Merrick Cat Food Ingredients

According to our research, Merrick manufactures 77 cat food recipes using 147 unique ingredients. To evaluate the quality of ingredients used by Merrick, we've studied all 147 ingredients. In this article, we'll share our findings on Merrick ingredients.

First 5 Ingredients

Cat food ingredients in the United States are listed in descending order of pre-cooked weight. The first 5 ingredients typically constitute a significant portion of the recipe.

For Merrick, these are the most common ingredients found within the first 5 cat food ingredients.

1. chicken
2. chicken broth
3. chicken liver
4. chicken liver
5. pea

As you can see, the most common first ingredient in Merrick is chicken. The most common 2nd ingredient is chicken broth, followed by chicken liver, chicken liver, and pea.

Artificial Food Coloring Dyes

Merrick does not use any artificial food coloring dyes. According to our records, none of the 77 Merrick cat foods contain artificial food dyes.

Artificial food coloring dyes are unnecessary and potentially harmful ingredients. In general, we not not recommend feeding any pet foods that contain artificial dyes.

In 2010, the CSPI raised serious concerns regarding the safety of many artificial dyes. Most of the studies referenced by the CSPI involved prolonged or excessive consumption. Since most cats consume the same foods throughout their lives, concerns raised by the CSPI are alarming to say the least.

To read more about Artificial Food Dyes, click here.

Animal By-Products

According to our records, Merrick does not contain any animal by-products.

Animal by-products are basically the leftover parts of the the carcass after its been processed for meat. AAFCO defines by-products as the non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals.

Although by-products are still fairly nutritious ingredients, consumers have equated them with slaughterhouse waste. Therefore, most premium brands, including Merrick have decided to remove by-products and instead use named organ meats (beef liver, chicken gizzards).

For further reading on the controversy over animal by-products, click here.

Anonymous Meat Ingredients

Anonymous meats are inexpensive low-quality ingredients that can come from practically any animal. These type of ingredients are often used to produce very inexpensive cat foods.

In general, we prefer ingredients which specify the animal source used to derive the ingredient. For example, ingredients such as duck fat are much better than animal fat or poultry fat.

In our analysis, we've looked through all 147 Merrick ingredients. According to our data, Merrick does not contain any anonymous animal-based ingredients.

Cereal Grains

For cats, we typically recommend choosing a grain-free recipe. Cats are obligate carnivores and therefore grains are not species appropriate.

According to our data, Merrick cat food recipes do not contain grains. In other words, all recipes are grain-free.

Please note, kibble production requires a binding agent. Grains are commonly used for this purpose in cat food. When purchasing grain-free cat food, grains are often replaced with another starchy source. This is also not ideal.

To avoid grains and other starchy additions, consider feeding wet or frozen recipes.

Controversial Ingredients

In most cases, ingredients which are given the controversial classification can be substituted with higher-quality alternatives. You should evaluate each controversial ingredient independently to see if there is truly a valid cause for concern.

Keep in mind, certain sacrifices often must be made to produce cat foods at a reasonable price. In general, the more expensive the product, the fewer controversial ingredients you'll find.

In our analysis, we've identified 2 controversial ingredients inside Merrick products. These controversial ingredients are listed below. Click on each ingredient for more information.

Potentially Harmful Ingredients

Harmful ingredients are those which have been linked to adverse health effects. In general, we do not recommend feeding any product which contains any harmful ingredients.

There are certain situations where these ingredients may be necessary. We always recommend contacting Merrick for further clarification regarding any harmful or controversial ingredient.

We have identified 1 harmful ingredient used in certain Merrick recipes. To learn more, click on the ingredient's name.

Merrick Cat Food Ingredient Lists

Merrick

Limited Ingredient Diet

Real Tuna + Chickpeas Recipe

Merrick

Limited Ingredient Diet Real Tuna + Chickpeas Recipe

First Five Ingredients

tuna
tuna meal
chickpea
lentil
pea

Ingredients

Merrick

Limited Ingredient Diet

Real Chicken Recipe

Merrick

Limited Ingredient Diet Real Chicken Recipe

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken meal
chickpea
pea
chicken fat

Ingredients

Merrick

Limited Ingredient Diet

Real Salmon Recipe

Merrick

Limited Ingredient Diet Real Salmon Recipe

First Five Ingredients

salmon
salmon meal
potato
pea
potato protein

Ingredients

Merrick

Limited Ingredient Diet

Real Turkey Recipe

Merrick

Limited Ingredient Diet Real Turkey Recipe

First Five Ingredients

turkey
turkey meal
potato
pea
potato protein

Ingredients

Merrick

Backcountry Raw Infused

Game Bird Recipe

Merrick

Backcountry Raw Infused Game Bird Recipe

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken meal
turkey meal
potato
pea

