Special Cat is a premium Italian pet food brand that promises 100% complete nutrition. We use one of its dry food products to feed our community cats.
But should you buy it for your cats?
Let’s check our Special Cat cat food review below.
Special Cat as a brand
Monge is behind the Special Cat. Their story began on a small family farm. They started a poultry business with two golden rules.
First of all, optimize costs without spending more than necessary. Secondly, waste nothing – everything must be reworked.
Baldassarre Giacomo Monge, founder of Monge & C.S.P.A., introduces a revolutionary new approach and replaces the traditional kitchen leftovers with unused, steam-cooked chicken meat. It is the beginning of Italy’s first pet food company.
Where is Special Cat manufactured?
Monge & C.S.P.A., Special Cat manufacturer. Monge Group has been a giant Italian cat and dog feed manufacturer since 1963.
Pet Discount PH imports and distributes Special Cat in the Philippines.
What kinds of food does Special Cat offer?
Special Cat offers dry and wet food: Dry in 1 or 7kg bags and Wet 400g canned food.
Dry cat food comes in two variants: Chicken and Turkey for All Ages and Urinary for Adults.
Meanwhile, wet cat food comes in four variants: Mousse with Beef & Liver Adult, Mousse with Chicken Heart & Liver Adult, Mousse with Rabbit & Liver Adult, and Mousse with Tuna & Ocean Fish Adult.
Special Cat cat food review: Rating the 3 most popular Special Cat products
Below is a handy dandy table of Special Cat’s top 3 products, including each food type (i.e., dry, wet, treat), how much each is per gram, and our rating.
| Product Name | Food Type | Price per gram | Our rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Special Cat Mousse with Rabbit & Liver | Wet | ₱0.22 | (3.8 of 5) |
| Special Cat Urinary | Dry | ₱0.22 | (3.5 of 5) |
| Special Cat Chicken & Turkey | Dry | ₱0.15 | (4.0 of 5) |
Curious? About how we gave these ratings? Read on as we dissect each product’s ingredients and nutritional value.
1. Special Cat Mousse with Rabbit & Liver
The Special Cat Mousse with Rabbit & Liver Adult variant comes in a 400g can.
Ingredients
Meat and animal derivatives (fresh rabbit 10%, fresh liver 10%), minerals.
Guaranteed Analysis
The guaranteed analysis is listed on the original packaging of Mousse with Rabbit & Liver Adult.
All guaranteed analysis labels should include the minimum crude protein, minimum crude fat, maximum crude fiber, and maximum moisture content.
| Nutrient | Content |
|---|---|
| Crude Protein (min) | ≥10.20% |
| Crude Fat (min) | ≥04.30% |
| Crude Fiber (max) | ≤00.40% |
| Moisture (max) | ≤81.00% |
“Crude” is the analytical method used to determine protein, fat, and fiber. For example, to determine crude protein, the nitrogen content is analyzed and then multiplied by 6.25.
Checking the guaranteed analysis is the wrong way to compare it with the cat food nutrient requirements set by AAFCO. It needs to be converted to a dry matter basis.
Dry Matter Basis
AAFCO’s nutrient requirements are expressed on a dry-matter basis, excluding moisture. We’ve converted the guaranteed analysis to a dry matter basis for you below.
| Nutrient | Content | Adult Maintenance Requirement | Growth & Reproduction Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | ≥53.68% | ≥26.00% | ≥30.00% |
| Fat | ≥22.63% | ≥9.00% | ≥9.00% |
| Fiber | ≤02.11% | ≤10.00% | ≤10.00% |
| Carbohydrate | ≤21.58% | ≤10.00% | ≤10.00% |
Now that we know the ingredients and nutritional content, let’s discuss the pros and cons.
