We at MyPetsAdvice.com have reviewed a total of 121 Blue Buffalo products for cats and rated it based on our review factors like their product variety and how well they’ve handled recalls and it’s history.
With this information, you should be able to gauge how efficient and effective Blue Buffalo products are compared to the vast range of products on the market, from dry and wet cat foods to more. This is a candid review, so you’ll get to see the true soul of this product.
Blue Buffalo Review 2021
Before we get into our review of Blue Buffalo’s cat food products we’ll show you what we review cat food brands on like their product variety and product price and value for money and how good Blue Buffalo is when looked at just their cat food products.
Below you can see the list of factors when use when reviewing Blue Buffalo and other cat food brands:
- Product variety
- Value for money
- Ingredients quality
- Veterinary products
- Customer service
- Recall History
About Blue Buffalo
As earlier mentioned, Buffalo is quite a popular brand in the pet food scene, they have a wide range of products that cater to different needs. They have had their ups and downs, but through it all one thing is evident, they are 100% committed to producing and disseminating cat food. This company has been in the industry since 2002, they have inevitably had a hiccup or two along the way.
But, what really sets them apart is their transparency and desire to do better for customers and furry friends alike. It’s evident that there is a personal touch to the brand as they continue to widen their product base to the various needs of a modern day cat. Furthermore, the brand is committed to boosting your pet’s health and that’s evident in the quality and quantity of protein used.
That’s not all, they also have a high vitamin and mineral content which puts them right at the top with some of the very best. All together, the company offers a total of five cat food lines which are as follows:
- Original BLUE
- BLUE Freedom
- BLUE Basics limited-ingredient foods
- BLUE Wilderness
- BLUE Natural Veterinary Diet
About the Blue Buffalo Cat Food Brand
The company itself was founded back in 2002 by Bill Bishop, an Ohio Wesleyan University Alumni. He has strong roots in advertising and has even dabbled with some of the greats including Nabisco, American Express, and Perrier. Blue Buffalo isn’t the first place where he served in the capacity of a leader, he equally confounded Sobe and worked there till it was successfully sold to Pepsi.
With all the knowledge he gathered over the years, he created Blue Buffalo which was a project dear to his heart. The establishment was named after his 9-year-old Airedale terrier, Blue. After sixteen years of arduous yet successful business, it was sold to General Mills for a whopping $8 billion. It has been a handful of years down the line and the company has grown to become one of the giants in the pet food industry.
Blue Buffalo also manufactures its own products and even has a variety of facilities scattered all over the US. Some of the locations for these facilities include Joplin, Missouri, and Richmond, Indiana. But they don’t do it solely on their own, they have a handful of manufacturing companies that work in tandem with them.
Just to mention a few, there’s Ainsworth Pet Nutrition, CJ Foods, ANI/Vita-Line Products, ProPet, Tuffy’s Pet Foods, and Triple T Foods.
Why Choose Blue Buffalo Cat Food?
- Quality
This brand offers premium quality cat food for cats at all stages of life. With the help of a carefully selected group of veterinary specialists and animal nutritionists. They proceed to source and include top shelf natural ingredients in each recipe they formulate.
One constant across the board is the fact that real meat is always the first ingredient; after all, that is the True Blue Promise. It also helps that all their formulas are void of any corn, artificial flavors, poultry by-product meals, wheat or soy, or preservatives.
- LifeSource Bits
Another solid reason to choose Blue Buffalo Cat Food is the addition of Blue’s LifeSource Bits™. This combination of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins is just what the doctor ordered. The process of making them is undertaken by qualified vets and animal nutritionists in order to tick certain boxes.
Some of these include life stage requirements, immune system health, and oxidative balance. The fact that these LifeSource Bits are cold-formed ensures that they don’t lose their effectiveness.
- Variety
Despite all this work put into ensuring that your pet gets the very best, Blue Buffalo also caters to cats in all categories. Whether you own an elderly cat, a picky eater, or one with a sensitive stomach they have something tailored to their needs. There is also a selection of dry and wet options available, as well as, whole grain and grain-free. Altogether, there is something for every cat and they are still evolving to accommodate more of their needs.
- Natural ingredients
The Blue Buffalo promise is simple, the first ingredient will always be a top shelf animal protein source and the rest of the ingredients are natural while following suit quality-wise. There are also some healthy carbs as well as fruits and vegetables in the mix. The last two are loaded with antioxidants for your pet’s benefit.
- Expertise
This isn’t some half-baked formula, each cat food option is meticulously researched and formulated by animal nutritionists and vets.
Blue Buffalo Cat Food – Top 3 Food Products
1. Blue Buffalo Healthy Gourmet Wet Cat Food
If you are looking for something that is both delicious and nutritious, then the Blue Buffalo Healthy Gourmet Wet Cat Food is one of the best options. This one is specially formulated for picky eaters because let’s face it, some of your feline friends aren’t keen on most of the food options out there.
