Published Apr 19, 2019
Solid Gold promises to unleash your pet’s “inner gold”, but is it a nutritious and safe choice for your cat? Find out in our unbiased Solid Gold cat food review.
The Cats.com Standard—Rating Solid Gold on What Matters
We’ve analyzed Solid Gold 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 six key areas.
Ratings
- Species-Appropriateness – 7/10
- Ingredient Quality – 7/10
- Product Variety – 8/10
- Price – 7/10
- Customer Experience – 9/10
- Recall History – 5/10
Overall Score: 7.1/10
We give Solid Gold cat food a 43 out of 60 rating or a B grade.
About Solid Gold
Sissy Harrington-McGill founded Solid Gold after noticing a difference between dogs living in Germany and those who lived in the United States.
Sissy, a competitive Great Dane handler, observed that while her Great Danes lived to be seven to nine years old in the United States, German-born dogs who remained in Europe lived three to four years longer. Concluding that diet was the only difference between the European Danes and those who lived in America,
Sissy started working to bring German dog food standards to the United States. Inspired by the country that she believed could produce longer-lived Great Danes, the original Solid Gold formula was called Hund-N-Flocken, a German name meaning “dog flakes”.
When Solid Gold launched in the 1970s, it was one of the first pet food brands to use the holistic label, incorporating a variety of what the company describes as “carefully curated superfoods”.
Solid Gold has continued to expand over the course of their near-50-year history. Most recently, the company was acquired by Health & Happiness Group International Holding Ltd. (H&H Group). Solid Gold represents the company’s first venture into the global pet food market.
Sourcing and Manufacturing
Solid Gold sources ingredients from around the globe, including pollock from Alaska, duck from France, and venison from Australia. Solid Gold refuses to purchase any ingredients from China. You can find a full list for the sourcing of ingredients in their FAQs.
U.S. company headquarters are based near St. Louis, but Solid Gold doesn’t manufacture any of their own products. However, they claim to maintain strict oversight of all sourcing and manufacturing processes. All of Solid Gold’s dry cat food is manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods in the United States. Most of their wet cat food is made in Thailand.
With the recent acquisition by H&H Group, the manufacturing of Solid Gold products may change. For now, however, it appears that Solid Gold dry foods are still made in the USA and wet foods in Thailand.
Has Solid Gold Cat Food Been Recalled?
Several varieties of Solid Gold dog food were recalled in 2012 when their manufacturer discovered salmonella in their Gaston, South Carolina facility.
In 2018, consumers filed a lawsuit against Solid Gold, accusing the company of failing to disclose the presence of “heavy metals, chemicals, and/or toxins” in its food. Third party testing revealed that Solid Gold cat food contains heavy metals and toxins, including BPA. According to Petful, however, all of the heavy metals and toxins were present in levels below the maximum tolerable limits established by the FDA.
What Kinds Of Cat Food Does Solid Gold Offer?
Solid Gold offers a wide variety of wet and dry cat food. Their lineup includes a variety of formulations for cats’ unique needs, including weight management needs, life stages, and more.
Solid Gold says that 20 nutrient-dense superfoods are at the heart of each of their dry food recipes. These so-called superfoods are ocean fish meal, egg protein, pumpkin, cranberry, spearmint, carrot, apple, watercress, rosemary, lentil, celery, parsley, almond oil, beet, sesame oil, blueberry, broccoli, thyme, chicory root, dried kelp, spinach, and salmon oil.
Their wet food menu emphasizes texture and includes bisques, patés, shreds, stews, and layered multi-textured meals.
Whether wet or dry, all Solid Gold recipes feature meat as the first ingredient. They’re free of animal by-products, chemical preservatives, artificial ingredients, and carrageenan.
Solid Gold Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Price | Our Grade |
| Solid Gold Indigo Moon with Chicken & Eggs Grain-Free Dry Cat Food | Dry | $4.94 per lb | C+ |
| Solid Gold Fit as a Fiddle with Fresh Caught Alaskan Pollock Grain-Free Adult Dry Cat Food | Dry | $4.94 per lb | C- |
| Solid Gold Five Oceans Shreds with Real Tuna Recipe in Gravy Grain-Free Canned Cat Food | Wet | $0.55 per oz | B |
#1 Solid Gold Indigo Moon with Chicken & Eggs Grain-Free Dry Cat Food Review
Chicken meal appears to be the primary protein source in this dry cat food.
