Whether to opt for Purina vs Royal Canin cat food is a popular debate amongst pet parents who are looking to give their feline friend the most nutritious and delicious diet. But with both brands having a reputation for delivering high-quality meals, trying to decide between the two can feel more than a little overwhelming.
When it comes to the best cat food, Purina and Royal Canin are each worthy contenders of being awarded the crown. Packed full of vitamins and minerals and with plenty of choice available, these two brands offer products designed to ensure that your kitty has everything they need to thrive.
Offering a great selection of the best dry cat food and wet food, where these leaders in the feline food market tend to differ is in their price and the quality of their ingredients. Purina has options at each price point, making them a fantastic choice if you’re on a budget, yet Royal Canin has more choice on offer, which ensures they’re meeting the needs of every age, stage, breed and need.
To help you decide which of these two reputable brands are the most worthy of a place in your fur friend's food bowl, we’ve broken them down and looked at price, quality and choice so that you can ensure your kitty is getting the right nutrition to meet their specific needs.
Purina vs Royal Canin: Background
Purina is one of the oldest pet food companies in the world, having been founded in 1894, expanding and growing in popularity over the years. Its 2001 merger with Swiss food company Nestlé allowed it to expand even further, and to this day it remains at the forefront of the cat food market.
Vets always seem to speak highly of Royal Canin, and it’s no surprise, considering the company was founded by one. In the 1960s, French vet Jean Cathary started experimenting with his own cat food formulas in response to a number of skin complaints suffered by his customers’ cats. Such was his success that he created his own cat food line, which continues to this day.
Purina vs Royal Canin: Price
Purina is one of those brands that has something for everyone. Offering a selection of products that span the range from budget buys to more premium picks, Purina has made sure that there's a cat food in their product line that's accessible to all pet owners. Expect to pay around $17 for 24 cans of wet food in the Friskies range up to around $29.00 for a 16 lb bag of Purina ONE kibble.
When it comes to Royal Canin, let's not beat around the bush. This brand is significantly more expensive than Purina and that's potentially going to make it a no-go if you're on a tight budget. To give you an idea of the difference, 24 cans of wet food from Royal Canin will set you back around $45, while a 15 lb bag of kibble is likely to cost around $57.
Some may argue that you’re getting food of a higher standard with Royal Canin, but in all honesty, it really depends on what your cat’s requirements are.
Purina vs Royal Canin: Quality of ingredients
We like that Purina tries to use real meats as its primary ingredient wherever possible. This is the case in its Purina ONE Tender Selects Adult Dry Cat Food (chicken), Purina Cat Chow Gentle Dry Cat Food (chicken), Purina ONE Indoor Advantages Dry Cat Food (turkey), and Purina Beyond Simply Adult Dry Cat Food (white chicken and whole oatmeal).
The benefit of this is that your cat is getting a clean and reliable source of protein, with very little in the way of artificial preservatives. Furthermore, Purina is transparent regarding the sourcing of its ingredients, so you’re left with no doubt as to what’s in your cat’s food, and what’s gone into creating it.
One of the big issues with Purina is that although they have a good reputation, they tend to be lacking in consistency when it comes to the quality of their products, with some clearly being head and shoulders above others in terms of ingredients.
Take Friskies as an example. Yes, it's super affordable and that's a huge plus if you find that the higher-end lines in the Purina range simply aren't accessible to you due to cost. But what you gain in affordability can be lost when it comes to quality, with Friskies containing animal by-products instead of real meat and with a dose of artificial flavors to top it all off.
When it comes to Royal Canin, part of what makes the brand so appealing is the way that each formula has been specially tailored to meet specific conditions. One such example is the Gastrointestinal Fiber Response Dry Cat Food, which has been proven to help relieve constipation suffered by many cats.
While brands like Purina undoubtedly offer reliable all-round diets, their products can be inconsistent when it comes to the quality of ingredients. Royal Canin tends to be more rigorous about ensuring they use high-quality ingredients across the board, so its line of cat food is well worth considering if you're looking for a brand that offers an unrivaled capacity to concern itself with cats who have specific ailments, something that gets a huge round of applause from us.
That being said, we do have to remove a few points for the high level of carbohydrates that are present in a lot of their products. While this isn't such an issue for active cats, it could cause weight gain and even obesity in those that live a more sedentary lifestyle.
Products where this could be the case include the Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Urinary SO Moderate Calorie Dry Cat Food and Royal Canin Gastrointestinal Fiber Response Dry Cat Food (this also has high plant-based content, which isn’t the best source of vitamins). While they're great for cats with particular conditions, they may be less ideal as a day-to-day food source.
Purina vs Royal Canin: Choice
First off, there are a number of different imprints within the Purina brand, offering customers a variety of choice. For instance, Purina ONE is its highest quality food, Friskies is aimed at lower budgets, and Beyond focuses on formulas with natural ingredients.
While there's an excellent selection of Purina products available, they're not yet in the league of Royal Canin, which has an extensive catalog of wet and dry cat food to suit every age, stage, breed, and need. It also offers far more flavors than Purina, which is great if you have a fickle fur baby who likes lots of variety.
Purina vs Royal Canin: The verdict
To summarize, Purina has a lot of positive things about it. While it doesn't have as many products as Royal Canin, there is still plenty to choose from, and you can be sure that its food is of high quality. Moreover, Purina has always been transparent when it comes to the source of its ingredients, so you will always know where your money is going.
While Royal Canin has a reputation for quality supported by vets, and comes in a wide variety of forms to suit your cat’s requirements, some of its products may not be the best all round choice for everyday consumption, and there’s also the high price to consider. Still, its long-standing reputation should serve as a confidence booster for any potential customer and, while the levels of carbohydrates and plant-based content are high in some products, it deserves its reputation as a trusted brand of good quality cat food.
Not convinced that a wet or dry food off the shelf is right for your feline? We explore whether homemade cat food is better than store bought to help you make an informed decision.
