Scrumbles Cat Food Review

Liz Coleman / Cats.com

With an emphasis on sustainability and feline gut health, Scrumbles Cat Food aims to be “Good Inside Out.” We take a deeper look.

The Cats.com Standard—Rating Scrumbles On What Matters

We’ve examined Scrumbles and graded it according to the Cats.com standard, evaluating the brand on species-appropriateness, ingredient quality, product variety, price, customer experience, and recall history.

Here’s how it rates in each of these key areas.

In total, we give Scrumbles cat food a 50 out of 60, or an A- grade.

About Scrumbles Cat Food

Scrumbles is a UK-based pet food brand with a focus on digestive health and environmental sustainability. The company’s tagline sums up their approach to feline nutrition: “easy on tummies, kind to the planet.” And it all starts with thoughtfully sourced and processed ingredients.

Sourcing And Manufacturing

One thing that sets Scrumbles apart is the brand’s genuine commitment to minimizing its impact on the environment. This is more than just hype: Scrumbles is refreshingly transparent about where their ingredients come from and how they manufacture and package their food—they even acknowledge areas where the company falls short, in terms of sustainability.

The company works alongside the University of Bath to identify the most earth-friendly ways to manufacture its food. To reduce food miles, Scrumbles uses local ingredients whenever possible, and they make everything in the UK and Ireland to lower their carbon footprint.

For the protein in their food, Scrumbles uses human-grade British and Irish meats. Their dry food contains fresh, free-range chicken, and their wet food includes a mix of fresh and frozen meat, including organ and carcass meat.

Because their dry food is packed with so much meat (a good thing), it requires a strong moisture barrier to keep it from turning rancid. This takes compostable packaging off the table, but the mono PE bags they use are still recyclable. Scrumbles wet food comes in recyclable trays made with FSC-certified paper. The trays are more efficient to transport than metal tins, which is better for the planet. The protective film on the wet food is one component that isn’t recyclable, but they’re working on alternatives.

Has Scrumbles Cat Food Been Recalled?

It doesn’t appear that Scrumbles cat food has ever been recalled. The UK experienced a pretty devastating outbreak of pancytopenia in the spring/summer of 2021, but Scrumbles was not involved or connected to any of the affected brands.

What Kind of Cat Food Does Scrumbles Offer?

Scrumbles offers dry food, wet food, and treats for cats, dogs, kittens, and puppies. Their dry cat food is available in two flavors: chicken and a blend of chicken & salmon. They make wet food in chicken, turkey, salmon, and tuna. Like the dry food, their fish-flavored wet food is blended with chicken.

Scrumbles cat food is packed with meat and contains low levels of carbs. High levels of animal protein deliver the essential amino acids that cats need. These recipes are made with limited ingredients, which is beneficial for sensitive tums. And all ingredients are gently steam-cooked to preserve nutritional value.

For improved digestion, probiotics and slippery elm are added. They also incorporate vitamins and minerals into their dry and wet foods to make them FEDIAF-compliant.

There’s no salt or sugar added to these foods, and they don’t use artificial colors or preservatives. All Scrumbles recipes are wheat- and gluten-free. They’re considered hypoallergenic because they avoid common allergens like gluten, soy, eggs, and red meat.

Scrumbles Cat Food—Top 3 Recipes Reviewed

#1 Scrumbles Chicken Dry Cat Food

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Chicken appears to be the primary ingredient in this formula.

Scrumbles prides itself on delivering protein-packed cat food. All of their dry food recipes contain a minimum of 75% meat. This chicken recipe is composed of 75% chicken (fresh and dehydrated). They only use free-range chickens from the UK.

For better digestion and immune system support, they’ve added 1 billion live bacteria to this dry food. You’ll also find cranberries for a healthy urinary tract. Plus, there are high levels of omega-3 and 6 fatty acids. Yucca extract is also included, which is said to reduce waste odor.

To form the kibble, white rice is included. This is digestible and gentle on stomachs but doesn’t add much nutritionally. Their dry cat food kibble is roughly 8mm x 8mm.

The company provides percentages for protein, fiber, and fat on its website. The only measurement not listed was “moisture,” but a representative from the company responded to my request for those numbers right away.

