Summit - cat food

Summit is a cat food from the Canadian manufacturer Petcurean Pet Nutrition, which also produces Now Fresh and Go Natural cat foods. The brand positions Summit as a product made from high-quality ingredients sourced from Petcurean's own farms, ensuring a pleasant taste and undoubted health benefits (including hair removal) for pets of all ages. This is confirmed by the "All Life Stages" label on the packaging. We offer a detailed review of Summit cat food to help every owner decide whether this food is right for their pet.

Food review

The Summit cat food range consists of a single product—Summit Original Three Meat Indoor Cat Recipe—so owners can't choose different flavors to suit their pet's preferences or intolerance to certain ingredients. It's a complete diet consisting of dry kibble in various shapes, packaged in soft, sealed pouches of 1.8 kg or 6.8 kg. Disadvantages of the packaging include:

• the lack of a zip lock on the packaging, which creates additional inconvenience during storage: the food will have to be poured into another bag/container or clips will have to be used on the "original" packaging;
• The packaging volumes are large, so it is not possible to take a small amount of food to assess how suitable it is for a particular pet.

Important! Many online cat food retailers market Summit as a holistic product and call it Summit Holistic Original Cat Indoor. In reality, there's no mention of this on the original packaging, and the manufacturer doesn't market Summit as holistic, so this can only be considered a marketing ploy and even deception.

Composition analysis

The manufacturer positions Summit Original as a product suitable for kittens, adults (including neutered), and senior pets. Let's take a closer look at its composition, focusing primarily on the top five ingredients used to judge food quality. The top five ingredients in Summit food are:

1. Dehydrated chicken meat.
2. Whole grain brown rice.
3. Oatmeal.
4. Potato
5. Peas.

Next on the list are chicken fat (preserved with tocopherols), natural chicken flavor, dehydrated salmon, dehydrated turkey meat, salmon oilThe list of components is completed by a number of vitamin, mineral, and herbal supplements.

The guaranteed analysis for Summit feed is as follows:

• Proteins (min.) – 34%.
• Fat (min.) – 11%.
• Fiber (max) – 5%.
• Moisture (max.) – 10%.
• Ash (max) – 6%.
• Magnesium (max) – 0.09%.
• Taurine (min.) – 0.15%.
• Omega 6 (min.) – 1.5%.
• Omega 3 (min.) – 0.25%.

All indicators are within the established norms, including for neutered and spayed pets. For the latter, protein and fat content should not exceed 36% and 15%, respectively.

Squirrels

The first listed animal protein source is dehydrated chicken. This is how the ingredient is translated into Russian, although in English it's labeled "chicken meal," meaning chicken flour. The percentage of this flour is not specified. This is, therefore, another marketing ploy by Russian distributors to make the first and main ingredient more appealing. A similar situation exists with dehydrated salmon and turkey, listed further down the list. Furthermore, of the three meats listed (chicken, salmon, and turkey), two ingredients appear only in 8th and 9th place, respectively, meaning they don't form the basis of the ingredient list and are used more to enhance flavor than nutritional value.

Therefore, the product formula is most likely based on only one source of animal protein – chicken meal.

Carbohydrates

All other ingredients in the top five, from 2nd to 5th place, are sources of carbohydrates and plant protein: brown rice, oatmeal, peas, and potatoes. Together, their amounts clearly exceed the amount of chicken meat (meal) listed in first place, although the percentages of each individual ingredient are not listed. It's worth remembering that cats are carnivores by nature, so legumes, grains, and vegetables are not entirely unnatural for their bodies, and they don't need them in such large quantities.

Fats

The manufacturer uses high-quality animal fats: chicken and salmon fat. The latter is also a source of polyunsaturated omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, essential for maintaining a healthy coat and overall well-being. Furthermore, it is specified that natural preservatives in the form of a mixed tocopherol are used to preserve the chicken fat.

Additional additives

At the end of the composition, in addition to vitamin and mineral components, a number of additives are listed that are used to enrich Summit food with additional beneficial substances:

• Taurine is an essential amino acid for cats, requiring it to be supplied along with animal proteins. However, its addition as a separate component indicates a deficiency in animal protein sources, which must be compensated for with additional taurine.
• Dried chicory root is a source of fiber, prebiotics, and inulin, which is essential for the development of beneficial intestinal microflora. However, a more pronounced effect can be expected from chicory extract rather than whole root.
• Yeast extract serves as a source of prebiotics to maintain healthy gut flora and boost immunity. However, the presence of yeast at the end of the ingredients list, without specifying the exact amount, raises doubts about its actual beneficial effects on the body; rather, it merely improves the taste of the granules.
• Yucca schidigera extract helps reduce unpleasant stool odor. Its inclusion at the end of the formula is perfectly acceptable, as a small amount is sufficient for a positive effect.
• Dried rosemary is a natural preservative with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties that helps keep food fresh.

Thus, the advantages of this food include the absence of allergenic grains (corn and wheat), a balanced vitamin and mineral composition, and the use of natural preservatives and antioxidants. Disadvantages include the lack of pure meat and the predominant amount of plant proteins and carbohydrates, which are unhealthy for cats.

It is worth noting that the food is marked on the packaging as AAFCO compliant, which should confirm its balance and sufficient content of all the nutrients necessary for a cat's body.

Price

Summit cat food is available at specialty pet stores or online. Prices vary depending on the package size:

• From 700 rubles per 1.8 kg package.
• From 1774 rubles per 6.8 kg package.

Owner reviews

Summit food is popular among cat owners, so you can find many reviews about it online.

Evgeniya, Bruce's owner:

"I tried many different foods for my cat and finally settled on Canadian Summit. For me, the main advantages are the low consumption and reasonable price for a fairly good dry food. His silky coat, good appetite, normal bowel movements, and playful behavior speak for themselves. The lack of a zip closure doesn't bother me, as I use a special container for storage."

Valeria, owner of Siamese cat Dina:

"When I bought a package of Summit, I was immediately dissatisfied with the fact that my cat always ate everything I gave her, regardless of the portion size, and then quickly went back to her bowl. And yet, they say a pet should eat less of nutritious food. But over time, Dina practically stopped eating it, leaving it practically untouched throughout the day. There was no noticeable change in her health, but the litter box began to smell awful. Another surprise came when I removed the Russian-translated label from the package and saw a complete mistranslation: instead of the dehydrated meat listed in Russian, the English version simply stated its flour. Considering all the circumstances, I decided to switch my cat to a different brand of dry food."

Tatyana, owner of a cattery:

"I have cats of various ages at my cattery, so I always choose food that will suit most pets. All 10 cats transitioned to the new dry food without any problems (one only had a brief stomach upset) and are eating with gusto. Currently, Summit satisfies me in every way: it's low-cost, their coat and stool are normal, and the cats are active and happy. I think the price is justified for this quality. I recommend it especially to owners of several animals with different needs, when it's not possible to feed them separately."

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