Published Apr 26, 2019
Addiction is a New Zealand-made brand that claims to provide “healthy food pets crave”. Is it the right choice for your cat? Find out in our unbiased Addiction cat food review.
The Cats.com Standard—Rating Addiction on What Matters
We’ve analyzed Addiction and graded it according to the Cats.com standard, evaluating the brand on species-appropriateness, ingredient quality, product variety, price, customer experience, and recall history. Here’s how it rates in each of these six key areas.
Ratings
- Species-Appropriateness – 5/10
- Ingredient Quality – 8/10
- Product Variety – 6/10
- Price – 7/10
- Customer Experience – 9/10
- Recall History – 4/10
Overall Score: 6.5/10
We give Addiction cat food a 39 out of 60 rating or a B- grade.
About Addiction
Addiction was founded in 2002 by a veterinary surgeon and clinical nutritionist.
Originally, all Addiction foods were formulated around novel proteins from wild game, including kangaroo and brushtail (a type of possum native to Australia). Now a major manufacturer selling to an international market, the company continues to utilize unusual protein sources in addition to a variety of more traditional meats.
Addiction is focused on environmental sustainability, harvesting animals considered agricultural pests and reducing their reliance on mass-produced livestock animals.
Sourcing and Manufacturing
Addiction foods are made in New Zealand, which boasts an international reputation for stringent import and export regulations. In addition to strict manufacturing standards, New Zealand’s clean agricultural environment provides a unique pantry for Addiction products.
The company uses only wild-caught or free-range meat and strives to source animals raised in a stress-free environment. Addiction’s fish-based food is made from salmon rated “Best Choice” by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, an organization promoting ocean sustainability and safety.
While the company emphasizes New Zealand and Australia-sourced ingredients, they may obtain some ingredients from other countries. The company refuses to source any raw materials from China.
Has Addiction Cat Food Been Recalled?
In September of 2016, 355 cases of two varieties of Addiction dog food were recalled due to excessive vitamin A and variance in calcium and phosphorus ratios. There were no reports of illness associated with the recall.
What Kinds Of Cat Food Does Addiction Offer?
While only Addiction dry cat food is available in the United States, other Addiction products are available to international buyers. Addiction’s cat food selection includes dry kibble, dehydrated raw food, canned food, and treats.
All Addiction foods are made without artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. They’re grain-free, meat-based, and they don’t contain animal by-products.
Addiction Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Price | Our Grade |
| Addiction Grain-Free Salmon Bleu | Dry | $5.62 per lb | C |
| Addiction Grain-Free Duck Royale | Dry | $5.00 per lb | C |
| Addiction Grain-Free Viva La Venison | Dry | $5.00 per lb | C+ |
#1 Addiction Grain-Free Salmon Bleu Dry Cat Food
Salmon appears to be the primary protein source in this dry cat food.
This Addiction recipe features smoked Pacific salmon meal as its sole animal protein source, making it appropriate for cats allergic to other proteins or as an elimination diet.
Like many other grain-free dry foods, it’s made with dried potatoes, dried tapioca, and peas. These high-carbohydrate ingredients lend texture and consistency.
The food contains chicken fat as its primary fat source. Unlike plant-sourced fats, which lack the rich fatty acid profile cats need, chicken fat is species-appropriate and nourishing.
The food contains a range of supplemental ingredients, including natural flavors, dried spinach, and brewer’s dried yeast. The ingredient list concludes with a variety of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that make each meal nutritionally complete.
Overall, this food is low in protein with low fat and high carbohydrate content.
This kibble is a great example of the fact that grain-free doesn’t mean carbohydrate-free and that featuring meat as the first ingredient isn’t always the hallmark of a high-protein food.
The food contains 3,700 calories per kg.
