Published Nov 4, 2019
Does Victor cat food meet our quality standards? Get the facts in this unbiased Victor cat food review.
The Cats.com Standard—Rating Victor on What Matters
We’ve analyzed Victor 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 – 5/10
- Ingredient Quality – 6/10
- Product Variety – 3/10
- Price – 9/10
- Customer Experience – 6/10
- Recall History – 9/10
Overall Score: 6.3/10
We give Victor cat food a 38 out of 60 rating or a C+ grade.
About Victor
Victor is owned by Mid-America Pet Food, a US-based pet food company that, according to an article on PetFoodIndustry.com, “prides itself on its affordable premium pet food”.
Victor is the official dog food of Duck Commander and most of their food is geared towards high-performance dogs of all kinds. Browse their site and you’ll find a wide variety of food for canine hunters, workers, and athletes.
While their dog food selection is extensive, Victor sells just three varieties of food for cats. In this article, you’ll learn more about this cat food lineup, exploring everything from ingredient sourcing to customer opinion. Keep reading to find out how this brand stacks up.
Sourcing and Manufacturing
Victor cat food is made in Mid-America Pet Food’s manufacturing facility located outside of Dallas, Texas.
Though Victor cat food may contain ingredients sourced internationally or from elsewhere in the United States, the company focuses on local ingredients. Most of the plants and animals used in Victor food were farmed or raised within a 200-mile radius of the plant.
Has Victor Cat Food Been Recalled?
It appears that Victor cat food has never been recalled.
What Kinds of Cat Food Does Victor Offer?
Victor offers four dry cat food recipes and two canned foods. Two of the dry food formulas have recently been added to Victor’s lineup. Victor cat foods are built around a proprietary combination of supplemental ingredients known as the Victor Core.
These supplements include:
- Selenium Yeast – Selenium is involved in the production of antioxidants and is thought to support both metabolism and immune health.
- Complex Minerals – Essential minerals support immunity, metabolism, and healthy skin and coat. Victor uses chelated minerals to boost bioavailability.
- Probiotics – Victor cat foods are supplemented with Diamond V probiotics, a type of yeast-based bacteria that support digestive health.
- Prebiotics – Prebiotic fibers feed beneficial bacteria in the gut, boosting the efficacy of supplemental probiotics.
All four of Victor’s dry food recipes are formulated for both adult cats and kittens. These recipes feature high-quality sources of animal protein in both grain-free and grain-inclusive recipes. The four recipes are: Mers Feline, Hi-Pro Plus Cat, Grain-Free Fit Feline, and Grain-Free Healthy Skin & Coat.
Victor’s two canned food recipes are made with animal-based protein as primary ingredients with the Victor Core of supplemental ingredients. These two recipes include: Turkey and Salmon Dinner Pate and Grain-Free Formula Shredded Chicken Dinner Cuts in Gravy.
Victor Cat Food – Top 4 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Price | Our Grade |
| Victor Mers Classic Multi-Pro | Dry | $2.73 per lb | B- |
| Victor Shredded Chicken Dinner Cuts in Gravy | Wet | $0.30 per oz | B |
| Victor Turkey & Salmon Dinner Pate | Wet | $0.29 per oz | C+ |
| Victor Grain-Free Fit Feline Indoor Cat Formula | Dry | $3 per lb | B- |
#1 Victor Mers Classic Multi-Pro Dry Cat Food Review
Chicken meal appears to be the primary protein source in this dry cat food.
The best way to judge a cat food is by reading the ingredient list and evaluating its macronutrient distribution. Let’s take a closer look at Victor’s Mers Classic Multi-Pro dry food.
The ingredient list starts with a mix of meat meals, with chicken and beef meal filling the first two slots on the list. Though some prefer fresh meats—think chicken and beef muscle meat—over rendered meals, it doesn’t appear that there’s any digestibility or quality difference between the two. Blood meal, pork meal, and menhaden fish meal appear later on the ingredient list, rounding out the variety of animal protein sources.
