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The short answer: Taste of the Wild Canyon River wins on score, earning A/90 to Wellness Complete Health's B/78 — a full letter grade ahead after its 2026 reformulation. The most popular grain-free option meets one of our top poultry formulas. Taste of the Wild leads with trout, ocean fish meal, and smoked salmon - three distinct fish proteins that deliver built-in omega-3s and a novel protein option for chicken-sensitive cats. Wellness counters with turkey and chicken as its first two ingredients, probiotics, and chelated minerals for a comprehensive supplement package - it scores lower but remains a genuinely excellent choice.

The scores

Wellness Complete Health Indoor: B (78/100)
Taste of the Wild Canyon River: A (90/100)

A 12-point gap and a full letter grade. Taste of the Wild Canyon River holds an A grade following its 2026 reformulation - among the top-scoring cat foods in our database - while Wellness Complete Health sits in the upper-B range alongside Blue Buffalo. Both are well above the C-grade vet brands and miles ahead of the budget options; the gap here comes down to Taste of the Wild's three named fish proteins and built-in omega-3s.

Read our full reviews of Wellness and Taste of the Wild for the complete ingredient breakdowns.

How the ingredients compare

Here are the first five ingredients side by side:

Wellness: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Rice, Ground Barley, Ground Brown Rice

Taste of the Wild: Trout, Ocean Fish Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Potatoes

Two completely different formulation strategies. Wellness goes grain-inclusive with double chicken protein and traditional whole grains. Taste of the Wild goes grain-free with fish proteins and legume-based starches. Both place two animal proteins before any carbohydrate - the right priority for obligate carnivores. The real differences emerge in the carbohydrate base and the supplement profile further down the ingredient list.

Where Wellness pulls ahead

Cleaner carbohydrate base. Rice, ground barley, and ground brown rice are wholesome, digestible grains with genuine nutritional value. Taste of the Wild relies on sweet potatoes, peas, and potatoes - a legume-heavy starch base with potato protein appearing further down the list as a plant-based protein booster. Wellness's grain-inclusive approach also avoids the grain-free/DCM question, which is less studied in cats than dogs but still worth considering.

Probiotics and digestive support. Wellness includes chicory root extract as a prebiotic fiber that feeds beneficial gut bacteria. The formula takes a more targeted approach to digestive health than Taste of the Wild, which also includes chicory root but relies more heavily on its legume-based fiber sources.

Salmon oil omega-3s. While Taste of the Wild gets omega-3s from its fish proteins, Wellness adds salmon oil as a dedicated omega-3 source delivering marine EPA and DHA directly. This targeted supplementation, on top of the flaxseed already in the formula, gives Wellness a thorough omega-3 profile despite being a chicken-based food.

No plant protein padding. Wellness keeps its protein profile clean and animal-based. Taste of the Wild includes potato protein further down the ingredient list - a plant-based booster that inflates the total protein percentage without providing the complete amino acid profile cats need from animal sources. Shop on Amazon →

Where Taste of the Wild holds its own

Protein diversity. Three named fish sources - trout, ocean fish meal, and smoked salmon - give Taste of the Wild the most diverse protein profile in our cat food database. Each fish brings a different amino acid profile and nutrient set. Wellness's chicken-only approach is solid but less varied. For long-term feeding, protein diversity can reduce the risk of developing sensitivities over time.

Novel proteins for sensitive cats. If your cat has a chicken sensitivity - itchy skin, digestive upset, excessive grooming - Taste of the Wild's fish-based formula is a natural alternative. It provides a complete protein swap without dropping in quality. You can't do that with Wellness without switching to an entirely different product line.

Built-in omega-3s. Fish proteins are naturally rich in omega-3 fatty acids, so Taste of the Wild's omega-3 content is woven into the protein structure itself, not just added as a supplement. For cats who specifically need omega-3 support for skin or coat issues, a fish-based formula delivers it more thoroughly. It's also typically the most affordable B-grade cat food available - manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods, the production scale keeps prices competitive, often undercutting Wellness by a meaningful margin per pound. Shop on Amazon →

The bottom line

Taste of the Wild earns the higher score here - A/90 to Wellness's B/78 - on the strength of three named fish proteins, built-in omega-3s, fruit antioxidants, and probiotics following its 2026 reformulation. But the score isn't the whole story. Wellness counters with a cleaner carbohydrate base (wholesome grains over legumes), a dedicated salmon-oil omega-3 source, no plant protein padding, and a grain-inclusive formula that sidesteps the grain-free/DCM question. Taste of the Wild is the stronger pick for protein diversity, novel fish protein, and value. For cats who do better on poultry, or whose owners prefer to avoid the legume question, Wellness remains an excellent choice. If you're weighting the ingredient score, Taste of the Wild is the pick; if you prefer grain-inclusive poultry nutrition, Wellness is the better fit.