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This is a product review of Sheba Perfect Portions, a popular wet cat food. This was chosen as The Purring Journal’s first product review because my cats have been eating this brand for quite a while.
Although my cats like some flavors better than others, all three seem to like their meals. However, taste is subjective. Just like humans, cats have different likes and dislikes, which is why taste is not included in this review.
Instead, our product reviews are made based on five categories: ingredient quality, accessibility, price, product variety, and recall history. Each rating is based on a scale of one to five purrs, with one purr being the worst and five purrs being the best. Each category is rated, and then all five ratings are averaged together to determine our overall purr rating.
About Sheba
Sheba is a brand of canned cat food that is owned by Mars, Incorporated. In the U.S., Sheba is made by Mars Petcare U.S. Mars also makes other popular pet foods like IAMS, Pedigree, Royal Canin, Eukanuba, Cesar, Whiskas, Greenies, and Nutro. In 2011, Mars announced that Sheba would be discontinued in the United States due to economic factors. However, the following year, Sheba came back to the U.S.
Today, the brand uses sustainably-sourced fish in their products, and is partnered with Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch®, a global leader in the sustainable seafood movement. Aside from wet cat food, Sheba also sells Meaty Tender Sticks.
About Sheba Perfect Portions
Sheba Perfect Portions are sold in twin packs. Each twin pack contains two individual trays, which are each a 1.32-oz serving. This brand is viewed as being user-friendly, because each tray snaps and peels open easily. Another appeal of an individual tray is that it lets you provide a fresh, perfectly sized portion for every meal.
How much more fool-proof can you get?
These individual portions are great for cats who dislike leftovers. In addition, this cat food is sold in singles and multi-packs. The multi-packs can be found with 12, 24, 48, or 72 servings in each box.
Ingredients of 3 Popular Flavors
| Product Name | Food Type | Ingredients | Caloric Content |
| Chicken Cuts in Gravy | Wet | Water, Chicken, Poultry Liver, Animal Plasma, Tapioca Starch, Natural Flavor, Fish Oil, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Magnesium Sulfate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Caramel Color, Choline Chloride, Taurine, DL-Methionine, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex. | 875 kcal/kg, 33 kcal/serving |
| Salmon Cuts in Gravy | Wet | Water, Salmon, Chicken, Poultry Liver, Animal Plasma, Tapioca Starch, Natural Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Fish Oil, Magnesium Sulfate, Xanthan Gum, Salt, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Choline Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Taurine, DL-Methionine, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Oxide Color, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Potassium Iodide, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex. | 783 kcal/kg, 29 kcal/serving |
| Turkey Cuts in Gravy | Wet | Water, Turkey, Chicken, Poultry Liver, Animal Plasma, Tapioca Starch, Natural Flavor, Fish Oil, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Magnesium Sulfate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Caramel Color, Choline Chloride, Taurine, DL-Methionine, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex. | 860 kcal/kg, 32 kcal/serving |
Guaranteed Analysis
Chicken Cuts in Gravy
| Guaranteed Analysis | |
|---|---|
| CRUDE PROTEIN | 7.0% min |
| CRUDE FAT | 2.5% min |
| CRUDE FIBER | 1.5% max |
| MOISTURE | 84.0% max |
| ASH | 3.0% max |
| TAURINE | 0.06% min |
Salmon Cuts in Gravy
| Guaranteed Analysis | |
|---|---|
| CRUDE PROTEIN | 7.0% min |
| CRUDE FAT | 2.5% min |
| CRUDE FIBER | 1.5% max |
| MOISTURE | 84.0% max |
| ASH | 3.0% max |
| TAURINE | 0.06% min |
Turkey Cuts in Gravy
| Guaranteed Analysis | |
|---|---|
| CRUDE PROTEIN | 7.0% min |
| CRUDE FAT | 2.5% min |
| CRUDE FIBER | 1.5% max |
| MOISTURE | 84.0% max |
| ASH | 3.0% max |
| TAURINE | 0.06% min |
Ingredient Quality
We believe that ingredient quality is the most important factor to consider when picking a pet food. After researching the ingredients in Sheba Perfect Portions, we were thankful to find that the food’s advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
Advantages
First, Sheba Perfect Portions are wet food, which we like because the first ingredient is water, a crucial component of a cat’s health. In nature, cats get most of their water from their prey. But today, the modern house cat has two food options: wet or dry food. A dry-food diet only contains 6–10% moisture, which is a fraction of the moisture they’d get from rats and mice.
On the other hand, a can of wet food is about 70–80% water. According to Preventative Vet, a single can of wet food is about half a cat’s needed water intake for the day. With wet food in my cats’ diet, I don’t have to worry them becoming dehydrated.
Another huge advantage is the fact that the first ingredient (after water) in each pack is meat. This is good news because the first five ingredients in any recipe are always the most abundant, which means each entrée is mainly meat. The company’s guaranteed analysis charts further indicate that crude protein, the approximate amount of protein in food, is the most plentiful ingredient after moisture.
Since research has shown that one of the most critical dietary components for cats is protein, it’s reassuring to see meat as a main ingredient. We also love that these recipes are made without grain, wheat, corn, soy, and artificial flavors or preservatives. In the future, we will dive further into why those ingredients should be avoided.
Disadvantages
One potential disadvantage is that this cat food contains animal by-products, which the USDA defines as “products harvested or manufactured from livestock other than muscle meat.” Although animal by-products are not necessarily something your cat needs to avoid, they are often low-quality and inexpensive, making them controversial to put in food.
However, assuming that the source is safe, by-products (such as skin, organs, and ground bone) are said to be healthy for cats since they provide a concentrated source of nutrients which they would naturally eat in the wild anyway.