In addition to these protein sources, the food contains whole grain brown rice, grain sorghum, and whole grain millet. It’s refreshing to see a cat food manufacturer that hasn’t gotten into the grain-free trend, but these are high-carbohydrate ingredients with little nutritional benefit for cats.
The food contains chicken fat and vegetable oil as fat sources. The ingredient list concludes with a mix of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that make the food nutritionally complete. Like all Victor foods, it’s fortified with the Victor Core supplement blend.
Overall, this food has moderate protein content, low fat, and high carbohydrate content.
This food has some great qualities. It emphasizes animal protein, doesn’t contain any low-value animal by-products, and is fortified with a mix of supplements not often found in foods at this price point.
Though it’s better than other dry foods in some respects, the food isn’t perfect. Like most kibble, it’s high in carbohydrates and doesn’t have enough moisture to keep your cat hydrated.
The food contains 382 calories per cup.
Ingredients
Chicken Meal, Beef Meal, Whole Grain Brown Rice, Grain Sorghum, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols), Whole Grain Millet, Blood Meal, Pork Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal (source of Omega 3 Fatty Acid), Yeast Culture, Natural Flavor, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Sodium Bisulfate, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, DL-Methionine, Taurine, Choline Chloride, Silicon Dioxide, Tetra Sodium Pyrophosphate, Vegetable Oil, Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract, Spearmint Extract, Hydrolyzed Yeast, Zinc Methionine Complex, Dehydrated Seaweed Meal, Ferrous Sulfate, Cobalt Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Carnitine, Brewers Dried Yeast, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus Oryzae Fermentation Extract, Dried Trichoderma Longibrachiatum Fermentation Extract, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Extract, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Biotin, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin A Supplement, Sodium Selenite, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, And Calcium Iodate.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken Meal, Beef Meal, Chicken Fat, Blood Meal, Pork Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Probiotics, Prebiotics
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Whole Grain Brown Rice, Grain Sorghum, Whole Grain Millet, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Contains species-appropriate animal protein instead of protein from plants
- Contains a mix of supplements for digestive health
- Free of low-value animal by-products
- Uses chicken fat as a carnivore-appropriate source of fat
Cons
- High carbohydrate content
- The food’s low moisture content may contribute to chronic dehydration
#2 VICTOR Shredded Chicken Dinner in Gravy Canned Cat Food Review
Chicken appears to be the primary protein source in this wet cat food.
This canned food from Victor is primarily made from chicken and features chicken broth, meat, and liver as the first three ingredients. The food contains both dried egg white and dried egg product as additional sources of protein.
Potato starch and guar gum help to stabilize and thicken the food while increasing its carbohydrate and fiber content.
The food doesn’t have the fine, stringy shreds of chicken that you might expect from Weruva or Tiki Cat. Instead, the food is cut into large chunks similar to those you might find in a can of Friskies shreds.
Overall, this wet food has moderate protein content with low fat and moderate carbohydrate content.
This food has some good qualities. It puts chicken at the center of the ingredient list and skips the low-value meats found in some comparably-priced recipes. Yet it also has significant flaws, including high carbohydrate content and customer satisfaction. Out of 15 reviews, only 33% gave the food a 5-star rating. Even if they didn’t give it a negative review, most customers mentioned some palatability problems.
The food has 141 calories in each 5.5-ounce can.
Ingredients
Chicken Broth, Chicken, Chicken Liver, Dried Egg White, Potato Starch, Guar Gum, Natural Flavor, Dried Egg Product, Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Minerals (Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Sodium Selenite, Potassium Iodide), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Taurine, Choline Chloride.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Chicken Liver, Dried Egg White
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Potato Starch, Guar Gum
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Contains chicken and chicken liver as primary ingredients
- Free of low-value animal by-products
- Rich in animal-sourced protein
- Doesn’t contain carrageenan
Cons
- At around 17%, the food’s carbohydrate content is higher-than-ideal
- Doesn’t receive consistently positive customers reviews
#3 VICTOR Turkey & Salmon Dinner Canned Cat Food Review
Turkey appears to be the primary protein source in this wet cat food.
