A Decent but Not Impressive Kibble for the Price

Hello everyone and welcome to Irecommend!

I've got a furry friend at home, a cat named Sonya, and I've been on the hunt for the perfect food that's not only nutritionally balanced but also a hit with my picky eater. When I spotted Cattera beef complete dry food for adult sterilized cats at Magnit, the affordable price and promise of a complete diet caught my eye. I've heard of this brand before - they're known for producing high-quality food developed in collaboration with veterinarians, and this one boasts a high meat content that's supposed to be appealing to cats by smell and taste.

I decided to give it a try for Sonya because after spaying, it's essential for her to get a balanced diet, and the combination of balanced vitamins, minerals, proteins, and taurine looked promising. Before making the purchase, I also checked out the reviews.

One thing that caught my attention was the ingredient list. The food contains 25% meat ingredients, including dehydrated chicken, high-quality animal protein, dehydrated beef, and hydrolyzed liver. It also includes wheat, barley, rice, concentrated plant-based protein, chicken fat, vitamins and minerals, dehydrated fish, beet pulp, yeast, fish oil, and various additives.

The packaging is a standard polyethylene bag, which is a bit puzzling. Once you open it, the air and smell dissipate quickly, and the kibble becomes stale. It's noticeable, especially since cats are often drawn to the smell. This packaging isn't super convenient, especially if you're buying for more than one occasion.

When you look at the kibble, it's pretty standard - small size, slightly pale, and lacking that rich beef color. Honestly, I was a bit underwhelmed by the aromas in this stuff. From the get-go, I noticed that it doesn't smell like meat or anything appetizing, which got my attention before my cat even tried it.

And the thing that matters most - how this food performs in real life. My cat showed zero interest in this food when I put it in her bowl separately. I think it's because there's no scent and taste to speak of. The food barely smells (I only catch a whiff, especially a day after opening), and for cats, the smell of food is a major factor in deciding whether they'll eat it. My cat just turned her nose up at the bowl and refused to touch it.

I figured I needed to mix this food with another, more aromatic and familiar food, but she chose this one, not Cattera. Sometimes there was only Cattera left in the bowl, in small amounts, so sometimes she got it mixed up with the other food and ate it, but that was rare.

When I realized my cat wasn't even finishing the packaging of this food, my husband took part of the package to work to the welding shop for stray cats and kittens, but they ate it poorly or unwillingly. Even a pregnant stray cat just sniffed at it and walked away.

Overall, I have to say that my feral cat and the local strays I've been feeding didn't take to Cattera Adult Sterilized with Beef at all. It's weird, given the manufacturer's claims about the product being developed by experts and being so nutritious. The ingredients do seem balanced and contain all the necessary components for an adult sterilized cat (protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and taurine), but is it tasty? Aromatic? Nope. Plus, the packaging without a seal loses its aroma quickly, even if you close it with a clip, and the kibble becomes even less appealing over time - losing its aroma. For me, that's a major minus.

✔ Price.

✖ Packaging;

✖ Kibble doesn't smell;

✖ Kibble looks dull;

✖ My feral cat and the strays won't touch this food.