This is one of Solid Gold’s most popular recipes. Customer reviews are overwhelmingly positive—both humans and cats seem to love this chicken-based recipe.
The kibble is primarily made from animal protein sources, including protein-dense chicken meal as the first ingredient. Before any more meats and protein sources, however, the food contains a few plant ingredients. Like many grain-free kibble foods, this food contains potatoes, a starchy ingredient that helps to give the food its structure. Canola oil is the third ingredient.
It’s followed by a variety of animal protein sources, including chicken, ocean fish meal, and dried eggs. Pea protein, a concentrated source of plant protein, is the last primary ingredient before a long list of synthetic supplements and Solid Gold’s signature blend of the fruits, vegetables, oils, and herbs they call superfoods.
Overall, this is a meat-rich dry food with moderate protein, low fat, and moderate carbohydrate content. Compared to most dry foods, it’s rich in animal ingredients with minimal plant protein and low carbohydrate matter.
There are 455 calories in each cup of this dry cat food.
Ingredients
Chicken Meal, Potatoes, Canola Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Peas, Chicken, Ocean Fish Meal, Dried Eggs, Natural Flavors, Pea Protein, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Dl-Methionine, Salmon Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), L-Carnitine, Dried Chicory Root, Carrots, Pumpkin, Apples, Cranberries, Blueberries, Broccoli, Parsley, Spearmint, Almond Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Sesame Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Kelp, Thyme, Lentils, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Sulfate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Folic Acid, Calcium Iodate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Rosemary Extract, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Salmon Oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Potatoes, Peas, Pea Protein, Canola Oil
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Primarily made from high-value animal protein sources
- Relatively high protein content
- Free of artificial additives
- Low carbohydrate content compared to other dry foods
Cons
- Contains multiple plant ingredients
- Fails to provide the hydration cats need
#2 Solid Gold Fit as a Fiddle with Fresh Caught Alaskan Pollock Grain-Free Adult Dry Cat Food Review
Pollock appears to be the primary protein source in this dry cat food.
Compared to the Indigo Moon recipe reviewed above, Solid Gold’s Fit as a Fiddle formula has about 30% fewer calories per serving. It’s a light food geared towards cats who need to lose weight.
Alaskan pollock is the first ingredient in this recipe. After fish, the food contains peas, tapioca, and chickpeas. All of these ingredients contribute to the food’s high overall carbohydrate content. Turkey meal is added as a concentrated source of animal protein, followed by pollock meal, a dehydrated form of the pollock used as the first ingredient. Chicken meal is added as the third rendered meal in the food.
Like many grain-free foods, this product contains potatoes as a primary carbohydrate source. The low-fat recipe contains three fat sources—chicken fat, salmon oil, and canola oil.
Solid Gold explains that this recipe contains 16 “nutrient-dense superfoods”. These ingredients contribute antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, prebiotic fiber, and may help to improve digestive and immune health. They include berries, spearmint, almond and sesame oil, and probiotics.
Overall, this food has moderate protein content, low fat, and high carbohydrate content.
The food has 330 calories per cup.
Ingredients
Pollock, Peas, Tapioca, Chickpeas, Turkey Meal, Pea Fiber, Pollock Meal, Chicken Meal, Potatoes, Dried Eggs, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Flavors, Canola Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Dl-Methionine, Salmon Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Taurine, Calcium Sulfate, Carrots, Pumpkin, Parsley, Apples, Cranberries, Blueberries, Lettuce, Celery, Beets, Watercress, Spinach, Dried Chicory Root, Broccoli, Spearmint, Almond Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Sesame Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Kelp, Thyme, Lentils, L-Carnitine, Vitamins, Minerals, Protected Probiotics.
Ingredients We Liked: Pollock, Chicken Fat, Salmon Oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Peas, Tapioca, Chickpeas, Pea Fiber, Potatoes
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Primarily made from animal protein sources
- Doesn’t contain any plant or animal by-products
- A low-fat, low-calorie food that may help cats lose weight
- Free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
Cons
- High carbohydrate content
- Fish-based foods aren’t ideal for cats
- May not be satisfying enough for cats who need to lose weight
- Doesn’t provide the hydration cats need
#3 Solid Gold Five Oceans Shreds with Real Tuna Recipe in Gravy Grain-Free Canned Cat Food Review
Tuna appears to be the primary protein source in this wet cat food.