Ingredients

Merrick

Backcountry Raw Infused

Kitten Recipe

Merrick

Backcountry Raw Infused Kitten Recipe

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken meal
turkey meal
potato
pea

Ingredients

Merrick

Backcountry Raw Infused

Pacific Catch Recipe

Merrick

Backcountry Raw Infused Pacific Catch Recipe

First Five Ingredients

salmon
salmon meal
whitefish meal
potato
pea

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Healthy Senior Recipe

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Healthy Senior Recipe

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken meal
turkey meal
dried potato
pea

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Indoor Adult Recipe With Real Chicken + Sweet Potato

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Indoor Adult Recipe With Real Chicken + Sweet Potato

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken meal
turkey meal
sweet potato
potato

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Indoor Senior Recipe With Real Chicken + Sweet Potato

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Indoor Senior Recipe With Real Chicken + Sweet Potato

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken meal
turkey meal
sweet potato
potato

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Real Duck + Sweet Potato Recipe

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Real Duck + Sweet Potato Recipe

First Five Ingredients

duck
chicken meal
turkey meal
sweet potato
potato

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Complete Care

Weight Control Recipe With Real Chicken + Sweet Potato For Adult Cats

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Complete Care Weight Control Recipe With Real Chicken + Sweet Potato For Adult Cats

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken meal
turkey meal
sweet potato
potato

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Complete Care

Hairball Control With Real Chicken + Sweet Potato Recipe For Adult Cats

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Complete Care Hairball Control With Real Chicken + Sweet Potato Recipe For Adult Cats

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken meal
turkey meal
sweet potato
potato

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Complete Care

Sensitive Stomach Recipe With Real Chicken + Sweet Potato For Adult Cats

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Complete Care Sensitive Stomach Recipe With Real Chicken + Sweet Potato For Adult Cats

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken meal
turkey meal
sweet potato
potato

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Healthy Weight Recipe

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Healthy Weight Recipe

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken meal
turkey meal
potato
pea

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Healthy Kitten Recipe

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Healthy Kitten Recipe

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken meal
turkey meal
dried potato
pea

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Real Chicken + Sweet Potato Recipe

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Real Chicken + Sweet Potato Recipe

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken meal
turkey meal
sweet potato
pea

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Real Salmon + Sweet Potato Recipe

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Real Salmon + Sweet Potato Recipe

First Five Ingredients

salmon
chicken meal
turkey meal
sweet potato
pea

Ingredients

Merrick

Backcountry Freeze-Dried Raw

Real Chicken Recipe Meal Or Mixer

Merrick

Backcountry Freeze-Dried Raw Real Chicken Recipe Meal Or Mixer

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken liver
chicken broth
dried pea
dried potato

Ingredients

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free

Kitten Chicken Recipe Pate

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free Kitten Chicken Recipe Pate

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken broth
chicken liver
pea protein
potato protein

Ingredients

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free

Mature Chicken Recipe Pate

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free Mature Chicken Recipe Pate

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken broth
chicken liver
potato protein
pea protein

Ingredients

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free

Real Beef Recipe Pate

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free Real Beef Recipe Pate

First Five Ingredients

beef
beef broth
chicken
chicken liver
pea protein

Ingredients

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free

Real Chicken Recipe Pate

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free Real Chicken Recipe Pate

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken broth
pea protein
potato protein
natural flavor

Ingredients

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free

Real Duck Recipe Pate

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free Real Duck Recipe Pate

First Five Ingredients

duck
chicken broth
chicken
chicken liver
potato protein

Ingredients

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free

Real Salmon Recipe Pate

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free Real Salmon Recipe Pate

First Five Ingredients

salmon
fish broth
pea protein
potato protein
natural flavor

Ingredients

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free

Real Turkey Recipe Pate

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free Real Turkey Recipe Pate

First Five Ingredients

turkey
turkey broth
chicken
chicken liver
potato protein

Ingredients

Merrick

Limited Ingredient Diet

Real Salmon Recipe Pate For Adult Cats

Merrick

Limited Ingredient Diet Real Salmon Recipe Pate For Adult Cats

First Five Ingredients

salmon
water sufficient for processing
natural flavor
pea protein
calcium carbonate

Ingredients

Merrick

Limited Ingredient Diet

Real Tuna Recipe Pate For Adult Cats

Merrick

Limited Ingredient Diet Real Tuna Recipe Pate For Adult Cats

First Five Ingredients

tuna
water sufficient for processing
natural flavor
pea protein
flaxseed oil

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Beef Recipe With Garden Vegetables Grilled In Gravy

