Last updated Apr 19, 2023
Meowing Heads cat food is made by the same folks who make Barking Heads dog foods. Meowing Heads is a British company. Learn more about their foods for cats in our unbiased review.
The Cats.com Standard – Rating Meowing Heads Cat Food on What Matters
We have analyzed Meowing Heads cat food and rated it according to our standards here at Cats.com. Our grades are based on the species-appropriateness of the food, the quality of the ingredients, product variety, price, customer experience, and recall history. You can read more about our ratings here.
Here are our ratings for Meowing Heads in these key areas:
Ratings
- Species-Appropriateness – 7/10
- Ingredient Quality – 7/10
- Product Variety – 6/10
- Price – 8/10
- Customer Experience – 7/10
- Recall History – 8/10
Overall Score: 7.17/10
We give Meowing Heads cat food a 43 out of 60 rating (71.67) or a B+ grade.
About Meowing Heads
Meowing Heads was formed in 2008-09 when Paul, Dave, and Jim of Petfood UK left their previous jobs at an American pet food company that had been purchased by Mars Corporation. They decided to make their own pet food. This plan led to Meowing Heads.
It was announced in December 2021 that Meowing Heads and Petfood UK were being purchased by Inspired Pet Nutrition (IPN), a UK-based pet food and treat manufacturer. IPN is said to be the largest producer of dry pet foods in the UK.
Meowing Heads was previously owned by Petfood UK. The company also owned Barking Heads, Bailey Bites, and AATU: Evolutionary Natural Feeding for Dogs. Petfood UK is based in Herefordshire, UK. According to their online profile, their pet food products are sold in over 30 countries.
Meowing Heads has a smaller online presence than Petfood UK or Barking Heads. We did find current Meowing Heads postings on Facebook.
Also Read: KatKin Unbiased Cat Food Review
Sourcing and Manufacturing
Meowing Heads states that the ingredients for their foods are sourced in the UK as much as possible. The company doesn’t provide specific information about their cat food ingredients. However, we did find ingredient information when we checked the dog food listings. Cats are mentioned, along with dogs, in the discussion of ingredients.
The company says that it uses:
- 100 Percent Natural, Free-run Chicken
- 100 Percent Natural, Grass-fed Beef
- 100 Percent Natural, Grass-fed Lamb
- 100 Percent Natural Scottish Salmon
- 100 Percent Natural, Free-run Turkey
- 100 Percent Natural, Free-run Duck
- 100 Percent Natural Tuna
- 100 Percent Natural Trout
- 100 Percent Natural Sardines
You can see the other ingredients used on this page.
As for manufacturing, from the inforrmation we found online, the Petfood UK products, including Meowing Heads, are made at Dalton Airfield, Topcliffe, Thirsk, in North Yorkshire, UK. Whether this includes all of the company’s products or only the dry or wet foods, we can’t say. IPN, which has acquired Petfood UK recently, also has pet food manufacturing facilities in Kinmel, Wales.
Has Meowing Heads Cat Food Been Recalled?
We didn’t find any recalls online for Meowing Heads. It’s not always easy to find every recall for every country so we can’t say with certainty that Meowing Heads has never had a recall. However, if the company had any kind of large recall, it should have turned up.
What Kinds of Cat Food Does Meowing Heads Offer?
Meowing Heads currently offers both wet and dry food. Most of the information we found online pertained to their dry foods. Dry foods may have been their early focus but they have a decent variety of wet foods now.
The company makes foods for cats of all ages: adults, kittens, and seniors. They also make foods for cats of all sizes. They have a light food (dry) for overweight cats.
Primary ingredients in their foods include salmon, chicken, and turkey, with a few other meats in some foods.
The wet cat food we found from Meowing Heads is sold in 100-gram pouches instead of tins.
Meowing Heads is also sold in variety packs and bundles for people who like to buy a lot at one time. They even offer a “mega pack” that features sixty 100-gram pouches of various wet foods.