Overall, this recipe is high in protein with healthy levels of fat and low carbohydrate content. Each 100-gram serving contains 418 calories or about 119 calories per ounce.

Ingredients

75% Chicken (34% Dehydrated Chicken, 30% Freshly Prepared Chicken, 8% Chicken Fat, 3% Chicken Liver) 19% Rice, 2.7% Dried Alfalfa, 1.5% Salmon Oil, Minerals, Vitamins, 0.4% Dried Cranberry, 0.07% Dried Carrot, Extract of Yucca Schidigera 150mg/kg

Ingredients We Liked: chicken, salmon oil, dried cranberry

Ingredients We Didn’t Like: white rice

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein: 36%

Crude Fat: 21%

Crude Fiber: 2%

Moisture: 8%

Ash: 9%

Dry Matter Basis

Protein: 39.13%

Fat: 22.83%

Fiber: 2.17%

Carbs: 26.09%

Caloric Weight Basis

Protein: 32.43%

Fat: 45.95%

Carbs: 21.62%

Pros

• Packed with chicken
• Limited-ingredient recipe is ideal for cats with allergies or sensitivities
• Includes added vitamins, minerals, and probiotics

Cons

• Pricey
• Kibble is pretty small, which can be harder to eat

#2 Scrumbles Grain-Free Salmon Wet Food

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Salmon and chicken appear to be the primary ingredients in this formula.

Chicken and salmon make up 70% of this wet food recipe. The first ingredient listed is salmon (26%) followed by chicken at 24%. The third ingredient is chicken liver (20%)—meaning this recipe is more chicken-based than fish-based.

This is a complete recipe that provides all the nutrients your cat needs, so you can feed this to them daily if they like wet food. It includes salmon oil and sunflower oil for omega-3 and 6 fatty acids, which are important for a healthy heart, brain, skin, and coat.

The texture is a creamy pate, which is easy for kittens or seniors to eat. Each container is 85 grams (approximately 3 ounces). Containers of wet food can be purchased in 8-, 24-, or 72-pack quantities (the larger quantity you buy, the cheaper your price per kg.)

Overall, this meat-packed recipe is nutritionally complete and has low carbohydrate content. Each 100-gram serving contains 128 calories or about 37 calories per ounce.

Ingredients

26% Fresh Salmon, 24% Chicken, 20% Chicken Liver, Minerals, Salmon Oil 0.1%, Sunflower Oil 0.1%, Slippery Elm 0.05%, 128KCAL/100G

Ingredients We Liked: fresh salmon, salmon oil, slippery elm

Ingredients We Didn’t Like: chicken liver (makes this recipe more chicken-based than fish)

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein: 10%

Crude Fat: 10%

Crude Fiber: 0.5%

Moisture: 75%

Ash: 3.2%

Dry Matter Basis

Protein: 40%

Fat: 40%

Fiber: 2%

Carbs: 5.2%

Caloric Weight Basis

Protein: 28.1%

Fat: 68.25%

Carbs: 3.65%

Pros

• Leads with meat-based protein
• Limited-ingredient recipe
• Grain-free

Cons

• Includes more chicken than salmon
• Expensive

#3 Scrumbles Gnashers: Cat Dental Treats

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Chicken appears to be the primary ingredient in this formula.

Currently, Scrumbles only offers 2 types of cat treats: a dental variety and calming treats. These dental treats contain 50% chicken, with only a few additional ingredients (chickpea, sweet potato, and slippery elm). Slippery elm is a prebiotic that helps with hairballs by lubricating the lining of your cat’s gut.

These dental “Gnashers” contain sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP), which is safe for cats and has been clinically proven to reduce plaque up to 80%. These treats also have a crunchy texture to remove plaque and keep teeth clean.

While the website says ingredients like pumpkin seeds and coconut oil are added for extra crunch, they’re not included in the list of ingredients.

Bags are sold in 60-gram units (roughly 2 ounces).

Each 100-gram serving contains 357 calories or about 102 calories per ounce.