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Beef Recipe With Garden Vegetables Grilled In Gravy

First Five Ingredients

beef
beef broth
vegetable broth
beef liver
pea

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Beef Wellington Morsels In Gravy

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Beef Wellington Morsels In Gravy

First Five Ingredients

beef
beef broth
chicken liver
chicken
pea

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Chicken Casserole Morsels In Gravy

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Chicken Casserole Morsels In Gravy

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken broth
chicken liver
pea
tuna

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Chicken Divan Morsels In Gravy

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Chicken Divan Morsels In Gravy

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken broth
chicken liver
pea
dried egg product

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Chicken Recipe With Garden Vegetables Grilled In Gravy

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Chicken Recipe With Garden Vegetables Grilled In Gravy

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken broth
vegetable broth
pea
chicken liver

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Indoor Senior Chicken Recipe Pate

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Indoor Senior Chicken Recipe Pate

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken broth
chicken liver
pea fiber
natural flavor

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Salmon Recipe With Garden Vegetables Grilled In Gravy

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Salmon Recipe With Garden Vegetables Grilled In Gravy

First Five Ingredients

salmon
fish broth
vegetable broth
turkey
turkey liver

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Seafood Recipe With Garden Vegetables Grilled In Gravy

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Seafood Recipe With Garden Vegetables Grilled In Gravy

First Five Ingredients

tuna
fish broth
vegetable broth
whitefish
chicken

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Tuna Nicoise Morsels In Gravy

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Tuna Nicoise Morsels In Gravy

First Five Ingredients

tuna
chicken broth
chicken liver
chicken
pea

Ingredients

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free

Real Rabbit Recipe Pate

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free Real Rabbit Recipe Pate

First Five Ingredients

rabbit
chicken
chicken broth
chicken liver
potato protein

Ingredients

Merrick

Backcountry Raw Infused

Mature Recipe

Merrick

Backcountry Raw Infused Mature Recipe

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken meal
turkey meal
potato
pea

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Cowboy Cookout Morsels In Gravy

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Cowboy Cookout Morsels In Gravy

First Five Ingredients

beef
beef broth
beef liver
dried egg product
pea

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Gourmet Shreds

Braised Beef Recipe

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Gourmet Shreds Braised Beef Recipe

First Five Ingredients

beef
beef broth
lamb broth
beef liver
dried egg product

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Gourmet Shreds

Ocean Whitefish + Tuna Recipe

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Gourmet Shreds Ocean Whitefish + Tuna Recipe

First Five Ingredients

whitefish
fish broth
salmon broth
beef liver
dried egg product

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Gourmet Shreds

Oven Roasted Chicken Recipe

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Gourmet Shreds Oven Roasted Chicken Recipe

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken broth
turkey broth
chicken liver
turkey

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Gourmet Shreds

Tender Turkey Recipe

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Gourmet Shreds Tender Turkey Recipe

First Five Ingredients

turkey
turkey broth
chicken broth
chicken liver
chicken

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Indoor Adult Chicken + Turkey Recipe Pate

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Indoor Adult Chicken + Turkey Recipe Pate

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken broth
chicken liver
turkey
pea fiber

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Savory Trout Dinner Morsels In Gravy

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Savory Trout Dinner Morsels In Gravy

First Five Ingredients

trout
beef broth
fish broth
beef
pork liver

Ingredients

Merrick

Limited Ingredient Diet

Real Chicken Recipe Pate For Adult Cats

Merrick

Limited Ingredient Diet Real Chicken Recipe Pate For Adult Cats

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken broth
chicken liver
natural flavor
pea protein

Ingredients

Merrick

Limited Ingredient Diet

Real Duck Recipe Pate For Adult Cats

Merrick

Limited Ingredient Diet Real Duck Recipe Pate For Adult Cats

First Five Ingredients

duck
water sufficient for processing
natural flavor
pea protein
calcium carbonate

Ingredients

Merrick

Limited Ingredient Diet

Real Turkey Recipe Pate For Adult Cats

Merrick

Limited Ingredient Diet Real Turkey Recipe Pate For Adult Cats

First Five Ingredients

turkey
turkey broth
turkey liver
pea protein
natural flavor

Ingredients

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free

Kitten Recipe Cuts With Chicken + Duck In Gravy

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free Kitten Recipe Cuts With Chicken + Duck In Gravy

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken broth
duck broth
chicken liver
duck

Ingredients

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free

Real Beef Recipe Cuts

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free Real Beef Recipe Cuts

First Five Ingredients

beef
beef broth
lamb broth
beef liver
lamb

Ingredients

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free

Real Chicken Recipe Cuts

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free Real Chicken Recipe Cuts

