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A meal’s smell is one of the first indicators cats will use to determine if they want to try a food. This is why fish is often a popular meal for cats. But sometimes, the smelliest food isn’t always the most beneficial for a cat to lead a healthy and happy lifestyle. Nutritional aspects must be met to ensure the food supports the cat in every stage of life.
Cats should be given food with high meat content for good health and energy. Cats cannot be vegetarians or vegans; they require certain amino acids, such as Taurine and Arginine, which are essential for protein and only found in animal meat. Many high-quality pet foods offer this nutritional value, but cat owners should check the animal meat content before buying.
This is one of the reasons why Harringtons cat food is a favoured option among the available cat foods. Harringtons is formulated with premium ingredients that meet the nutritional needs of cats. It is said to be free from artificial colours, flavours, and preservatives, with locally sourced ingredients, so it is often considered a good choice for cats.
In this review, Harringtons cat food products will be evaluated to determine if it is a worthwhile buy to feed your feline friends. However, as each cat is an individual, their dietary needs will be unique, making the task of keeping every cat happy and well-fed a little bit tougher.
Table of Contents
What is Harringtons?
First started in 1923 as an animal feeding mill, Harringtons is a British business that prides itself on using ingredients grown and farmed in the UK. It expanded its range from just dog food to include food for cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs in 2012. Then, in 2015, Harringtons introduced the wet food trays.
The business has grown to be one of the preferred pet food brands in the country, with headquarters in Thirsk, Yorkshire. However, it is now owned by Inspired Pet Nutrition (IPN), which has the vision of becoming “the nation’s most sustainable, most loved home of pet nutrition brands.” This pet food manufacturer also includes AATU, Barking Heads, Meowing Heads, and Wagg.
Harringtons describes its cat food as the “healthy choice” for cats, ensuring each pet will enjoy the meals every day. The recipes are made with freshly prepared meat and/or fish, meaning each bowlful will be packed with proper animal protein. There are no artificial colours or flavours, and there’s no wheat either; pet owners should have peace of mind knowing their cats are being well taken care of.
What Types of Cat Food Does Harringtons Make?
Many cat owners will service a mix of dry and wet food, and Harringtons pet food comes in both dry and wet food options. The dry food range includes crunchy coated kibble pieces, while the wet food range includes pâtés and chunks in gravy. Both options are made using natural ingredients.
All Harringtons cat food products are enriched with omega-3 and six fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, which are essential for cats’ health. As previously mentioned, Harringtons takes pride in knowing that the cat food is made of natural goodness, with no artificial colours, flavours, or wheat included. This is what most cat owners want when buying cat food, as it provides their pets with the best quality food and improves their quality of life.
Dry Cat Food
Harringtons dry cat food is a wholesome food option made with natural ingredients and enriched with essential vitamins and minerals to support cats’ health. The dry foods are available in both adult and senior varieties to meet the needs of cats at different stages of life.
To thoroughly examine Harringtons dry cat food, this post will focus on Harringtons Complete Dry Cat Food in the chicken variety, which is suitable for adult cats.
- No artificial colours or flavours
- No added wheat, dairy or soya
- High meat content
- Enriched with vitamins and minerals
- Cats may need to adjust to taste if they have been on cheaper food
Nutrition
The nutritional information is displayed on the back of food packaging; this is essential for all pet owners to check when buying food. Most of the time, this is also where feeding guidelines will be listed; knowing a cat’s weight will make it easier to decide the meal portion sizes.
This Harringtons dry food has been manufactured to provide wholesome nutrition. As previously mentioned, it contains no artificial colours or flavours, just natural ingredients. There is also no added wheat, dairy, or soya, but these cat biscuits have a high meat content; in fact, meat is the number-one ingredient in this dry cat food. It is said to satisfy even the fussiest of cats, which one customer agreed with, saying:
“My four [cats] can be a bit fussy when it comes to dry cat food, but with Harringtons Chicken, there is never any left.”
For the chicken variety of Harringtons dry food, the ingredients are 33% chicken and meat meals (freshly prepared chicken 4%, dried chicken meal 8.5%, and meat meal 20%), wholegrain rice (20%), ground maize and maize protein, salmon oil (1%), chicken gravy, etc.
The typical analysis of Harringtons Complete Dry Cat Food in the chicken variety is as follows:
- Crude Ash 8.5%
- Crude Fibres 2%
- Fat Content 12%
- Omega 3 0.5%
- Omega 6 1.9%
- Protein 30%
This information shows that this specific Harringtons product is a suitable source of protein for cats. Protein ensures the body is fuelled, fur grows continuously, and the immune system functions correctly. Customers have said this product gives their cats beautiful coats.
Dental
Dental disease is a common health issue, especially as cats get older. Whereas dogs can be given chews to handle their dental needs, cats need good quality dry food to help keep their teeth clean of plaque and tartar.
Harringtons dry pet food has been designed to help keep teeth clean – the crunchy biscuits help to remove plaque and tartar from cats’ teeth.
Varieties
Of course, not all cats will love the chicken variety of this food; this is why Harringtons has created a salmon variety of this dry cat food, too. This dry food is also available for senior and indoor cats; both varieties are great as they offer additional nutrients older cats or indoor cats might need.