According to one article about the company, the owners stated that their foods “are guaranteed to contain nothing but high-quality meat and fish, topped up with scrummy veg, herbs, and other ingredients that are great for pet health – like added vitamins and minerals. In short, everything you need to feed happy, healthy dogs and cats.”
Meowing Heads Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Primary Protein | Calories | Price | Our Grade |
| Meowing Heads Paw Lickin’ Chicken wet food | Wet | Chicken | 99 Kcal per 100g | £5.14 per lb | B+ |
| Meowing Heads So-fish-ticated Salmon dry food | Dry | Salmon | 400 Kcal per 100g | £5.60 per lb | B+ |
| Meowing Heads Smitten Kitten dry cat food | Dry | Chicken | 400 Kcal per 100g | £5.31 per lb | B+ |
#1 Paw Lickin’ Chicken – Wet Food
With cats gaining in popularity as pets (there are now more pet cats than dogs in some countries), we are finally beginning to see more and better cat foods available. While there are a lot of good cat foods appearing, it’s not always easy to decide which foods are the best for your cat.
Meowing Heads is often considered to be one of the better cat foods. Paw Lickin’ Chicken wet food is their bestselling wet food. It was previously known as Hey Good Looking.
The primary ingredient in this food is chicken. It contains 43 percent fresh deboned chicken along with 25 percent fresh deboned beef. Since cats do need good meat protein, that makes this food a good choice – as long as your cat doesn’t have any problems with chicken or beef.
It also contains salmon oil as a source of omega-3 fatty acids.
The food is also grain-free. And, it contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
Meowing Heads uses natural ingredients. They also slow cook their foods.
We think Paw Lickin’ Chicken looks like a good wet food. It’s easy to see why it’s their bestseller.
Calculated calorie content: Kcal 99 Kcal/100g
Ingredients
93% Chicken and Beef includes – Fresh Deboned Chicken (43%), Chicken Broth (25%), Fresh Deboned Beef (25%), Sunflower Oil, Salmon Oil, Minerals.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, chicken broth, beef, salmon oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: None
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- High in protein
- Grain-free, no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
- Slow-cooked with natural ingredients
Cons
- Chicken and beef are allergens for some cats
#2 So-fish-ticated Salmon – Dry Food
Not all cats are fish fanatics but many of them do love their fish. (I think my dogs are crazier about fish than my cats have ever been.) If your cat likes fish, there are some good cat foods that use it as a key protein.
Meowing Heads So-fish-ticated Salmon dry food (formerly Purr Nickety) has salmon as the first ingredient, meaning there is more salmon in this food than anything else. In fact, it contains 30 percent salmon. It also contains chicken, other fish, and eggs. Overall, it has 77 percent protein from these fish and animal sources, making it a good choice for many cats if you feed a dry cat food.
This food also has an anti-hairball formula which is a good thing for many cats. It provides for healthy digestion. And, it’s approved by veterinarians.
So-fish-ticated Salmon dry cat food contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
We know that not everyone likes dry cat foods but they do have their place. They can be fed along with wet foods. Plus, some cats just love them and won’t eat anything else. If you do feed dry cat food, make sure that your cat gets plenty of water to drink.
Meowing Heads So-fish-ticated Salmon dry cat food is one of the company’s bestsellers. It looks like a good food that many cats will enjoy. Plus, it’s designed to help with hairballs.
Calculated calorie content: Kcal 400 Kcal/100 grams (estimated)
Ingredients
77%* Salmon, Chicken, Fish & Egg includes – Salmon *(30%), Dried Chicken *(22%), Dried Fish *(13%), White Rice, Potato Starch, Pea Starch, Chicken *(7%), Egg *(5%), Salmon Oil, Oats, Chicken Fat, Vegetable Fibre, Seaweed, Tomato, Carrot, Cranberry, Minerals
Ingredients We Liked: Salmon, chicken, fish, egg, salmon oil, chicken fat
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Pea starch
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- High in salmon and fish protein
- Contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
- Anti-hairball formula and easy to digest
Cons
- Contains pea starch and several other starches but some starch is necessary to make dry pet foods
- Some people may not like dried chicken and dried fish in the food instead of fresh
#3 Smitten Kitten – Dry Food
Many people know that cat foods are formulated for different life stages. You can also buy foods that are made for “all life stages” or for “maintenance.” With an all life stage food, you can safely feed the food to a cat of any age, from kitten to senior. Maintenance foods are designed for adult cats who are holding or “maintaining” their weight.