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken broth
turkey broth
chicken liver
turkey

Ingredients

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free

Real Chicken + Trout Recipe Cuts

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free Real Chicken + Trout Recipe Cuts

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken broth
salmon broth
chicken liver
trout

Ingredients

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free

Real Whitefish Recipe Cuts

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free Real Whitefish Recipe Cuts

First Five Ingredients

whitefish
salmon broth
herring broth
beef liver
lamb

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Grammy's Pot Pie Minced In Gravy

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Grammy's Pot Pie Minced In Gravy

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken broth
chicken liver
duck
pea

Ingredients

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free

Real Duck Recipe Cuts

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free Real Duck Recipe Cuts

First Five Ingredients

duck
duck broth
turkey broth
turkey liver
turkey

Ingredients

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free

Real Turkey Recipe Cuts

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free Real Turkey Recipe Cuts

First Five Ingredients

turkey
turkey broth
chicken broth
turkey liver
chicken

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Thanksgiving Day Dinner Minced In Gravy

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Thanksgiving Day Dinner Minced In Gravy

First Five Ingredients

turkey
turkey broth
chicken
duck
chicken liver

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Tuna + Tilapia Pate Recipe

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Tuna + Tilapia Pate Recipe

First Five Ingredients

tuna
beef broth
pork liver
tilapia
natural flavor

Ingredients

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free

Real Rabbit Recipe Cuts

Merrick

Backcountry Grain Free Real Rabbit Recipe Cuts

First Five Ingredients

rabbit
lamb broth
beef broth
beef liver
lamb

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Duck Pate

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Duck Pate

First Five Ingredients

duck
chicken broth
chicken liver
chicken
dried egg product

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Rabbit Recipe Pate

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Rabbit Recipe Pate

First Five Ingredients

rabbit
chicken broth
chicken
chicken liver
natural flavor

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Kitten Dinner Pate

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Kitten Dinner Pate

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken broth
chicken liver
salmon
natural flavor

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Surf + Turf Pate

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Surf + Turf Pate

First Five Ingredients

beef
chicken broth
chicken liver
salmon
dried egg product

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Beef Pate

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Beef Pate

First Five Ingredients

beef
beef broth
chicken liver
chicken
dried egg product

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Grain Free Tuna Pate

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Grain Free Tuna Pate

First Five Ingredients

tuna
chicken broth
chicken liver
beef
dried egg product

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Chicken Pate

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Chicken Pate

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken broth
chicken liver
dried egg product
natural flavor

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Salmon Pate

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Salmon Pate

First Five Ingredients

salmon
chicken broth
chicken liver
beef
dried egg product

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro

Turkey Pate

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Turkey Pate

First Five Ingredients

turkey
turkey broth
chicken liver
chicken
dried egg product

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Bon Appetits

Turkey Recipe Chunks In Gravy

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Bon Appetits Turkey Recipe Chunks In Gravy

First Five Ingredients

turkey
turkey broth
chicken broth
chicken
dried egg whites

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Bon Appetits

Beef Recipe Chunks In Gravy

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Bon Appetits Beef Recipe Chunks In Gravy

First Five Ingredients

beef
beef broth
fish broth
dried egg whites
beef liver

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Bon Appetits

Beef Recipe Morsels In Gravy

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Bon Appetits Beef Recipe Morsels In Gravy

First Five Ingredients

beef
beef broth
fish broth
beef liver
pea

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Bon Appetits

Chicken Recipe Chunks In Gravy

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Bon Appetits Chicken Recipe Chunks In Gravy

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken broth
turkey broth
dried egg whites
turkey

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Bon Appetits

Chicken Recipe Morsels In Gravy

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Bon Appetits Chicken Recipe Morsels In Gravy

First Five Ingredients

chicken
chicken broth
turkey broth
chicken liver
pea

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Bon Appetits

Salmon Recipe Chunks In Gravy

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Bon Appetits Salmon Recipe Chunks In Gravy

First Five Ingredients

salmon
salmon broth
fish broth
dried egg whites
beef liver

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Bon Appetits

Salmon Recipe Morsels In Gravy

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Bon Appetits Salmon Recipe Morsels In Gravy

First Five Ingredients

salmon
salmon broth
beef broth
beef liver
pea

Ingredients

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Bon Appetits

Turkey Recipe Morsels In Gravy

Merrick

Purrfect Bistro Bon Appetits Turkey Recipe Morsels In Gravy

First Five Ingredients

turkey
turkey broth
chicken broth
turkey liver
pea

Ingredients