Pro Plan cat food: reviews, composition analysis, price

When choosing food for a cat, every owner looks for the optimal product that meets all the needs of the animal and is affordable. Pro Plan cat food from Purina has long been known and popular on the Russian market. Let's figure out how useful Pro Plan is, study its composition, cost and product line, as well as all its advantages and disadvantages.

About the food

Purina Pro Plan cat food is produced by the American company Nestle Purina PetCare under the Purina brand in factories in Italy, France, and Russia. It belongs to the premium class products, but if you take into account the presence of a veterinary line, then the class of food can easily be classified as super-premium. Purina is also a manufacturer of Purina One, Purina Cat Chow, Gourmet, Felix, Friskies, Darling food, and produces food products not only for cats, but also for dogs. The range of the famous brand includes dry, liquid food and vitamin and mineral supplements in the form of separate products.

According to the manufacturer, Pro Plan can be the cat's only food and there is no need to add other ingredients to the menu. All types of food are presented with a rationally balanced nutritional composition, and also contain vitamins, enzymes and beneficial probiotics to strengthen the immune system, maintain healthy teeth and coat. The Pro Plan product line is officially recognized as hypoallergenic. Moreover, each series of food has a wide range of flavors that can satisfy the most picky cats.

Advantages and disadvantages

• Sold in all pet stores, as well as in supermarkets.
• Contains minerals and vitamins.
• Pro Plan food is divided into dry and wet, and there is a line of medicinal food.

• Despite the premium quality, these foods are noticeably more expensive than similar ones of the same group.
• It is unknown what kind of antioxidants, preservatives and flavoring additives are used, since there are no specifications either on the packaging or on the official website.
• The wording of the ingredients is again general. And this immediately raises a number of questions. How much of each component is added? How was it prepared?
• There are too few plant components, including fiber.

Get to know interesting cat breeds with the help of our encyclopedia:

• American Curl;
• Highland fold;
• Himalayan cat;
• Thai;
• Ukrainian Levkoy.

Purina Pro Plan food line

1. Dry food in the form of small homogeneous granules. Introduced the Original Adult series for adult cats with rice additive and flavors: chicken, duck, turkey, salmon. Sold by weight and in individual packages.
2. Soft food: canned food in jars and pouches in 85 g bags with flavors: chicken, turkey, lamb, salmon, sea fish in the form of jelly, pate, sauces.
3. Pro Plan food for kittens of the Pro Plan Junior series, including dry food in packages from 0.4 g to 10 kg, as well as wet food in the format of pouches and cans of pate and stew. For kittens there is also a Baby Kitten series for the first feeding.
4. Pro Plan for older and elderly cats: a special line of 7+ of all series has been developed for them: Adult, Original, Nutrisavour.
5. Dietary general strengthening series: Pro Plan Delicate for cats with weak or sensitive digestion, Pro Plan Derma Plus for strengthening the skin, coat and making it silky.
6. Purina Sterilized - for castrated and sterilized cats to maintain optimal weight and a healthy genitourinary system after surgery, and to prevent urolithiasis.
7. Purina Pro Plan medicinal: veterinary line Veterinary diets for a maintenance and therapeutic diet for a wide variety of cat diseases. Includes the series: OM - to combat obesity; UR - for animals with urinary tract diseases; NF - for kidney pathology; Hepatic—for cats with liver disease.

This therapeutic line also includes food for a veterinary diet for diseases of the joints, gastrointestinal tract, diabetes, chronic allergies, food intolerance, etc. The series includes a special feed additive of the Fortiflora series with a probiotic to normalize the gastrointestinal tract.

Feed range

The composition was developed by scientists, so they contain all the necessary components for the health of cats throughout their life. The range allows you to maintain optimal weight and strengthen all organs of animals. All dry food contains about 17 ingredients without indicating their percentage, except for the main one:

• 3 points relate to animal proteins, which is quite good;
• 5 points are cereals or their derivatives;
• fats of animal and fish origin;
• vitamins;
• egg powder;
• rice;
• corn.

The diet for adults over 7 years of age and kittens does not contain corn, and Elegant Adult does not contain rice.