Pros
- Convenient and easy to store
- Rich in moisture
- A good amount of fat
- Suitable for both adult maintenance and growth and reproduction (i.e., growing kittens, pregnant and lactating cats)
Cons
- Carbohydrate content is too high
- It lacks essential nutrients like taurine
Rating
We rate cat food products according to ingredient quality, nutritional balance, and price.
Ingredient quality: (3.0 of 5.0 stars)
The Special Cat Mousse with Rabbit & Liver Adult scored 3.0 stars for ingredient quality because it does not contain human-grade ingredients, but the main ingredient is animal-based.
Rabbit meat may not be suitable for everyone, as dietary preferences and restrictions vary.
Nutritional balance: (4.5 of 5.0 stars)
The Special Cat Mousse with Rabbit & Liver Adult scored 4.5 stars in nutritional balance because it meets AAFCO’s minimum nutrient requirements for adult maintenance, growth & reproduction, and is rich in moisture.
It lost a few points because of its high carbohydrate content.
Price: (4.0 of 5.0 stars)
The Special Cat Mousse with Rabbit & Liver Adult scored 4.0 stars for price, as the suggested retail price of ₱86.00 for a single can means it’s ₱0.22 per gram.
This means a normal-sized (3kg), neutered adult Puspin needs a monthly food budget of around ₱1,000-₱1,500 for one adult neutered Cat.
Overall Rating: (3.8 of 5.0 stars)
Giving equal weights to each of the criteria above (~33%), the Mousse with Rabbit & Liver Adult cat food earns a score of 3.8 stars.
2. Special Cat Urinary
The Special Cat Urinary Adult variant comes in 1000g, 1500g, and 7000g.
Ingredients
Chicken (fresh 8%, dried 25%), wheat, maize gluten, animal fat (chicken oil), rice, dried beet pulp, hydrolyzed animal proteins, dried peas, fish meal (salmon), fish oil (salmon oil 1%), minerals, yeasts products (source of mannan-oligo-saccharide – MOS 0,1%), fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS 0,1%), yucca schidigera (0,1%).
Guaranteed Analysis
The guaranteed analysis is listed on the original packaging of Urinary Adult.
All guaranteed analysis labels should include the minimum crude protein, minimum crude fat, maximum crude fiber, and maximum moisture content.
| Nutrient | Content |
|---|---|
| Crude Protein (min) | ≥34.00% |
| Crude Fat (min) | ≥12.00% |
| Crude Fiber (max) | ≤02.50% |
| Moisture (max) | ≤10.00% |
“Crude” is the analytical method of determining protein, fat, and fiber. For example, to determine crude protein, the nitrogen content is analyzed and then multiplied by 6.25.
Checking the guaranteed analysis is the wrong way to compare it with the cat food nutrient requirements set by AAFCO. It needs to be converted to a dry matter basis.
Dry Matter Basis
AAFCO’s nutrient requirements are expressed on a dry-matter basis, excluding moisture. So we’ve converted the guaranteed analysis to a dry matter basis for you below.
| Nutrient | Content | Adult Maintenance Requirement | Growth & Reproduction Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | ≥37.78% | ≥26.00% | ≥30.00% |
| Fat | ≥13.33% | ≥9.00% | ≥9.00% |
| Fiber | ≤02.78% | ≤10.00% | ≤10.00% |
| Carbohydrate | ≤46.11% | ≤10.00% | ≤10.00% |
Now that we know the ingredients and nutritional content, let’s discuss the pros and cons.
Pros
- A good amount of fat
- Rich in animal-sourced protein
- Suitable for both adult maintenance and growth and reproduction (i.e., growing kittens, pregnant and lactating cats)
Cons
- Carbohydrate content is too high
- It lacks essential nutrients like taurine
Rating
We rate cat food products according to ingredient quality, nutritional balance, and price.
Ingredient quality: (3.0 of 5.0 stars)
The Special Cat Urinary Adult scored 3.0 stars for ingredient quality because it does not contain human-grade ingredients; the main ingredient is animal-based.