Unlike other Solid Gold foods with a long list of fruits, vegetables, and nutraceuticals, this popular canned food has a simple meat-based recipe.
It’s primarily made from tuna, followed by water and tapioca starch as a thickener. Sunflower oil is the primary fat source, though the food also includes canola oil. Carrots, pumpkin, and spinach add color, fiber, and nutrients.
The food is thickened with xanthan gum and supplemented with a variety of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
It’s described as a shredded food, though reviewers say the texture is irregular with both shreds and chunks of tuna in gravy.
Overall, this canned food is a meat-based product that’s high in protein with low fat and low carbohydrate content.
There are 161 calories in each 6-ounce can or about 27 calories per ounce.
Ingredients
Tuna, Water Sufficient For Processing, Tapioca Starch, Sunflower Oil, Carrots, Pumpkin, Spinach, Canola Oil, Tricalcium Phosphate, Calcium Sulfate, Xanthan Gum, Taurine, Magnesium Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Vitamin E Supplement, Reduced Iron, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin A Supplement, Manganese Sulfate Monohydrate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Potassium Iodide, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source Of Vitamin K).
Ingredients We Liked: Tuna
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Tapioca Starch, Sunflower Oil, Carrots
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Made from named meats rather than vaguely-labeled meals and by-products
- Low carbohydrate content
- Free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
Cons
- Fish-based foods aren’t ideal for cats
What Do Customers Think of Solid Gold Cat Food?
Solid Gold has enjoyed a cult following since its creation in the 1970s. Most customers, whether second-generation buyers or new Solid Gold customers, praise the brand’s palatability and say their pets thrive on it.
Here are a few real customer reviews of Solid Gold cat food on Chewy:
Positive Reviews
“I purchased this flavor as well as the antioxidant blend. I specifically did this to see which food my kitties would go for. I started off with the antioxidant blend and they didn’t touch it. I tried the chicken and egg and they immediately went for it! They seem to really enjoy it. I haven’t noticed any constipation, diarrhea or throwing up. So far, so good!” – Julie, reviewing Solid Gold Indigo Moon with Chicken & Eggs
“My 2 girls are 16 and 17. I started them on solid gold around 10 years ago. Iams made them shed insane amounts and science diet made them puke. I can’t say enough good things about Solid Gold. My only wish is for it to be cheaper. But I only have my girls left for a little while longer so why not give them a quality food that makes them feel and look great!” – 4paws8claws, reviewing Solid Gold Fit as a Fiddle with Fresh Caught Alaskan Pollock
Negative Reviews
“This is a combination of dark and light tuna in a thick gravy-like sauce. My cats will eat the lighter tuna (looks like chicken chunks), but the can contains only a small amount of the light tuna. Every one of the cats I feed (this includes the ferals), turn their nose up to the dark tuna which, unfortunately, is the majority of the can. It looks & smells like a pulverized mash of the tuna’s offal and waste. For this reason I have been having a difficult time getting rid of a whole case. Gave it 2 stars because it is a natural product with tuna as #1 ingredient.” – cessnagirl, reviewing Solid Gold Five Oceans Shreds with Real Tuna Recipe in Gravy
“For the second time in 3 months I received bad batch of the food, upon opening it the size is larger and kibble is darker, it is causing upset tummy aches in kitties causing diarrhea,Chewys replaced my first order of 3 bags with a diff lot number quickly but after this second time I will NO LONGER purchase this food, it is officially on my bad list.” – colossalKitty, reviewing Solid Gold Indigo Moon with Chicken & Eggs
How Much Does Solid Gold Cat Food Cost?
According to the company’s feeding guidelines, it would cost about $2.72 per day to feed a 10-lb cat Solid Gold’s Five Oceans line of canned food. Most of Solid Gold’s wet foods are similarly-priced with the exception of the Triple Layer line, which might cost about $5.18 per day.
Like most cat food brands, Solid Gold’s dry recipes are significantly cheaper than the wet formulas. It would cost about $0.34 per day to feed a 10-lb cat Solid Gold dry kibble.
Overall, Is Solid Gold a Good Choice?
For over 40 years, Solid Gold has maintained a strong reputation for safety and ingredient quality. Their foods receive excellent customer reviews and most cats seem to like the way they taste.
