Strictly Wellness

[lacy]

I started the complete health about a week ago, but then decided I would try the Indoor Health instead. I also like the benefits of the Indoor Health. Put it in the bowl this a.m. I hope they like it!  My cats are pretty picky about the cans. One day they eat it, one day they dont. Their fav is the Turkey and Salmon though. I also give them Merrick canned.  So far so good!

[garypen]

The small bag for $9.99 was 2.8lbs, and the .99 cans were the 5.5oz size.

It seems that their prices are pretty good. But, it does me no good if they don't have the formula and size I want. (Which is Indoor Health in the larger bag.)

They do have great prices on Merrick canned, at only .89. But, again, they have a limited selection, maybe 4 or 5 flavors, with no Pot Pie or Thanksgiving.

I'm gonna try a different location. Maybe they'll have exactly what I want. They certainly had incredible selections of all the crap brands, though. (Science, Iam's, Nutro, Friskies, 9-Lives, etc) But, at least they offer some holistic varieties at discount prices.

The chain is called Pet Club, and is located in Northern California. It's not as pretty, nor has the selection of quality foods that Pet Food Express in Nor Cal has. But, it is about 15-25% cheaper.

[eternaljester81]

I buy Wellness at a specialty store in Mid-Missouri. The only food they sell is higher end varieties. It's sort of a boutique-style store, so the prices reflect that. But I pay the prices since they're the only store anywhere near me (still 30 miles away) that sells the food I want.

[garypen]

You might want to look into Petfooddirect.com. I'm not sure what sort of shipping charges are involved. But, their prices before shipping seem quite a bit cheaper than you pay for the dry food, and a few pennies cheaper for the canned. Plus, you can save the 60 mile round trip, and the gasoline use (approx 2-3 gals) and carbon dioxide emissions that involves.

[Davis]

I'm seriously considering trying this food now.  I just have a few concerns.  Does anyone know where their dry is made?  As I recall, they refused to give out that information.  Gary, for all we know, it could be made by Diamond.  I just do not like not knowing.  Also, I was not that comfortable with their assurance page:
http://www.omhpet.com/wellness/aboutus_philosophy.html
Unless I missed something, they say nothing about not using ingredients from China, etc...only that the "suppliers" must prove that it's safe. Yikes!  Didn't the "suppliers" for ChemNutra have an analysis proving their bags of "melamine" were safe too?  I do not like trusting the "suppliers" for this at all.  Also, how do we know what type of ingredients they are using?  For example, how do we know their salmon is not farmed?  I guess i just feel like I know too little about this company.  Their food looks good and I'd really like to try it, so any information would be appreciated.

Gary, please keep reporting back, and let us know how things are going with this food.. 

[garypen]

It's only been one day. But, they're both on their second can (chicken Mon & Tues and Turkey today), and Lucky has been eating plenty of the Complete Health Chicken dry. (Lucy still hasn't taken to it. She's still eating what's left of the Innova.)

They aren't showing any adverse reaction. No vomit. No negative change in personality. Appetite is big. So far, so good. But, it isn't very long, I know.

As for who makes it, I don't know. It doesn't look like any of the Diamond-made brands I've tried. In fact, it looks nothing like any cat kibble I've seen. It is small and round, almost pellet-like. It appears denser, darker, smoother, and for lack of a better word, an overall higher quality appearance than other dry foods I've tried. (And, I've tried a lot over the years, and especially these last few months.) It smells nice too.

[eternaljester81]

Davis,
I'm not sure if anyone knows for sure who makes Wellness dry varieties. I've read that some have said that some of the dry is made by American Nutrition, but I've never seen anything confirming this. I do know that Wellness claims that they keep there own personell on hand to monitor the creation process of their foods. But exactly where they are made, I don't know.

As far as ingredients go, Wellness has said that they source everything from the USA that they can. But some vitamins must come from Asian countries, as that's the only place to get them. There was a post on Itchmo a while back, where someone had contacted Wellness about this and the reply said that any company claiming that everything is 100% from the USA is lying, and they want to be upfront about things like this. They have also told me and others that the vitamins are added seperately, not as a premix (like Natura foods).

