Petite Cuisine Cat Food Review

Kate Barrington / Cats.com

We’ve rated Petite Cuisine cat food on ingredient quality, species-appropriateness, recalls, and more. Read our Petite Cuisine cat food review to learn how this brand stacks up.

The Cats.com Standard—Rating Petite Cuisine Cat Food on What Matters

We’ve rated the brand on six key criteria for quality. Here’s how it rates in each of these six crucial areas.

In total, we give Petite Cuisine cat food a 47 out of 60 rating or a B+ grade.

About Petite Cuisine Cat Food

Petite Cuisine was founded in 2004 by Eric Weber and is based in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Their recipes are described on the brand’s website as “complete and balanced with real, healthy ingredients you recognize.” But does the food stand up to the brand’s claims? Let’s find out.

Sourcing and Manufacturing

The Petite Cuisine website doesn’t offer much besides general claims about the food and basic product information. The “Where to Buy” page allows you to search for Petite Cuisine in stores as well as online. Other than information and an email and phone number for contact, however, the website is pretty sparse.

What Petite Cuisine does say about their products is that they offer “homemade-like goodness” and are made with “high-quality meats & superfoods.”

Petite Cuisine points out that their formulas are high in protein and made with clean ingredients, but they don’t say where those ingredients come from. Because the food is manufactured in Thailand, however, it’s likely that the chicken and fish is sourced from there as well.

All Petite Cuisine products are free from corn, wheat, and soy ingredients and they are not thickened with carrageenan.

Recall History

To our knowledge, Petite Cuisine has never had a product recalled.

What Kinds of Cat Food Does Petite Cuisine Offer?

Petite Cuisine is a wet food-only brand. They offer half a dozen complete and balanced wet food recipes as well as two wet food toppers and two lickable cat treats.

Most of Petite Cuisine’s formulas are chicken- or tuna-based, though some include whitefish or tilapia as a secondary source of animal protein. All of the canned foods come in 2.8-ounce cans, the food toppers in 1.3-ounce pouches, and the lickable treats in small tubes.

What Do Customers Think Of Petite Cuisine Cat Food?

Despite having been founded nearly two decades ago, Petite Cuisine remains a seemingly unknown brand. While the variety pack of Petite Cuisine canned food has a little over 100 ratings on Amazon, individual recipes have fewer than 30.

Based on ratings from customers on Amazon and Chewy, Petite Cuisine seems to be a little hit-or-miss with cats. Some customers report excellent responses from picky eaters but just as many (or more) say their cats wouldn’t even touch it.

Let’s take a look at a few reviews from some of the most popular recipes from Petite Cuisine.

Positive Reviews

“I have 4 cats and 1 is allergic to chicken so I’m try to buy food that they all can eat and this one is almost a win. 3 of my cats will eat this some of the time. That’s a win for my house.”- by Pleg Reviewing Petite Cuisine L’il Violet’s Tuna, Pumpkin & Tilapia Entree in Broth on 10 Feb 2021

“This cat food is perfect for my elderly cat who doesn’t like to drink water and tends to get borderline dehydrated. I pour a can of this in with a can of his regular food ( chicken in gravy). She slurps it all up and gets excited when I put the bowl out. Her coat looks so much better after 2 weeks The rest of my cats are indifferent and can take it or leave it. I’m happy that it’s perfect for my reluctant drinker!”- by Elle Reviewing Petite Cuisine Sweet Ivy’s Chicken Entree in Broth on 17 Jul 2021

Negative Reviews

“All of my cats love any can with lots of broth, but I couldn’t get any of them to eat this one, this one will be donated to the shelter I am sure some kitties might like this one but not mine.”– by Blkcatsrox Reviewing Petite Cuisine Variety Pack on 16 Jan 2021

“1/4 of the can is food. 3/4 broth. It goes everywhere when you open a can. My persian did not care for one of the varieties. He refuses to eat Sweet Ivy’s and potato. Seems like quality food however. Looked and smelled good but needs more meat. I use it as a topper for his dry and stir in.” – by Lenny Reviewing Petite Cuisine Variety Pack on 8 Mar 2020

What Did Our Test Cats Think?

Kate Barrington / Cats.com

To test Petite Cuisine, I ordered a 12-can variety pack and a box of the Consommé Tuna Recipe in Broth Grain-Free wet food topper. My cats are suckers for any cat food made with fish – especially wet food. They go crazy as soon as I open the can and they can’t eat it fast enough. Petite Cuisine was no different.

