As a caregiver to my 2 house cats and 10+ community cats, I’m always on the lookout for discounted and free cat food to feed my ever-hungry feline friends. When I came across the opportunity to apply for a free set of Akane Wet Food in 6 flavours, I decided to give it a shot.
First, I’ll go straight to the meat of the review (pun intended ;D), but do stick around to the end of this article for the pretty designs of the cans. I figured aesthetics is the least of concerns when it comes to cat food, but I feel compelled to talk about them nonetheless because I love them so much.
If you’re really pressed for time though, this review by Fuzzy herself will only take 16 seconds of your time:
Now if we’ve got your attention, on to the review proper!
Fuzzy tried Akane Chicken Fillet & Tuna in Thick Gravy and she adores it! The gravy looks glutinous, rich, yet clear. It has a strong fishy smell that would appeal to cats, but isn’t off-putting to me. Even I think it looks appealing, and Fuzzy’s reaction confirms it.
I opened the can and poured half of its contents into a bowl, so Fuzzy could consume it in two sessions. I didn’t realise how viscous and creamy the gravy was. Trying to separate the can from the bowl was akin to pulling a cheesy pizza from its pan (yum). A spoon was needed to cut the strings clean. Meanwhile Fuzzy had started eagerly helping herself to the can, and she lapped up every drop.
Fuzzy enjoyed her second session just as much. She smacked her tongue against the bowl to get at every morsel, and licked her mouth fervently at the end. Looking at the satisfaction on her little face, I absolutely have to add this product to my arsenal of wet food and treats!
Sadly, Akane Wet Food failed to work its charm on Crooktail, the finickiest of feline eaters I’ve ever met. She sniffed it and walked away. She’s never liked wet food much and is extremely wary of new food brands. I’m going to try again with the other flavours, and will update here if she responds positively.
Update: Crooktail liked it too! On the third attempt, she decided it was good enough for Her Royal Highness!
The recommended serving is 1 can per day for a typical adult cat weighing 3 to 4 kg, in combination with a complete feed. So it should not be used to replace your cat’s usual wet/dry food, but rather as a treat or supplement. 1 can or 75 g serving costs around 1.70 SGD at its cheapest from Catsmart if purchased in a carton of 12. Meanwhile, a 40g of Fancy Feast Creamy broth, which I sometimes use to give the cats more hydration and some variety in their diet, already costs above 1.30 SGD. I think Akane is a pretty good deal!
The product is imported from Japan. The ingredients aren’t particularly remarkable from the usual broths for cats, but take heart that there are no strange fillers or animal by-products. Further information can be found on CatSmart.
This was my first time working with The Woof Agency, a platform which connects brands to a pool of pet influencers to work on campaigns. I received their Akane campaign invite on 30 April and signed up on the same day. I got an email on 5 May informing that I’d been selected to participate, and that they’d email me when they mail out the goods. On 13 May, they sent me said email, and the next day, the cans arrived at my doorstep. Good communication!
This was also my first time hearing of the Akane brand, and I was pleasantly surprised by how pretty the cans look! The designs on the base of the can are inspired by traditional ukiyo-e illustrations. I don’t know all of them, but Tuna & Salmon is a dead ringer for Otani Oniji III as Yakko Edobei by Sharaku.
I adore Japanese aesthetics, and Akane, a Japanese brand, has clearly leveraged on that to produce a design that is refreshing and unique from the typical “cute cat photo on the can” design (not that we can ever have enough of cute cat photos!).
Disclaimer: I received the food for free, but this review is as honest as it gets!