Sauce | 4 | M |
| Chunky Chicken & Salmon Entree in Sauce | 4 | M |
| Chunky Beef & Chicken Entree in Sauce | 4.5 | M |
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Recipe and Label Analysis
Wellness CORE Signature Selects Flaked Skipjack Tuna & Wild Salmon Entree in Broth 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.
Wellness CORE Signature Selects Flaked Skipjack Tuna & Wild Salmon Entree in Broth
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Tuna, tuna broth, water sufficient for processing, mackerel, salmon, tapioca starch, sunflower oil, natural flavor, guar gum, tricalcium phosphate, taurine, magnesium sulfate, vitamin E supplement, thiamine hydrochloride, niacin, vitamin A supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, d-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, folic acid, vitamin D3 supplement, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, potassium chloride, choline chloride, zinc amino acid chelate, iron amino acid chelate, manganese amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate, potassium iodide, sodium selenite, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (vitamin K)
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 0.5%
Red denotes any controversial items
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient is tuna. Tuna is an oily marine fish not only high in protein but also omega-3 fatty acids, essential oils needed by cats to sustain life. This item is typically sourced from clean, undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings of commercial fish operations.
The second ingredient is tuna broth. Broths are nutritionally empty. But because they add both flavor and moisture to a cat food they are a common addition in many canned products.
The third ingredient is water sufficient for processing. This adds nothing but moisture to food and is a routine finding in most wet cat foods.
The fourth & fifth ingredients are mackerel and salmon. Both oily salt-water fish, naturally high in protein as well as omega-3 fatty acids.
The sixth ingredient is tapioca starch, a gluten-free, starchy carbohydrate extract made from the root of the cassava plant.
The seventh ingredient is sunflower oil which is nutritionally similar to safflower oil. Since these oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids and contain no omega-3s, they’re considered less nutritious than canola or flaxseed oils. Sunflower oil is notable for its resistance to heat damage during cooking.
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 recipe receives our highest rating – 5 stars.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Wellness CORE Signature Selects Flaked Skipjack Tuna & Wild Salmon Entree in Broth looks like an above-average wet product and is relatively low fat too.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 66.7%, a fat level of 23.3% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 2%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 51% and a mean fat level of 15%. Together these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 26% for the overall product line, alongside a fat-to-protein ratio of 31%.
This means this Wellness CORE product line contains higher than average protein, below average carbs and fat, when compared to typical wet cat food.
Final Word
Wellness CORE Signature Selects is a wet cat food made from natural ingredients, high in protein and essential fatty acids. It’s packed with either animal or fish-derived ingredients.
Has Wellness cat food been recalled in the past?
Wellness has had a few cat food recalls. The most recent was in February 2017, when a number of canned cat foods were recalled due to the potential for foreign material.
In February 2011, the following Wellness canned cat foods were recalled due to inadequate levels of thiamine (Vitamin B1);
- Wellness (all flavors and sizes, including CORE) with “best by” dates of April 14–Sept. 30, 2013
- Wellness Chicken & Herring (all sizes) with “best by” dates of either Nov. 10, 2013 OR Nov. 17, 2013
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
Wellness Pet Company’s headquarters is just outside Boston, in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. It maintains the Farm Fresh Kitchen manufacturing facility in Minnesota and a manufacturing plant in Indiana.
The company consists of Wellness Natural Pet Food, Old Mother Hubbard by Wellness, WHIMZEES by Wellness, Sojos, Eagle Pack and Holistic Select.
Sources
Best cat foods
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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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