Now Fresh Cat Food Review
Quick Guide
- Petcurean describes Now Fresh as “so fresh, it’s like eating off the kitchen counter”.
- What types of cat food does Now Fresh offer?
- Has Now Fresh cat food ever been recalled?
- Now Fresh Cat Food Coupons 2024
- Where can you buy Now Fresh cat food?
- What do customers think of Now Fresh cat food?
- Now Fresh Grain-Free Adult Recipe Dry Cat Food Review
Petcurean describes Now Fresh as “so fresh, it’s like eating off the kitchen counter”.
Now Fresh is a brand of cat food owned by Petcurean Pet Nutrition, Inc. This family-owned Canadian company was founded in 1999 and markets food for dogs and cats under brands including Gather, Go!, Spike, and Summit.
All of the brand’s dry foods are manufactured in Ontario, and their canned formulas are manufactured in Ontario and New Jersey.
Now Fresh is made primarily from ingredients sourced in North America, with the exception of lamb and venison from New Zealand and Australia.
What types of cat food does Now Fresh offer?
All Now Fresh formulas are free from rendered ingredients. Instead, they’re made with 100% fresh meat and fresh oil.
They’re free from animal by-products, artificial colors, and chemical preservatives. Every formula is made without any grains like corn, wheat, rice, barley, and oats.
Now Fresh Dry Cat Food Formulas
- Grain Free Kitten Food
- Grain Free Fish Recipe for Adult Cats
- Grain Free Senior Cat Food Recipe
- Grain Free Adult Food
Now Fresh Wet Cat Food Formulas
- Grain Free Wild Salmon Stew with Bone Broth
- Grain Free Wild Salmon Pâté with Bone Broth
- Grain Free Turkey Stew with Bone Broth
- Grain Free Pork Pâté with Bone Broth
Has Now Fresh cat food ever been recalled?
Now Fresh cat food has never been recalled.
However, its parent company, Petcurean, has issued at least one recall.
In 2003, reports of liver failure and liver disease prompted the company to announce a recall of Go! Pet food. The recall applied to all foods manufactured in the company’s Texas manufacturing facility, which was owned by Merrick Petfoods.
If you’re interested in investigating this incident further, this article from the East Bay Times addresses the curious dynamics that played a part in the recall and ensuing litigation.
Now Fresh Cat Food Coupons 2024
Where can you buy Now Fresh cat food?
Now Fresh is available through pet specialty retailers in Canada, the United States, and over 15 countries internationally.
You can use the Petcurean store finder to find retailers near you. The site also provides a list of their Canadian and USA online retailers, along with the company’s overseas distributors.
Click here to find Now Fresh cat food retailers.
What do customers think of Now Fresh cat food?
On Chewy, Now Fresh Grain-Free Adult Recipe Dry Cat Food has 67 reviews and a 4.7 out of 5 star rating. 94% of these reviewers say they’d recommend it.
Here’s what four real customers have to say about this formula:
Positive Reviews
“After trying 3 or 4 other top brands to replace Orijen Cat & Kitten, Nigel & Sybil have given their paws of approval. I was hopeful that they would like one of the cheaper brands like Earthborn Holistics, but apparently they have “Champagne and Caviar” taste buds! However, I am glad we have finally found something they gobble up rather than the reluctant grazing they were doing with the other brands. The other down side is that Nigel likes it so much, he’ll eat out of Sybil’s bowl too as soon as her back is turned, so I have to ‘supervise’ their breakfast and dinners!” – Ludwigzelda
“After careful examination of ingredients, I selected NOW FRESH to replace the Origen dry food you no longer carry. Sofie and George LOVE it even better than the Origen. They almost love it too much; whenever it’s time for it my Maine Coons start chirping loudly and reach their paws to the counter (which is not allowed and they never do it for their other food)!!” – Beverly
Negative Reviews
“I will start by saying this is obviously a very good quality cat food and that is a good thing. Unfortunately my cats do not eat it much. They seemed to eat it for the first week and I loved the fact that the pellets are quite tiny so my cat with no teeth could get them down easily. A couple months now and the bowl gets left mostly alone……..even put it out for the feral cats I feed along with their less expensive/quality food and they will only eat this after all the other food is gone……annoyed because it is so expensive. I cant understand why they do not like the flavor??? The pink bag is the one I have tried so far. I have learned now samples, samples, samples, for a month!.” – GrandmaGriz
“Nope sorry this food is loaded with starches. Keep looking for an orijen replacement. This one is not it.” – Debbiem
Read more customer reviews on Chewy.
Now Fresh Grain-Free Adult Recipe Dry Cat Food Review
First 5 Ingredients: De-Boned Turkey, Potato Flour, Peas, Potatoes, Pea Fiber
The formula contains animal protein from several sources: turkey, salmon, and duck.
The first ingredient is de-boned turkey. This isn’t a concentrated source of animal protein. Instead, de-boned turkey is primarily water. Remember that cat food ingredient lists are written in order of descending pre-cooking weight. After cooking and consequent loss of water weight, the token “meat as the first ingredient” would likely lose its first place status.
The next three ingredients are potato flour, peas, and potatoes. Given that they’re the second and fourth ingredients on the list, potato flour and potatoes combined would alone likely overtake cooked de-boned turkey as the first ingredient. The addition of peas so early on the ingredient list make it evident that this is a plant-based dry cat food.
After potatoes is pea fiber, which is a functional fiber and of little nutritional value for your cat. Functional fiber is distinct from dietary fiber in that while it can help to treat constipation, it lacks the nutrients found in whole foods. This ingredient can be dismissed as a filler.
Whole dried egg is added as a nourishing source of protein for your cat. Egg is followed by tomato, which is a plant source of natural vitamins and minerals.
Like other Now Fresh formulas, this recipe relies on canola oil, flaxseed, and coconut oil as primary sources of fatty acids. Ideally, these fatty acids should come from animal fats, not plant ingredients.
An additive called “natural flavor” is included to increase the food’s palatability. It’s made from hydrolyzed animal tissue.
De-boned meat makes another appearance in the middle of the ingredient list. This time, it comes in the form of de-boned salmon and de-boned duck.
These are followed by a long list of fruits and vegetables comprised of apples, carrots, pumpkin, bananas, blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, papayas, pineapple, grapefruit, lentil beans, broccoli, spinach, alfalfa sprouts, and alfalfa. The recipe also includes a trace of cottage cheese.
Synthetic supplements round out the nutrient profile, while probiotics and a prebiotic are added to encourage digestive and immune health. Yucca schidigera extract is added as a joint health supplement and to help reduce fecal odor.
Overall, the Now Fresh Grain-Free Adult cat food formula consists of 31% protein, 18% fat, and 31.5% carbohydrates. It’s a plant-based recipe with heavy concentrations of high-carbohydrate ingredients. Instead of animal fats, the recipe relies on biologically inappropriate vegetable oils.
Considering that cats are obligate carnivores who thrive on a meat-based diet, this food is a less-than-optimal choice.
The formula is available in a 4-lb bag, an 8-lb bag, and a 16-lb bag.
According to Now Fresh feeding guidelines for a 7-10 lb cat, this food will cost between approximately $.46 and $.69 each day.
This cost estimate is based on Chewy prices and excludes shipping costs.