Blue Buffalo Cat Food Review 2024

Blue Buffalo is a US pet food company that offers an extensive range of cat and dog foods. Made using high-quality natural ingredients, the Blue Buffalo cat food range features wet and dry foods to suit a variety of life stages, and a wide selection of protein sources to suit any kitty’s taste.

But is Blue Buffalo cat food the right choice for your fur-baby? Keep reading for a detailed look at the products in the Blue Buffalo range, their pros and cons, and whether it’s worth buying for your cat.

Blue Buffalo says its nutrition philosophy is based on the belief that pets should be fed like family. With this in mind, it formulates recipes that start with real meat as the first ingredient, and contain carbohydrates for fiber along with all the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants your fur-baby needs for a happy and healthy life.

Let’s break down each Blue Buffalo cat food line to help you find the right diet for your furry family member.

Blue Wilderness

The Wilderness range features high-protein recipes that Blue Buffalo says are designed to satisfy your pet's inner carnivore. There are dry and wet recipes available, with formulas crafted to suit cats at different life stages.

There are 11 Blue Wilderness dry cat foods to choose from. These feature a high-quality protein source as the first ingredient, with chicken, duck, salmon, trout, and red meat recipes available. The kibble contains a mix of essential antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals thanks to Blue's LifeSource Bits. There are also recipes for weight control and hairball control to suit cats with specific health needs.

The wet foods in the Wilderness range can be fed as a complete and balanced meal or given with Wilderness dry food. There are 3 kitten recipes, 18 adult recipes, and 1 recipe for mature cats (aged 7 years and up) to choose from. These feature real meat, fish, or poultry as the first ingredient, don't use any artificial flavors or preservatives, and many are available in 3-oz., 5.5-oz. and 12.5-oz. cans.

Finally, the Wilderness range also includes a selection of high-protein treats. From crunchy bites to soft and moist varieties, the 7 treat products are designed to provide a meat-rich snack for your fur-baby. Available flavors include trout, chicken, salmon, chicken and duck, chicken and turkey, chicken and salmon, and chicken and trout.

Baby Blue

The Baby Blue range is designed to provide natural nutrition to give your kitten a healthy start to life. The growth formulas in this range feature DHA and ARA for brain development, and taurine to promote a healthy heart. Real meat is the first ingredient, with no corn, wheat, or soy included.

There are 2 dry food recipes to choose from in the Baby Blue range, both featuring Blue’s LifeSource Bits to provide important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. There are 3 wet recipes available as well, 2 of which are grain-free with the other featuring brown rice.

Blue Tastefuls

Featuring real meat and natural ingredients, the Blue Tastefuls range features both dry and wet recipes. Previously called Blue Buffalo Select, these 11 dry food recipes are made with protein sources including chicken, turkey, and salmon and also feature whole grains and vegetables. The dry range includes recipes for kittens, adults, and seniors, plus formulas for sensitive stomachs, hairball control, and weight management.

If your fur-baby prefers wet food, the Blue Tastefuls range offers 22 recipes to choose from. These include entrees, pates, and cuts of meat in gravy. Once again, there’s a diverse range of protein sources to choose from based on your kitty’s taste preferences, plus recipes to suit cats at any life stage.

Blue Freedom

If you want to feed a grain-free diet to your cat, the Blue Freedom range has got you covered. This product line always includes chicken, beef, or lamb as the first ingredient, and features recipes specifically designed for kittens, adults, senior cats, and weight control.

There are 5 Blue Freedom dry recipes and 5 wet food recipes, all designed to provide the protein and carbs your cat needs to support an active lifestyle.

Blue True Solutions

The Blue True Solutions range is designed to provide nutrition to help with specific health needs. Developed by veterinarians and PhD animal nutritionists, these formulas help cats with issues like weight control, hairballs, a sensitive stomach, skin and coat problems, and an indoor lifestyle.

There are 5 dry food recipes and 4 wet formulas to choose from, each of which contains special ingredients to combat different health issues. As an example, the Blissful Belly Digestive Care recipe features prebiotic fiber to support healthy digestion.

Blue Basics

Blue Basics is Blue Buffalo’s range of limited-ingredient diets. These recipes feature a single animal protein source and are formulated with easy digestibility in mind. They also don’t feature any common allergens such as chicken, beef, corn, wheat, soy, dairy, or eggs.

There are 4 dry and 4 wet recipes in the Blue Basics range, featuring protein sources like duck, fish, and turkey. There are also formulas to suit kittens, adults, and mature cats.