I liked that both the wet food and food topper had plenty of visible chunks of fish, though I agree with what several customers said – some cans seem to be mostly liquid. The same is true of the wet food topper, but that’s what I would expect.

I didn’t have any issues with the product itself, but I can see how the pricy might be an issue for cat owners on a budget. The food only comes in small 2.8-ounce cans and, because the food is chicken- or fish-based, it’s very low in calories. Even a small cat would be expensive to feed if you used Petite Cuisine exclusively.

Petite Cuisine Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed

#1 Petite Cuisine Sweet Ivy’s Chicken & Sweet Potato Entrée in Broth Grain-Free Wet Cat Food

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Because I purchased the variety pack, I was able to test two chicken- and two tuna-based canned foods from Petite Cuisine. This recipe features fresh chicken with sweet potato in chicken broth.

The list of main ingredients for this recipe is pretty limited. Chicken and sweet potato make up the bulk of the product with sunflower and olive oils as sources of fat. I’d prefer to see an animal-based fat like salmon oil or chicken fat replace one or both of these. Not only are animal ingredients more biologically valuable for cats, but neither sunflower nor olive oil are particularly rich in omega-3s.

The main thing this recipe has going for it is the high moisture and protein content. The recipe has over 66% protein on a dry matter basis but only about 13% fat. Because the fat and calorie content are so low, this may not be the best recipe for growing kittens or older cats struggling to maintain their weight.

It’s also worth noting that while none of Petite Cuisine’s wet foods contain carrageenan – a potentially carcinogenic ingredient – they are thickened with guar gum and tapioca starch. Guar gum has been linked to digestive upset in some cats and tapioca starch simply doesn’t provide much nutritional benefit.

Ingredients

Chicken Broth, Chicken, Sweet Potato, Sunflower Oil, Cranberry, Tricalcium Phosphate, Guar Gum, Tapioca Starch, Olive Oil, Salt, Choline Chloride, Magnesium Sulfate, Taurine, Zinc Oxide, Reduced Iron, Vitamin E Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Thiamine Mononitrate, Manganese Sulfate, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Potassium Iodide, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin Supplement (Vitamin B7).

Ingredients We Liked	Ingredients We Didn’t Like	Common Allergens
Chicken	Sunflower Oil	Guar Gum Tapioca Starch Olive Oil

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein: 10%

Crude Fat: 2%

Crude Fiber: 1%

Moisture: 85%

Dry Matter Basis

Protein: 66.67%

Fat: 13.33%

Fiber: 6.67%

Carbs: 13.33%

Caloric Weight Basis

Protein: 59.32%

Fat: 28.81%

Carbs: 11.86%

Pros

• Packed with over 65% protein on a dry matter basis
• Rich in moisture to support your cat’s hydration
• Made with a single source of animal-based protein
• Doesn’t contain carrageenan, corn, wheat, or soy

Cons

• May not be high enough in fat and calories for some cats
• Relies primarily on plant-based fats
• Expensive to feed exclusively

#2 Petite Cuisine L’il Violet’s Tuna, Pumpkin & Tilapia Entrée in Broth Grain-Free Wet Cat Food

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This canned food formula is similar to the first recipe but with a few swaps. It’s a fish-based formula featuring tuna and tilapia with pumpkin rather than sweet potato as the main carbohydrate.

With two types of fish, this recipe is even richer in protein – over 70% on a dry matter basis. It is, however, just as low in fat and calories. Again, this could be an issue for cats and kittens who need a calorie-dense diet but could very well be a benefit for overweight cats or even diabetic cats who need a very low-carb diet.

Like the previous formula, this recipe relies on plant fats like sunflower oil instead of much-preferred animal fats like fish oil. The food contains the same starchy tapioca thickener but swaps xanthan gum for guar gum. Unfortunately, both of these gums have the potential to contribute to digestive upset in some cats.

Overall, this is a moisture-rich canned food with very high protein content and very low fat and carbohydrate content.

Ingredients

Tuna, Tuna Broth, Pumpkin, Tilapia, Sunflower Oil, Tapioca Starch, Tricalcium Phosphate, Cranberry, Xanthan Gum, Taurine, Magnesium Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Reduced Iron, Vitamin E Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Niacin Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Biotin Supplement (Vitamin B7), Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex.