The other ingredient that we are hesitant about is caramel color, a color additive. The purpose of adding this ingredient to pet food is simply to make it look more appealing. However, it’s completely unnecessary since cats don’t care about the color of their food, just the aroma and taste. The “look” is made to appeal us humans. But the real problem is that caramel color is controversial because it has been linked to cancer in lab animals.
On the other hand, the FDA currently has no reason to believe that this ingredient has any health risks at the levels used in food. Regardless of whether caramel color truly is harmful or not, we wish Sheba would stay on the side of caution. When it comes to our furry friends, we believe it is better to be safe than sorry.
After researching this product’s ingredient quality, our conclusion is that Sheba Perfect Portions have more advantages than disadvantages, making it a reasonable choice for cat parents. However, it does lose 1 purr in our rating system due to the ongoing controversy over caramel color and by-products.
Ingredient Quality Rating: 4 out of 5 purrs.
Accessibility
We usually buy Sheba from Walmart. But I decided to investigate where else this food is sold. Aside from Walmart, we also found it at: Target, Amazon, PetSmart, Petco, and Chewy.com. Our local grocery store, Dollar General, CVS, and Walgreens sell Sheba too. However, I only managed to find packs with 12 or 24 servings instead of 48 at those stores.
The fact that this food is available at stores other than pet retailers is very convenient, because you can pick up your furry friend’s food while you shop for you own. Who wants to drive to more than one store if it’s not necessary? Plus, the retailers that this food is sold at are practically everywhere, with most of them being present in all 50 states and/or online.
Thanks to the impressive accessibility, this category gets a full set of purrs!
Accessibility Rating: 5 out of 5 purrs.
Price
As mentioned earlier, this cat food is sold in singles and multi-packs, with multi-packs offerings 12, 24, 48, or 72 servings in each box. For the sack of simplicity, these figures were calculated using current prices at retailers such as Walmart and Amazon.
| Twin Packs | Amount of Servings | Price per Ounce | Price per Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 31 cents | 80 cents |
| 6 | 12 | 37 cents | $6.07 |
| 12 | 24 | 27 cents | $9.60 |
| 24 | 48 | 25 cents | $15.68 |
| 48 | 72 | 33 cents | $31.68 |
We were surprised to learn that the multi-pack with 48 servings is cheaper than the one with 72 servings, because buying in bulk is usually cheaper. Nonetheless, since these prices per ounce range from 25 to 37 cents, we think that’s an average price range compared to other brands. We could sit here all day comparing prices to other brands, but that’s a project for another day.
The most important thing to know is that although Sheba is not the cheapest on the market, it’s certainly not the most expensive either. So overall, we are happy with this price point, because products that are “too cheap” usually lack quality.
Price Rating: 5 out of 5 purrs.
Product Variety
Aside from the three flavors mentioned earlier, Sheba Perfect Potions has numerous other recipes we well. These entrées have three categories: Cuts in Gravy, Premium Patés, and Garden Medleys. The Cuts in Gravy also have a few Bistro Editions, which are basically recipes that are little “fancier.”
How fun is that?
Meanwhile, the Garden Medleys are basically cuts with added vegetables. As far as texture, the cuts are hearty, while the patés are more smooth and consistent.
Cuts in Gravy
- Roasted Chicken & Beef
- Gourmet Salmon & Seafood
- Tuna & Shrimp
- Salmon & Shrimp
- Delicate Whitefish & Tuna
- Savory Mixed Grill
- Tender Trout
- Signature Tuna
- Gourmet Salmon
- Tender Turkey
- Roasted Chicken.
Cuts in Gravy (Bistro Editions)
- Seafood in Scampi Sauce
- Chicken in Alfredo Sauce
- Salmon in Creamy Sauce
Premium Patés
- Delicate Salmon
- Gourmet Chicken & Tuna
- Roasted Turkey
- Roasted Chicken & Liver
- Signature Seafood
- Savory Chicken
- Tender Whitefish & Tuna
- Tender Beef
- Delectable Tuna
Garden Medleys
- Salmon & Vegetables
- Chicken, Beef & Vegetables
- Chicken & Vegetables
- Tuna & Vegetables
With 27 varieties, we think your cat will never get bored of eating Sheba. Actually, if your cat likes both cuts and paté, they could theoretically have a different flavor almost every day of the month. For this reason, the product variety category is full of purrs!
Product Variety Rating: 5 out of 5 purrs.
Recall History
Thankfully, there have never been any recalls for the Sheba brand. However, the company that owns them, Mars, has recalled certain pet foods in the past. Despite that, Sheba itself has never been recalled, which is why we gave the recall history almost a full purr rating.
Recall History Rating: 4.5 out of 5 purrs.
Overall Purr Rating for Sheba Perfect Portions
Overall, our average rating for Sheba Perfect Portions is 5 out of 5 purrs. Although a couple of the ingredients are controversial, they have not conclusively been deemed unsafe. We also appreciate that there is little to worry about your cat being bored of the same few flavors since there are 27 varieties. In addition, we love that this brand can be found at most major retailers, and the price is right! Finally, as a cat parent, it is reassuring to know that Sheba has never recalled any of it’s products.
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 purrs.
Does your cat like Sheba? Tell us in the comments below!
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DISCLAIMER: The Purring Journal is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn commissions, at not cost to you, by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. I only affiliate with products that I truly support, and commissions help support this blog.
Disclaimer: The Purring Journal is not in the medical field. This post is made for entertainment purposes only. Use the information presented in this article at your own risk. Always seek medical advice from licensed veterinarians.
