Cats are descended from desert animals and they never learned to drink properly. In the wild they got most of their water from prey, which is roughly seventy percent water by weight.
Then we started feeding them dry biscuits containing about ten percent moisture, and wondered why so many develop kidney and urinary problems later in life.
Weruva is built entirely around that gap. Around eighty percent moisture, very low carbohydrate, and recipes that look like food. Here is whether it lives up to the idea.
- Weruva wet cat food contains around 80 percent moisture, which supports kidney and urinary tract health in a species that drinks poorly.
- Weruva recipes are higher in protein and lower in carbohydrate than typical wet cat food.
- Weruva’s main product lines have never been recalled.
- Sister brand BFF, made in a separate facility, was recalled in 2017 for low thiamine levels linked to illness and some deaths.
- Weruva is one of the more expensive wet foods per can, though buying by the case reduces the cost meaningfully.
Our Top Picks
Weruva Chicken & Chicken Liver Canned Cat Food, 5.5-oz, 24 ct
Weruva Cats in the Kitchen Pantry Pours Chicken Bisque Wet Cat Food Topper, 1.4-oz pouch, case of 12
Weruva Chicken Soup with Pumpkin Canned Cat Food, 5.5-oz, 24 ct
Weruva range compared
| Product | Best for | Size | Price | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weruva Chicken & Chicken Liver Canned Cat Food, 5.5-oz, 24 ct | Best overall | Case of 24 | $64.56 | Canned |
| Weruva Chicken Soup with Pumpkin Canned Cat Food, 5.5-oz, 24 ct | Best for digestion | Case of 24 | $62.99 | With pumpkin |
| Weruva Mackerel, Shrimp & Mussels Canned Cat Food, 5.5-oz, case of 24 | Best fish recipe | Case of 24 | $64.56 | Canned |
| Weruva Cats in the Kitchen Pantry Pours Chicken Bisque Wet Cat Food Topper, 1.4-oz pouch, case of 12 | Best topper | Pouches | $16.68 | Pantry Pours |
| Weruva Cats in the Kitchen Pantry Pours Senior Support Chicken & Salmon Bisque Wet Cat Food Topper, 1.4-oz pouch, case of 12 | Best for senior cats | Pouches | $16.68 | Senior support |
| Weruva Puddy Pops Chicken Grain-Free Lickable Cat Treats, 0.5-oz tube, 50 count | Best treat | 50 count | $41.99 | Lickable |
Why 80% moisture actually matters
This is the whole argument for Weruva, and it is a better one than most brand claims.
A cat eating only dry food takes in roughly a quarter of the water that a cat eating wet food does, even accounting for extra drinking. Cats have a weak thirst drive and do not compensate well. The result is chronically concentrated urine over a lifetime.
That matters because chronic kidney disease is one of the most common causes of death in older cats, and urinary tract problems are among the most common reasons cats visit a vet at all. Hydration is not the only factor, but it is one of the few an owner directly controls. The Cornell Feline Health Center covers feline kidney disease in depth.
At around eighty percent moisture, a Weruva can delivers water alongside calories rather than requiring the cat to seek it out separately. If your cat is a dedicated non-drinker, wet food does more good than any ingredient upgrade to their kibble would. A water fountain attacks the same problem from the other side.
The BFF recall, and why it is not quite a Weruva recall
Search Weruva and you will find a 2017 thiamine recall. The detail matters.
The recall covered BFF (Best Feline Friend), a sister brand under the same parent company, over insufficient thiamine. Thiamine deficiency in cats causes neurological signs and the recall was linked to illness and some deaths, so it was serious rather than precautionary.
The affected products were an Australia-exclusive BFF line, and Weruva has no recall history in the United States or anywhere outside Australia. Australian customers were asked to return cans with best-before dates between September 2018 and October 2019. So it is not accurate to say Weruva has been recalled, and it is also not honest to leave the connection out entirely. Judge it as a company-level signal rather than a product-level one, and check the FDA recall database yourself for anything current.
The 6 Weruva products, reviewed
Weruva Chicken & Chicken Liver Canned Cat Food, 5.5-oz, 24 ct: best overall
Chicken and chicken liver, and the can looks like actual shredded chicken because it is. Around 80 percent moisture, very low carbohydrate, and the liver adds taurine and iron that muscle meat alone does not carry as densely. This is the case to start with if you want to understand what the brand is about.
Weruva Chicken Soup with Pumpkin Canned Cat Food, 5.5-oz, 24 ct: best for digestion
Chicken soup with pumpkin. Pumpkin adds soluble fiber, which genuinely helps some cats with loose stools and some with mild constipation, oddly enough in both directions. A useful can to keep around even if it is not your everyday food.
