Nature’s Recipe Cat Food Review 2024 – Is Nature’s Recipe a Good Cat Food?

Kate Barrington

Researched & Written by

Kate Barrington


At Pawster, we are committed to presenting the most accurate and up-to-date information to assist you in your pet care journey. When appropriate, we consult licensed and practicing veterinarians to fact-check our professionally written articles.

Nature’s Recipe Cat Food Discontinued

As more people become conscious about the various chemicals and artificial additives used in food products, there is a rising demand for natural food. Food products that aren’t processed and those that are made using natural wholesome ingredients in a holistic way not only find takers among general people but also pet parents. When people themselves choose to eat healthy, they also want the same quality for their furry friends.

The biggest benefit of feeding a natural formula to your pet is the prevention and control of various health conditions. Nature’s Recipe, the pet food brand by Big Heart Pet Brands, has been making all-natural pet food for the last 37 years, because they are aware of the harmful effects that artificial and chemically-processed food can have on pets. For a long time, pet parents used to feed generic, off the shelf products to their little furry ones. A major reason behind this was lack of awareness and knowledge about what went into making those products. These days, with so much news about harmful ingredients used in pet food, pet guardians are more conscious.

While bigger multinationals tightly guard their manufacturing process and ingredient list, brands like Nature’s Recipe are honest and transparent about the way they do business. Most importantly, Nature’s Recipe believes in making quality food for pets, rather than just make money. That’s the reason why the company has remained so popular since its inception in 1981.

Nature’s Recipe has had a complicated history. It was first produced by Earth Elements, which was formed by Jeffrey Bennett in 1981. Later, he sold the company to the H.J. Heinz Company in 1996. H.J. Heinz Company used to be a division of Del Monte but was later acquired by Big Heart Pet Brands. In 2015, Big Heart Pet Brands was taken over by the J.M. Smucker Company.

Despite all the changing of hands over the years, Nature’s Recipe has maintained its quality of food. They have both regular and grain-free recipes, as well as both wet and dry food. They claim that every ingredient they use in their products have a purpose, and is meant to contribute to the health of the pet. On their website, they clearly explain the benefit of every ingredient that goes into making the cat food. Real meat rich in protein is always the first ingredient, and the confidence that the brand has in its products shows that they know their job well.

Types of cat food

Nature’s Recipe has two lines of cat food, available in both dry and wet form: Culinary Favorites and Grain-free Recipes.

Culinary Favorites

Did you know that not all vegetables are bad for your cat unlike what the popular mandate is? Yes, cats are basically carnivores, but that doesn’t mean they should never eat their greens. There are some vegetables that can be beneficial to a cat’s health, when given alongside meat and fish. Sweet potato is rich in antioxidants, and provides energy, vitality, and strong joints. Oats are rich in dietary fiber and help lower blood pressure and promote cardiac health. Garbanzo beans are another source of fiber, protein and folic acid, boosting immunity and overall health, while carrots provide Vitamin A, C, and K.

Culinary Favorites combines these veggies with high quality animal protein to create healthy, wholesome meals. The range of products in this line gives variety to even the pickiest eater. If you have a picky cat who turns his nose up at every meal, then you should try the delicious range of Culinary Favorites Cat Food from Nature’s Recipe. They are made with fresh, juicy meat and fish, with a sprinkling of garden vegetables.

The recipes in this line include:

  • Slow Roasted Recipe With Real Beef & Garden Vegetables Pate
  • Paté With Real Chicken & Tuna Recipe In Gravy
  • Slow Roasted Recipe With Real White Meat Chicken & Garden Vegetables Pate

Grain Free Recipes

The other range of cat food is Grain-free Recipes. There are a lot of thoughts and opinions on feeding grain-free food to cats and dogs, and their benefits. While it is true that cats and dogs aren’t meant to eat grains because they are meat-based animals, it isn’t always necessary to switch to a grain-free diet, particularly if your cat is healthy. There are certain grains like oats and spelt that don’t cause allergic reactions in pets, are easy to digest, and provide essential fiber. However, if you notice that your kitty is sensitive to grains of all kinds, switching her to a grain-free diet is a good option.

