general information
Today, Monge industrial food is produced in significant volumes at the factories of the Italian company Monge & CS pa. Wet and dry food lines have been produced since the 1970s. And the product appeared completely unexpectedly, as a result of the need not to produce a new product, but to profitably use the remnants of the old one. Thus, environmentally friendly chicken waste has turned into a quality product that not only managed to conquer the market, but is still in demand.
The Italian brand of food is not as popular as other products of this class from Canadian or American brands. However, the product, experimentally tested by cat owners, firmly occupies its niche in the pet food product segment. And all thanks to the fact that the manufacturer does not deviate from the basic rule: follow the nature of the cat.
The cat is a carnivore, so its diet should consist of the maximum amount of protein, vitamins and only a small percentage of plant components. At the same time, all derivatives must be of high quality and fresh. Based on these needs of a small predator, the manufacturer included only a meat product enriched with vitamins, taurine and carbohydrates of plant origin.
The quality of Monge quickly became famous among breeders and cat lovers and fully met their expectations. Due to its high quality, safety, naturalness and balanced composition, Monge is classified as a super premium food. The high quality of the product is supported by the conditions of its production: the plant is located in an ecologically clean region of the country and is under careful control.
Taking care of the safety of the raw materials used, the basic products are grown without the addition of antibiotics and growth hormones. It is this quality and diversity of the presented lines that make it possible to satisfy the needs of pets of different breeds and age groups.
Monge Dog Food Review
Dry dog food Monge (“Monge”, “Monge”, “Mongie”) is produced in Italy by Monge & CSpa.
Official website - (link to the English version), there is important information for consumers (data on composition, recommended feeding rates, etc.). This food is positioned as super premium, but many options (formulas) do not reach this class in composition. The same manufacturer produces Monge food for cats, as well as other foods for dogs and cats - Gemon, LeChat, Special Dog Excellence, Simba, Gran Bontà, Mustache, Artù.
Monge feed composition
Let's look at the composition of Monge food using the Medium Adult Rich in Chicken option (for dogs of medium breeds, with chicken) as an example. You can see it in the image below (click on it to enlarge for easier reading):
On the left is a photo of the composition from the packaging. On the right is data from the manufacturer’s official website.
The first ingredient, chicken, is a source of protein and contains 30% dehydrated and 10% fresh chicken. Note that in the original it is not indicated that this is meat, but in the translation into Russian the word “meat” appeared from somewhere. Further in composition there are other sources of protein - corn gluten meal, hydrolyzed animal protein, fish (dehydrated salmon).
Considering the location of corn gluten, it contains a maximum of a couple percent. Therefore, most of the 26% of proteins indicated in the analysis are of animal origin, and not of plant origin. Hydrolyzed animal protein is also a natural flavoring agent.
The sources of carbohydrates are rice and corn, located in second and third place in the composition, respectively. Chicken fat and fish oil are sources of fatty acids. It is specified that chicken fat is preserved with natural antioxidants.
Dry beet pulp is a source of fiber. Brewer's yeast is a source of B vitamins and MOC (prebiotic). Hydrolyzed cartilage is a source of chondroitin sulfate, and hydrolyzed crustaceans are a source of glucosamine. Both of these substances are beneficial for joints.
Methylsulfonylmethane is a dietary supplement intended for the treatment and strengthening of joints and ligaments. KOS, MOS - prebiotics. Yucca Schdigera - helps reduce the smell of excrement. Spirulina is an algae rich in minerals and vitamins.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages of this food include:
- the main source of protein is meat ingredients;
- good vitamin and mineral supplement;
- wide range (there is dog food for small, medium, large breeds, hypoallergenic food, etc.);
- natural preservatives/antioxidants are used - a mixture of tocopherols (essentially vitamin E) and rosemary extract;
- Widely distributed and sold in many pet stores.
Disadvantages of Monge food:
- many formulas use corn, so they cannot be classified as super-premium;
- the meat ingredients are not specified (it is simply written “chicken”, “lamb”, etc.), which means they may include offal.
Feed range
Italian cat food is presented in five main lines, which allow you to choose the best option for any pet.
Daily
Daily Line Cat is the main classic line of dry food for cats. It is represented by basic food of three main varieties: for kittens (Kitten), adults (Adult) and elderly (Senior) pets. The composition of the diet, which focuses on increasing or decreasing certain components necessary for the animal, also depends on the age category. However, any of them includes only high-quality and environmentally friendly meat.
The diet is not burdened with any chemical elements (flavors, taste enhancers, etc.). In addition to meat, the product contains natural substances, complexes of vitamins and microelements necessary for the normal functioning of the pet’s body.
