FirstMate Cat Food Review 2025 – Is FirstMate 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.

FirstMate Logo

Quality cat food is the number one priority of feline parents. For a long time, cats have survived on generic, off-the-shelf pet food made from low-quality ingredients. As people get more conscious about their own nutrition, they also become more aware of the food that their pets eat. When they check the ingredients in their own food, they also check what their pet’s food is made of. This has led to an increasing number of pet owners who want better quality food for their furry companions, food that is made from high quality sourced, human grade ingredients, with added vitamins and minerals. After all, a lot of health issues that pets face can be corrected with the right diet.

Quality ingredients and a controlled manufacturing process are two pillars of FirstMate, the Canadian pet food company based in British Columbia. The family-owned company believes that in order to manufacture the highest quality of food, the ingredients, and the production process should be strictly monitored and the highest safety standards followed. The limited ingredient diets manufactured by the company are grain-free and gluten-free, and have a single meat protein. Whether you have a sensitive cat or an overweight cat, all of them can safely consume FirstMate products.

The founder and president of the company, Mike Florian, was for years a commercial fisherman aboard the fishing vessel Taplow. He first worked as the deckhand and later became the owner, fishing for salmon, herring, and halibut in the North Pacific. After fishing for many years, he decided to start a fish feed company when he realized that fish stocks were depleting. Called Taplow Ventures, the company provided fish feed to the salmon farms in British Columbia. This business also took off, and Florian continued to do for years.

The problem arose when the guard dogs at the salmon farm got a taste of the high protein fish feed and started eating it. The concerned owners at the farm asked Taplow to manufacture high-protein dog food that would keep the dogs sated and away from the feed. Thus started FirstMate.

For more than 26 years, FirstMate has been using the same high quality ingredients that are used to make salmon feed to make the cat and dog foods. Once a small plant in the interior of British Columbia, the facility has now grown to be larger and modern, situated close to Vancouver. FirstMate uses advanced technology and modern machinery to ensure the highest quality of the food. FirstMate has a dry facility and a canned facility and plans to open more doors in the future.

Types of cat food

There are three lines of cat food from FirstMate: grain-free, grain friendly, and canned.

If you have a cat with sensitivities, you must be aware how hard it is to find a pet food that doesn’t make your kitty sick. FirstMate grain-free line of cat food is made keeping this in mind. Grain-free pet food has gained a lot of popularity in recent times, and not without reason. In comparison to pet food with grains, grain-free food has many more benefits. They are rich in protein, made from ingredients that are physiologically right for the pet, and have little chance of causing allergies. Unlike the average food, grain free recipes have more meat content and also meat fats that are easy to digest. There are usually fewer carbohydrates too – which is a leading cause of excess weight in pets.

FirstMate grain-free cat food is made with the highest quality ingredients from sustainable resources. They contain 95 percent animal protein, only five percent plant protein, and zero grains. The recipes in the grain-free range include:

  • Free Run Turkey & Wild Tuna 50/50 Formula
  • Limited Ingredient – Free Run Chicken Formula
  • Free Run Turkey Formula

The grain-friendly range of cat food has been created keeping in mind that not all grains are bad for pets. Grains like spelt and oats do not contain gluten and can be safely consumed by cats. Although animal protein is still the main source of protein in these products, there is a small amount of healthy grains present in them.

The recipes in this line include:

  • Classic Formula – Super Premium Cat Food
  • Cat & Kitten Formula
  • Indoor Cat Formula
  • Limited Ingredient – Wild Salmon Formula

Some of the FirstMate products are suitable for both cats and dogs, so if you have both feline and canine companions, you can purchase the same food for all of them.

Recall history

Since FirstMate has its own manufacturing plant, none of its products have ever been recalled. This gives you another reason to buy FirstMate cat food assured of its quality.

Where to buy

FirstMate products are available in several pet stores across Canada and the US. You can also find their products at chain stores like Walmart and Target. FirstMate cat food is available in other select countries like Germany, China, and Singapore. Aside from that, these products can be easily purchased online on Chewy and Amazon.

What customers think

FirstMate cat food has an exceptional reputation among pet owners. On popular pet store Chewy.com, the Chicken Meal with Blueberries Formula Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Dry Cat Food scores a 4.9 out of 5, and is recommended by all reviewers. Needless to say, all the reviews for the product on the site are positive.

“This has helped with puking, shedding, hairballs and has even eliminated crystals in my baby boy’s urine. Its been a year since we have switched to FirstMate and it has exceeded all my expectations! We haven’t had an emergency vet visit since!! I highly recommend this food!” – Moose01

“Finally a dry food that my cat will eat. So glad I found this food. She has been having diarrhea and vomiting and scratches often but I’m hoping this food will change that.” – Catherine

“One of my cats kept puking on other cat foods, I couldn’t pin point what ingredient in the cat foods are causing it. This limited ingredient diet seems to help with that. My cat has not puked eating this.” – Jesse1229

“I have one food and environmentally allergic cat. FirstMate is delicious (apparently) to all my cats, and I have the satisfaction of knowing it is grain free and nutritious.” – Rosie

“I couldn’t resist trying this food because of the healthy ingredients and great reviews. All of my 6 cats really like this food. It will be part of our daily rotation!” – doghouse17

FirstMate Chicken Meal with Blueberries Formula Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Dry Cat Food

Rating: 4.9/5

First five ingredients: Chicken Meal, Burbank Potato, Norkotah Potato, Chicken Fat, (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Whole Blueberries

It is widely known that all FirstMate products contain high-quality chicken and fish as the first source of protein. The Chicken Meal with Blueberries Formula is grain free, providing a wholesome, balanced diet to your furry companions with digestion problems or food sensitivities. The meal also contains a high percentage of fresh blueberries, which not only help provide a lot of antioxidants but also promote a healthy immune system, urinary tract, eyesight, and memory. The dietary fiber in this meal aid in better digestion, firm stools, and eliminate hairballs. No matter what your age your cat is, this meal is suitable for all, including kitties with sensitivities and food allergies.

All products manufactured by FirstMate contain natural ingredients, minus any artificial flavoring, coloring, or preservatives. This can lead to variations in the appearance of the food at different times because they are natural. None of the products contain GMO, and therefore, are safe to be consumed by cats at all life stages (including pregnant and lactating cats).

The company recommends a seven-day transition period when switching from another brand to FirstMate products. Ideally, owners must start introducing the new food in small amounts with the old food on the first day. This amount should be slowly increased over the course of seven days until they are eating only FirstMate food. Remember to consult a vet if you notice any sign of illness in your cat after consuming the new food.

Click to rate this post!
[Total: 0 Average: 0]

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *