Shine Cat Meals Overview – Cats.com

We’ve rated Shine Pet Meals Co. on ingredient high quality, species-appropriateness, remembers, and extra. Learn our Shine cat meals assessment to learn the way this model stacks up.

The Cats.com Customary—Ranking Shine Cat Meals on What Issues

We’ve rated the model on six key standards for high quality. Right here’s the way it charges in every of those six essential areas.

We give Shine a 23 out of 25 score or an A+ grade.

Why Belief Cats.com

I’m an avid pet lover (and cat mother to 11 ). I’ve spent years studying about every little thing I must do to take the perfect care of my cats, from feline vitamin to easy methods to enrich their surroundings. I’ve examined quite a few cat merchandise, providing in-depth critiques and proprietor insights for different pet dad and mom.

The standard of cat meals and the corporate’s values are necessary to me. I ordered a wide range of uncooked and transitional recipes from Shine Pet Meals in order that my cats may pattern completely different flavors. As my cat crew and I examined these cat meals, I regarded on the moisture content material, texture, palatability, and normal enchantment these recipes had for my cats. I additionally thought-about the dietary content material on the label and whether or not they met my cats’ dietary wants.

As soon as I researched Shine’s recipes and examined them with my cats, I ranked the cat meals within the six classes of the Cats.com Customary.

About Shine

Shine Pet Meals Co. was based by Sandra Bosben in 2010 and was initially referred to as Marty’s Meals. Named after her canine and impressed by his degenerative joint illness, Sandra labored with animal vitamin professional Zarna Carter to develop a contemporary meals food regimen that had a basis within the work of veterinary vitamin consultants, homeopathists, and herbalists. Sandra’s recipes turned so fashionable with family and friends that she based Marty’s Meals and later added cat meals.

Over time, the corporate grew to have two areas in Boulder, Colorado, and Santa Fe, New Mexico. In 2020, Marty’s Meals went nationwide with their on-line storefront and acquired a brand new title, changing into Shine Pet Meals.

Sourcing and Manufacturing

Shine Pet Meals sources its meats from small farms in addition to some deer farms in New Zealand. Based on their web site, they use licensed natural, non-GMO substances. Due to this, their meats and substances are with out components, medication, or toxins.

Along with cleaner substances, Shine additionally prioritizes manufacturing methods that reduce their affect on the surroundings. Their cat meals is available in biodegradable cardboard with a skinny paper lining between the meals and lid. The one exception is nuggets, that are packaged in clear plastic baggage when shipped. They mail their meals in cardboard packing containers with reflective bubble wrap lining and two baggage of dry ice to maintain the meals frozen for the journey.

Recall Historical past

We checked the present yr and archives, however to our information, Shine Pet Meals (or Marty’s Meals) has by no means been recalled.

What Sorts of Cat Meals Does Shine Supply?

Whereas Shine presents cooked choices for his or her pet food, their cat meals selections are solely uncooked or transitional recipes designed to transition cats to a uncooked food regimen.

Each choices are primarily meat-based, with some added greens, like carrots, candy potatoes, and bok choy. Sure substances, like kelp, cod liver oil (which is wealthy in omega oils), and sea salt, are in each meals we checked out. Here’s a full checklist of the cat meals Shine presents.

Frozen Uncooked

• Beef (we examined this one)
• Rabbit (see assessment under)
• Turkey (we examined this one)
• Rooster (we examined this one)

Transitional Uncooked

• Venison (deer) (see assessment under)
• Rabbit
• Turkey (see assessment under)
• Rooster (we examined this one)

Freeze-Dried

Besides for his or her Freeze Dried Transitional Uncooked Venison, their freeze-dried choices are solely accessible for native pickup at their shops in Santa Fe and Boulder. Based on their proprietor, Shine’s recipes are full and balanced and meet the AAFCO’s nutrient profile tips. Moreover, Shine’s cat meals are freed from fillers, like rice or wheat, and substances that don’t have dietary worth, like corn. Moreover, their cat meals is grain-free. For cats with meals sensitivities or allergic reactions, it is a big bonus.

One factor to notice about Shine’s cat meals is that they don’t embrace the calorie content material of any of their meals, which might make monitoring calorie consumption for kittens and overweight cats difficult.

What Did Our Take a look at Cats Assume?

Shine Cat Meals—Prime 3 Recipes Reviewed

When transport their meals, Shine requires a minimal order of 5 kilos. We ordered a wide range of six meals, reviewed all six, and wrote in-depth critiques for 3 of the alternatives right here. The remaining three recipes had been their transitional uncooked rooster, uncooked rooster, and uncooked beef.

The cats appeared to benefit from the two rooster recipes probably the most. These recipes had been softer out of the bathtub, and for cats like Oliver, who has damaged tooth, and Gizmo, who has continual gingivostomatitis, softer moist meals are extra fashionable.

The meat was the one recipe that didn’t go over properly with any of the cats. Throughout the board, all the cats appeared much less enthused about this recipe in favor of the others — significantly the venison and poultry selections. Rating from most to least fashionable, right here’s how my cats responded to Shine Pet Meals:

1. Transitional Uncooked Rooster Recipe
2. Uncooked Rooster Recipe
3. Transitional Uncooked Turkey Recipe
4. Transitional Uncooked Venison Recipe
5. Uncooked Rabbit Recipe
6. Uncooked Beef Recipe

What Do Clients Consider Shine Cat Meals?

Shine Pet Meals isn’t offered on fashionable websites like Chewy.com or Amazon, and their critiques aren’t public on their website. Social media was additionally not significantly useful, however Yelp reviewers did present perception into the experiences clients have with Shine, together with the instance under:

“Well mannered and useful and at a terrific value. My cat loves the rabbit and the rockfish. In addition they have nice treats like minions and my cat loves.”—Elizabeth R, Yelp

Whereas most critiques are over a yr previous, they’re nearly solely optimistic at their Santa Fe and Boulder areas. Clients touch upon the number of merchandise and the workers’s information and well mannered perspective. Some reviewers even talked about customized recipes for particular wants canine and cats. Even non-food gadgets accessible in-store are fashionable with house owners and pets alike, making a terrific go to for these native to the areas they serve.

The one detrimental assessment on Yelp states that that they had a detrimental expertise with a coverage and meals return. Nonetheless, the corporate’s response signifies that this assessment was in error as there was no document of the sale and that the coverage talked about within the assessment (that the corporate will take the meals again if the pet doesn’t prefer it) isn’t one which Shine has.

How A lot Does Shine Cat Meals Price?

For these native to Boulder, Colorado, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, Shine supplies uncooked meals at an inexpensive value of lower than $1 per ounce. When evaluating Shine’s shelf value to different uncooked meals firms, they are usually proper within the center. Some uncooked meals, resembling Darwin’s Pure, are cheaper, whereas others, like Uncooked Meow, may cost a little extra.

Earlier than contemplating transport prices, Shine is a really inexpensive uncooked meals. Nonetheless, buying their uncooked meals choices may be difficult for purchasers who aren’t native to their retail shops. I purchased a number of kilos of cat meals and shipped it from their Santa Fe facility to my house in North Carolina. The one transport possibility was UPS 2-day air, which value $85.75—round $23 greater than the price of the meals.

Luckily, Shine appears open to working with clients for future shipments, and the meals can keep frozen for as much as six months. Clients with the house may order only some shipments a yr, which will help with the prices.

Not factoring transport and averaging the price of the three cat meals we reviewed, feeding a 10-lb cat Shine’s uncooked cat meals will value round $3.40 every day.

The place Is Shine Cat Meals Offered?

Earlier than 2020, Shine Pet Meals was solely accessible at their shops in New Mexico and Colorado. In the present day, Shine ships nationwide, however the one transport possibility is UPS 2-day air. Buying Shine Pet Meals may be problematic for shoppers not within the area and out of doors of UPS’ supply space.

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