A lot’s going on in this canned paté. It contains turkey, turkey broth, liver, potatoes, and salmon as the first five ingredients. None of that’s unusual for food with turkey and salmon in its name.
But while most wet foods keep the ingredient list relatively simple, this food goes on to contain a salad of peas, carrots, brewer’s rice, barley, flaxseed meal, blueberries, apples, and cranberries.
It’s thickened with both guar gum and carrageenan, the latter of which may cause or worsen inflammation. The ingredient list ends with a mix of added vitamins and amino acids that make the food nutritionally complete.
Overall, this food has moderate protein content with moderate fat and high carbohydrate content.
The food’s high carbohydrate content, use of low-value ingredients, and inclusion of potentially-inflammatory carrageenan make it a less-than-ideal option for cats.
The food has 184 calories per 5.5-ounce can or about 33 calories per ounce.
Ingredients
Turkey, Turkey Broth, Liver, Potatoes, Salmon, Peas, Carrots, Dried Egg Product, Brewer’s Rice, Barley, Guar Gum, Flaxseed Meal, Potassium Chloride, Carrageenan, Dried Cranberries, Dried Blueberries, Apples, Taurine, Dried Chicory Root, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Kelp, Salt, Dried Parsley, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Choline Chloride, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid.
Ingredients We Liked: Turkey, Salmon
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Potatoes, Peas, Carrots, Brewer’s Rice, Barley, Guar Gum, Flaxseed Meal, Carrageenan, Apples
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Rich in animal-sourced nutrients
- An affordable canned food
Cons
- Contains carrageenan
- Rich in plant ingredients that may not benefit your cat
- High in carbohydrates compared to most wet foods
#4 VICTOR Grain-Free Fit Feline Indoor Cat Formula Dry Food
Chicken meal appears to be the primary source of protein in this dry food recipe.
Not only is chicken meal the first ingredient, but menhaden fish meal takes the third slot with duck meal later on the list. Most of the protein in this recipe seems to come from animal sources, though peas, garbanzo beans, and dehydrated alfalfa meal likely contribute to the total protein content.
The only source of added fat in this recipe is chicken fat, a nutritious source of species-appropriate fat for cats and kittens.
Like all of Victor’s cat food formulas, this recipe is supplemented with a combination of vitamins, chelated minerals, prebiotics, and probiotics. While it’s difficult to say whether probiotics survive the extrusion process, the addition of prebiotics helps improve their bioavailability. Chelated minerals also tend to be more absorbable than other forms.
Overall, this food offers moderately high protein content with low fat and calories and high carbohydrate content.
While this recipe does contain a number of high-quality animal ingredients, the total carbohydrate content is still fairly high. It’s also worth noting that the moisture content is a little lower than many commercial cat foods, though no dry food provides the moisture your cat needs for optimal hydration.
This recipe contains 3,619 kcal/kg, or about 371 kcal/cup.
Ingredients
Chicken Meal, Peas, Menhaden Fish Meal, Natural Flavor, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols), Garbanzo Beans, Yeast Culture, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Duck Meal, Sodium Bisulfate, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, DL-Methionine, Taurine, Choline Chloride, Silicon Dioxide, Tetra Sodium Pyrophosphate, Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract, Spearmint Extract, Hydrolyzed Yeast, Zinc Methionine Complex, Dehydrated Seaweed Meal, Ferrous Sulfate, Cobalt Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Carnitine, Brewers Dried Yeast, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus Oryzae Fermentation Extract, Dried Trichoderma Longibrachiatum Fermentation Extract, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Extract, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Biotin, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin A Supplement, Sodium Selenite, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Chicken Fat, Duck Meal
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Peas, Garbanzo Beans, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Two protein-rich animal ingredients in top 3
- Nutritious chicken fat as the primary added fat
- Supplemented with pre- and probiotics for digestive health
Cons
- High carbohydrate content
- Lacks the moisture your cat needs for hydration
What Do Customers Think of Victor Cat Food?