For lifestage formulas, you can look for foods made for kittens, adult cats (usually age 1-7), and senior cats (around age 7 and up).
With all that said, it can be challenging to find some of these formulas. Most pet food companies seem to make their foods for adult cats and forget about the other life stages. Kittens can really use a good kitten food but it’s often hard to find one. They grow faster during their first four months than at any other time in their lives.
Meowing Heads makes Smitten Kitten dry cat food which gets good reviews online. This formula is made with 100 percent natural chicken and fish. It’s approved by veterinarians. And it supports strong teeth and bones, as well as aiding brain development.
Smitten Kitten promotes controlled growth. And, it is free from artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.
It contains 70 percent chicken, fish, and egg to provide plenty of healthy protein for your growing kitten. The salmon oil in the food is also a source of omega-3 which provide DHA and EPA for good brain development.
Meowing Heads Smitten Kitten dry food looks like a good food for growing kittens. It has plenty of protein for proper growth along with the DHA and EPA your kitten needs for good brain development.
Calculated calorie content: Kcal 400 kcal/100 grams (estimated)
Ingredients
70%* Chicken, Fish & Egg includes – Chicken *(26%), Dried Chicken *(20%), Brown Rice, Egg *(12%), Dried Fish *(12%), Oats, Chicken Fat, Salmon Oil, Vegetable Fibre, Seaweed, Tomato, Carrot, Cranberry, Minerals
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, egg, fish, chicken fat, salmon oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: None
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Made with 100 percent natural chicken and fish
- Contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
- Provides salmon oil for DHA and EPA – good for kitten brain development
Cons
- Some people may not like the use of dried chicken and dried fish instead of fresh
What Do Customers Think of Meowing Heads Cat Food?
We found lots of reviews online about Meowing Heads. On TrustPilot.com they are interspersed with reviews for Barking Heads dog food.
Some 85 percent of the reviewers gave the company 5 stars. Many of the negative reviews related to the shipping service or delays.
Positive Reviews
“My 15yo senior kitizen loves the four flavours that have arrived at part of the Meowing Heads variety pack. Yes, each one absolutely reeks but she also seems to love this. And a happy cat is a happy home.” – by Mackrz reviewing Barking Heads & Meowing Heads on Feb 2, 2022
“This food is the best I have ever fed my Cat,I was a veterinary nurse so know a fair bit about animal nutrition is this is amazing and just as important as the health benefits my cat loves it. I free feed the dry food, he never overeats and give him the wet as a treat in the evening. Delivery was prompt, I’m very happy customer and my cat says a big thankyou.”- by Joanne Fernie reviewing Barking Heads & Meowing Heads on Oct 7, 2021
Negative Reviews
“My cat loves the food, but the subscription service has been extremely variable, with mix up after mix up. Hence the average rating. Staff generally helpful but honestly beginning to feel this is more trouble than it’s worth.” – by Eileen Prior reviewing Barking Heads & Meowing Heads on Feb 3, 2022
“Their cat food is actually really good, but the shipping and the customer service is a nightmare.
This is the story. We ordered our first one, and after 2 weeks we were still waiting. Never had an answer to my emails until we wrote a bad review here. They replied immediately, send us a new packet and a free one to say sorry. Cats really like it so we ordered more. After other couple of “normal” orders again its been 2 weeks that our order is lost somewhere and 2 different people replied to my many emails with a standard “sorry we are working on it” … but nothing happens. So here we are again giving it another 1 star hoping we finally get the cat food we ordered and paid for 2 weeks ago. The food is actually really good, but if you want to order it just go through some big shop distributor since it seems obvious that this company have some serious logistics problems.” – by Jae Cristiano reviewing Barking Heads & Meowing Heads on Mar 25, 2021
How Much Does Meowing Heads Cat Food Cost?