Garypen,
I agree concerning the Wellness cat kibble, it's totally different than other kibbles. There's none of the grainyness or crumbs falling off. And it generally smells better than other cat foods. The appearance is almost like rabbit food pellets.

[garypen]

I certainly hope it's not American Nutrition. I would tend to doubt it due to the high quality of the kibble, and the fact that just about every ANI-made food had an issue, as they were adding unapproved, non-recipe rice gluten to them without their clients' permission. At least, I hope it's not ANI.

[eternaljester81]

Garypen,
You know, since Wellness openly admitted to using Menu for canned food after the recalls started, but didn't say anything about ANI once those recalls started, maybe they don't use ANI. Who knows? All I know is that most everyone I have spoken with that uses Wellness has been pleased with it. I of course knock on wood and say a prayer at the same time that I type this.

[lacy]

I also dont know where its made, but I have heard mention that it could be C.J. foods that also makes Blue Buffalo, just like some of you have heard other places...But who knows....I wish they would just tell us. I know American Nutrition makes something of their food, I think it was some of their canned. Half of them are also made at Menu...as most of you know!! I also read somewhere that if it has an S1 in the code on the can, then its made at Menu. Also heard that they will tell you that if you call. Well arent I just a ball of speculation!!??

[garypen]

I heard Wellness was made by elves who live in a tree. Or was that cookies?

[Sharon L.]

They both loved the canned chicken. They scarfed it down more vigorously than any of the previous brands and varieties of canned foods I have tried so far.

I rotate all of the grain free varieties as I don't want the kitties to become used to only one flavor ... tho the favs are 'Beef and Chicken' and 'Chicken and Herring'.

Now, I have to wrestle with the Menu issue. Do I stay with Merrick, or should I use the canned Wellness?

I tried both Merricks and Evangers in the beginning of the recall to avoid the Menu connection, but the cats didn't cooperate and wouldn't consistently eat either brand. They wouldn't even taste the Merricks ... one sniff and they were out of the kitchen. I've reconciled with the Menu/OMH connection, tho it doesn't make me happy. Had to feed the kitties something

BTW, what do you guys pay for Wellness? The small bag of Complete Health was $9.99, and the cans were .99 each.

In the Los Angeles area

Small boutique store:
2 lb Wellness Core $14
3.3 oz Wellness Canned $1.40

Midsize Chain:
3.3 oz Wellness Canned $1.20

Local company with several stores:
2 lb Wellness Core $10
5 lb Wellness Core $18
2 lb Wellness Salmon $10
5 lb Wellness Salmon $17
3.3 oz Wellness Canned $1
12.6 oz Wellness Canned $1.80


/Sharon

[garypen]

$1.40 for a 3oz can? Wow.

I guess I'm pretty happy with the .99 5oz cans, then.

[eternaljester81]

Those dry prices aren't so bad, but that 3 oz can price is pretty dang high.

[Davis]

Thanks for the input everyone.  I can't help thinking that if vitamins are from China, and all the companies are using them, then how are we really avoiding the very thing that is the problem by switching?  Whether they are in a premix or added individually, China is still the source.  That is the real problem. If Wellness says they source "everything they can" from within the US, then that leaves it wide open, and they are basically saying that they use ingredients from China (they are not saying that it is just the vitamins).  That does not make me at all comfortable.  It's good that they're being honest about it, but not good that China is involved.     

If they use ANI for anything, then I want nothing to do with them, because that company cannot be trusted.  They are leaving us to do a lot of speculating, which is not fair.  I also think their prices are totally unreasonable, and that includes the dry.  Almost $20 for a tiny 5 lb. bag?  "&%$#@&"  I am certainly willing to pay more for safe, quality food, but there is a point where it gets ridiculous and they are using the premium food distinction to literally rip us off.  I think we are all getting much too conditioned when we start to think that is a fair price!  It's like the price of gas, and once you get really use to it, it doesn't seem so bad.  Well guess what?  I have never gotten use to it.  I will probably try this food, but I'm sorry to say that it will be with a lot of reservations (although that is true of all of them anyway, so what's the difference?).  Disgusting.