Treats and wet food for cats

Wet or liquid food PRO-PLAN NUTRISAVOUR is prepared in several forms: jelly, sauce, pate. Combining dry and wet options in the diet provides variety. In this case, the cat receives all the elements it needs for healthy and normal development.

The manufacturer does not produce special delicacies, but there are delicious pates. To feed throughout the day, you need several of these jars, which are expensive, so owners use them as a supplement to their daily food.

Composition of treats and wet food for cats

Approximate ingredients: meat, fish, plant components, minerals, oils and proteins from plants, vitamins, antioxidants, thickeners, dyes. The composition may vary slightly depending on the type (for example, some types of jelly do not contain plant components).

*Delicate sauce and Housecat jelly additionally contain Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.

**Delicate and Adult 7+ pates also contain vegetables and their products.

Veterinary ruler

All Proplan foods are designed as specialized food for every day. There are also special veterinary foods represented by the Veterinary Diets line. They are prescribed by a doctor in addition to the main treatment. They have nutritional characteristics and composition necessary for a specific disease. Available only in the form of dry food:

• HP Hepatic – in case of liver disease.

• DH ST/OX Dental Health (Dental) - promoting oral health and preventing dental diseases. Provided thanks to the large size of crispy granules designed for thorough chewing.

All options include:

• NF Renal Function (Renal Function) - for the treatment of kidney disease (chronic stage), with their pathology.

• DM ST/OX Diabetes Management (Diabetes) - to lower glucose in diabetes mellitus.

• UR ST/OX Urinary (Urinari) - ailments in the lower parts of the urinary tract and prevention of their occurrence, urolithiasis.

In addition, in two variations (dry and wet) are presented:

• EN ST/OX Gastrointestinal (Gastro Intensinal) - digestive disorder.

• OM ST/OX Obesity Management (Obesity) - the desire to reduce the weight of the pet and to comply with a mandatory diet.

If necessary, restore the cat's health by giving CN Convalescence pate. There is also a probiotic supplement Diets Fortiflora, which is used to normalize the balance of microflora.

Composition of Pro Plan food

Let's look at the main composition of Pro Plan using the example of standard dry food for adult cats and cats, Original Adult. The manufacturer guarantees that the food contains:

• proteins: 36%;
• fat: 16%;
• fatty acids: Omega-6: 2.5%; Omega-3: 0.4%;
• raw ash: 7%;
• crude fiber: 1%.

Let's study in more detail.

1. The composition includes: chicken 21% and dried poultry protein. Compared to other premium brands, Pro Plan puts chicken meat first. The percentage of poultry protein is not indicated, and the word “meat” is not used, so it cannot be said that this is pure chicken meat. According to the American AAFCO standard, the ingredient called chicken also includes chicken bones, skin and offal.
2. Wheat and rice are in second place. Both ingredients are sources of carbohydrates, with rice being the most palatable for cats.
3. Corn and wheat gluten and corn. These are quite allergenic products, especially corn, which is almost always GMO. Corn is cheap and profitable for the manufacturer, but the most harmful product for cats: it often causes allergies in animals with hair loss, bald spots and scratching. Wheat gluten, like corn gluten, contains a lot of vegetable protein.
4. Animal fat is a source of Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids, but the origin of the fat is not specified.
5. Powdered eggs are an additional source of protein.
6. Minerals: iron, copper, iodine, manganese, zinc and selenium.
7. Vitamins: A: 37000 IU/kg, D3: 1200 IU/kg, E: 670 IU/kg, C: 160 mg/kg.

Also included in the composition, without specifying the percentage: dried chicory root, fiber, flavoring additive, yeast, preservatives, amino acids.

The manufacturer also claims that the food contains a natural probiotic, but what percentage it is and what exactly it is called is not provided.

Let's summarize: if you analyze the origin of the protein in the amount of 36-40% (this is the norm for a healthy cat), declared by the manufacturer, you can understand that animal proteins contain exactly more than 20%. But since the amount of dry poultry protein is completely unknown, the remaining 16-20% of proteins are most likely of plant origin.

Regarding the dosage of dry food:

According to reviews, 1.5-2 kg of dry food for a month is enough for one adult medium-sized cat. For example, with a cat weighing 3.5 kg and a norm of 50-55 g, 1,500 to 1,650 g of food will be enough for her per month. There is no need to buy vitamins and mineral supplements separately. Each product in a separate line has its own feeding recommendations.

