Castor & Pollux

Castor & Pollux Information

The Castor & Pollux pet food brand is well-established and was first launched back in 1999 by Shelley Gunton and Brian Connolly.

The name Castor & Pollux comes from Greek Mythology, which is why some of you may think it sounds familiar.

Castor & Pollux’s unique selling point is that their products are organic or responsibly sourced. This trait is exceedingly rare in the industry, which often focuses on low-cost ingredients to minimize price.

Merrick Pet Care purchased the brand in 2012, which meant it was no longer a family-owned company.

Also, in 2015, Merrick Pet Care itself was purchased by Nestle Purina Petcare, which is one of the largest pet food companies in the world. As you might have guessed, they produce brands such as Purina Pro Plan.

Castor & Pollux Product Range

Dog Food

Castor & Pollux has a broad range of dog food products. This range includes both dry dog food and wet/canned dog food. There are slightly more wet/canned recipes than dry food recipes, but both ranges are significant in size.

Castor & Pollux produces some specialized recipes such as those for puppies and for senior dogs.

Cat Food

Castor & Pollux’s cat food range is about half the size of their dog food range. Despite this, it still contains some notable variety with it offering both dry and wet/canned cat food.

Within this range, there are some specialized recipes, such as those for kittens.

Castor & Pollux Nutrition

Dog Food

While the nutrition offered by Castor & Pollux dog food recipes varies significantly, it is generally above-average.

This above-average nutritional profile consists of above-average proportions of protein and fat, which in most cases, is sourced from animal and fish ingredients. The recipes then contain a reasonable proportion of carbohydrates from plant-based sources.

Cat Food

The cat food recipes from Castor & Pollux provide very similar nutrition to the dog food recipes.

Their nutritional profile is typically above-average, and they include a significant portion of protein and fat.

This nutritional balance is more important for cats than dogs as they are obligate carnivores. This fact means that they thrive best on a diet that focuses heavily on meat and fish ingredients with minimal plant-matter.

Castor & Pollux Ingredients

High-Quality Meat & Fish Ingredients

• Chicken
• Turkey
• Duck
• Beef
• Lamb
• Salmon
• Whitefish

Castor & Pollux uses a moderate range of meat and fish ingredients in its recipes. This range includes all of the industry favorites like Chicken, Beef, and Salmon.

All of the above-mentioned ingredients are high-quality additions and can provide a plentiful supply of protein and fat.

Castor & Pollux does not make use of any unusual meat and fish ingredients like other pet food brands. Examples of these include ingredients like Venison, Rabbit, and Kangaroo.

You can learn more about these ingredients and why they are popular in Hypoallergenic dog food in our Best Hypoallergenic Dog Foods Guide.

Other Notable Ingredients

Grain ingredients such as Oatmeal, Barley, and Brown Rice are found in select Castor & Pollux recipes. Grain ingredients are controversial additions to dog food, and many dog owners do not support their use.

Despite this, the grains used by Castor & Pollux are some of those that are looked upon more favorably.

This favorability is as they are less processed and can provide additional nutrition beyond their carbohydrate content.

Castor & Pollux also use legume ingredients in some of its recipes, such as Peas and Chickpeas. Legumes such as these are extremely popular in the industry as they are affordable, nutritious, and easy to source.

However, it has been suggested that there are links between the heavy use of legumes in dog food and Canine Heart Disease. You can learn more about this here.

Sadly, Castor & Pollux makes extensive use of Pea Protein in its recipes. This ingredient is a vegetable by-product that is used to boost protein levels without investing in further meat and fish ingredients. It can also be used to mislead consumers when they are reading the ingredient list of a recipe.

You can learn more about this in our article Peas, Pea Protein, Pea Flour, and Pea Fiber in Dog Food.

Sweet Potatoes and Tapioca are both starch ingredients that are used by many dog food brands. These ingredients are dense sources of carbohydrates, which means their portion size needs to be carefully watched.

