Last updated Dec 10, 2024
Triumph promises high-quality food at an economy price, but is it any better than the average food at the grocery? Find out in our Triumph cat food review.
The Cats.com Standard—Rating Triumph on What Matters
We’ve analyzed Triumph 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 – 6/10
- Ingredient Quality – 7/10
- Product Variety – 6/10
- Price – 9/10
- Customer Experience – 6/10
- Recall History – 4/10
Overall Score: 6.3/10
We give Triumph cat food a 38 out of 60 rating or a C+ grade.
About Triumph
The Triumph brand was created by Sunshine Mills, a US-based pet food company founded in 1949. The company originally operated as an animal feed company, entering the pet food business in 1960. Since then, it’s created several pet food brands, including Evolve, Hi-Tor Veterinary Select, Sunshine Pet Treats, and Triumph.
The Triumph brand focuses on “quality food & treats for a naturally healthy pet”. It’s described as a super-premium line that provides digestibility, ingredient quality, and flavor.
Sourcing and Manufacturing
Triumph cat food is manufactured in several facilities. Dry food production is divided between seven company-owned facilities in the United States, while their wet food is made by third-party manufacturers in the United States and the Netherlands.
Has Triumph Cat Food Been Recalled?
In 2017, Sunshine Mills recalled Triumph’s Ocean Fish canned cat food due to the potential presence of a “foreign material” in the cans.
While the 2017 recall was the only one that involved Triumph cat food, Sunshine Mills has issued multiple recalls over the years. In 2018, the company recalled several varieties of food due to elevated vitamin D levels. Over 10 years earlier, Sunshine Mills dog biscuits were involved in the far-reaching melamine recalls.
What Kinds of Cat Food Does Triumph Offer?
Triumph cat food comes in both dry and wet varieties.
The wet food comes in either cans or cups. Cupped recipes feature shredded meat in gravy, while Triumph’s canned line features paté-style foods.
The brand’s dry food lineup includes the Free Spirit line of grain-free food and the original line, which includes grain-based ingredients.
Triumph Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Price | Our Grade |
| Triumph Chicken ‘N Liver Formula Canned Cat Food | Wet | $0.17 per oz | B |
| Triumph Ocean Fish Formula Canned Cat Food | Wet | $0.21 per oz | B- |
| Triumph Wild Spirit Deboned Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Cat Food | Dry | $2.46 per lb | C+ |
#1 Triumph Chicken ‘N Liver Formula Canned Cat Food
Chicken appears to be the primary protein source in this wet cat food.
You can’t decide whether or not Triumph is a good option unless you’ve taken a closer look at a few of its recipes.
Let’s start with the brand’s popular chicken and liver formula canned cat food.
The food is a soft, smooth paté featuring chicken as its primary ingredient. Though only chicken is named on the front of the can, this food also contains pork liver, ocean fish, and dried egg product as additional protein sources. While most of these ingredients are clearly-named, ocean fish isn’t. This title doesn’t refer to a single species—it’s a general term referring to a variety of fish types.
In addition to proteins, the paté contains rice flour, guar gum, and carrageenan as thickening and stabilizing agents. While none of these ingredients are ideal for cats, carrageenan is one you probably don’t want in your cat’s food. This seaweed derivative is a potential carcinogen and may worsen or cause inflammation.
Overall, this food has high protein content, moderate fat, and low carbohydrate content.
With plenty of nourishing animal ingredients, relatively low carbohydrate content, and a generous dose of fat from species-appropriate sources, this food is close to the cat food ideal. That said, the food’s use of rice flour brings its carbohydrate content just over the 10% mark and its use of carrageenan—albeit very little carrageenan—keep it from being one of the best foods on the market.
The food contains 516 calories in each 13.2-ounce can or roughly 39 calories per ounce.
Ingredients
Chicken, Water Sufficient for Processing, Pork Liver, Ocean Fish, Rice Flour, Dried Egg Product, Guar Gum, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Proteinate, Manganous Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Selenite), Vitamins (Vitamin E, A, D3, B12 Supplements, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin), Choline Chloride, Carrageenan, Taurine.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Pork Liver
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Rice Flour, Guar Gum, Carrageenan
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Primarily uses clearly-named, highly-digestible animal ingredients
- Good macronutrient distribution
- Doesn’t contain artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
- Very calorie-dense, making it ideal for cats who need extra nutrition
Cons
- Carbohydrate content is slightly higher than ideal
- Contains carrageenan, which may cause harm over time
#2 Triumph Ocean Fish Formula Canned Cat Food
Ocean fish appears to be the primary protein source in this wet cat food.
