Lucy Pet Cat Food Review

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Lucy Pet Cat Food featured image

Kate Barrington / Cats.com

Lucy Pet Products offers “formulas for life” and sales of the food support the mission of the Lucy Pet Foundation. But is the food worthy of making it into your cat’s bowl? Find out in this detailed review of Lucy Pet cat food.

The Cats.com Standard—Rating Lucy Pet on What Matters

We’ve analyzed Lucy Pet and graded it according to the Cats.com standard. Here’s how it rates in each of six key areas:

Ratings

  • Species-Appropriateness – 8/10
  • Ingredient Quality – 8/10
  • Product Variety – 6/10
  • Price – 6/10
  • Customer Experience – 7/10
  • Recall History – 10/10

Overall Score: 7.5/10

We give Lucy Pet cat food a 45 out of 60 rating or a B+ grade.

Why Trust Cats.com

When we review cat food brands, we start by performing extensive research into the company’s history and its position within the industry. Our experts delve into the brand’s ingredient sourcing and manufacturing practices, reaching out to the company directly when such information isn’t readily available. We also read reviews to get a feel for customer satisfaction with the brand and to learn what potential concerns to keep in mind when performing our own in-house testing.

The entire review process is funded by Cats.com with no direct influence from the brands we review. This process involves in-depth analysis of several cat food products as well as real-world testing with our own cats. We evaluate individual products on their nutritional merits and rely on our cats’ opinions to assess metrics like flavor and general appeal.

About Lucy Pet

Lucy Pet Products was founded in 2015 by Joey Herrick who drew inspiration from his rescue dog, a chihuahua mix named Lucy. But Lucy Pet Foods wasn’t the first company created in Lucy’s name—or even Herrick’s first pet food company. Herrick is also the founder of Natural Balance Pet Foods and of the Lucy Pet Foundation.

The Lucy Pet Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) animal charity with a mission to help reduce pet overpopulation. Through mobile spay/neuter/adoption mobiles, the Foundation has performed over 30,000 free spay and neuter procedures throughout Southern California. The Foundation also hosts free vaccination events and supports local animal rescues.

Lucy Pet Products was launched to help fund the Lucy Pet Foundation, which is why Herrick refers to Lucy Pet foods as “products with a cause.” Lucy Pet dry cat food products are formulated to support healthy digestion and natural immunity, featuring prebiotic fiber in both recipes. The brand’s wet foods are designed to mimic homemade meals with a chunks-in-gravy texture and plenty of animal-sourced protein.

Sourcing and Manufacturing

Lucy Pet Products is based in Westlake Village in California, USA. The products are manufactured and distributed by Breeder’s Choice Pet Foods, LLC with globally sourced ingredients. Breeder’s Choice is a pet food manufacturer with over 75 years of history in the industry. It’s currently owned by a group of Southern California investors, including Joey Herrick.

According to the company’s website, Lucy Pet’s nutrition team includes professionals from the pet industry with a combined 200 years of experience in canine and feline nutrition. The website mentions a Dual Ph.D. Nutritionist Formulation Team as well as “Safe Quality Food (SQF) Level 2” Certified Ingredient Sourcing Specialists.

Not only are Lucy Pet products formulated and made in company-owned kitchens, but each batch is rigorously tested to ensure it meets the guaranteed analysis and is free from pathogens and contaminants.

Recall History

To our knowledge, Lucy Pet cat food has never been recalled. Customers can access the safety lab test results for specific batches using the product code on the label at PetFoodSafetyLab.com.

What Kind of Cat Food Does Lucy Pet Offer?

Lucy Pet cat food packaging.

Kate Barrington / Cats.com

Lucy Pet offers a variety of dog and cat food products, though the selection of cat foods is the more limited of the two. The cat food line does not include fresh food rolls like the dog food line, but it does include dry cat food, wet cat food, and lickable cat treats.

There are two Lucy Pet dry cat food recipes to choose from, both of which are marketed as limited ingredient formulas. One recipe is grain-inclusive, featuring chicken and brown rice as main ingredients. The other is grain-free, made with salmon and quinoa. Both recipes contain multiple animal proteins and are enriched with prebiotic fiber to support a healthy gut microbiome.