Ingredients
Salmon Meal, Dried Potatoes, Dried Tapioca, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Peas, Natural Flavors, Dried Kelp, Dried Cranberries, Dried Blueberries, Dried Spinach, Brewers Dried Yeast, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Biotin (Vitamin B7), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid (Vitamin B9), Sodium Chloride, Taurine, Choline Chloride, Magnesium Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Cobalt Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Green Tea Extract, Rosemary Extract.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken Fat
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Dried Potatoes, Dried Tapioca, Peas
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- May be a good choice for cats with food sensitivities
- Free of potentially harmful additives
Cons
- High carbohydrate content
- Doesn’t provide the moisture cats need
#2 Addiction Grain-Free Duck Royale Dry Cat Food
Duck appears to be the primary protein source in this dry cat food.
This duck-based kibble is advertised as an alternative to traditional and, often, allergenic, proteins like chicken and beef. It’s not a single protein food and isn’t an appropriate elimination diet.
The food is made from a combination of duck, salmon meal, and fish meal. Note that fish meal is a vaguely-named ingredient likely containing a variety of fish species. Like many grain-free foods, this kibble contains peas and tapioca as high-starch binders.
Chicken fat serves as the food’s primary fat source. As mentioned in the last review, this is an optimal fat source for cats, who require the full spectrum of fatty acids found in animal fat.
The food contains flaxseed, cranberries, dried brewers yeast, canola oil, and natural flavor. These ingredients provide fiber, antioxidants, and nutrients. It’s unclear why Addiction opted to include canola oil on the ingredient list—this plant-sourced oil isn’t beneficial for your carnivorous cat. The additive “natural flavor” is usually made from hydrolyzed animal tissue and lends a punch of concentrated flavor.
The food is fortified with vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that make it nutritionally complete. It’s supplemented with a touch of green tea, rosemary, and spearmint extract.
Overall, this dry food has low protein content with moderate fat and high carbohydrate content.
Though it’s free of the potentially-harmful additives that lace so many cheaper foods, the food’s low protein content and generous carbohydrate content aren’t particularly carnivore-appropriate.
The food has 3,320 calories per kg.
Ingredients
Duck, Salmon Meal, Peas, Tapioca, Fish Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Flaxseed, Cranberries, Dried Brewers Yeast, Canola Oil, Natural Flavor, Sodium Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Biotin (Vitamin B7), Vitamin B12 Supplement , Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid (Vitamin B9), Taurine, Choline Chloride, Magnesium Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Cobalt Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Green Tea Extract, Rosemary Extract, and Spearmint Extract.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Chicken Fat
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Chickpeas, Peas, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Flaxseed, Pea Starch, Pea Protein
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Made without artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
- Primarily made from nourishing duck meat
Cons
- High carbohydrate content
- Contains fish meal, a vaguely-named ingredient
#3 Addiction Grain-Free Viva La Venison Dry Cat Food
Venison appears to be the primary protein source in this dry cat food.
What would a New Zealand pet food brand be without a venison-based formula?
Since the food contains only one novel protein and no other meats, this recipe is appropriate as an elimination diet for cats with suspected food allergies.
In addition to venison meal, the food contains dried potatoes, dried tapioca, and peas. Chicken fat is added as the food’s main fat source.
The food takes a flavor boost from “natural flavors”, an additive usually made from hydrolyzed animal tissue. Though we don’t know which animals were used to make this flavor concentrate, this isn’t a problem for cats with allergies. The hydrolysis process renders proteins hypoallergenic.
Like other Addiction cat food recipes, the food contains a variety of fruit and vegetable ingredients, including dried kelp, cranberries, dried apples, dried spinach, and brewers dried yeast. None of these ingredients are species-appropriate. They contribute some vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, but as obligate carnivores, cats are perhaps best off obtaining these nutrients from meat, organs, and other animal parts.
The food is fortified with vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that make it nutritionally complete. It’s supplemented with probiotics. Green tea extract and rosemary extract appear at the end of the ingredient list, presumably as natural preservatives.
Overall, this food has moderate protein content with low fat and high carbohydrate content.
While this food may be a good temporary choice for a cat with suspected food allergies, it lacks the meaty nutrient profile we look for in a long-term diet.
The food has 3,710 calories per kg.
