Our Verdict
Wellness CORE+ dry cat food is made up of six recipes with ratings that vary from 4 to 4.5. The average rating of the brand over all is 4 stars.
Made by pet nutritionists and veterinarians, each recipe features high-quality meat or seafood with vitamins and minerals that support your cat’s health.
Pros
- High in protein
- First ingredient either animal muscle meat, or fish
- Added vitamins
- Made by nutritionists and veterinarians
Cons
- High in carbohydrate
- Contains plant protein
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.
| Product line | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| Wellness CORE+ Digestive Health Chicken | 4.5 | M |
| Wellness CORE+ Digestive Health Salmon | 4.5 | M |
| Wellness CORE+ Grain Free Indoor Deboned Chicken, Turkey & Chicken Meal | 4 | M |
| Wellness CORE+ Grain Free Salmon and Herring Meal | 4 | M |
| Wellness CORE+ Hairball Chicken & Chicken Meal | 4 | M |
| Wellness CORE+ Healthy Weight Chicken & Chicken Meal | 4 | M |
Buy at 
Recipe and Label Analysis
Wellness CORE+ Digestive Health Chicken 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+ Digestive Health Chicken recipe
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Deboned chicken, chicken meal (source of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate), oatmeal, chicken fat, rice, dried plain beet pulp, barley, flaxseed, natural flavor, salmon oil, calcium chloride, choline chloride, potassium chloride, cranberries, inulin, taurine, hydrolyzed yeast, vitamin E supplement, mixed tocopherols added to preserve freshness, vitamin C (l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate), niacin, zinc proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, iron proteinate, dried kelp, yucca schidigera extract, vitamin A supplement, thiamine mononitrate, d-calcium pantothenate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, riboflavin, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, biotin, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, folic acid, calcium iodate, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), dried enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried bacillus licheniformis fermentation product, dried bacillus subtilis fermentation product, rosemary extract, green tea extract, spearmint extract.
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3%
Red denotes any controversial items
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient is deboned chicken. Chicken 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 meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The third ingredient is oatmeal, a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in B-vitamins, dietary fiber and can be (depending upon its level of purity) gluten-free.
The fourth ingredient is chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.
The fifth ingredient is rice. Is this whole grain rice, brown rice or white rice? Since the word “rice” doesn’t tell us much, it’s impossible to judge the quality of this item.
The sixth ingredient is dried plain beet pulp. Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient, a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.
Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.
We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most cat foods is entirely acceptable.
The seventh ingredient is barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. However, aside from its energy content, this cereal grain is of only modest nutritional value to a cat.
The eighth 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.
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, we do note the inclusion of dried fermentation products in this recipe. Fermentation products are typically added as probiotics to aid with digestion.
We note that this food also contains chelated minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better cat foods.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Wellness CORE+ Digestive Health Chicken looks like an above-average dry product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 42.2%, a fat level of 18.9% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 30.9%.
As a group, the brand features an above-average protein content of 42.2% and a mean fat level of 14%. Together these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 35.8% for the overall product line, alongside a fat to protein ratio of 33%.
This means this Wellness CORE+ dry range contains higher than average protein, near-average carbohydrate and near-average fat, when compared to typical dry cat food.
Final Word
This range of formulas contain natural ingredients with added vitamins and minerals. The recipes are complete and balanced to support the wellbeing of your cat and is veterinarian recommended.
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 of 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.
Best cat foods
Cat Food Advisor is reader supported. If you buy using links on this page, we may earn a referral fee.
Article reviewed by
Pet Nutritionist
Laura studied BSc (Hons) Animal Science with an accreditation in Nutrition at the University of Nottingham, before working for eight years in the pet food and nutrition industry.
We uphold the highest editorial standards when creating the authoritative content pet parents rely on and trust.
Every piece of clinical content on the Cat Food Advisor is reviewed by our certified Veterinary Advisory Board, which consists of licensed veterinarians and medically certified specialists.
Our reviews are completely independent; we are not paid by any pet food company to promote their products favorably. We do not accept money, gifts, samples or other incentives in exchange for special consideration. For more information see our Disclaimer & Disclosure page.