Compound

• meat and meat products;
• fish and fish products;
• wheat gluten, rice, corn;
• animal fat;
• egg powder;
• chicory;
• aromatic feed additive;
• preservatives;
• natural prebiotic;
• yeast;
• vitamins and minerals.

Feed cost

Pro Plan is sold in any pet store and supermarket with a small selection both online and offline. The price varies depending on the weight purchased and the type of feed. In 2022, average prices for Pro Plan for the Adult series ranged from 480 to 700 rubles. for 1 kg of dry food:

Food range

When producing Pro Plan, all the anatomical and physiological characteristics of dogs at different stages of their life are taken into account. That is why the range of food for dogs from this company is so diverse. The line is expressed in three categories of dog food: for puppies up to one year old, for pets from one to seven years old, and also for aging dogs over seven years old. There are also special diets for animals with health conditions.

Puppy food

ProPlan is intended for feeding puppies. And when choosing food, it is important to consider what weight category the adult pet will belong to, as well as how things are with the health of the young animal. Small & Mini Puppy is used for feeding small breed puppies, Medium Puppy - for medium puppies, Large Puppy Robust and Large Puppy Athletic - Pro Plan food for large dogs. There are separate diets for animals with painful digestive tracts and skin.

Diet for adult dogs

The range for adult dogs from the ProPlan company is divided into series. This gradation allows you to choose food depending on the needs of the dog, its breed, size and health status. Adult diets are suitable for animals with a sensitive digestive tract (the required variety is called Proplan Gastro Intensive) or dermatological problems (Purina ProPlan is divided into several varieties depending on the specific problem and the size of the animal). Lines have been developed for sterilized overweight animals; for powerful, athletic dogs with large body weight and developed muscles.

For older dogs

The composition of dry food from the ProPlan company is hypoallergenic, so it can also be given to elderly dogs. It is only important to choose the right variety. There are three varieties for mature pets. The first is suitable for older animals from nine years of age and those belonging to dwarf breeds. The second is for small breeds over seven years old, and the third is for medium and large dogs over seven years old with problem skin.

Pro Plan Pros and Cons

The benefits include:

• accessibility and availability in many stores;
• high percentage of protein content;
• rich in vitamins and beneficial microelements;
• a huge range of flavors;
• availability of a treatment line for cat diseases;
• balanced composition, the presence of medicinal enzymes and probiotics.

Disadvantages include:

• overpriced compared to other higher quality analogues: Acana, Royal Canin, Go Natural, NOW, Felidae;
• the presence of allergens in the composition and the increased content of vegetable protein, an increased proportion of carbohydrates in the diet;
• vague statements of the constituent components without indicating the percentage;
• use of flavoring fillers and preservatives.

OWNERS' REVIEWS

The opinions of cat breeders regarding ProPlan food are absolutely diametrical. Below are a few such reviews found on the Internet:

Irina (owner of a British breed cat):

“After eating this food, my Plush started to have gas, the cat suffered from constipation, and then he vomited”...

Another review contained suspicions that ProPlan contained attractants (addictive substances).

Elena (breeder of Siberian cats):

“The cat attacked this food with unnatural greed and refused to eat anything else...

Other owners, on the contrary, praise these products in every possible way and note the improvement in the well-being of their pets, their healthy appearance and high activity.

Most likely, such discrepancies in the “testimonies” once again confirm the opinion that nothing ideal exists.

Before you finally make your choice in favor of this food, visit a veterinary clinic with your cat and make sure that such food will not harm it.

Endless product lines for any dog

The number of varieties of Purina food is difficult to count. The company's veterinarians are constantly developing new foods and formulations, constantly improving and improving them.

The dog owner can always choose food in any form:

• dry granules
• wet food.

Products are produced in series that meet the needs of the animal. When forming nutritional compositions, everything is taken into account:

• pet's age
• his state of health
• presence of chronic or cured diseases
• other factors that arise during the life of the animal.

For any combination of a pet’s individual characteristics, the owner will always be able to choose the most suitable food so that the dog is always happy and cheerful.