Merrick Cat Food

We have been feeding our 2 cats Merrick their whole lives. Recently, within the last couple of weeks, my 8 year old has decided that he doesn't like their wet food, and he's not so keen on the dry food either. My 14 year old (who is very active) will still eat it but they are not as anxious about eating it as they had been. I know the formula changed. I can see it when I open the can. It doesn't look as natural and it is a different consistency than it used to be.

My 2 yr old cat has been eating Merrick Cat Food since I adopted him 2 yrs ago and eats 4 or 5 flavors of the grain free pâte. He always looks forward to his meals but these past 2 weeks he’s been turning his nose up!!! The last time a cat that I had did this, the food company had been taken over by another owner. And, obviously changed the formula. Something tells me Merrick has changed the ingredients or quality of the food too. Why would they be so foolish to do this? If it’s not broken, don't fix it!!

I've been purchasing this product since it replaced the previous 'New England Boil'. The quality has gone downhill since then. The batches are very hit or miss. Some batches are fine, others (most lately) are 2/3 water. They say that they want feedback, but nothing has changed in the past year. I'm trying to get my cat to eat something else, but he is, unfortunately, extremely finicky.

Pet store recommended Merrick about 6 months ago over another brand because he said they were a better company and made better food. I believe this WAS true since my dog and cat both started eating better after the switch. We buy food about every 2 months, so 2 months ago cat was still eating fine, but with this new batch, my cat is refusing to eat it. I tried switching to a different formula "minimal ingredient recipe" and still he won't touch it. Just found out the company sold out by reading these reviews. Obviously something has changed and not for the better. On with the search for a better product. Might have to start adding my animals to my grocery budget and just start feeding them from the kitchen if a company can't stay pure!

My cat has been raw-fed since he was a kitten (he is now 2 years), but when I am traveling I buy the best quality canned food I can find and transition him over in the week before I leave. I made a 2 week trip in August 2018 (my cat LOVES road trips), and I bought an entire flat of Purrfect Bistro Chicken Pate from my local pet store (he's a big cat - he eats 8-12 oz per day, depending on his activity). He was eating it for 2 weeks no problem. On the very last day, mid-morning, my cat became VIOLENTLY ill. Constant diarrhea and vomiting. It was eventually just clear fluids coming out both ends, very scary. He was lethargic and isolating himself hunched up in a corner. I took him to the emergency vet: he had a fever and was mildly dehydrated. We did a bunch of tests which came back fine, but they kept him for 3 nights on IV because he wouldn't eat anything.

This food is not good. I do not know what they are putting in it, but my cat has lost quite a bit of weight and is now very underweight. I also found from Amazon reviews that other people's cats have been losing weight on this food to the point of starvation, which I feel is also happening to my cat, and she eats constantly. I also purchase from Amazon and realized other people are having similar problems with weight loss. I couldn't figure out why she was losing weight. It is very crumbly and gives my cat bad breath, and gets all over her face and stays there. She was a very happy cat and now is very lethargic and tired. I am changing her food immediately, after realizing she has lost weight with this, even though she eats constantly. Bad food. I don't know what Purina is pulling, but it is not good.

The last couple of bags of Purrfect Bistro chow I have used is filled with crumbled chow dust. The cats stopped eating it because of all the crumbs that sit on the top. I have to keep shaking their bowl to make it settle. I used to buy Merrick because they had their own processing plant so their food didn't get mixed with everybody else's. With all the crumbled kibble dust I can't buy this anymore. It's a waste of money. Things have sure changed at Merrick since they sold out or supposedly did. What a shame... Happens every time when Big Corporations take over. They ruin everything! No more...

I went to feed my cat today and opened a can of the Merrick grain free chicken pate. She’s been eating the same brand for 2 years. I order it from Amazon. Well today I went to open the tab and it exploded in my face & went all over me and on the wall. The smell was horrible. I immediately jumped into my shower. Thank God I had my glasses on because it covered my face and hair. I still can’t get the smell out of my house and it smells like something died. On top of it my cheeks feel like they are on fire and burning. I’m sure it was a faulty seal in the can and a build up of gases. This happened an hour ago. I’ve tried contacting Amazon and I’ve tried contacting Merrick. This product needs to be recalled.

Have been using Merrick chicken kibble for 10 years. Have noticed, particularly the last 6 months my 3 kibble loving cats are getting chubby, seem unsatiated and have considerable congestion issues...then I found out that the company was sold to a multi corporation focused on money, not pet care. I have 7 cats...we depend on excellent quality in pet food to facilitate good health and reduced vet bills. I am angry that I wasn't informed sooner. NO MORE MERRICK CRAP.

Just opened a can of Merrick's COWBOY COOKOUT. Instead of the usual meaty contents, I got ONLY GRAVY and a VERY small quantity of solid food. Are you kidding? At $1.69 per can? I've purchased COWBOY COOKOUT for years which DID have excellent vet recommendations as high quality food. Is this the "new" Merrick? I am so shocked and disappointed!!! I will call the pet store AND your company to complain.