Natural
A super-premium canned product, the only line of Monge food, represented by a series of wet delicacies. The composition includes exclusively pure poultry and fish. This food is not only of excellent taste, but is also rich in useful substances in its composition. Canned food is presented in six varieties with different combinations of products (tuna, salmon, seafood). Among them there is a delicacy for every taste, even the most demanding ones.
Functional
Functional Line Cat is a functional line of food that includes several of the most necessary varieties. It contains: a product for removing hairballs; for those pets who constantly stay indoors; for sterilized animals. Not all cat owners know that if they sterilize their pet, they immediately need to take care of a special menu for it. A feature of this diet is its reduced energy value so that animals do not gain excess weight. In addition, you can find special food for the prevention of urolithiasis.
BWild Cat
A variety of this type of feed is a real revolutionary discovery in the feed market. This product is intended for the menu of wild (domesticated) breeds of the cat family: caraquets, caracals, servals. The composition of the diet is as close as possible to the type of food of big cats in the wild. Today it is available in two varieties: with anchovies and hare meat.
Grain Free Veterinary Diet
Grain-free therapeutic diet intended for cats suffering from various diseases: urolithiasis, skin infections, gastroenterological, kidney and liver diseases, diabetes.
Monge food for cats
Compared to some advertised cat foods, this brand is not so widely known, which, however, does not mean its lower quality.
Manufacturer
A large family enterprise, Monge began with a small farm for raising chickens, whose meat was then supplied to expensive and elite Italian cafes and restaurants. Since only selected products were used, after the slaughter of the poultry there was a lot of meat waste and offal. Based on them, the owner and founder of the company, Baldasar Monge, began the production of canned food for pets (dogs and cats) in 1963.
Chickens, turkeys and ducks are raised on our own farms located in areas of Italy with good environmental conditions. It does not use antibiotics, growth hormones or various harmful chemical compounds. Raw materials are processed using the most modern Swiss and American equipment, which allows us to preserve almost all the beneficial properties of meat, as well as its natural taste and smell. Canned fish is made in a factory in Thailand, where only freshly caught tuna and other seafood are supplied.
Monge brand food appeared in Russia in 2021
Today, the Monge concern is one of the largest manufacturers in the field of food for dogs and cats in Italy, possessing innovative feed production technologies and constantly working to improve its own recipes.
What class do Monge products belong to?
The manufacturer positions its products as super premium food that meets all European quality standards. Belonging to this group is indicated by a fairly high content of natural meat component (at least 40%), as well as the complete absence of components that have a harmful effect on the cat’s body and are addictive (flavors, dyes, flavor enhancers, synthetic preservatives, etc.).
Advantages and disadvantages of Monge cat food
The undoubted positive qualities of the Italian diet for Monge cats include the following characteristics:
- safety - this is confirmed by research by Roskachestvo;
- naturalness - the main supplier of protein is only fresh meat;
- balance - optimal ratio of nutrients (proteins, fats and carbohydrates), amino acids, vitamin and mineral supplements;
- all raw materials are of high quality and carefully selected; no impurities or pests are found in the feed;
- environmental friendliness - no artificial or harmful preservatives, dyes, or flavors are used in production (only natural ones - rosemary and tocopherols);
- maintaining the taste of the food until the end of its shelf life;
- a huge range, including a line of medical nutrition.
The Monge range includes a large number of different foods.
Among the disadvantages of Monge food are:
- increased content of corn in some feeds, which is why such products are no longer classified as super premium;
- discrepancy between the actual amount of fat and the declared amount;
- the presence of trace amounts of the pesticides o-phenylphenol, piperonyl butoxide and pirimiphos methyl;
- too much calcium in the feed;
- difficulties with purchasing - food is not always on sale;
- quite high cost.
When analyzing Monge products, I was alarmed by the fact that the manufacturer never uses the word “meat” on food packages in the section on its composition. This worries many cat owners, since it is logical to conclude that the production uses not only pure chicken meat, for example, but also its other parts (skin, cartilage, offal, etc.).
Composition of rations
The composition of each type of feed fully corresponds to the specified list and dosage on the product packaging. Each line is balanced strictly according to necessity. Nutritionists have calculated not only the required percentage of meat or fish, but also other components. The consumption of grains is eliminated completely or reduced to a minimum.
Thus, canned food is the only product produced in Thailand, which makes it possible to include only the freshest fish products, with a minimum of grains (1% rice) and the required amount of vitamin E.
The menu for sterilized pets includes taurine, fish oil, and insoluble pea fiber. Many years of experience of cat owners shows that using any of the Monge lines, you don’t have to worry about the health of your pet.