Blue Natural Veterinary Diet

Blue Natural Veterinary Diet is Blue Buffalo’s prescription pet food range. These therapeutic diets are designed to tackle a range of health conditions and are only available with a prescription from your veterinarian.

The recipes have been developed by animal nutritionists and veterinarians, with formulas for gastrointestinal support, food intolerance, cats that need a novel protein source, kidney and mobility support, and weight control and urinary care.

Why feed Blue Buffalo to your cat? There are several reasons why Blue Buffalo cat food is well worth considering for your fur-baby.

High-quality ingredients

The main reason is the brand’s commitment to using wholesome natural ingredients. Recipes feature high-quality protein sources and all the essential vitamins and minerals your cat needs for a healthy life, with none of the artificial nasties or fillers your feline friend doesn’t need.

Vet recommended

Dr. Georgia Jeremiah, pet nutrition expert and one of Wag!’s veterinary consultants, also recommends Blue Buffalo cat food to her clients. “Blue Buffalo provides wet and dry recipes tailored to various life stages, including high-protein and grain-free choices,” she says. “Catering to special dietary needs, they offer limited ingredient varieties such as "Blue Basics" without common allergens such as chicken, beef, corn, wheat, soy, dairy and eggs. With real meat, omega fatty acids and plenty of antioxidants, Blue Buffalo recipes are a good option for felines with delicate digestive tracts. Be mindful of the higher carbohydrate and low moisture content with some formulas if your cat has specific medical conditions.”

Extensive product range

We also like the sheer range of products available in the Blue Buffalo range. No matter whether you’ve got a kitten or an adult cat, whether you want to give wet or dry food, or whether your cat has special dietary needs, you’ll find something to suit in the Blue Buffalo range.

There are a few other factors to consider before deciding whether or not to feed Blue Buffalo cat food to your fur-baby.

Not the cheapest

One crucial aspect is the price. While Blue Buffalo certainly isn’t the most expensive brand on the market, it also isn’t the cheapest. So if you’re on a tight budget, you may want to look for more affordable food options.

Grain-free

While it also offers grain-inclusive foods, some products in the Blue Buffalo range are grain-free. There’s no conclusive scientific evidence that grain-free diets are better for cats than grain-inclusive options, and grain-free diets are a controversial choice in the eyes of some pet parents.

Recall history

Finally, Blue Buffalo has also been the subject of numerous recalls in the past (more on this further down the page), so that’s something to keep in mind when deciding if this is the right food for your cat.

“Blue Buffalo saved my best friend when I didn't know what to do. In spite of a full blood work up, the vet found nothing but old age, and the only thing he wanted to do was medicate her. This has never been recommended. It was my last hope. My cat is now a regular pet again, and I'm so glad. Although she is an older cat, she is playing, she is happy, and she is purring. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Blue Buffalo.”

“My cats do very well on the indoor dry food. No furball issues either. Our litter boxes are not as full as my friend’s, who feeds a popular grocery store brand. I'm sticking with quality! It's healthier and less expensive in the long run!”

“I have three cats, two of which are special needs. I was feeding my cats a different brand and two of them were always vomiting and one of them was always lazy. When I switched to Blue Buffalo, the vomiting stopped and my lazy cat (Fluffy) has more energy. Fluffy seemed to be sickly before and now she is doing better than ever. I definitely recommend Blue Buffalo cat food.”

Read more reviews on Consumer Affairs.

Blue Buffalo is a USA-based pet food company that was founded in 2003. It all started when Blue, the beloved Airedale Terrier of Bill Bishop and his sons, was diagnosed with cancer. The Bishops set out to find the best-quality food with natural ingredients for their dog, and when they couldn’t find something suitable, they launched their own pet food brand.

Blue Buffalo was acquired by General Mills in 2018. It produces food at 2 US manufacturing facilities and works with other manufacturing partners in the US.

Blue Buffalo has been the subject of multiple product recalls in the past. These include:

• March 2017: Blue Wilderness canned dog food was recalled due to potentially high levels of beef thyroid hormone, while 17 varieties of dog food trays were also recalled due to an issue with the foil seal.
• February 2017: Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe dog food was recalled due to potential aluminum contamination.
• May 2016: Some Blue Buffalo dog foods were recalled due to moisture and mold issues.
• November 2015: Blue Kitty Yums cat treats were recalled because they contained propylene glycol, while chew bones for dogs were recalled due to potential salmonella contamination.
• October 2010: Three varieties of Blue Buffalo dog food were recalled due to potentially dangerous levels of vitamin D.
• April 2007: Blue Buffalo dog and cat food products were recalled as part of the widespread melamine scandal that affected multiple brands.