WholeHearted Cat Food Review 2024

WholeHearted is a Petco-exclusive pet food brand that specializes in grain-free, natural recipes. In the seven years since WholeHearted's introduction, it's amassed over 70 cat food recipes, including wet and dry foods, treats, and meal toppers.

We rate WholeHearted cat food 4.5 out 5 paws up. It produces high quality grain-free cat foods with a real cuts of meat as the top ingredients and wide variety of recipes for all ages. Plus, it's reasonably priced. WholeHearted loses out on top marks due to low moisture levels in some of its wet foods and its lack of recipes for specific health needs. 

WholeHearted prides itself on formulating quality recipes that won't break the bank, but how does it stack up to similar brands? Read on for our full WholeHearted cat food review, where we examine the brands's benefits, history, recalls, and much more. Let's dig in!

As mentioned, WholeHearted cat foods come in a wide range of flavors and consistencies, with over 70 varieties on the market. 

All WholeHearted cat foods are "complete and balanced," meeting the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) nutrient profile guidelines for all life stages, maintenance (adults), or growth (kittens). WholeHearted's treat and topper ranges are for supplemental feeding only. 

WholeHearted dry cat food

WholeHearted has eight different kibble recipes between its two dry cat food lines.

WholeHearted Grain Free Chicken Dry Cat Food, of the brand's most popular dry recipes, contains average protein (33% as dry matter) and average fat (12.5%) levels compared to standard dry cat food. 

WholeHearted Grain-Free dry cat food

WholeHearted's primary range, WholeHearted Grain-Free, consists of six dry recipes with meaty flavors like salmon, turkey, and chicken. Four of these recipes are formulated for all life stages, meaning you can safely feed it to cats of all ages (a definite plus for multi-cat households!) This line also has two kitten recipes and a senior recipe. 

Currently, all the dry food offerings from this brand contain no grains, making them a safe option for kitties with sensitivities to wheat, corn, or rice. The first few ingredients in these recipes are a named meat or fish source, followed by a specified meat or fish meal, and then a variety of peas and pea flours. 

We love seeing a named protein source as the 1st ingredient, but the string of pea products could indicate ingredient splitting. However, peas are a great source of plant-based protein for kitties, and overall, these recipes appear to be balanced and nutritionally complete.

WholeHearted Grain-Free dry cat food varieties:

• Salmon
• Turkey 
• Chicken
• Senior Chicken 
• Kitten Chicken 
• Kitten Salmon 

WholeHearted Healthy Benefits dry cat food

WholeHearted's Healthy Benefits line only comes in two options: a weight control recipe and a healthy digestion recipe. The weight control recipe comes in a single flavor, chicken and pea, and has half the fat of its normal recipe. It also doubles the fiber content of their traditional recipes to help keep cats feel fuller for longer (and keep things moving as they should).

The Healthy Digestion recipe contains probiotics to replenish the gut microbiome, fiber to aid digestion, and eggs, which are easy-to-digest protein sources. Like the other dry food recipes, this recipe has a named meat source (chicken) as the leading ingredient, followed by chicken meal, peas, pea flour, and chicken fat.

WholeHearted Healthy Benefits varieties:

• Weight Control Chicken and Pea 
• Chicken and Egg Product 

WholeHearted wet cat food

WholeHearted offers far more wet foods than dry foods, with seven different subranges. Of these ranges, you'll find canned cat food in various forms, including minced, chunks in gravy, flakes, and pates. They also have several pouch options as well.

WholeHearted Flavorful Flakes Canned Chicken Recipe, one of WholeHearted's most popular wet cat foods, contains above average protein (62.5% as dry matter) and average fat levels (12.5% as dry matter).

WholeHearted Masterfully Minced 

Their Masterfully Minced collection has nine recipes with flavors like turkey, chicken & tuna, and salmon. All of these recipes (except the adult chicken formula) are nutritionally complete for cats of any age. 

These recipes follow a similar pattern with their ingredients: a named protein source (typically chicken or fish) followed by a meat broth, water sufficient for processing, and thickening agents like guar gum and tapioca starch to improve texture and consistency.