Like the last Triumph recipe we reviewed, this is a creamy paté-style food. Reviewers describe its texture as moist and soft.
This soft paté is primarily composed of ocean whitefish. As we discussed in the last review, this vague name refers to a range of fish species. The types of ocean fish used in pet food are prone to heavy metal contamination and may not be an ideal option for long-term feeding.
In addition to fish, the food contains pork liver along with chicken and dried egg product. All are hearty, species-appropriate ingredients with plenty of nutrition to offer. The food contains a mix of rice flour, guar gum, and carrageenan as thickening agents.
Overall, this wet food has high protein content with moderate fat and high carbohydrate content.
This food looks a lot like the last one we reviewed, but its carbohydrate content appears to be significantly higher, with about 21% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis. Combined with the use of potentially-harmful carrageenan, this keeps this food from making it as one of our top recommendations for cats.
The food has 405 calories in each 13.2-ounce can or about 31 calories per ounce.
Ingredients
Ocean Fish, Water Sufficient for Processing, Pork Liver, Chicken, Rice Flour, Dried Egg Product, Guar Gum, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Proteinate, Manganous Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Selenite), Carrageenan, Vitamins (Vitamin E, A, D3, B12 Supplements, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin), Choline Chloride, Taurine.
Ingredients We Liked: Pork Liver, Chicken
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Rice Flour, Guar Gum, Carrageenan
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Primarily made from nourishing animal ingredients
- Rich in readily-digestible protein
- Doesn’t contain artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives that might harm your cat
Cons
- At just over 20% on a dry matter basis, this food’s carbohydrate content is higher than ideal
- Contains potentially-harmful carrageenan
#3 Triumph Wild Spirit Deboned Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Cat Food
Deboned salmon appears to be the primary protein source in this dry cat food.
We’ve taken a closer look at a couple of Triumph’s wet foods, but how do their dry foods stack up?
Let’s analyze this kibble.
The food features deboned salmon as the first ingredient. Moving down the ingredient list, we see that it also contains chicken and turkey meal as concentrated sources of animal protein.
As for plant ingredients, the food contains hearty helpings of oatmeal, whole ground rice, whole ground barley, peas, and potatoes. All of these ingredients add carbohydrates, fiber, and a little bit of protein. Later on the ingredient list, the food contains small amounts of whole carrots, sweet potatoes, cranberries, blueberries, flaxseed, barley grass, and other plant-based sources of trace nutrients.
With dried chicory root as a source of prebiotic fiber—that’s the type of fiber that feeds probiotic bacteria in your cat’s gut—and three strains of probiotic bacteria, this food should help to support a happy gut and good digestion.
Overall, this food has moderate protein content with moderate fat and high carbohydrate content.
Though this food is doing some things well—it’s primarily made from clearly-named, easy-to-digest animal protein sources and contains digestive supplements—it’s not the best food you could give your cat. With over 30% carbohydrate content and a smorgasbord of plants, this food isn’t a carnivore’s dream. Pair that with the food’s low moisture content and you have a decidedly non-ideal meal for cats.
The food has 383 calories per cup.
Ingredients
Deboned Salmon, Chicken Meal, Oat Groats, Whole Ground Brown Rice, Turkey Meal, Whole Ground Barley, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Peas, Potatoes, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Flaxseed, Brewers Dried Yeast, Natural Salmon Flavor, Powdered Cellulose, Dried Carrots, Dried Cranberries, Dried Blueberries, Barley Grass, Dried Parsley, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Dried Kelp, Taurine, Salt, Fish Oil, Yucca Schidigera Extract, L-Lysine, Dried Chicory Root, Beta Carotene, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, Niacin, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride [Source Of Vitamin B6], Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Folic Acid, Biotin), etc…
Ingredients We Liked: Deboned Salmon, Chicken Fat, Probiotics
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Oatmeal, Whole Ground Rice, Whole Ground Barley, Peas, Potatoes, Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Peas
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Nourishing poultry and fish are the food’s main ingredients
- Doesn’t contain by-products or vaguely-named ingredients
- Contains prebiotics and probiotics to support digestion and overall health
- Doesn’t contain any potentially-harmful artificial additives like colors, flavors, and preservatives
Cons
- High carbohydrate content
- Doesn’t supply enough moisture to keep your cat healthy
What Do Customers Think of Triumph Cat Food?