However, Harringtons dry cat foods are designed for cats without specific health needs, which means they might be unsuitable for cats suffering from urinary problems and other health conditions. The products are also not hypoallergenic, and no Harringtons cat foods are made specifically for kittens.
Price
Although the central aspect when choosing cat foods should be the nutritional value, some people will have a budget they must stick to when buying food for their pets.
The prices vary for different types of Harringtons cat food, but generally, a bag/box will cost anywhere between £10-£30; many Harringtons products are sold in multipacks, even the dry cat food. Individual Harringtons products have been listed throughout this article with links to check the live price online.
Feeding Guidelines
The amount a cat should be fed depends on age, weight, and activity level. Feeding instructions in this article are a guide only; cat owners should use their own judgment. Some large cats might require additional meals throughout the day.
Harringtons states that active cats should receive 10g more than the recommendation.
For the dry variety, the feeding instructions for an adult cat are as follows:
- 1kg – 3kg: 45g
- 3kg – 5kg: 55g
- 6kg+: 65g
As well as providing the correct servings, cats must always have access to fresh drinking water.
Wet Cat Food
Wet food is an integral part of cats’ diets, as they can sometimes struggle to drink enough water; this was previously discussed in this article. It provides much-needed hydration, as well as the necessary nutrition. Just like the brand’s dry food, Harringtons wet cat food is made with natural ingredients, high-quality animal protein, and no added soya or wheat gluten.
To analyse whether or not Harringtons wet cat food is a good option to feed cats, this section will look specifically at Harringtons Complete Grain-Free Adult Wet Cat Food Meaty Selection in Jelly Pouches. This cat food comes in boxes and usually includes three pouches of each flavour, including beef, chicken, lamb, and turkey; each pouch is 85g.
This food is a great option for cats with sensitive stomachs as it is grain-free and free from wheat, soya, dairy, and other grains. Each pouch includes 4% of freshly prepared meat, whether beef, chicken, lamb, or turkey. The other ingredients include chicken liver, animal protein, tapioca, and caramel syrup.
- Delicious to cats
- High natural protein content
- Provides vital hydration
- Some cats prefer fish wet foods
Nutrition
As stated briefly before, wet cat food has a high water content; specifically, Harringtons wet food contains 82% water content in each meal. This is important as it improves cats’ hydration and muscle development. Cats often avoid drinking still or standing water because they prefer running water, which is usually cleaner in the wild. Foods that offer additional hydration are very beneficial.
This food is an excellent option for cats with sensitive stomachs as it is grain-free and free from wheat, soya, dairy, and other grains. Each pouch includes 32% of freshly prepared meat, whether beef, chicken, lamb, or turkey, truly “making mealtimes meatier”, as the brand aims to do. The other ingredients include chicken liver, animal protein, tapioca, and natural caramel syrup.
The analytical constituents of this wet food are:
- Crude Ash 2.2%
- Crude Fibres 0.4%
- Crude Oils and Fats 3.5%
- Moisture 82%
- Protein 11.5%
Each pouch of food contains at least 40% meat fillets, with the rest being made of jelly.
The lack of grain in this product has helped some customers’ cats that had previously suffered from dietary problems; once switching their cats to Harringtons in jelly, the issues ceased.
Dental
Wet food can benefit senior cats as well as the additional moisture helping with hydration. If they are missing teeth or suffering from dental problems, the softness of wet foods can make them easier to eat.
Varieties
Harringtons wet food is also available in gravy instead of jelly. The boxes of pouches can also be bought as a selection of fish (cod, mackerel, salmon, and tuna) or poultry (chicken, duck, poultry, and turkey).
Similar to dry cat food, there are no wet food products specifically formulated for kittens or cats with health conditions. This might put some cat owners off buying Harringtons, due to the lack of variety in these categories.
Price
When ordering Harringtons wet food online, the product usually comes in six boxes of 12 pouches, totalling 72 85g pouches. The price can vary depending on the variety pack the cat owner selects, ranging from £25-£35, which equals roughly 0.35p-0.49p per pouch.
Feeding Guidelines
When serving wet food, some cat owners prefer to provide only wet food, while others mix wet food with a portion of dry food. Regardless of which type of food is provided, cats should be fed depending on their lifestyle; more active cats will require more energy and, therefore, more food.
For the wet food variety, cats should be fed as such:
- 1kg – 3kg – 2 pouches or 1.5 pouches and 10g of dry food
- 3kg – 5kg – 3 pouches or 2 pouches and 10g of dry food
- 6kg+ – 3.5 pouches or 2.5 pouches and 10g of dry food
To Sum Up
Cats must eat good quality food to stay healthy, regardless of age. One of the most crucial aspects of cat food is its meat content; for many foods, the higher the meat content, the more the food will meet the cats’ needs. Harringtons cat food contains freshly prepared meat as well as animal protein.
As well as providing a good portion of meat, Harringtons cat food has no artificial flavours, colours, or preservatives. It is also grain-free, which benefits cats with sensitive digestive systems. However, there are no products specifically for kittens and cats with health conditions. With this in mind, it is safe to say that Harringtons cat food can be a good dietary choice as it meets most adult cats’ dietary needs.
However, contacting a vet is recommended if more information on your cat’s food is required.
Prices are correct as of the 6th of October, 2023.