Tapioca is not well known in the western world but is popular outside of North America and Europe. Read more about this ingredient in Tapioca In Dog Food.

Many dog food brands make use of Chicken Fat to improve the flavor of their recipes.

Castor & Pollux also chooses to do this. Chicken Fat isn’t just used to boost flavor and is almost beneficial as it boosts the level of animal-based fat in a recipe.

Read more in Chicken Fat In Dog Food.

Flaxseed is known to be one of the best plant-based sources of the Omega 3 Fatty Acids, which is why it is so regularly seen in pet food recipes. These fatty acids are believed to provide several health benefits to humans and pets alike.

You can learn more about Flaxseed in Flaxseed In Dog Food.

Many pet food brands include Alfalfa in their recipes, thanks to the micronutrients it can provide. These vitamins and minerals are believed to provide dogs and cats with several health benefits.

Learn the specific nutrients Alfalfa can provide in Alfalfa In Dog Food.

Castor & Pollux Animal Testing

At this time, we have no information on what type of animal testing that Castor & Pollux participates in.

We strongly believe that invasive and laboratory-style testing of animals is a cruel and outdated practice and one which we hope will be eliminated.

Castor & Pollux Recalls

Based on our research (FDA, AVMA, DogFoodAdvisor), it appears that Castor & Pollux has undergone a single recall in its past.

In 2018, Castor & Pollux voluntarily recalled two different products after one of them was found to contain elevated levels of a naturally-occurring beef thyroid hormone.

This hormone can cause some negative effects if consumed, such as increased urination/thirst, weight loss, and more.

However, outside of this single, voluntary recall, Castor & Pollux has had no recalls. Despite not being recall free, we believe that Castor & Pollux take the safety and quality of its production process seriously.

We encourage all pet owners to be vigilant of any future recalls of Castor & Pollux or any other cat food brand.

Castor & Pollux Featured Articles

To date, Castor & Pollux has not been featured in any of our articles.

Best of Castor & Pollux

Pristine Grass-Fed Beef & Oatmeal Recipe Review

Check Price On Chewy

The Pristine range uses meat and fish ingredients from responsible and sustainable sources. This type of ingredient sourcing is extremely rare in the pet food world and is a refreshing option.

The primary meat ingredient in the above-recipe is Beef. Beef is a stalwart of the industry because it is easy to source, relatively affordable, and can provide excellent nutrition.

The recipe also contains a smaller portion of Chicken Meal, which, when combined with the Beef, provides an excellent overall proportion of protein and fat.

This recipe is grain-inclusive and uses a mix of grain ingredients such as Oatmeal, Brown Rice, and Barley. These three grain-ingredients provide a modest proportion of carbohydrates and fiber.

Castor & Pollux Full Product Range

Dog Food

Dry Dog Food

Organix Organic Puppy Recipe With Healthy Grains

Organix Organic Small Breed Recipe With Healthy Grains

Organix Grain Free Organic Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe

Organix Grain Free Organic Puppy Recipe

Organix Grain Free Organic Senior Recipe

Organix Grain Free Organic Small Breed Recipe

Organix Organic Chicken & Oatmeal Recipe

Pristine Grain Free Small Breed Grass-Fed Beef & Sweet Potato Recipe

Pristine Grass-Fed Beef & Oatmeal Recipe

Pristine Wild-Caught Salmon & Oatmeal Recipe With Raw Bites

Grain Free Free-Range Chicken, Turkey & Lentil Recipe

Pristine Grain Free Grass-Fed Beef & Chickpea Recipe

Pristine Grain Free Grass-Fed Lamb & Lentil Recipe

Pristine Grain Free Puppy Wild-Caught Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe

Pristine Grain Free Small Breed Grass-Fed Beef & Chickpea Recipe

Pristine Grain Free Wild-Caught Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe

Pristine Grain Free Free-Range Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe With Raw Bites