Triumph is largely regarded as a healthy alternative to other economy brands. Most customers seem to respect the foods’ ingredient quality and nutritional merits, but cats aren’t in such certain agreement. A healthy number of buyers say their cats refused to eat Triumph foods.
Let’s read a few positive and negative reviews from real Triumph cat food customers.
Positive Reviews
“Great Food-OK Price” – by David reviewing Triumph Ocean Fish Formula Canned Cat Food on April 23, 2024
“I have a bowl of this out and it seems to empty faster than the other. I have a younger more petite cat and I think she likes the size of these better than the larger ones.” – by Tracy reviewing Triumph Wild Spirit Deboned Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Cat Food on March 8, 2024
Negative Reviews
“I reviewed the ingredients before purchasing, and was very satisfied that it would be healthy, but my cat refuses to eat it. It certainly has a different smell. Most cat foods have a strong smell, but not this food. I gave it only 3 stars because my cat would not eat. I think I would definitely give it 5 stars if she would have taken to it.” – by Judy reviewing Triumph Wild Spirit Deboned Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Cat Food on January 5, 2024
“We only tried two flavors. One cat didn’t like this one. Most of my cats liked this one and the beef flavor, as I was transitioning from beef to this flavor. I was so focused on finding a low ash cat food, that I didn’t consider the dangers of the other ingredients. Why do these companies do this?! I just read that too much liver causes a vitamin-A deficiency, which affects the bones. Check your cats’ elbows and spine for bone growth/deformities and osteoporosis. Rice flour is listed as the 5th, 6th and 10th ingredient on some cans. There are about 32 ingredients in each 13.xx oz. can. All rice products cause cats to be deficient in taurine. Cats don’t produce taurine in their body, and those eating a processed diet are at risk. If not dealt with, the cat could become blind, heart muscles will get weaker and lead to cardiomyopathy and death if not treated. After reading this research, I’m going to return the cat food. I’m so mad that they didn’t do their homework and put my cats in danger.” – by Laurie reviewing Triumph Chicken n’ Liver Formula Canned Cat Food on August 12, 2022
How Much Does Triumph Cat Food Cost?
Triumph cat food is some of the cheapest you can buy.
In terms of price, their wet formulas are on par with Friskies or Fancy Feast. The Chicken n’ Liver Formula costs about $0.80 per day to feed a 10-lb cat. If you opt for Triumph’s dry food, your expenses will be even lower at around $0.16 per day.
Overall, Is Triumph a Good Choice?
Triumph’s strong point is its price.
In contrast to similarly-priced products, Triumph foods don’t contain any animal by-products. Instead, they appear to emphasize high-quality, readily-digested ingredients. They skip synthetic additives like dyes and flavors. They don’t contain any potentially-harmful preservatives.
For the price of Friskies, you get cat food on par with some of the mid-range options at the pet specialty store.
Aside from the cost factor, the brand fails to do anything particularly impressive. Considering its use of potentially-harmful carrageenan and relatively high carbohydrate content, Triumph cat food doesn’t earn any top ratings in the nutrition department.
This is a good option to consider if you want something better than the typical budget brands, but it’s not one of the best we’ve reviewed.
Where To Buy Triumph Cat Food?
Triumph is available in all 50 United States and over 30 countries worldwide. Buy Triumph foods in big box stores, groceries, discount stores, feed stores, and select pet specialty retailers.
Online, you’ll find Triumph cat food on Chewy, Amazon, and other online retailers.
Their dry food is 10 percent moisture content. All of Purina’s dry food usually has a 13% which is the best i have found except for Stella and Chewy’s cat kibble which is pretty darn close. Wondering why you commented negatively on the moisture content of their dry food ? I It is hard to find a quality dry cat food that homeless cats will actually eat I spend a small fortune on trying though while the other feeders feed Meow Mix which is the big hit
Even a higher-moisture dry food is still low in water compared to a cats’ hydration needs. When it comes to feeding stray and feral cats in the community, it’s important to focus on what you can afford first. Here’s our list of the best cat food for feeding feral cats in the community.