They will like the fact that the first ingredient is always protein and in this case, the option used is some shredded tuna. It is sumptuous, has an amazing texture, and is soaked in a rich gravy. It sounds decadent, doesn’t it? Well, that’s just the thing needed to ‘trick’ your cat into loving this food option.
The fact that it seems quite rich should not be a turndown, this is actually quite a healthy food option for your cat. As it is common with all Blue cat food options, there is a wide range of wholesome ingredients in the mix. So, you can rest assured that your pet will receive balanced nutrition while on this cat food option. When in doubt, check out the kind of ingredients included in the mix.
Of course, you already know there’s some tuna, but that’s not all. There’s a blend of garden vegetables too, some of them include carrots and sweet potatoes. There’s also some brown rice included which is a whole and nutritious ingredient. That’s not the end of it, there’s also some antioxidant-rich fruit included to give your pet a much needed boost.
Many users appreciate the fact that there are no animal by-products included, there is also no wheat, wheat gluten, soy, or corn. So, if your pet has food aversions, this option is unlikely to trigger them.
Key Ingredients
- Flaked Tuna
- Antioxidant-rich food
- Whole vegetables
- Rice
- Vitamin E Supplement
- Folic Acid
- Biotin
2. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Adult Dry Cat Food
Cats have very primal needs, after all, they descend from a line of feral and powerful creatures. Since you can’t particularly send them off hunting for their own game, the Blue Buffalo Wilderness Adult Dry Cat Food is the next best thing. It happens to be fashioned after the actual diet of a lynx, which as you know is one of the house cat’s many ancestors.
As such, it is expected that this mouth-watering option will whet their appetite and take things to the next level. As expected, the first ingredient here is a sumptuous cut of deboned chicken that is tasty and packed with an ample amount of protein in the mix.
This is highly beneficial since cats need that burst of protein to develop strong and lean muscle mass. One of the selling points here is the fact that this cat food option is certifiably grain-free. Instead of all that, there are some healthy carbs in the mix, such as sweet potatoes and peas. So, you don’t have to worry about your pet being low on energy, they can get it all without ingesting anything that is detrimental to their health. There is also a blend of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids that are going a long way to enhance the skin and coat.
It’s not completely Blue Buffalo if it’s void of their exclusive LifeSource Bits. This comprises a mixture of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins. These components are not just selected at random, a group of well-qualified vets and animal nutritionists work together to create this formula. In essence, it boosts the immune system and maintains a healthy oxidative balance. In a nutshell, this natural cat food is a great catch.
Key Ingredients
- Deboned chicken
- Pea Protein
- Flaxseed
- Potatoes
- Dried Chicory roots
- Vitamin D3 Supplement
- Folic Acid
3. Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Chicken Recipe Adult Dry Cat Food
As it is with most products in the Blue Buffalo collection, real protein is the first ingredient when it comes to the Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Chicken Recipe Adult Dry Cat Food. As the name implies, some tasty chicken is at the forefront here and it is the good stuff too. It’s bound to help your pet develop strong and lean muscles.
The protein component here also ensures that your pet has its weight under wraps. With this in the mix, your cat will be able to maintain an ideal weight and an active lifestyle.
But it is not all protein without any accompaniments, there’s also a range of fruit, garden vegetables, and whole grains thrown in the mix. Let’s not forget that this formula is specifically meant to address the issue of sensitive stomachs. It contains FOS prebiotic which goes a long way to support digestive health while enhancing gut management.
Altogether, your cat will absorb more nutrients from whatever they ingest. Hey, that’s an incentive to watch what they take in. It does not hurt that it equally contains omega 3 and 6 fatty acids which work wonders on their coat and skin. There is also a rich blend of fibrous ingredients that do wonders for the digestive system. A healthy gut is synonymous to a healthy cat so this is a highly desirable feature.
This review won’t be complete without mentioning the ever so popular Lifestyle bits. Altogether, it is a combination of minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants that do wonders for your cat’s immune system. To crown it all up, there is no chicken or by-product meals included in the recipe. So, if your pet has any aversions, they sure won’t be triggered by this meal.
Key Ingredients
- Deboned chicken
- Oatmeal
- Pea protein
- Fish oil
- Blueberries
- Dried kelp
- L-Carnitine
How Much Does Blue Buffalo Cat Food Cost?
When you consider some other premium options on the market, especially the premium options, Blue Buffalo Cat is not on the expensive side. Let’s make it a bit more practical, if you own a cat that eats up to 200 calories on a daily basis, then a can of Blue Buffalo Freedom will set you back about $1.40 every day.
When it comes to Blue Buffalo dry food, you will mostly find them at about $0.22 for every 100 calories. Let us not leave out Blue Buffalo wet food options which are available at approximately $0.96 for every 100 calories. Of course, you cannot compare this to the budget brands out there, but once you consider the caliber of products used to formulate them, then it’s not a bad route to take with your fur baby.