Lucy Pet’s wet cat food line is called Kettle Creations and includes the following formulas:

  • Chicken Recipe in Gravy
  • Chicken and Duck Recipe in Gravy
  • Sardine and Tuna Recipe in Gravy
  • Salmon and Chicken Recipe in Gravy

All four of Lucy Pet’s wet cat food recipes contain pumpkin as a source of fiber and all but one contain brown rice. Only the chicken recipe is a single-protein formula, though the Sardine and Tuna recipe appears to be fish-only (it doesn’t contain chicken ingredients).

What Did Our Test Cats Think?

Cat testing lucy pet cat food products

Kate Barrington / Cats.com

To test Lucy Pet Foods, I purchased the Kitty Heart Bowl Sampler through the Lucy Pet Products website. This sample pack includes two 2-ounce sample bags of both dry food formulas, three 2.47-ounce (70g) cans of wet food, and an orange fiesta ware heart-shaped bowl. Though not listed on the product page, I also received a sample of each of Lucy Pet’s lickable cat treats.

My sampler pack arrived fairly quickly and I was surprised to find it nicely wrapped, like a gift basket. I was particularly pleased to find the heart-shaped bowl is sturdy and the right size and depth for my cats to eat from easily. It’s also very easy to clean.

Though I only reviewed three recipes in-depth below, I tested all the products I received with my two cats, Biscuit and Munchkin. Biscuit enjoyed the wet foods which had a chunky texture with plenty of liquid. The lickable cat treats were Munchkin’s favorite from Lucy Pet.

Lucy Pet Cat Food—Top 3 Recipes Reviewed

Product Name Food Type Main Protein Calories Per Ounce Price Our Grade
Chicken, Brown Rice & Pumpkin Limited Ingredient Formula Dry Cat Food Dry Chicken 103 kcal/oz. $5.32 per lb B-
Salmon, Pumpkin & Quinoa Limited Ingredient Formula Dry Cat Food Dry Salmon 105 kcal/oz. $4.1 per lb C
Kettle Creations Chicken & Duck Recipe in Gravy Wet Chicken 22 kcal/oz. $0.67 per oz A-

#1 Lucy Pet Chicken, Brown Rice & Pumpkin Limited Ingredient Formula Dry Cat Food

Lucy Pet Products Chicken, Brown Rice & Pumpkin Limited Ingredient Diet Cat Food

Marketed as a limited ingredient diet, this dry cat food formula features chicken and chicken meal as the top two ingredients. With supplemental protein from turkey meal, the formula delivers a dry matter protein content of nearly 37%. It also relies primarily on animal-sourced fat from chicken fat and fish oil.

This recipe appears to be high in carbohydrates, as is typical for dry cat food, but most of it comes from nutritious whole grains like brown rice and oatmeal. The food has moderate fiber content, including a proprietary blend of prebiotic fibers designed to support healthy microbial balance in the digestive tract.

Overall, this Lucy Pet dry food delivers moderate levels of protein and fat with significant carbohydrate content. It seems to be easily digestible for cats and the small kibble size makes it less challenging to eat for cats with dental issues.

Ingredients

Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Turkey Meal, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Dried Pumpkin, Dried Carrots, Brewers Dried Yeast, Oatmeal, Fish Oil, Natural Flavor, Dried Miscanthus Grass, Flaxseeds, Dried Chicory Root, DL-methionine, Dried Kelp, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Dried Cranberries, Dried Parsley, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin), Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate), Taurine, Choline Chloride, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate, Mixed Tocopherols (preservative), L-carnitine, Turmeric, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract, Spearmint Extract.

Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Chicken Fat, Fish OIl

Ingredients We Didn’t Like: None

Guaranteed Analysis

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Crude Protein: 33%
Crude Fat: 15%
Crude Fiber: 5%
Moisture: 10%

Dry Matter Basis

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Protein: 36.67%
Fat: 16.67%
Fiber: 5.56%
Carbs: 41.11%

Caloric Weight Basis

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Protein: 31.01%
Fat: 34.23%
Carbs: 34.77%

What We Liked:

  • Made primarily with animal-sourced protein and fat
  • Carbohydrates come from nutritious sources
  • Enriched with prebiotic fiber for digestive support
  • Small kibbles are easy for cats to eat

What We Didn’t Like:

  • No dry food provides the moisture your cat needs
  • High in carbohydrates

#2 Lucy Pet Salmon, Pumpkin & Quinoa Limited Ingredient Formula Dry Cat Food

Lucy Pet Products formulas for Life Salmon, Pumpkin & Quinoa formula Grain-Free Dry Cat Food

Compared to the previous Lucy Pet formula, this dry food is a little lower in protein and a little higher in fat, but the difference is minor. The main difference is that this is a grain-free formula that relies heavily on pulses like chickpeas and peas. These ingredients are generally less valuable for cats than whole grains because they’re tougher to digest and contain lectins which may interfere with the absorption of key nutrients.