Prices vary depending on where you buy Meowing Heads. On the company site, a one-time purchase of 10 pouches of Paw Lickin’ Chicken wet food is £11.50. A 1.5 kg bag of Meowing Heads dry cat food, such as So-fish-ticated Salmon, costs £15.99 on the company site.
Meowing Heads is also sold at Sainsbury’s, Petsathome.com, Ocado.com, and many other retailers, both online and at brick and mortar stores.
Overall, Is Meowing Heads Cat Food a Good Choice?
Yes, we think Meowing Heads is a good cat food brand. They appear to use good quality ingredients from good sources. They use meat from free-run and grass-fed sources. Their foods don’t contain artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. The foods we looked at appeared to contain sensible ingredients that would be healthy for cats.
We would compare Meowing Heads to Lily’s Kitchen and Edgard + Cooper cat foods.
How Do You Order Meowing Heads Cat Food?
If you live in the UK, you can buy Meowing Heads cat foods directly from the company on their web site. You can see their delivery policies on this page.
The company offers a subscription service on their products which does provide a discount. For example, a one-time purchase of a package of 10 pouches (100-grams each) of Paw Lickin’ Chicken wet food is £11.50. With the subscription service the cost is £9.20.
You can also buy Meowing Heads at various pet stores in the UK. It’s also sold online. Meowing Heads is also available in some 30-plus countries.
My cat has proved that meowing heads is a superior cat food to the common brands found in supermarkets. On occasion, I have ran out of meowing heads, and had go give her the cheap brand. Felix, so far, is the worst as it made her vomit the whole lot up! My vet says she is in beautiful condition, she has a lovely silky coat. So, we are both fans of meowing heads, both wet and dry, but mostly sshe gets the wet food, it keeps her well hydrated and super fed!!!
Hi Louise, thanks for sharing!
After my cat was ill after eating Purina food who changed the recipe in March 2021 she has had a torred 20 months of going back and forth to the vet ( never went to the vet for 7ears apart from her yearly check up ) she was eventually diagnosed with cancer and liver failure her condition is being managed by Steroids.
I have tried all the best of cat food the middle range and the lower cost trying to get some food that she would eat she settled on Whiskers. but would just have the jelly and leave the rest. 12 days ago she started being sick after eating Whiskers. I had seen Meowing heads on the internet and thought I would try it. I have to say that she has taken to the food right away one happy cat and owner
Top food 5 out of 5 stars for me and my lovely cat who has had a torried 20 months
I’m curious – how did they get the fibre/carb percentages so high in the chicken wet food? The ingredients don’t suggest that.
Hi Esha, that’s a good question. We based these values on the percentages in the guaranteed analysis. However, because the guaranteed analysis is a series of minimums and maximums—and doesn’t actually give us the carbohydrate content of the food—the carbohydrate value extrapolated from it may not be representative of what’s actually in an individual batch of food. Based on the ingredient list, I would suspect that the carbohydrate content is closer to 0%.
Thank you – now I understand a tiny bit more of how it all works!
My cat devoped a “Scabby” skin problem several years ago and I started giving her the wet food. The skin problem went within a week and we have had no problems up until recently. I had recently purchased the large box of assorted flavours and since then she has developed the “scabby” skin problem again. Has there been a change in the recipes?? Only thing I can think of doing is to purchase another brand.
Hi Sue, good question. I haven’t seen any indication that Meowing Heads has changed their recipes, but it’s possible that they changed suppliers and, as a consequence, minor aspects of their formulations. I would recommend contacting the company for more information.
Hello, I am looking for a better food for my kittens (5 months old) and was wondering whether the wet pouches are suitable for kittens?
I’ve been advised to change to this food from my vet but the pouches are only advertised for adults
Thank you
Hi Pippa, the FAQ section of the Meowing Heads website states that all of their foods are appropriate for both adult cats and kittens.