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The New Zealand Natural Pet Food Co.
NZ Natural Meow
Independent · 10 listed
Wellness Pet Company
Wellness CORE
Private equity · 25 listed
Formats represented
NZ
air-driedfreeze-dried
Wellness
cannedkibblepouch
Moisture · as fed
NZ Natural Meow
air-dried
8
freeze-dried
5–6
Wellness CORE
canned
78–85
kibble
10
pouch
7890
0%20%40%60%80%
Shown as fed: the water actually in the food. The dry-matter rows below strip it out so protein and fat can be compared across formats.
Protein · dry matter
NZ Natural Meow
air-dried
3343
freeze-dried
3459
Wellness CORE
canned
4167
kibble
42–50
pouch
4585
30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
Fat · dry matter
NZ Natural Meow
air-dried
35–41
freeze-dried
2351
Wellness CORE
canned
1336
kibble
1120
pouch
2036
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%
Formats and figures reflect the products listed on KibbleGuide, not necessarily each brand’s full range.
Background: ownership, sourcing and positioning
NZ Natural Meow and Wellness CORE offer two different approaches to the Australian cat food market. NZ Natural Meow sells gently freeze-dried and air-dried raw recipes fed as-is or rehydrated rather than cooked kibble. Wellness CORE is owned by the private equity firm Clearlake Capital, which acquired it from Berwind Corporation in 2020, and markets itself as the largest independent North American pet food maker. The two brands take different paths to the same shelf, and those differences become clear once you look past the price tag.
NZ Natural Meow makes the range in small batches at its own New Zealand facility and is FernMark licensed as a genuine New Zealand-made producer. It uses New Zealand proteins including hoki, wild venison and brushtail possum alongside lamb, beef, chicken and king salmon.
Wellness CORE makes its dry kibble in the United States while the wet cans and pouches are made in Thailand.
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Off. Only products with a clean dry matter basis appear, and life stages are kept comparable. This is the default.
Data reflects manufacturer-published information at the time of collection; formulations change, so always verify against the label on the product you intend to buy.
Without limiting our Terms, ingredients and product information listed here require independent verification. Information on this page is sourced from publicly available sources and while we take reasonable care to verify accuracy, we do not warrant that it is complete, current, or error-free. Nothing on kibbleguide.com.au constitutes veterinary or nutritional advice. Consult a qualified veterinarian for guidance specific to your pet. See our Terms of Use for full details.