While their dry food has a 4.4 out of 5-star rating on Chewy and 91% of customers say they’d recommend it to a friend, Victor’s wet recipes receive mixed reviews.
Only 71% of reviewers, for example, say they’d recommend the shredded chicken recipe to a friend. Most negative reviews relate to palatability—people like the recipes, but their cats don’t.
Positive Reviews
“The food we were feeding the 6 cats was making them throw up constantly, so we decided to make a change. Following the new food mixing guidelines, we started noticing the cats were only eating the Victor food and leaving the other stuff in the bowl. We even have noticed they are more active and playful. They range in age from 3 years old to 18 years and this is the best we’ve seen them, and they were getting a top brand food before. We switched the dogs at the same time and are seeing the same results. So thankful to have found Victor foods and thank you Chewy for carrying the brand.” – weebs, reviewing Victor Mers Classic Multi-Pro Dry Cat Food
“I like the ingredients, and my cat likes the food. And for a premium cat food, the price is decent also! What more can you say?” – RomPep, reviewing Victor Turkey & Salmon Dinner
Negative Reviews
“This says shredded but it’s not. It’s formed pate that was cut into rectangles. Not small rectangles. My cat’s are ok with it but just barely. Mostly the pieces dry out. There is some gravy but only enough. I won’t be purchasing this again.” – Sunbird, reviewing Victor Shredded Chicken Dinner in Gravy
“Think again about the ingredients list; carrageenan, guar gum and flax, among a lot of other things in here, don’t belong in cat food. Or cats won’t touch this stuff and either will the stray cat outside” – harold, reviewing Victor Turkey & Salmon Dinner
How Much Does Victor Cat Food Cost?
Victor cat food is inexpensive compared to other similarly rated brands like Dr. Marty and Orijen as well as some of the fresh food brands like Nom Nom. That being said, Victor’s prices seem to have risen slightly since we first reviewed the brand.
Victor’s dry food recipes range from $0.14 to $0.18 per ounce while their wet foods cost about $0.29 per ounce. To feed a 10-pound cat Victor dry cat food, it would cost between $0.27 and $0.35 per day. For Victor’s wet cat food, the daily cost would be somewhere between $1.75 and $2.27.
Overall, Is Victor a Good Choice?
Victor cat food is a smidge superior to most foods at the same price. It doesn’t contain the animal by-products, synthetic dyes, and artificial flavors you might find in similarly economical foods. That said, you could find other economy foods with lower carbohydrate content, more protein, and higher palatability ratings.
This brand isn’t one of our favorites, but it could work for some cats. With apparently good ingredient quality and a reputation for safety, it won’t hurt to give Victor a try.
Where To Buy Victor Cat Food?
You’ll find Victor in select specialty retailers, farm and ranch stores, and hardware stores. Click here to search for a retailer near you. Remember that not all Victor retailers carry this brand’s cat food, so contact your store and ask before you make the trip.
If you prefer to shop online, Victor recommends buying their products on Chewy.
you said, “Victor cat food is a smidge superior to most foods at the same price. It doesn’t contain the animal by-products, synthetic dyes, and artificial flavors you might find in similarly economical foods. That said, you could find other economy foods with lower carbohydrate content, more protein, and higher palatability ratings..”
What are those other economical foods that are better? I have been looking through this site and I havent found anything with a higher score that is the same price or lower than Victor? thanks
Hi Chris, good question! That comment referred to economical wet foods—there aren’t a lot of superior budget dry foods on the market. If you’re in the market for wet food, you might try some of the items on our list of the best cheap cat food. Otherwise, Victor dry cat food is one of the best economy dry foods, in the same league as Kirkland Signature and Health Extension. Hope this helps!
Did you do your research? It is easy to go to Victor’s Website and see they have 4 different dry cat foods n have for some time. I appears your research ability is 1 star out of 10.
Sorry about the misleading information—I do try to do my research, and as I recall, all of the information here was accurate at the time of writing, but I suppose I could have made a mistake. Regardless, the article is in need of an update. Thank you for the heads up!