Nutritional balance: (3.5 of 5.0 stars)
The Special Cat Urinary Adult scored 3.5 stars in nutritional balance because all nutrient requirements are met for adult maintenance.
Price: (4.0 of 5.0 stars)
The Special Cat Urinary Adult scored 4.0 stars in price because the suggested retail price of ₱1,545.00 for a single 7kg bag of food means it’s ₱0.22 per gram.
This means a normal-size (3kg), neutered adult Puspin needs a food budget of ₱1,545.00 monthly for one adult neutered Cat.
Overall Rating: (3.5 of 5.0 stars)
Giving equal weights to each of the criteria above (~33%), the Urinary Adult cat food scores 3.5 stars.
3. Special Cat Chicken & Turkey
The Special Cat Chicken & Turkey variant comes in 1000g, 1500g, and 7000g.
Ingredients
Cereals, meat, and meat by-products (of which fresh chicken min. 8%, fresh turkey min. 8%), oils and fats (Salmon oil 0.5%), vegetable fish and turkey by-product, minerals, yeasts (mannan oligosaccharides MOS 500mg/kg), FOS (Fructo oligosaccharides 500mg/kg. Yucca Schidigera 1,000mg/kg
Guaranteed Analysis
The guaranteed analysis is listed on the original Chicken & Turkey packaging.
All guaranteed analysis labels should include the minimum crude protein, minimum crude fat, maximum crude fiber, and maximum moisture content.
| Nutrient | Content |
|---|---|
| Crude Protein (min) | ≥32.00% |
| Crude Fat (min) | ≥12.00% |
| Crude Fiber (max) | ≤02.50% |
| Moisture (max) | ≤10.00% |
“Crude” is the analytical method of determining protein, fat, and fiber. For example, to determine crude protein, the nitrogen content is analyzed and then multiplied by 6.25.
Checking the guaranteed analysis is the wrong way to compare it with the cat food nutrient requirements set by AAFCO. It needs to be converted to a dry matter basis.
Dry Matter Basis
AAFCO’s nutrient requirements are expressed on a dry-matter basis, excluding moisture. We’ve converted the guaranteed analysis to a dry matter basis for you below.
| Nutrient | Content | Adult Maintenance Requirement | Growth & Reproduction Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | ≥35.56% | ≥26.00% | ≥30.00% |
| Fat | ≥13.33% | ≥9.00% | ≥9.00% |
| Fiber | ≤02.78% | ≤10.00% | ≤10.00% |
| Carbohydrate | ≤48.33% | ≤10.00% | ≤10.00% |
Now that we know the ingredients and nutritional content, let’s discuss the pros and cons.
Pros
- A good amount of fat
- Rich in animal-sourced protein
- Can be left out for an extended period
- Suitable for both adult maintenance and growth and reproduction (i.e., growing kittens, pregnant and lactating cats)
Cons
- Carbohydrate content is too high
- It lacks essential nutrients like taurine
Rating
We rate cat food products according to ingredient quality, nutritional balance, and price.
Ingredient quality: (3.0 of 5.0 stars)
The Special Cat Chicken & Turkey scored 3.0 stars in ingredient quality because it does not have human-grade ingredients, but the main ingredient is animal.
Nutritional balance: (4.0 of 5.0 stars)
The Special Cat Chicken & Turkey scored 4.0 stars in nutritional balance because all nutrient requirements are met for adult maintenance and growth & reproduction.
Price: (5.0 of 5.0 stars)
The Special Cat Chicken & Turkey scored 5.0 stars in price because the suggested retail price of ₱1,050.00 for a single 7kg bag of food means it’s ₱0.15 per gram.
This means a normal-size (3kg), neutered adult Puspin needs a monthly food budget of around ₱1,100.00 for one adult neutered Cat.
Overall Rating: (4.0 of 5.0 stars)
Giving equal weights to each of the criteria above (~33%), the Chicken & Turkey cat food earns a score of 4.0 stars.