Solid Gold cat food isn’t nutritionally stellar, but it’s definitely above average. Solid Gold dry foods have relatively low carbohydrate content and, unlike many other kibble products, emphasize animal protein over protein from plants. Their wet food is similar—it’s not the best, nor is it the worst.
Solid Gold is mid-priced and of moderate quality. It’s a reliable brand with a wide variety of options for people who want something better than the standard grocery fare, but it lacks the meatiness of other brands like Hound & Gatos and Ziwi Peak.
Where Is Solid Gold Cat Food Sold?
Solid Gold is currently available in stores around the United States, Canada, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand. Online, you can buy Solid Gold cat food through Chewy, Amazon, and Petco’s website.
Also Read: Solid Gold Tropical Blendz Cat Food Review and Q&A
Hi Mallory! Do you have any thoughts on the solid gold winged-tiger formula for sensitive bellies? My Maine-coon mix has been on it for about two years now and seems to be doing well, but now that he’s around 4 years old (and I have a better job) I’m debating switching him to science diet or something that may be better for him in the long run. He also gets half a can of either the digest sensitive or Maine coon wet food from royal canin once a day as well. Let me know, thanks!
Hello Sage, thanks for reaching out, and apologies for the late reply. So, I’m not a veterinary nutritionist, and it’s difficult to say exactly which foods will be best for a cat’s overall wellbeing in general. Based on my research, however, it seems that Hill’s’ biggest advantages are in its R&D strength. The food is not necessarily better for cats, and I see no reason why a cat who’s doing well on Solid Gold’s Winged Tiger recipe would do better on a Science Diet formula.
Taking a closer look at Winged Tiger, it looks like a decent dry food—it seems to be relatively high in protein, emphasizes dense sources of animal-derived nutrition, has chicken fat and salmon oil to provide beneficial fatty acids, and contains a combination of prebiotic fiber (from dried chicory root) and guaranteed levels of probiotic bacteria.
Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach is a little bit lower in protein and higher in fat, with seemingly less protein and other nutrients from animal ingredients. it contains chicken fat as a source of beneficial fatty acids and fructooligosaccharides as a prebiotic.
The Science Diet recipe certainly has more customer reviews and a stronger reputation among vets, but in terms of ingredients and nutrient distribution, I don’t see anything in it that immediately strikes me as superior to your familiar Solid Gold food.
Again, nutrition is a tricky territory, and I’m not a vet nor a veterinary nutritionist, so I can’t speak definitively on this subject. However, I hope that this little comparison helps to give you something more to work with when making this decision.
Best,
Mallory
Just and FYI Solid Gold cat food pate canned food is made in Thailand and the Missouri based company was acquired by Health & Happiness Group International Holdings which is based in Hong Kong.
Thank you for sharing this important news! We’ll update the article accordingly.
I wanna know how good or bad solid gold dry cat food
The information in this article should answer that question for you! Let me know if you have any specific questions.
I just wanted to say thank you for all your cat food reviews. One of our two cats was having trouble eating after having a tooth removed and your reviews let me run to the local pet store and pick up a variety of flavors and types without having to worry about whether I was buying quality or not.
She’s eating much better now and can go back to her normal food (Hill’s science diet). Since we have a bunch of cans of different flavors, both cats are greatly enjoying the change. I’m going to try to convince Dad to start buying something a little better and wetter.
Hi Silver, I’m really happy to hear that you’ve found these guides helpful, and it’s great that your cat’s feeling better, too. Wishing you all the best!
My cat turns her nose up repeatedly at Solid Gold canned food with coconut oil.
After having a cat with kidney issues, I told myself I would feed my next cats better quality food, which I’ve done. I’ve fed them strictly Solid Gold wet and dry food. I noticed since i purchased the 12lb bag in August, the price has increased $10 PER BAG! I was shocked!! For their wet food, the only thing they’ll eat is the Purrfect Pairings Chicken Liver and goat milk and Chicken and goat milk. Those have also increased in price by 77%!!
I appreciate your reviews however, I don’t understand why you would recommend any cat foods that include “natural flavors “. Your research should be including all of the highly problematic ingredients – that don’t have to be specifically listed- when they fall under “natural flavors “. This means, in spite of your research, you may be recommending foods that are highly toxic and unsafe.
That’s a good point. The term “natural flavors” in cat food generally refers to animal digest, which is, like “animal byproduct” a vague categorization and couldn’t be considered a top-quality ingredient in most cases. Thank you for suggesting a change.