WholeHearted Masterfully Minced varieties:

• Adult Chicken 
• All Life Stages Turkey 
• All Life Stages Tuna 
• All Life Stages Chicken & Tuna
• All Life Stages Beef 
• All Life Stages Oceanfish
• All Life Stages Salmon 
• All Life Stages Chicken & Beef 
• All Life Stages Liver & Chicken

WholeHearted Mouthwatering Morsels

Their Mouthwatering Morsels line has 15 chunky-style recipes for all life stages. Like most of their other products, these canned food recipes are free of grains and prioritize named meat sources like chicken, beef, and tuna. For instance, the first five ingredients in the beef and veggies flavor are water, beef, dried egg product, tapioca starch, and carrots. 

While non-meat products as the leading ingredient is typically a red flag for us, this is standard for wet foods, as the extra moisture is needed for processing. Tapioca starch is a natural thickening agent that helps with texture—you won't find any artificial additives in these recipes!

WholeHearted Mouthwatering Morsels varieties:

• All Life Stages Chicken with Veggies 
• All Life Stages Beef with Veggies 
• All Life Stages Salmon with Veggies
• All Life Stages Ocean Fish with Veggies
• All Life Stages Chicken & Liver with Veggies 
• All Life Stages Chicken & Tuna with Veggies 
• All Life Stages Chicken and Beef with Veggies 
• All Life Stages Turkey with Veggies 
• All Life Stages Chicken & Tuna 
• All Life Stages Salmon & Tuna
• All Life Stages Ocean Fish 
• All Life Stages Tuna
• All Life Stages Chicken
• All Life Stages Beef 
• All Life Stages Chicken & Liver 

WholeHearted Morsels Drenched in Gravy pouches

WholeHearted also has a small line of pouches called Morsels Drenched in Gravy. When reading the reviews for their Masterfully Minced line, we noticed several consumers who noted the food was on the drier side. Luckily, this line has many of the same flavors and the chunky morsels cats love, but in an extra gravy formula. This line has four offerings: ocean fish, chicken, turkey, and tuna, and comes in single-serve pouches.

WholeHearted Morsels Drenched in Gravy varieties:

• All Life Stages Ocean Fish
• All Life Stages Chicken
• All Life Stages Turkey 
• All Life Stages Tuna 

WholeHearted Pleasing Patés

Patés are a favorite of cats worldwide, and WholeHearted has 15 offerings to suit those paté-loving felines. Their Pleasing Paté line is grain-free and has ten adult recipes, two for all life stages, a kitten recipe, and a senior recipe. These recipes come in flavors like chicken, turkey, and fish. This line also has a Pleasing Patés Healthy Benefits line, which is broken into two subranges: the Easy Digestion line and its Weight Control line, each with three recipes. 

Both subranges are high in fiber to help with digestion and satiation. However, the weight control offerings have the added bonus of being reduced-calorie recipes. The easy digestion foods also contain proteins that are easy on the stomach, and pumpkin to help minimize stomach upset.

WholeHearted Pleasing Patés varieties:

• Kitten Chicken 
• Adult Beef 
• Adult Ocean Fish
• Adult Chicken 
• Adult Turkey 
• Senior Chicken
• All Life Stages Chicken & Beef 
• All Life Stages Chicken & Liver

Pleasing Pates Healthy Benefits varieties:

• Easy Digestion Adult Salmon 
• Easy Digestion Adult Chicken 
• Easy Digestion Adult Tuna 
• Weight Control Adult Chicken & Tuna
• Weight Control Adult Chicken 
• Weight Control Adult Salmon 

WholeHearted Flavorful Flakes

WholeHearted Flavorful Flakes line features nine different recipes with meaty shreds in a thickened gravy—seven of which are formulated for cats of all ages and two just for growing kittens. Flavor-wise, we see a lot of repeats in this line that we've seen in the other wet food lines: chicken, tuna, salmon, and beef. However, this line features a Tuna and Shrimp recipe that we don't see in any of the other lines. 

We are impressed with the list of ingredients in this line. For instance, the first few ingredients in the chicken and tuna recipe are chicken, chicken broth, sufficient water for processing, and tuna. We love a hydrating formula with multiple quality protein sources!

 Like the other canned food offerings, this line is complete and balanced, featuring an array of vitamins and chelated minerals to meet your fur-baby's nutritional needs.

WholeHearted Flavorful Flakes varieties:

• Kitten Chicken 
• Kitten Tuna
• All Life Stages Chicken and Tuna 
• All Life Stages Chicken 
• All Life Stages Tuna and Shrimp 
• All Life Stages Tuna and Salmon 
• All Life Stages Beef 
• All Life Stages Tuna 

WholeHearted Flaked in Broth

WholeHearted's Flaked in Broth line has those meat shreds that fans of the canned version have come to love. The difference is that these recipes have extra broth and are packaged into individual serving pouches. 