Ingredients
Venison Meal, Dried Potatoes, Dried Tapioca, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Peas, Natural Flavors, Dried Kelp, Dried Cranberries, Dried Apples, Dried Spinach, Brewers Dried Yeast, Dried Enterococcus Faecium, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Dried Bifidobacterium Longum, Dried Bifidobacterium Thermophilum, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Biotin (Vitamin B7), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid (Vitamin B9), Sodium Chloride, Taurine, Choline Chloride, Magnesium Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Cobalt Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Green Tea Extract, Rosemary Extract.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken Fat
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Dried Potatoes, Dried Tapioca, Peas
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Rich in animal-sourced protein
- Appropriate for cats with food sensitivities
- Free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
Cons
- High carbohydrate content
- Lacks the moisture cats need
What Do Customers Think Of Addiction Cat Food?
Most customers are happy with Addiction, though reviews are mixed. On Chewy, about 83% of all reviewers say they’d recommend Addiction food.
Most happy customers comment on the food’s palatability and their cats’ improved health, while almost all unhappy customers say their cats refused to eat it.
Positive Reviews
“”Mr. Picky” Caesar will only eat dry food. Surprisingly he he likes and eats this food with no issues. Great food for a cat with a chicken allergy. Even Claudio will sneak a few bites if he thinks I’m not looking. And he is a die hard for raw food.” – Susan, reviewing Addiction Grain-Free Duck Royale Dry Cat Food
“All 3 of my cats love this food…. i was hesitant to try something brand new, but my 2 older cats have stopped chewing their fur off… WIN WIN!! Try something new & healthy” – Cindaroo, reviewing Addiction Salmon Bleu Dry Cat Food
Negative Reviews
“I was excited about this cat food because I had seen it as a number 1 on many lists But my cats absolutely hated it and would not eat it and my cats are not very picky eaters! Theyve eaten many healthy foods that I’ve gotten them too. so I had to waste money on this one. thankfully I got a small bag but even the small bag was super expensive” – Lisa, reviewing Addiction Viva La Venison Dry Cat Food
“Chewy.com suggested this food as one that my IBD cat would not be able to resist. Unfortunately, no interest from my IBD cat or my 2 others. I’d need to do more research and call the company to see if they adhere to AFFCO feeding trials and have a nutritionist on staff before I give it more than 2 stars. My cats did like FirstMate (limited ingredient for IBD) so happy with that choice.” – Sergei, reviewing Addiction Salmon Bleu Dry Cat Food
How Much Does Addiction Cat Food Cost?
According to the company’s feeding guidelines, Addiction cat food would cost about $0.62 per day to fuel the average 10-lb cat. This puts Addiction in the same slightly-above-average price bracket as Merrick and Halo.
Overall, Is Addiction A Good Choice?
Addiction cat food may practice eco-friendly manufacturing and use clean, high-quality New Zealand ingredients, but when it comes to nourishing a carnivorous animal, their recipes aren’t particularly impressive.
Addiction kibble is comparable to other foods like Canidae Grain Free PURE or Merrick’s limited ingredient line. It’s loaded with starchy ingredients and legumes along with an array of fruits and vegetables added in the name of holistic nutrition. Cats are carnivores. They don’t appear to need trace amounts of cranberries, blueberries, and spinach.
Addiction’s raw dehydrated foods—not sold in the United States—are similarly plant-packed. Their canned foods contain potatoes and carrageenan.
If you’re looking for a limited-ingredient or novel protein diet for your cat and appreciate New Zealand’s reputation for safety, you might try Addiction, but it’s not one of the best brands we’ve reviewed.
Where To Buy Addiction Cat Food?
Addiction cat food is sold domestically New Zealand and exported around the world. You can buy it through pet specialty retailers in stores in New Zealand, the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia.
Online, you can buy it directly through the Addiction store or shop for it on Amazon or Chewy.
Would you be able to do a review of Addiction’s new wild line – island birds? Thank you!
Truly appreciate what you do for pawrents!
– Orin, Singapore
We’ll consider it! Thanks, Orin.