Aldi cat food has two brands they sell (Silvesters and Cachet) and they sell both wet and dry food. They are cheap, but have had both good and bad reviews. The products and prices in this review are based on Aldi Australia, with all prices in AUD.
Introduction
Aldi is well known for its cheaper supermarket brands and when it comes to cat food, there are two brands that are only available in Aldi. Silvesters is its budget brand. The more premium cat food brand is called Cachet and although it is more expensive, it is still competitively priced. Aldi’s cat food Silvesters has fewer options than Cachet, which has a number of different types of wet cat food and dry cat food in two different sizes. According to some reviews, Silvesters is a good quality cheap cat food that cat owners like. Whichever brand the customer chooses, they can be certain that the food will contain all the nutritional quality that their cat needs.
What kind of cat food does Aldi sell?
As well as selling some supermarket brands of cat food, Aldi has two of its own brands, Silvesters and Cachet. Canned wet food and Aldi’s dry cat food are available in both brands. Both are sold in at least 3 flavours: fish, meat, or chicken.
Both brands sell dry cat food in 1kg packets, but Cachet wet food products is in either 85g cans and at the moment, there is a limited offer of a box containing 12 15g sachets of creamy cat treats. Usually, only the canned food and dry cat food are available. Aldi usually sells Silvesters in a 400g can, but they are selling a box containing 12 85g pouches of cat food.
“Why don’t they just make mouse-flavored cat food?”
Steven Wright
Who makes Aldi’s cat food?
Like many of their other store brand products, Aldi cat food is cheap, although the price has gone up recently. Often Aldi products are made in the same factories as other more expensive brands. It was not possible to find out the manufacturer of Aldi’s cat food products. All of the Cachet cat food products are made in Thailand. See The Truth about Pet Food for more about the quality of pet food manufactured in Thailand. In any case, if you go to the major supermarkets, you will find a lot of cat food that is made in Thailand. If your cat food does not have “Australian Made” written on the front, chances are it has been made in Thailand. Despite being cheaper than Cachet, Silvesters is made in Australia.
Is Aldi cat food good quality?
According to the labels on Aldi cat foods, their cat food meets the requirements for the AAFCO (Association of American Food Control Officials), however, the AAFCO does not certify or regulate animal food to ensure it meets the requirements. Nevertheless, the labels show that the cat food does meet the AAFCO requirements. To see more about the AAFCO and its requirement go to Pet MD: What is and is not included on a cat food label?
A number of online review sites, such as Pet Food Reviews, have criticised Cachet dry food products as the main ingredients are not meat. Cats require a high protein diet and the fact that the first three ingredients in the dry food are corn meal, rice, and tapioca may mean that the protein supplied by the cat food may not be of good quality. Premium brand dry cat foods generally specify that the main protein ingredient is a meat product. The dry food also contains food coloring and preservatives, but the label does not specify what they are, so it can be assumed that they are probably cheap.
In contrast, the main ingredients in the Cachet wet food are either meat, chicken, or fish depending on the product. They do not contain artificial colors or preservatives according to the label, so Cachet wet food seems to be a higher quality product than the dry food.
Silvesters dry food contains whole grain cereals, which can be either wheat or sorghum. The second ingredient is meat and meat by-products, which are listed on the label. Like Cachet, it contains a number of other products including various vitamins, minerals and proteins. Premium cat food would usually provide these proteins from meat products. Silvesters dry food also contains colours, but does not mention preservatives.
The main ingredient in Silvesters cans are meat and meat by-products which are listed on the label. They also contain other ingredients as well as colours and gelling agents. Most premium brands advertise that they are grain-free, so it is expected that ingredients like wheat flour are just fillers.
Is Aldi cat food healthy?
Aldi cat food provides cats with the complete nutrition that they require for good health, but many vets believe that grain-free food is much better for cats as it is closer to a natural diet. Some cats have allergies and the more ingredients that are included in the cat food, the more likely it is for an allergen to be present.
How does Aldi cat food compare to other supermarket brands?
Canstar Blue rates Aldi’s Silvesters range the highest out of a group of Australian cat food products when it comes to overall satisfaction. The Cachet brand is not featured here, unfortunately. Various review sites have customer comments where they say that their cat loves the food or they hate the food.
When it comes to price both Cachet and Silvesters wet foods are much cheaper than similar supermarket brands. However, the major supermarkets often have discounted prices which makes them cheaper than both Aldi brands. Aldi brands, however, are always the same price.
Many of the brands in major supermarkets do not have 1kg packets, but by looking at the price per kg, there are a range of prices and Aldi’s brands are very competitive, but they are not the cheapest. If you are prepared to buy a 10 kg packet of dry food, you can get a price as low as $3 per kg. The most expensive brands work out at as much as $20 per kg.
Cachet contains all the nutritional quality and nutrients for good cat’s health.
How much is Aldi cat food?
Aldi’s canned cat food Silvesters is not available in small cans. Each 400g can costs $1.29. This is a cost of about $0.32 per 100g. At the moment, it is possible to buy a box of 12 85g pouches of wet food for $4.69 which costs about $0.45 per 100g. Aldi sells Silvesters dry food at $3.49 for a 1kg packet. At this price, it is one of the least expensive of all supermarket brands.
A Cachet 85g can costs $0.95, which is about $1.11 per 100g. There are a number of different flavours and textures. Cachet also has creamy cat treats, with a box of 12 15g creamy treats costing $4.49. Aldi sells Cachet dry food at $8.99 for a 2kg packet and $4.99 for a 1kg packet. While not the cheapest of the dry foods, it is much cheaper than the most expensive brands
Advantages of Aldi cat food
- Aldi cat food is always very reasonably priced and pet owners do not need to rely on discounts to avoid paying high prices.
- Aldi cat food seems to taste good to adult cats and many cat owners have reported that their cats love the products.
- It contains all the nutritional quality and nutrients for good cat health.
Disadvantages of Aldi cat food
- Some of the products contain colours, preservatives, and other additives which may not be good for cats.
- The dry food contains a lot of grains which cats may be allergic to.
- Silvesters products are manufactured in Thailand, and it has been suggested that the ingredients used may not be as high quality as those used by Australian manufacturers
- Many cat owners claim that their cats have become sick after eating Aldi cat food.
Conclusion
The two brands of Aldi cat food contain all the nutrients that are necessary for a cat’s health, but they do not necessarily have the best quality ingredients. Some vets believe that it is important for cat food to be grain-free and free from other additives. Despite this, Silvesters cat food has received very high ratings and Cachet is very popular with many cat pet owners who say that their cats love the products. There is more choice of products in the Cachet range than Silvesters and the price is higher. Compared with the premium brands from other supermarkets, both Cachet and Silvesters are competitively priced. Customers can choose whichever food their cat prefers without worrying about the quality.
If you’re not sure, you can always consult your Vet.
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I buy Aldi Silvester wet food Pink label can with the words 100% Nutritionally complete and Balanced on a label. Other cans do not have this. Am I right in hoping that the one I buy is better than the others?