Nature’s Recipe grain-free cat food is free from soy, wheat, and corn, meat or poultry by-products, and comes with added vitamins and nutrients. All grain-free recipes have a higher protein content compared to the other range of cat food, but is also more easily digestible. Sensitive kitties can safely consume these grain-free recipes without fear of allergies or illnesses.

The recipes in this range include:

  • Grain Free Chicken & Chicken Liver Recipe In Broth
  • Grain Free Chicken & Turkey Recipe In Broth
  • Grain Free Salmon Recipe In Broth

When going grain-free, it is important to help your cat slowly adjust to the new diet. First start with 25 percent of the new food mixed with your cat’s current food, then gradually increase the amount until your cat is eating only Nature’s Recipe grain-free food.

Nature’s Recipe manufactures all of their dry pet food in their US facilities, while most of the wet food are also made in the United States, with the exception being the grain-free canned products, which are made in Thailand. The company claims that the manufacturing process follows strict safety and quality standards, and the ingredients are high quality sourced.

Recall history

Although Nature’s Recipe cat food has never had any recall, in 2012 some of their dog biscuits were voluntarily recalled because of potential salmonella contamination. Although no illnesses or fatalities were reported due to this, it does put a question mark on the production process of the brand, particularly because it claims to be all healthy, natural, and safe.

Where to buy

Nature’s Recipe cat food is available at all leading pet stores, supermarkets, and online stores. On sites like Chewy and PetSmart, you often get good discounts on Nature’s Recipe cat food products.

What customers think

Cat owners have good things to say about Nature’s Recipe cat food. On Chewy.com, the Grain-Free Chicken Recipe in Broth Wet Cat Food scores a 4.5 on 5, and is recommended by 89 percent of reviewers. Most of the reviews are positive, with a few negatives. Some of them are as follows:

Positive

“Both of our cats love this food. Like another reviewer said, the chicken looks like people food! Very low odor as well. It’s a keeper!” – 4DOGS2CATS

“I purchased this by mistake, but it was not lost on me…. my daughter has a cat and so does one of my neighbors….. so they benefited from my error…. The cats love it.” – Sethlyn

“They are eating it…which is a miracle! I’ve got super finicky cats. It even smells good to me- more like human food than a lot of the stuff out there. I don’t know if that’s good or bad, but they are eating it, so I am happy!” – fishyy1

Negative

“My kitties won’t eat this product. I’ll have to give it away. So from now on I will not order new stuff by the case before I find out if they will eat it.” – Nana

“My picky eater wasn’t too thrilled. Now I have to figure out how to mix it in with other stuff to see if he will eat it. Otherwise, he just let’s it sit. He won’t even eat the broth!” – PickyPipi

Nature’s Recipe Grain-Free Chicken Recipe in Broth Wet Cat Food

Rating: 4.3/5

First five ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Broth, Tuna, Chicken Liver, Carrots

This popular recipe from this brand is a significantly high quality food, given the quality ingredients it is manufactured with. This balanced diet for cats contains real chicken, without any animal by-products, grains, or artificial flavors or preservatives. The added vitamins and minerals promote optimal health, while the grain-free, savory recipe can be enjoyed even by cats with food sensitivities.

The first ingredient here is chicken, which is a rich protein source. The formula also contains tuna and chicken liver turkey as additional sources of protein. The product doesn’t contain any artificial fillers among its top ingredients. There are no byproducts, either, which makes this food significantly free from low grade substances, indicating a higher quality.

However, this formula contains guar gum and carrageenan, artificial additives that could contribute to certain health conditions in cats. Although carrageenan has been banned in most pet food products, Nature’s Recipe still uses it. Besides that, the product doesn’t list any of the common food allergens like pea, potato, or soy in the ingredients. However, if you notice any symptom of illness in your cat after consuming this meal, you must discontinue feeding it and consult the vet.

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