Like the previous recipe, this one relies mainly on animal-sourced fats like chicken fat and fish oil. It also contains the same prebiotic fiber blend for digestive support and comes in small, round kibbles.

Ingredients

Salmon, Chicken Meal, Dried Chickpeas, Salmon Meal, Dried Peas, Pea Starch, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Dried Pumpkin, Quinoa, Dried Carrots, Natural Flavor, Ground Miscanthus Grass, Flaxseeds, Fish Oil, Dried Chicory Root, DL-Methionine, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Dried Kelp, Dried Cranberries, Choline Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin), Taurine, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Iodate), Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), Citric Acid (Preservative), Turmeric, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Rosemary Extract.

Ingredients We Liked: Salmon, Chicken Meal, Salmon Meal, Chicken Fat, Fish Oil

Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Dried Chickpeas, Dried Peas, Pea Starch

Guaranteed Analysis

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Crude Protein: 32%
Crude Fat: 15%
Crude Fiber: 6%
Moisture: 12%

Dry Matter Basis

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Protein: 36.36%
Fat: 17.05%
Fiber: 6.82%
Carbs: 39.77%

Caloric Weight Basis

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Protein: 30.94%
Fat: 35.22%
Carbs: 33.84%

What We Liked:

  • Relies primarily on animal protein and fat
  • Enriched with prebiotics for digestive support
  • Small kibbles are easy for cats to eat

What We Didn’t Like:

  • Relies heavily on pulses like peas
  • High in carbohydrates
  • No dry food provides the moisture your cat needs

#3 Lucy Pet Kettle Creations Chicken & Duck Recipe in Gravy

Lucy Pet Products Kettle Creations Chicken & Duck Recipe in Gravy Wet Cat Food

One of Lucy Pet’s four wet food formulas, this recipe features chicken as the primary protein. With supplemental protein from duck and tuna, the food contains 50% dry matter protein.

It’s a fairly low-fat recipe at 12.5% dry matter fat, and higher in carbohydrates than many premium wet foods. While brown rice is a nutritious carbohydrate, tapioca starch doesn’t offer much in the way of nutrition and is likely used as a thickening agent.

This recipe is high in protein but appears to rely on plant-sourced fat from sunflower oil. An animal-based source would be preferable, especially when the dry matter fat content is somewhat low to begin with. As a benefit, however, the food is rich in hydrating moisture and free from artificial additives.

Ingredients

Chicken Broth, Chicken, Pumpkin, Duck, Tuna, Brown Rice, Sunflower Oil, Tricalcium Phosphate, Tapioca Starch, Guar Gum, Salt, Minerals (Zinc Oxide, Reduced Iron, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Potassium Iodide), Choline Chloride, Taurine, Magnesium Sulfate, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source Of Vitamin K Activity).

Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Duck, Tuna

Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Sunflower Oil, Tapioca Starch, Guar Gum

Guaranteed Analysis

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Crude Protein: 8%
Crude Fat: 2%
Crude Fiber: 2%
Moisture: 84%

Dry Matter Basis

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Protein: 50%
Fat: 12.5%
Fiber: 12.5%
Carbs: 25%

Caloric Weight Basis

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Protein: 47.46%
Fat: 28.81%
Carbs: 23.73%

What We Liked:

  • Contains 50% dry matter protein
  • Rich in hydrating moisture
  • Free from artificial additives

What We Didn’t Like:

  • Guar gum may trigger loose stools in some cats
  • Relies on plant-sourced fat

What Do Customers Think of Lucy Pet Cat Food?

While Lucy Pet has been around for about a decade, it doesn’t have a strong online presence. This may be because the brand is based in Southern California and only sold locally in stores.

Online reviews are sparse with most cat food products having fewer than 50 ratings on Chewy and fewer than 100 ratings on Amazon. The exception is Lucy Pet’s salmon recipe dry cat food which had over 800 ratings on Amazon at the time of this review.

Positive Reviews

Satisfied customers frequently comment on the quality of Lucy Pet cat foods, some saying the higher price tag is worth it for their cats. Several customers mention improved digestion on Lucy Pet dry cat food and others approve of the amount of moisture in the wet foods.