This line has six options, five of which are formulated for all life stages, and a single tuna-flavored recipe specially formulated for kittens. The list of ingredients follows a pattern similar to that of the canned version, a named meat followed by a meat broth, water, and typically a second protein source, like sardines. 

WholeHearted Flaked in Broth varieties:

• Kitten Tuna 
• All Life Stages Chicken & Sardine
• All Life Stages Chicken & Pumpkin 
• All Life Stages Tuna 
• All Life Stages Tuna & Sardine 
• All Life Stages Chicken & Tuna

Wholehearted Plus

Wholehearted Plus is a line of stew-inspired canned recipes with proteins like salmon, chicken, and tuna with an array of veggies. The main difference between this line and their other wet food options is that this line is grain-inclusive, featuring brown rice, which is a great source of fiber for kitties. 

Other ingredients in these foods include pumpkin (which is great for gut health), green beans, and carrots. Like WholeHearted's other wet food products, all these recipes center around quality meat sources and meat broths. Each recipe is rich in omega 3 and 6 fatty acids to promote skin, coat, and heart health. 

Wholehearted Plus varieties:

• All Life Stages Salmon & Vegetables
• All Life Stages Chicken & Vegetables 
• All Life Stages Tuna & Vegetables 

WholeHearted has seven cat treat lines ranging from dry cat treats to whole filets — even breaking into the trending world of squeezable treats. 

One of our favorite offerings from this brand is their Whole Filet Treats. We particularly like these because they're high-protein, single-ingredient treats — ideal for felines with food allergies. These come in two options salmon and tuna, and are formed into a filet that can be broken up into pieces over kibble or given whole.

WholeHearted Freeze-Dried Treats are another great single-ingredient treat with flavors like chicken, turkey, beef livers, and salmon. These are super high in protein, with the chicken liver recipe clocking in at a whopping 60% protein!

WholeHearted Soft-Filled Bites are closer to your typical Temptations-style cat treats. These are a grain-based treat with a named protein meal, followed by potato starch, rice flour, and bone marrow. It has a fairly impressive amount of protein for a dry treat at around 21% per serving. Soft-Filled Bites come in four flavors: chicken, tuna, salmon, and chicken & catnip.

WholeHearted Squeezable Purée Cat Treats come in three flavors: tuna, chicken, and salmon. These treats are broth-based with meat puree, tapioca starch, and natural flavors. They also contain added vitamin E, which is great for adding shine to your kitty's coat. At around 8 calories per tube and 8% protein, these make a great, guilt-free treat for kitties.

WholeHearted's line of feline Dental Treats come in yummy flavors like salmon, catnip, and chicken. We love the catnip option, which can encourage picky eaters to chow down on these treats, which have the added benefit of cleaning their teeth. As for the ingredients list, these treats are virtually identical to their soft-filled bites, with the addition of mint to help freshen your kitty's breath.

At just over 2 calories per treat, WholeHearted Soft Nibbles are a scrumptious and calorie-conscious snack for overweight cats. This line is another grain-inclusive option from this brand and comes in four flavors: whitefish, turkey, salmon, and chicken. These all-natural, soft morsels are a great option for kitties with bad teeth.

WholeHearted Culinary Cuts are sure to awaken your pet's inner foodie with chef-inspired recipes like Tuna Poke, Salmon Sashimi, and Grilled Chicken. These higher protein treats have limited ingredients and center around named protein sources.

Wet food meets treats with these Savory Flakes Treat Cups, which come in two tuna-flavored options, one of which is formulated for kittens and the other for adults. These treats come in single-serve plastic cups that are great for pouring over kibble or just eating straight out of the container.

We've come to WholeHearted's final category of offerings—their broths and toppers—which are made to add moisture and flavor to dry cat food (and are great for picky eaters!)

The Jerky Shreds Toppers have a moist shred-like texture and are available in two flavors: chicken and tuna. These yummy recipes have over 80% protein as dry matter and center around real proteins. The tuna option is a single-ingredient recipe, whereas the chicken version has added raw goat's milk and vitamin E.

If you want to increase your kitty's hydration, their Flavor-Boosting Broth Toppers are a great option. These come in four flavors: salmon, seafood, tuna and veggie, and chicken and veggie.

Here are a few reasons we give WholeHearted cat food a near-flawless 4.5 out of 5 paws up!

