About Wellness
Wellness was launched in 1999 by Old Mother Hubbard, a Massachusetts pet food maker with roots back to 1926, when Jim Scott Jr., the company's then-CEO, worked with a team of animal nutritionists to develop a natural dog food line; a cat food line followed in 2000. Wellness was among the first pet food brands to offer grain-free recipes, a positioning it built its reputation on well before grain-free became an industry standard. The brand changed hands several times after that, from L Catterton Partners in 2004 to Berwind Corp in 2008, and in 2020 private equity firm Clearlake Capital Group acquired the company and renamed it the Wellness Pet Company. Today it's headquartered in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, and its portfolio also includes Old Mother Hubbard dog biscuits, Whimzees dental treats, and the Eagle Pack and Holistic Select brands.
For cats, the line splits primarily into Complete Health, everyday whole-food recipes with grain-free options across kitten, indoor, and weight-management formulas, and the higher-protein CORE line, which layers in prebiotics and probiotics for digestive support. What stands out in the kitten formulas specifically is the ingredient discipline: real named meat or fish leads the recipe, DHA is added for brain and eye development, and the foods are made without meat by-products, wheat, corn, soy, or artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives -- the kind of clean, meat-forward label a health-focused owner can read end to end.
Brand website: wellnesspetfood.com
What Wellness makes
Wellness's range runs wider than the products we review. The lines we know best from our own testing are marked with a star:
Complete Health
everyday whole-food recipes with grain-free options across kitten, indoor, and weight-management formulas -- our featured line — featured on House of Mittens
CORE
protein-centric, grain-free recipes built around whole meat or seafood, with prebiotics and probiotics for gut health
CORE+
enhanced CORE formulas targeting healthy weight and digestive health
TruFood
a line of baked cat foods
Old Mother Hubbard by Wellness
the company's original 1926 dog biscuit brand and the root of today's Wellness Pet Company
Why we recognized Wellness
The House of Mittens Top Brand recognition isn't paid for and can't be applied for. We award it to the brands whose products consistently stand out in our vet-reviewed category guides. Wellness earned it on the strength of the products below, evaluated the same way every product on this site is: assessed against feline-health criteria, used with real cats, and judged on merit.
Wellness products we rated highly
Wellness Complete Health Kitten Pate Grain-Free Wet Cat Food Variety Pack (12 Cans)
A protein-rich, grain-free growth pate that leads with real whitefish and chicken rather than by-products, giving it the meat-forward, carbohydrate-light profile a kitten's carnivore biology is built for. It's fortified with DHA for brain and eye development and made without wheat, corn, soy, or artificial additives, so the label reads cleanly for a health-focused owner. The moisture-rich pate supports the hydration habit that matters most in a kitten's first year, and it works equally well as a primary food or a wet complement to kibble.
Read the 10 Best Kitten Foods of 2026 guide →What earned Wellness the recognition
- The grain-free wet food we recommend in our kitten food reviews for an owner who wants a clean, protein-rich label for their kitten.
- Leads with real whitefish and chicken rather than meat by-products, and is made without wheat, corn, soy, or artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.
- Fortified with DHA for brain and eye development, in a moisture-rich pate that helps build the hydration habit that matters most during a kitten's first year.
- Launched in 1999-2000 as one of the first pet food brands to offer grain-free recipes, a positioning the brand built its reputation on before grain-free became an industry norm.
- Backed by a 4.5-star average rating from real kitten owners, reflecting reliable acceptance of the pate's smooth, consistent texture.