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In The Kibble
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BRAND

Castor & Pollux

Owned by Nestlé Purina PetCare (via Merrick Pet Care)Since 2000Amarillo, TX

RECIPES REVIEWED
20
AVG PROTEIN, DM, KIBBLE
31.6%
AVG STARCH, KIBBLE
36%
FDA RECALLS
1
LINES
Pristine 13 Organix 7
THE LINES

Castor & Pollux Lines, Reviewed

2 lines

Castor & Pollux sorts its foods into two lines. Organix is an organic kibble line of seven recipes, each starting with organic chicken and organic chicken meal, split between grain-free and grain-inclusive versions. All seven are listed as discontinued. Pristine is larger, with nine kibbles and four bone broth toppers, and its kibbles lead with beef, chicken or salmon.

Pristine kibbles average 29.9% protein and 34.2% estimated starch as fed, against 25.9% protein and 38.3% starch for Organix. The catalog dry food average is 26.9% protein and 37.4% starch, so Pristine runs higher in protein and lower in starch, while Organix sits close to average. Pristine also draws on more proteins, including fish, turkey, lamb and beef, and offers seven grain-free kibbles. Its toppers are bone broths at 0.5% protein.

Pristine

9 kibble · 4 toppers
Protein
29.9%
Fat
15.3%
Starch
34.2%
Kcal / cup
384

Average kibble, as fed

Castor & Pollux Pristine is a line of nine dry kibbles and four bone broth toppers, all sold for adults except one puppy kibble. Its kibbles lead with beef, chicken or salmon and list organic produce such as sweet potatoes and oatmeal.

A good fit for: Owners wanting more protein than the average kibble, up to 33%; Owners avoiding grain, with seven grain-free kibbles to choose from

Read the Pristine review

Organix

7 kibble
Protein
25.9%
Fat
14.7%
Starch
38.3%
Kcal / cup
387

Average kibble, as fed

Organix is the Castor & Pollux organic kibble line: seven chicken-first recipes, split between grain-free and grain-inclusive versions. Every recipe starts with organic chicken and organic chicken meal, and all seven are listed as discontinued.

A good fit for: Owners who want organic chicken as the first ingredient; Households choosing between grain-free and grain-inclusive kibble

Read the Organix review
WHICH LINE FITS

Choosing Between The Castor & Pollux Lines

  • Organic chicken as the first ingredient: Organix
  • Organic kibble with grain-inclusive and puppy recipes: Organix
  • A higher protein kibble with several protein choices: Pristine
  • A grain-free kibble made with fish or lamb: Pristine
  • A bone broth topper to moisten dry kibble: Pristine

All recipes

20 foods matched · newest first
Castor & Pollux Pristine 13 recipes · See all
DEEP DIVE

Inside The Castor & Pollux Range

Across 20 recipes we review

Protein is close to the average kibble we review (31.6% on a dry matter basis).

100% of recipes lead with a meat, fish or egg ingredient (89% across the site).

75% of recipes are grain-free.

NUTRITION

How The Range Measures Up

this range, lowest to highest its average average of all 3,205 foods we review

Protein, dry matter 32% 28% to 37%
15%site avg 30%50%
Fat, dry matter 17% 15% to 18%
5%site avg 18%30%
Starch, as fed 36% 31% to 41%
10%site avg 37%60%
Kcal per cup 385 362 to 408
250site avg 395600

Starch is our estimate from the guaranteed analysis, since no manufacturer prints it. How we work it out

INGREDIENTS

What Goes In The Bowl

Chicken 60% 56%
Fish 30% 34%
Egg 30% 31%
Turkey 25% 20%
Lamb 25% 14%
Beef 15% 20%

Share of recipes that list each animal protein as an ingredient, not counting oils, fats or flavorings. Useful if your dog has a food sensitivity.

Ingredients Some Owners Avoid

By-products 0% 13%
Artificial colors 0% 1%
Chemical preservatives 0% 9%
Corn 0% 15%
Wheat 0% 13%
Soy 0% 10%

These are not unsafe. They are listed because readers ask about them.

LIFE STAGE
  • Adult12
  • All Life Stages4
  • Puppy3
  • Senior1
BREED SIZE
  • All Breeds20
  • Small Breed3
SPECIAL DIETS
  • Grain-free (no wheat, corn, rice, barley or oats)15
Castor & Pollux Pristine Grain-Free Free-Range Chicken, Turkey & Lentil Recipe Dry Dog Food MOST PROTEIN Castor & Pollux Pristine Grain-Free Free-Range Chicken, Turkey & Lentil Recipe Dry Dog Food 37.1% dry matter Castor & Pollux Pristine Grain-Free Grass-Fed Beef & Sweet Potato Recipe with Raw Bites Dry Dog Food LEAST STARCH Castor & Pollux Pristine Grain-Free Grass-Fed Beef & Sweet Potato Recipe with Raw Bites Dry Dog Food 32% as fed Castor & Pollux Grain-Free Organic Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food FEWEST CALORIES Castor & Pollux Grain-Free Organic Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food 362 kcal per cup
THE COMPANY

About Castor & Pollux

Owner
Nestlé Purina PetCare (via Merrick Pet Care)
Ownership
Subsidiary of a public company
Founded
2000
Headquarters
Amarillo, TX

Who Makes It

Castor & Pollux is a natural and organic pet food brand owned by Merrick Pet Care, which is part of Nestlé Purina PetCare. It is best known for its ORGANIX line, which the company says was the first certified organic dog and cat food to meet all requirements of the USDA National Organic Program, and for its Pristine line. 1, 2

Where It Is Made

When Merrick bought the brand in 2012, it said Castor & Pollux operations would be consolidated at Merrick's facilities in northwest Texas. Operations then moved from Oregon to Amarillo, Texas. 1, 3

History

Brian Connolly and Shelley Gunton founded Castor & Pollux Natural PetWorks in Clackamas, Oregon, in 2000. Merrick Pet Care acquired it in April 2012, and Nestlé Purina PetCare bought Merrick from Swander Pace Capital in 2015. The former castorpolluxpet.com website now redirects to Merrick's site, and review sites report that many Castor & Pollux products appear to have been discontinued, although no formal announcement was found. 1, 3, 4, 5

Worth Knowing

In May 2018, Merrick voluntarily recalled two Castor & Pollux Good Buddy beef dog treats, Prime Patties and Sausage Cuts, because they might contain elevated levels of naturally occurring beef thyroid hormone. The recall did not include any ORGANIX dog food. 6, 3

  1. prnewswire.com/news-releases/merrick-pet-care-inc-acquires-castor--pollux-natural-petworks-expands-further-into-super-premium-pet-food-segment-147636685.html
  2. petfoodindustry.com/pet-food-market/article/15461287/nestle-purina-petcare-to-purchase-merrick
  3. dogster.com/dog-nutrition/castor-and-pollux-dog-food-review
  4. peprofessional.com/2015/07/swander-pace-sells-merrick-pet-care-to-nestle-purina
  5. catster.com/nutrition/castor-pollux-organix-cat-food-review
  6. petage.com/recall-merrick-voluntarily-recalls-certain-castor-pollux-backcountry-products

Researched from the sources above. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

RECALL HISTORY // CASTOR & POLLUX

1 FDA Recall On Record

MAY 23, 2018
INGREDIENT LEVEL

‎Beef dog treat varieties

See the recall log

NO LONGER SOLD

19 Discontinued Recipes

We keep reviews of discontinued recipes online, each with suggested replacements, because bags stay on shelves and in pantries for months.

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