Pristine Grain Free Grass-Fed Beef & Sweet Potato Recipe With Raw Bites

Pristine Grain Free Wild-Caught Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe With Raw Bites

Wet Dog Food

Organix Tiny Feasts Grain Free Organic Chicken & Potato Stew

Organix Tiny Feasts Grain Free Organic Chicken Recipe

Organix Tiny Feasts Grain Free Organic Turkey & Potato Stew

Organix Tiny Feasts Grain Free Organic Turkey Recipe

Organix Tiny Feasts Organic Chicken, Quinoa & Carrot Stew

Organix Tiny Feasts Organic Turkey, Quinoa & Carrot Stew

Organix Grain Free Organic Chicken & Potato Recipe

Organix Grain Free Organic Chicken & Vegetable Recipe

Organix Grain Free Organic Turkey & Vegetable Recipe

Organix Grain Free Organic Turkey, Carrot & Potato Recipe

Organix Organic Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe

Organix Organic Chicken & Potato Recipe

Organix Organic Turkey, Carrot & Potato Recipe

Butcher & Bushel Grain Free Organic Carved Turkey Dinner With Carrots & Sweet Potatoes In Gravy

Butcher & Bushel Grain Free Organic Chicken Wing & Thigh Dinner With Sweet Potatoes In Gravy

Butcher & Bushel Grain Free Organic Chopped Turkey & Chicken Dinner With Chicken Liver & Peas In Gravy

Butcher & Bushel Grain Free Organic Shredded Chicken Dinner With Potatoes In Gravy

Butcher & Bushel Grain Free Organic Tender Chicken Dinner With Potatoes & Apples In Gravy

Pristine Grain Free Cage-Free Duck, Pea & Carrot Stew

Pristine Grain Free Free-Range Chicken, Pea & Carrot Stew

Pristine Grain Free Free-Range Turkey, Carrot & Apple Stew

Pristine Grain Free Grass-Fed Beef, Pea & Carrot Stew

Pristine Grain Free Grass-Fed Lamb, Carrot & Apple Stew

Pristine Grain Free Small Breed Cage-Free Duck Stew

Pristine Grain Free Small Breed Free-Range Chicken Stew

Pristine Grain Free Small Breed Grass-Fed Beef Stew

Pristine Grain Free Small Breed Grass-Fed Lamb Stew

Cat Food

Dry Cat Food

Organix Grain Free Organic Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe

Organic Grain Free Organic Kitten Recipe

Organix Organic Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe

Pristine Grain Free Free-Range Chicken & Turkey Recipe

Pristine Grain Free Wild-Caught Salmon Recipe

Pristine Grain Free Wild-Caught Tuna & Whitefish Recipe

Wet Cat Food

Organix Grain Free Organic Chicken & Chicken Liver Recipe

Organix Grain Free Organic Chicken Recipe

Organix Grain Free Organic Kitten Recipe Pate

Organix Grain Free Organic Shredded Chicken & Chicken Liver Recipe

Organix Grain Free Organic Shredded Chicken Recipe

Organix Grain Free Organic Turkey Recipe

Organix Organic Turkey & Spinach Recipe

Organix Organic Turkey, Brown Rice & Chicken Recipe

Pristine Grain Free Free-Range Chicken Recipe Pate

Pristine Grain Free Wild-Caught Salmon Recipe Pate

Pristine Grain Free Wild-Caught Tuna Recipe Pate

Pristine Grain Free Wild-Caught Whitefish Recipe Pate

Pristine Grain Free Free-Range Chicken Recipe Morsels In Gravy

Pristine Grain Free Cage-Free Duck Recipe Morsels In Gravy

Pristine Grain Free Free-Range Turkey Recipe Morsels In Gravy

Pristine Grain Free Wild-Caught Salmon Recipe Morsels In Gravy

Pristine Grain Free Wild-Caught Tuna Recipe Morsels In Gravy

Pristine Grain Free Wild-Caught Whitefish Recipe Morsels In Gravy