Baby BLUE (Wet) Review

Blue Buffalo Baby BLUE wet cat food is made up of three recipes which each receive the Cat Food Advisor rating, 4 stars.

This small range of food is formulated specifically for kittens, providing a high protein diet derived from good quality animal protein and fish. Unlike many other wet foods, no wheat is used in these recipes.

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.

Recipe and Label Analysis

Baby BLUE Kitten High-Protein, Grain-Free Chicken Formula 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.

Ingredients Analysis

The first ingredient is chicken, which is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”. ¹

Chicken is naturally rich in the 11 essential amino acids required by a cat to sustain life.

The second ingredient is chicken broth. Broths are of only modest nutritional value. Yet because they add both flavor and moisture to a cat food, they are a common component in many wet products.

The third ingredient is salmon oil. Salmon oil is naturally rich in the prized EPA and DHA type of omega-3 fatty acids. 

Depending on its level of freshness and purity, salmon oil should be considered a commendable addition.

The fourth ingredient is potatoes. Potatoes can be considered a gluten-free source of digestible carbohydrates. Yet with the exception of perhaps their caloric content, potatoes are of only modest nutritional value to a cat.

The fifth ingredient is guar gum, a gelling or thickening agent found in many wet pet foods. Refined from dehusked guar beans, guar gum can add a notable amount of dietary fiber to any product. 

The sixth ingredient is flaxseed, one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.

However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this cat food.

The seventh ingredient is potassium chloride, a nutritional supplement sometimes used as a replacement for the sodium found in table salt.

The eighth ingredient is taurine, 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.

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.

However this recipe does contain one notable exception: carrageenan,a gelatin-like thickening agent extracted from seaweed. Although carrageenan has been used as a food additive for hundreds of years, there appears to be some recent controversy regarding its long term biological safety. 

The article, The Carrageenan Controversy, published in Scientific American, does a good job of addressing this topic.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Baby BLUE Kitten High-Protein, Grain-Free Chicken Formula looks like an above-average wet product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 47.7%, a fat level of 40.9% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 3.4%.

As a group, the brand features an above-average protein content of 48.5% and a mean fat level of 35.6%. Together these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 7.9% for the overall product line, alongside a fat to protein ratio of 74%.

This means this Blue Buffalo Baby BLUE wet range contains higher than average protein, lower than average carbohydrate and higher than average fat, when compared to typical wet cat food.

Has Baby BLUE cat food been recalled in the past?

Yes, Blue Buffalo has had a few recalls. The most recent cat food recall was in November 2015, when a small number of Blue Kitty Yums cat treats were recalled due to reports of propylene glycol.

In 2007 there were also multiple cat food recalls. Blue Buffalo Blue Spa Select canned cat food and Blue Buffalo Spa Select Kitten dry food were both recalled in April due to Melamine.

There have been other recalls, although these were for the following dog products:

• Blue Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe Red Meat Dinner Wet Food (March 2017)
• Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Healthy Weight, Chicken Dinner With Garden Vegetables (February 2017)
• Blue Buffalo dog food cups (February 2017)
• Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Fish and Sweet Potato Recipe (May 2016)
• One lot of Cub Size Wilderness Wild Chews Bones (November 2015)
• Blue Buffalo dry dog food (October 2010)
• Blue Buffalo Blue canned dog food and dog treats (April 2007) 

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.

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

Blue Buffalo’s headquarters is in Wilton, Connecticut. It has two facilities, one in Missouri and a manufacturing plant in Indiana. 

The company started from humble origins but is now owned by General Mills.