My Cat's Not Impressed with Miratorg's Cat Food - I Had to Try It Out
I was super excited when I heard that Russia's largest meat producer was expanding its product line to include pet food. I mean, who better to create a premium product than a meat giant like Miratorg? They've got the Winner line, which speaks for itself. I was convinced we'd be BFFs.
My confidence in their abilities is what led me to stock up on this pet food for my little village cat's summer vacation.
Now, let's get into the nitty-gritty.
The star of this review is Miratorg's moist beef cat food.
On the packaging, we've got a happy cat who looks like she's just tasted the cat culinary masterpiece.
On the front of the packaging, Miratorg lays it all out. They're proud to say there's no soy or GMOs, high meat content, a healthy and shiny coat for your kitty, and their own in-house production.
After reading the back of the packaging, my initial confidence in my choice only grew stronger. Check it out:
Looking back on this experience, there are a few things that stand out to me.
The refined taste (specifically, the moist meat flavor – that's crucial!)High meat content (you'll see just how high it is for yourself)I did my research on the composition before even giving the food to my cat, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.
The reasons for my pleasant surprise? All the vitamins, minerals, and additives are clearly listed on the packaging in a format that's easy to read and understand. I've noticed before that other manufacturers try to hide this information: tiny fonts, unappealing color combinations, and vague descriptions of ingredients.
This one, however, makes it a pleasure to read. Everything's clear, well-structured, and easy to follow. That won me over, and I'm not exactly the most discerning buyer.
For those who don't get the picture, here's a breakdown:
‘Added substances:
Vitamin A – 12,000 IU/kg; Vitamin D3 – 1,200 IU/kg; Vitamin E – 150 mg/kg; Iron – 7.3 mg/100 g; Iodine – 0.07 mg/100 g; Potassium – 0.2%; Manganese – 3.6 mg/100 g; Copper – 0.5 mg/100 g; Taurine – 240 mg/100 g; Zinc – 7.2 mg/100 g; B vitamins: B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12.
What did raise some concerns, though, was the composition itself.
Here's a breakdown of what's in the MIRATORG feed:
‘Meat and meat by-products – 30% (dried chicken meat – 26%, fresh beef – 4%), wheat, plant protein extract, corn, animal fat, protein hydrolysate, minerals, brewer's yeast, salt, vitamins, dried beet pulp, salmon oil.
I have to say, 30% meat in the food is critically low, especially considering it's marketed as a complete diet. I'd love to know more about the specific animal sources for the proteins and fats. And it's also super interesting to know the percentage breakdown of the remaining 70%. That's a lot, so I'd like to know what they're suggesting we feed our kitty for the rest of the day: wheat or corn?)
I want to note that I started giving this food after I finished the old stash, which my cat absolutely loved. So, I had some time to daydream about how my cat's coat would shine (at the time, it was shedding season), how he'd regain his vitality and energy, and how much actual meat there'd be.
I want to share my findings because they really surprised me.
Here we have 300 grams of food, where 30% is meat. That's 90 grams of meat in a pretty big-looking pack. To put it into perspective: here's how much meat our kitty would get if they ate the whole thing:
Let's move on. If my 3.5 kg kitty needs 63 grams of food per day (according to the table on the packaging), here's how much meat we're looking at:
THIS IS THE MEAT OUR KITTY GETS IN A DAY! Seeing these meager little pieces, I was left speechless. If we fed our kitty this amount for even two days, there's no way they'd be healthy...
What's more, the 'with juicy beef' claim boasts only a sixth of the total meat amount, which is actually chicken.
When I took a closer look at the kibble pieces, I was pleased to see that they matched the images on the packaging.
I have to admit that what caught my attention was the complete lack of meat smell. It smelled like a bag of crackers instead. I mean, the 'beef' description gave me some hope that it would be present in some form - maybe a soft filling or something. But nope, it's just dry crackers all the way.
Next, I started thinking about how to introduce this food into my cat's diet. I decided to follow the instructions on the packaging to the letter.
Days one and two were supposed to be 1/3 of their total daily ration (my cat is pretty straightforward about meal times, so I figured this would be a good starting point)
Days three and four were supposed to be half of their daily ration; 2/3 on day five and six, and then full transition to this food on day seven - that's the theory, anyway.
My cat only ate their full ration once, on that very first breakfast. I guess it was a surprise even for them.
From the second meal onwards, they just flat-out refused to eat it, even when they were hungry. They'd stand by the bowl, looking all pitiful, like 'is there something better?'
I tried to sneak it in: mixing a little of this food with his regular one. But he stuck to his favorite food and left these chunks untouched.
After a week of this, I decided to take a closer look and try it myself.
I put a piece in my mouth, chewed, and suddenly got it.
At first, the taste hits you with a lot of salt. I mean, a lot of salt. I've always thought that salt's not good for cats, and it's sometimes added to food for cats with kidney problems to encourage them to drink more. The treats he loves and gobbles up without leaving any are definitely not salty.
Then comes the bitterness. And it's not just because it's past its expiration date - it's very distinct. I couldn't figure out why it was so familiar until I realized: YEAST EXTRACT. It's the same unpleasant sensation I got from swallowing yeast extract tablets and they not being swallowed right away and lingering in my mouth.
And from my personal experience, I can only taste wheat and that's it. It's like eating a salted, bitter cracker with a terrible aftertaste that you can only force yourself to eat under duress.
I actually love trying new foods by doing the 'cat test' - holding the food right in front of my cat. Some foods get an instant reaction, some get a lazy response, and some get completely ignored. This one was always met with complete indifference - he just kept sleeping, even when I waved it right under his nose)
I've gotta say, after trying it out myself, I totally get why my cat's been giving it the stink-eye. It's just impossible to eat! In theory, I could donate it to stray cats, but I'm not even sure they'd appreciate it. I've kept this food (with a shelf life of 520 days) on hand so far, but I'm starting to think it's destined for the trash can, not my cat's stomach.