How much does Special Cat cat food cost?
The suggested retail price of Special Cat is ₱1,050.00 for a 7 kg bag of dry cat food and ₱86.00 for a 400 g can of wet food, which comes out to approximately ₱0.15 per gram for dry food and ₱0.22 per gram for wet food.
Based on these costs, feeding a normal-sized (3 kg), neutered adult Puspin would require an estimated monthly budget of around ₱1,100.00.
Where can you buy Special Cat cat food?
You can buy Special Cat cat food in the Philippines through several convenient options. It is widely available in pet supply stores, which usually carry a full range of variants such as dry, wet, and specialized formulas like urinary care.
You can also purchase it online through popular platforms like Shopee and Lazada, as well as pet shop websites, making it easy to order from home.
While it may occasionally appear in larger supermarkets, its availability there is not consistent, so pet stores and online shops remain the most reliable places to find it.
Overall, is Special Cat good?
We rate Philippine cat food brands by ingredient quality, nutritional balance, product variety, price, and availability.
Ingredient quality: (3.0 of 5.0 stars)
Special Cat scored 3.0 stars in ingredient quality as a brand because of its lack of human-grade ingredients. However, when it comes to feline preferences, it’s a winner—cats absolutely adore it.
Despite the absence of human-grade components, the product stands out for its appeal to our finicky feline friends, making it a solid choice for cat owners looking to please their pets.
Nutritional balance: (4.5 of 5.0 stars)
Special Cat scored 4.5 star rating for nutritional balance as a brand, as it meets AAFCO’s minimum nutrient requirements for adult maintenance, growth, and reproduction, and its wet food provides good moisture content.
However, it loses some points due to its relatively high carbohydrate content.
Product variety: (5.0 of 5.0 stars)
Special Cat scored 5.0 stars in product variety as a brand because its product line distinguishes itself by providing options for wet and dry pet food for all stages of your pet’s life.
This versatility in catering to various life stages is a significant advantage, ensuring pet owners can find the right food regardless of their furry friend’s age.
Price: (5.0 of 5.0 stars)
Special Cat scored 5.0 stars in price as a brand because, for those with one adult neutered Cat weighing around 3 kilograms, the brand ensures that you can provide adequate nutrition without breaking the bank.
With a monthly cost of ₱1,050.00, it’s both budget-friendly and nutritionally sound. This is crucial, as a typical adult neutered cat requires approximately 6,000 kilocalories per month, which translates to about 200 kilocalories daily.
The brand’s pricing structure aligns with these dietary needs, averaging under ₱0.15 per gram, making it an affordable and accessible choice for cat owners who prioritize their pet’s health and budget.
Availability: (4.0 of 5.0 stars)
Special Cat scored 4.0 stars in availability as a brand because this cat food brand ensures accessibility for pet owners of all preferences, being readily available in pet stores of various sizes.
Whether you prefer the convenience of online platforms like Grab, Shopee, or Lazada, or you enjoy exploring the aisles of your local pet store, you can easily find this brand to meet your furry friend’s dietary needs.
Its widespread availability makes it a convenient choice for cat owners across different shopping preferences.
Special Cat’s overall Rating: (4.3 of 5.0 stars)
Giving equal weights to each criterion above (~20%), the Special Cat earns a score of 4.3 stars as a brand.
Final thoughts
So, is Special Cat good? We use the Special Cat Chicken & Turkey dry cat food for our community cats. It’s economical, and we don’t have to worry about buying separate food for the kittens and the adult cats.
We recommend Special Cat cat food—particularly the Chicken & Turkey dry variant—when you’re on a budget and have more than ten cats to feed daily.
You can also read our other reviews: Cuties Catz cat food review, Princess cat food review, Lucy cat food review, POWERCAT cat food review, Goodest cat food review, Smartheart cat food review, and Aozi cat food review.