Ingredients We Liked	Ingredients We Didn’t Like	Common Allergens
Tuna Tilapia	Sunflower Oil Tapioca Starch Xanthan Gum	Fish

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein: 11%

Crude Fat: 2%

Crude Fiber: 0.5%

Moisture: 85%

Dry Matter Basis

Protein: 73.33%

Fat: 13.33%

Fiber: 3.33%

Carbs: 10%

Caloric Weight Basis

Protein: 63.37%

Fat: 27.98%

Carbs: 8.64%

Pros

• Contains two sources of species-appropriate animal protein
• Rich in moisture to support your cat’s hydration
• Supplemented with pumpkin for digestive support
• Doesn’t contain carrageenan, corn, wheat, or soy

Cons

• Expensive to feed exclusively
• May not be high enough in fat and calories for some cats
• Relies primarily on plant-based fats

#3 Petite Cuisine Consomme Tuna Recipe in Broth Grain-Free Wet Food Topper

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In addition to a handful of canned food recipes, Petite Cuisine offers two wet food toppers. Both are broth-based with either chicken or fish as the main ingredient.

This recipe contains tuna and pumpkin as the main ingredients with tuna broth for moisture and fish extract for flavor. It’s lightly thickened with guar gum and xanthan gum, though the product itself is still very liquid.

While only intended for supplemental feeding, this food topper has two important things going for it: it’s high in moisture and packed with protein. It contains about 80% protein on a dry matter basis and is higher in moisture than the average wet food. Because it’s low in fat and calories, you can add it to your cat’s food without worrying about throwing off his daily intake by much.

Ingredients

Tuna Broth, Tuna, Pumpkin, Fish Extract, Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum.

Ingredients We Liked	Ingredients We Didn’t Like	Common Allergens
Tuna	Guar Gum Xanthan Gum	Fish

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein: 6%

Crude Fat: 0.05%

Crude Fiber: 0.1%

Moisture: 92.5%

Dry Matter Basis

Protein: 80%

Fat: 0.67%

Fiber: 1.33%

Carbs: 18%

Caloric Weight Basis

Protein: 80.31%

Fat: 1.63%

Carbs: 18.07%

Pros

• Contains about 80% protein on a dry matter basis
• Simple recipe with just two main ingredients
• Rich in moisture to support your cat’s hydration
• Very low in fat and calories, good for overweight cats

Cons

• Only intended for supplemental feeding
• Costs over $1 per pouch

How Much Does Petite Cuisine Cat Food Cost?

Petite Cuisine canned foods are only sold in 2.8-ounce cans, available in 24-packs of individual flavors or a 12-can variety pack. A 24-pack of a single flavor costs $35.76, or about $1.49 per can and $0.53 per ounce. If you purchase the variety pack, you’ll pay about $1.34 per can or about $0.48 per ounce.

The two lickable cat treats/food toppers Petite Cuisine has to offer are sold in 12-packs of 1.3-ounce pouches for around $15.

Because all Petite Cuisine canned foods are priced the same and have similar calorie content, it’s easy to estimate the daily feeding cost. For a 10-pound cat, you’d pay about $4.60 per day. This makes Petite Cuisine a pretty pricey brand, on par with some canned cat foods from Tiki Cat and Most of Caru’s wet food recipes.

Overall, Is Petite Cuisine Cat Food a Good Choice?

Though Petite Cuisine’s product lineup is very limited, there are cases in which this brand might be an excellent choice. The high-protein, low-fat formulas are ideal for cats who need to lose weight and the low carbohydrate content is another benefit. The recipes are also pretty simple, featuring either chicken or fish protein.

While a low-fat, low-calorie diet might be right for some cats, it could be problematic for others. Though Petite Cuisine recipes are formulated for all life stages, they don’t provide the kind of calorie-dense nutrition that growing kittens need. You could certainly raise a kitten on this food, but he’d need to eat a lot of it to meet his calorie needs and that’s going to be expensive.

I’d personally recommend Petite Cuisine as a food to supplement your cat’s protein and moisture intake. It’s expensive to feed exclusively but if, you have the budget for it, it could make for a quality addition to your cat’s staple diet.

Where Is Petite Cuisine Cat Food Sold?

Petite Cuisine seems to be primarily sold in large chain supermarkets like Meijer and Wegmans. It’s also sold online by Walmart, Chewy, and Amazon.