Weruva Mackerel, Shrimp & Mussels Canned Cat Food, 5.5-oz, case of 24: best fish recipe
Mackerel, shrimp, and mussels, which is a more interesting protein mix than most brands attempt. Rotating proteins is worth doing rather than locking a cat onto chicken for years. Fish-heavy diets long term are not ideal, so treat this as part of a rotation.
Weruva Cats in the Kitchen Pantry Pours Chicken Bisque Wet Cat Food Topper, 1.4-oz pouch, case of 12: best topper
Chicken bisque in a pour-over pouch, designed to sit on top of a complete diet. The cheapest way to try Weruva, and genuinely effective at getting extra water into a cat who lives on kibble and ignores the bowl.
Weruva Cats in the Kitchen Pantry Pours Senior Support Chicken & Salmon Bisque Wet Cat Food Topper, 1.4-oz pouch, case of 12: best for senior cats
Pantry Pours with senior support. Older cats often eat less because their sense of smell fades, and a strongly aromatic wet pour over their usual food solves more appetite problems than a supplement does. Extra moisture matters more with age too, as kidney function declines.
Weruva Puddy Pops Chicken Grain-Free Lickable Cat Treats, 0.5-oz tube, 50 count: best treat
Puddy Pops lickable chicken treats in a fifty count box. Lickable treats are the practical choice over crunchy ones: they work for medication, for nail trims, and they add a little moisture rather than none at all.
What to know before switching
- Some recipes are complementary. Weruva makes both complete meals and toppers. The Pantry Pours are toppers. Read the panel rather than assuming.
- It is expensive per can. Buying by the case brings the price down considerably, so compare case pricing rather than single cans.
- The texture is unusual. Shredded meat in broth, not pate. Cats raised on pate sometimes refuse it at first.
- Transition slowly. Moving a kibble-only cat to a rich wet diet quickly often causes loose stools. Give it a week or more.
Who should buy Weruva
Buy it if your cat does not drink enough, has a history of urinary trouble, or is heading into their senior years where kidney function starts to matter. Those are the cases where high moisture food earns its price rather than just sounding good.
Skip it if budget is tight, because a cheaper complete wet food still delivers most of the hydration benefit. Getting any wet food into the diet matters far more than which wet food it is. Compare with our best wet cat food picks and the main cat food guide.
The bottom line on Weruva
Weruva is built around the single most useful thing you can change about a cat’s diet, and it executes it well. High moisture, low carbohydrate, visible whole ingredients, and a clean recall record on its own lines.
It is expensive, and the honest version is that any wet food beats no wet food. If you can afford Weruva, Weruva Chicken & Chicken Liver Canned Cat Food, 5.5-oz, 24 ct is the case to start with. If you cannot, buy a cheaper wet food rather than a better kibble. This article is educational rather than veterinary advice, and a cat with urinary symptoms needs a vet the same day.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Is Weruva a good cat food?
Weruva is a high quality wet cat food. It contains around 80 percent moisture, is lower in carbohydrate and higher in protein than typical wet food, uses visible whole ingredients, and its main lines have never been recalled. Price is the main drawback.
Q: Has Weruva cat food been recalled?
Weruva’s main product lines have never been recalled. Sister brand BFF, produced in a separate facility, was recalled in 2017 over low thiamine levels that were linked to illness and some deaths.
Q: Why is high moisture cat food better?
Cats evolved from desert animals and have a weak thirst drive, so they do not drink enough to compensate for a dry diet. Wet food at around 80 percent moisture delivers water alongside calories, which supports kidney and urinary tract health over a lifetime.
Q: Is Weruva complete and balanced?
Weruva makes both complete and balanced meals and complementary toppers. The Pantry Pours range is a topper rather than a full meal, so check the label on each product before feeding it as a sole diet.
Q: Is Weruva good for cats with kidney disease?
Weruva’s high moisture content suits cats prone to kidney and urinary problems, but cats with diagnosed kidney disease often need controlled protein and phosphorus. Talk to your veterinarian before choosing a diet for a cat with CKD.
Q: Why is Weruva so expensive?
Weruva uses whole shredded meat and fish rather than ground by-products, keeps carbohydrate fillers to a minimum, and packs a high proportion of water and real protein into each can. Buying by the case reduces the per-can cost considerably.
Q: Is Weruva better than Tiki Cat?
Weruva and Tiki Cat are closely comparable premium wet foods, both high in moisture and low in carbohydrate with clean recall records on their main lines. Choose on which textures and proteins your cat prefers rather than on nutrition alone.
Hello and welcome to The Ideal Cat!
We are some passionate cat owners from different professions. We love our cats and have a lot of experience in how to care for our pets. We are incredibly excited to share our knowledge, experience, and research with you. So you can take good care of your loving cat. We will answer most of the common questions about owning cats, taking care of them, etc. If you have any question contact with us. Thanks for visiting! Enjoy the content.