Thanks for the quick and thoughtful response. I know in human food “natural flavors” frequently includes the sweetener aspartame, which causes many health problems.
Mallory,
Petco and PetSmart are currently selling off their inventory of Solid Gold cat food. I emailed Solid Gold, and the rep who replied said their food isn’t being discontinued but they don’t have control over which retailers choose to stock it. They recommended that I purchase it from Amazon. Today, a manager in a local PetSmart store confirmed that they’re no longer going to sell Solid Gold. Do you have any inside information about what’s going on? My picky cat will only eat some of Solid Gold’s offerings and nothing from other brands, so I ran all over town today stocking up as much as I could. It would be great to know if the brand really will continue to be available or if I need to go through food trials again. Thanks!
Hi Wendy, that’s a fascinating question. I’m curious about this as well—I don’t know what’s going on with these retailers and will see what I can find out. Thanks for asking.
Mallory,
I forgot to mention that the PetSmart manager also said that Castor & Pollux and a few other brands are being cut from their stores along with Solid Gold. She was referencing a memo the stores just received. I can’t recall the names of the other brands, but I remember that they sounded very familiar to me. I noticed last week that my local Petco added a huge in-store display of Stella & Chewy’s cat food (freeze-dried, canned and pouches—including many products I’d never seen before). I’m starting to wonder if a pet food distributor recently brokered some sort of exclusivity agreement for their brands with the big pet food retailers that depended on or resulted in the stores dropping Solid Gold and some of the other brands. I hope the inventory change doesn’t negatively impact too many animals. I’m already worried about what this means for Solid Gold and my cat’s diet. I can’t imagine any brand willingly giving up shelf space at such big retailers, so the financial impact could have serious consequences.
I am having the same problem. We have a special needs cat with gastrointestinal issues and their Winged Tiger is the only thing that she wants to eat that doesn’t give her hideous diarrhea. Both Petco and Petsmart in my area have sold off all their stock. I bought the last three bags I found at four different stores and I hope Chewy and Amazon continue to sell it. It was so hard (and expensive) finding a food that worked to begin with, so I don’t want to have to do it all over again. All our cats are special needs and diet plays heavily into their care. We’ve seen how different foods can exacerbate or alleviate various conditions and have had some cats almost die from the wrong nutrition.
Ugh, I’m also having this problem with Petsmart and Petco no longer stocking Solid Gold. I always bought the Chicken & Egg so I bought a 12lb bag from Amazon recently and finally opened it but our 2 cats don’t want it!! 🙁 So strange I think I’ll look for another brand if local stores won’t be selling it anymore, such a shame because they really liked it.
I’ve been an Indigo Moon user for 11 years now, partially because I have Savannah cats and I noticed the high protein content. $33 > $45 price increase, the company being sold, and you removing it from https://cats.com/best-dry-cat-food now have me looking for a better alternative. ~$50 for a 10-pound bag, food that can be left out for a week at a time (big bowl of dry food) is going to be my deciding factors.
Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein Chicken Formula is $75 for 13.2 pounds…..is the closest, but pricy.
Premium pick/ethnically sourced/freeze dried/air dried….are my cat eating better then I do.
Best for kittens/budget picks…I need something else.
Best for seniors or best limited ingredient….are the only other options. My cats might go through 25 pounds of the seniors in 4-months, but might not.
What is between “Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein Chicken Formula” and the budget picks? I feel like there should a few.
Good question. You might want to consider Nulo’s dry food—it’s on the cheaper side but seems to use pretty good ingredients/offer good-quality food. It’s a bit less readily-available in stores, but you might also consider Timberwolf’s dry food. Hope this helps!
I’m curious if you have checked out Solid Gold Katz-N-Flocken (they also have a nutrient boost variant). My cats have been on it for years, and it is not a grain-free product like the rest of the Solid Gold line. I was looking at changing foods, but after a ton of research, I’m not finding anything better. I would definitely consider Solid Gold to be a higher end cat food, but I’m also a poor social worker, so what do I know. 😆
Hi Gretchen, thanks for the comment! I did consider the Katz-n-Flocken recipe when writing this review, and the food seems similar to the others listed here, with the exception of not being grain-free. It’s certainly higher in quality than a lot of other similar products, so if it seems to be working for you, I think it’s an okay one to continue feeding. You can get some other recommendations in our article on the best dry cat food.
Thank you, Mallory!