The fact that you can find Blue Buffalo Cat Food anywhere is the cherry on to. It is quite popular and can be spotted in local grocery stores or a pet product store. If you’d rather place an order online, merchant websites like Chewy and Amazon carry a wide range of their products.
Blue Buffalo Buying Guide
What grains are used in Blue Buffalo diets and why?
You may be against all grains in your cat’s diet for one reason or the other, but Blue Buffalo uses a selection of grains, here they are and the reason why.
- Brown Rice
You may recognize this as one of the ingredients from our selection of Blue Buffalo Cat Food options above. First and foremost, this is a whole grain so it is definitely on the healthy side. It provides pets with minerals, essential B vitamins, and a boost of complex carbs for that much-needed boost of energy. As an added plus this also contributes towards fiber intake.
- Barley
This is another whole grain that is as healthy as they come. With the hull and bran options, this is one of the best choices if you want to amp up the level of fiber and carbohydrates in your cat’s system. There’s also a healthy range of B vitamins in the mix so digestive health will not suffer.
- Rye
You may not hear this one every day but this particular grain is a great way to add some nutrients into your pet’s diet. They happen to be packed with a wide range of vitamins, minerals, and organic compounds. Most of these components are great when it comes to facilitating weight loss, so that’s a perk.
- Oats
In any form, be it flour or oatmeal, this is a highly healthy ingredient. These whole oats are packed with healthy carbs that will give your pet the right boost, so, they won’t run low on energy even when consuming a healthy diet. The fact that they are on a weight loss diet is no reason to deprive them of carbs altogether, the healthy carbs derived from oats can keep them up and running.
Besides being wholesome, oats are packed with B vitamins which are also a good option if your pet needs an energy boost.
Blue Buffalo FAQs
What are the small, dark, round pieces mixed with the kibble in BLUE food?
Once you open up the pack and pour out the kibble, it’s almost impossible to miss the dark and round pieces mixed in the formula. It’s not debris or some leftover by-product, this component is the LifeSource Bits exclusive to the Blue Buffalo brand.
As you already know, this is a blend of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins which are meticulously selected by vets and animal nutritionists. Embedded in them are ingredients that boost the immune system and cater to your cat’s needs at each stage of their lives.
The LifeSource Bits happen to be cold formed which ensures that they don’t lose their effectiveness during the processing stage. As such, they are packed with many minerals and nutrients in their potent form. This is not an attribute you will readily see with other brands, but Blue Buffalo has got you converted.
Does Blue Buffalo offer any products for pets with food sensitivities?
Besides the little deductions here and there, you can opt for the BLUE Basics™ formula which happens to be a limited ingredient formula void of most of the components that trigger aversions. On the nutritional end, it is a balanced blend with one animal protein source at the forefront. Altogether, they use a protein source that’s not a common ingredient in pet food, such as salmon or turkey.
What really keeps the aversions at bay is the fact that there’s no chicken or beef in the mix for pets that aren’t into that. No, that there is anything wrong with chicken or beef, but this is a highly exclusive option, the very embodiment of the phrase, ‘less is more.’
Furthermore, there’s no corn, soy, wheat, dairy, or eggs. This is great since these are the main culprits when it comes to allergies and aversions. In the case that your furbaby needs something more specialized, let’s say, a prescription diet, then BLUE Natural Veterinary Diet will do the trick. It comprises hydrolyzed protein and novel protein formulas that tackle food sensitivities.
How much should I feed my pet?
Not all cats have the same feeding habits or metabolisms, so what works for the goose may not necessarily work for the gander. So, it’s important to know how much to feed them. There’s an accompanying daily feeding chart you can refer to for the amount of food you should give your pet daily. Once, you have established how much your little one needs to consume to be healthy, you can easily figure out what they need to eat.
If they eat multiple times in one day, then it’s wise to divide the serving accordingly. To do this, simply divide the stipulated amount by the number of times you feed them.
While doing this, keep it in mind that no two cats are the same. The amount of food they need may vary based on their size, age, environment, and activeness. When in doubt, consult your veterinarian, they’ll know exactly how to tweak and adjust the servings for your pet.
Blue Buffalo Cat Food Review Summary
There have been a few whispers here and there thanks to the recalls that Blue Buffalo Pet food has had over the years. Nevertheless, through all this, they have managed to carve out a comfortable spot for themselves on the market. They are still a very popular brand and most of their food options come very highly recommended.
Were people taken aback by the callbacks? Yes, they were but they have managed to build on that momentum to formulate safer and more robust food options to entice and nourish pets of all kinds. With all this in mind, it is safe to say that they are a commendable brand that puts out premium, yet affordable products.
If you’re looking to be more cautious moving forward, ensure that you consult with your vet before placing your pet on a Blue Buffalo food option. This will go a long way to streamline your cat’s needs and match them to the options available.