Most recipes are grain-free

If your kitty has a grain allergy, WholeHearted is a solid option since 90% of their offerings (including all of their dry foods and wet foods) are grain-free. It's a plus that almost all their recipes are grain-free, so you won't accidentally pick up a grain-inclusive version from the same brand by mistake. 

The only grain-inclusive recipes we were able to find from this brand were their Wholehearted Plus canned foods and a few of their broths and food toppers. Unless WholeHearted adds a line of grain-inclusive dry and wet foods, there isn't a chance of you making that mistake with this brand!

Quality cuts of meat as the top ingredient

We love nothing more in pet food than seeing whole meat as the leading ingredient in a recipe, and WholeHearted has made named meat sources a priority in all their recipes! 

Whether it's chicken, salmon, beef, or turkey, you can rest assured you're kitty is getting the meat they crave with WholeHearted. Quality cuts of meat are nutritionally complete and generally easier to digest, helping your feline friend stay happy and healthy. 

Recipes for all life stages

WholeHearted has a recipe for almost every kitty! We love the variety of their all-life stages recipes, which is a perk for multi-cat households with kitties who like to share each other's food (plus, this can make bulk purchases much easier since you can buy just one case rather than several different multi-packs!) They also have a decent number of kitten recipes and some senior recipes for seasoned cattos.

Affordability 

One of the biggest selling points of WholeHearted cat food is its price point compared to other cat foods of similar quality. At the time of writing, a case of 12 x 5.5-ounce cans of WholeHearted Flavorful Flakes Chicken Cat Food costs $17.40, at $1.45 per can on Petco.

By comparison, a case of 12 x 2.8-ounce cans of Nulo MedalSeries Chicken & Chicken Liver Wet Cat Food costs $23.88, at $1.99 per can on Petco. Both cat foods are comparable in quality, with WholeHearted costing less for larger cans of food. 

Think WholeHearted is a good choice for your cat? Here are a few things to bear in mind before you buy!

Exclusive to Petco

Unfortunately, you won't find any WholeHearted offerings at your local pet store or on Chewy. This brand is a Petco-exclusive, which means if you don't have a Petco nearby, you'll have to order online. 

Moisture content in wet foods

One of the main complaints we saw on the Mouthwatering Morsels wet food line was that pet parents felt these recipes were too dry, and some even had to add extra water to the food. Luckily, WholeHearted sells a select few flavors of their Mouthwatering Morsels in pouches that claim to be "extra wet" on the packaging. This may be an option for those kitties who purr-fer some extra moisture with their meals.

Lack of health-specific recipes

While this brand certainly has a hearty range of products, we would like to see a few more senior, weight management, and sensitive stomach recipes. A hydrolyzed protein or allergy-friendly line would also be a great addition!

"Great quality cat food. My cat who usually turns her nose up at wet food loves this food! She is a small girl and this canned food is the only food she will just eat until it's gone. It is not your average soft food mush you see real food in there. I strongly recommend this food to anyone who feeds their kitty soft food."

"MY BABY LOVED IT. As soon as I put it in her dish she wanted to already start eating it. Looks a little dry wouldn't recommend mixing with dry food. Even my dog wanted to try some lol. She ate it at all and even looked liked she wanted more!! Would def recommend."

"My ten-year-old cat is extremely finicky about wet food but dug into this brand without hesitation! So far, she has tried all of the chicken-based options and has 0 complaints. [I] would definitely recommend it for anyone with a cat hesitant to give new foods a try."

Read more reviews on Petco.

To fully understand WholeHearted's history, we'll have to go back to the 1965s when its parent company, UPCO, which would later become Petco, was founded. UPCO was a small mail-order company that mainly focused on selling medical supplies.

In 1975, UPCO rebranded as Petco and opened a brick-and-mortar store the following year. In the years that followed, Petco acquired several well-known pet stores and rapidly expanded into different pet markets, selling small pets, fish, and pet supplies.

In 2016, CVC Capital Partners and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought out Petco, and the acquisition brought several new opportunities. This was also the year that Petco teamed up with an undisclosed pet food manufacturer, and the WholeHearted pet food company was born. 

WholeHearted launched a line of dog foods that they set out to balance quality with affordability. WholeHearted cat food wouldn't hit the market until the following year. Since 2017, this brand has rapidly expanded its cat food offerings with over 70 different products across all its lines! 

There have been no recalls of WholeHearted cat food at the time of writing.