Ingredients

Chicken 50% (Dehydrated chicken 40%, Chicken Liver 5%, Chicken Fat 5%), Chickpea, Sweet Potato, Slippery Elm (0.1%), Sodium Hexametaphosphate (0.1%)

Ingredients We Liked: chicken, slippery elm

Ingredients We Didn’t Like: sweet potato

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein: 35%

Crude Fat: 11%

Crude Fiber: 3%

Moisture: 10%

Ash: 7%

Dry Matter Basis

Protein: 38.89%

Fat: 12.22%

Fiber: 3.33%

Carbs: 37.78%

Caloric Weight Basis

Protein: 36.57%

Fat: 27.91%

Carbs: 35.52%

Pros

• Helps maintain good dental health
• Helps with hairballs
• Short ingredient list

Cons

• Inconsistent biscuit sizes
• Some cats might not like the taste

What Do Customers Think of Scrumbles Cat Food?

Reviews are largely positive for Scrumbles cat food. Cats seem to enjoy their dry and wet foods, and plenty of pet parents note dramatic improvements in their pets’ smelly poops and overall wellness. Scrumbles dental treats, however, ranked a little lower, with a number of cat parents reporting their pets didn’t go for the treats.

Cat parents note that the product is pricey, but most acknowledge it’s an investment in their cat’s long-term health and consider this food to be worth the extra money. Folks also praise the company’s customer service, which I can personally vouch for: when I reached out with a question, I received a speedy and helpful response.

Positive Reviews

“My cat has always had a sensitive stomach, but she’s also a fussy eater. I switched her over to Scrumbles gradually, using both wet and dry food. Not only does she love this, but her “output” is much, much better as well. Game-changer!” – Anonymous verified review of Scrumbles Chicken Dry Cat Food

“Big thumbs (paws?) up from my two cats. They have sensitive stomachs and we’ve struggled with a lot of premium and independent brands who speak of their quality and impact on stomachs, but unfortunately, my cats didn’t fare very well. Scrumbles wet food has been amazing so far, my cats seem to love the taste and texture—plus I love the very visible results of this high-quality food. Soft shiny coats, much less smelly toilet activity, and I don’t mean to be gross but we have had a HUGE change in consistency—and that really is the biggest indicator that their tummies are enjoying the ingredients! Love the brand’s commitment to environmental causes. Really pleased to be supporting a company with strong ethics, and clearly a lot of research has been done into every area.” – Julia reviewing Scrumbles Grain-Free Salmon Pate

Negative Reviews

“Swanson wasn’t interested. The texture was too hard I think. Didn’t smell of much which is probably why he didn’t respond well—usually, he goes for things that smell meatier or fishy. The packaging is great. If he would eat them it’s good to know they’re good for his teeth. Just a shame he didn’t want them.” – Julie reviewing Scrumbles Gnashers Dental Treats

“I loved the packaging and the fact it was recyclable. However, the dry food smell was really strong. My cat didn’t seem to enjoy the product.” Laura reviewing Scrumbles Chicken Dry Cat Food

How Much Does Scrumbles Cat Food Cost?

Scrumbles cat food isn’t cheap, but if you’re trying to resolve an unpleasant GI issue, the cost may be worth it. You can save by purchasing larger quantities (provided your cat has already given their seal of approval). Their Dry Chicken Cat Food is £7.6/kg. If you spring for the 72-pack of Salmon Wet Food, you’re looking at £10.78/kg.

The company’s website provides a calculator to help pet parents determine the amount of Scrumbles food their cat will need. The company also offers a subscribe and save option, where subscribers can save a considerable 15%.

Overall, Is Scrumbles a Good Choice?

For cats with allergies or sensitive stomachs, yes, we think it’s a solid option. Scrumbles offers meat-packed foods with limited, recognizable ingredients. Based on positive reports from real cat owners, this food can contribute to better digestion and overall health. If variety is what you seek, however, Scrumbles may leave you disappointed. The company doesn’t offer any recipes with pork, beef, or lamb.

Where is Scrumbles Cat Food Sold?

You can buy Scrumbles cat food directly from their site, as well as other online retailers including Paws, Ocado, Amazon, and Pets at Home. In stores, you can find Scrumbles at Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Wilko, and independent pet shops.