“One of my ferals has had serious bowel issues since she came into my care… The last bout of issues came with terrible diarrhea and bloody stool. I did everything, from antibiotics to probiotics to freeze dried food. Nothing helped. I found this food, and figured the pumpkin might help. It did!! Her stool was completely firm within a week of getting this food.” – Christina reviewing Lucy Pet Chicken, Brown Rice & Pumpkin dry cat food on Chewy.com, April 13, 2024

“This brand was given for free at the local adoption center, but we continued to feed our cats at home with this food… The quality of the ingredients is top notch for the value for money. I think the cats have an easier time digesting this food, and give them the necessary energy they need.” – Ryan reviewing Lucy Pet Chicken, Brown Rice & Pumpkin dry cat food on Amazon.com, May 30, 2024

Negative Reviews

Dissatisfied customers frequently comment that their cats simply weren’t interested in Lucy Pet food. Several reviews mention that the dry food goes stale quickly, so this could account for its low appeal in some cases. Negative reviews of Lucy Pet wet cat food often mention inconsistent texture between batches and the high price of the food.

“Lucy dry food is so great I had high hopes for the wet food. It’s all broth, not much meat. Cats weren’t interested. So disappointing.” – Heidi Zysk reviewing Lucy Pet Chicken and Duck wet cat food on Amazon.com, May 23, 2024

“My cats are not super picky, but they just sniff the Lucy brand dry food and won’t eat it. We tried it for 6 meals when they were meowing that they were hungry but have no interest in this food.” – Tumblewind reviewing Lucy Pet Salmon, Pumpkin & Quinoa dry cat food on Amazon.com, February 20, 2024

How Much Does Lucy Pet Cat Food Cost?

Lucy Pet is marketed as a premium pet food brand and its prices reflect that. If you buy directly from Lucy Pet, you’ll pay $20.99 for a case of 12 cans of wet cat food. This averages out to about $0.71 per ounce. You can save 5% with an autoship order.

As with many cat food brands, Lucy Pet dry cat foods cost significantly less per ounce than wet cat foods. You’ll get the best price on Lucy Pet dry food by buying the 10-pound versus 4-pound bag. Prices vary on different retailers but, on the brand’s website, a 10-pound bag of dry food costs $39.99 (about $0.25 per ounce).

Using the example of a 10-pound cat with a daily calorie requirement of 200 calories, the estimated feeding cost for Lucy Pet cat food would be about $0.50 per day for dry food and about $6.50 for wet food.

Where Is Lucy Pet Cat Food Sold?

The entire lineup of Lucy Pet products is available for purchase directly from the brand and from several major online pet retailers. While you can purchase any of Lucy Pet’s cat foods on Chewy.com or Amazon.com, the sample packs are only sold on the brand’s website. You can also purchase bundles of dry cat food bags on the Lucy Pet website.

Lucy Pet products are also sold in stores but mostly in Southern California near the company’s Irwindale plant. To see if Lucy Pet cat food is sold in a store near you, use the Store Locator on the Lucy Pet website.

Overall, Is Lucy Pet Cat Food a Good Choice?

Marketed as a super-premium pet food line, Lucy Pet products don’t distinguish themselves against some of the more economically priced brands we’ve reviewed. The dry foods are decent for the price point but the flavor seems pretty hit-or-miss with cats. Lucy Pet wet foods are much more expensive and are less biologically ideal than you might expect at the price.

What does set Lucy Pet apart from many brands is that sales support a good cause—the Lucy Pet Foundation’s efforts to help reduce pet overpopulation. This brand might make the most sense for cat owners who live in Southern California and can purchase the products locally (and maybe even benefit from some of the Lucy Pet Foundation’s programming themselves).

Generally speaking, Lucy Pet products are certainly better than discount brands like Friskies and Fancy Feast. But you may be able to find something of similar or higher quality at a lower price point.

Similar Brands

Looking for other cat food brands similar to Lucy Pet? Check out some of our other brand reviews.

 

Note: The values in our nutrient charts are automatically calculated based on the guaranteed analysis and may not represent typical nutrient values. This may lead to discrepancies between the charts and the values mentioned in the body of the review.
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About Kate Barrington

Kate Barrington is a writer with over twelve years of experience in the pet industry. She is an NAVC-certified Pet Nutrition Coach and has completed coursework in therapeutic nutrition, raw feeding, and the formulation of homemade diets for pets at an accredited university. Kate enjoys cooking, reading, and doing DIY projects around the house. She has three cats, Bagel, Munchkin, and Biscuit.

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