Last updated Nov 20, 2024
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
We’ve rated Freely cat food on ingredient quality, species-appropriateness, recalls, and more. Read our Freely cat food review to learn how this brand stacks up.
The Cats.com Standard—Rating Freely Cat Food on What Matters
We’ve rated the brand on six key criteria for quality. Here’s how it rates in each of these six crucial areas.
Ratings
- Species-Appropriateness – 8/10
- Ingredient Quality – 9/10
- Product Variety – 7/10
- Price – 6/10
- Customer Experience – 6/10
- Recall History – 8/10
Overall Score: 7.3/10
In total, we give Freely cat food a 44 out of 60 rating or a B grade.
About Freely Cat Food
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
Freely was founded in 2019 by Reed Howlett, the former CEO of Nature’s Variety. More than just a pet food brand, Freely is a startup that includes both a modest lineup of limited-ingredient diets for pets and the Freely Nutrition Center.
The Freely brand self-identifies as a small team of pet-loving food experts. They believe that “pet food should be simply good for your pet and simply easy to understand.” Their formulas are made with a limited list of ingredients to provide pets with balanced nutrition free from the fillers, by-products, and artificial additives frequently found in low-quality pet food products.
Sourcing and Manufacturing
The Freely brand is headquartered in Brentwood, Missouri and all products are made in the United States. Freely doesn’t provide any specific information about the sourcing of their ingredients other than to say they’re “the finest ingredients from around the world.”
Freely also claims their team has “decades of pet food and nutrition experience” but doesn’t offer any details. Considering Howlett’s previous position as CEO of Nature’s Variety, however, there’s a good chance some of that experience is attributed to him.
Recall History
To our knowledge, Freely has never had a product recall. It’s worth remembering, however, that the company is only 3 years old – this factors into our rating system. Our highest rating is reserved for companies with a long and consistent history of quality.
What Kinds of Cat Food Does Freely Offer?
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
Freely aims to make it easier for pet parents to choose and understand the food their offering their pets. For this reason, all of Freely’s cat food formulas are made with a single source of protein and a short list of main ingredients plus the necessary supplements to ensure balanced nutrition.
The Freely brand offers three dry food and two canned food recipes for cats along with a bone broth food topper. All three of Freely’s dry foods are grain-free, as are both of the wet foods.
The complete lineup of Freely products includes:
- Turkey Recipe Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
- Salmon Recipe Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
- Rabbit Recipe Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
- Turkey Recipe Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Wet Cat Food
- Rabbit Recipe Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Wet Cat Food
Freely’s recipes are formulated for adult cats according to AAFCO nutrient profiles.
What Do Customers Think of Freely Cat Food?
Because Freely is only a few years old and product distribution is somewhat limited, there aren’t as many reviews online as there are for popular brands like Canidae that also offer single-protein formulas. Of the reviews available, there is a mixed bag of very positive and very negative customer feedback.
Customers who like Freely products comment on the high quality of the ingredients and the limited ingredient formulas. Some cat owners found that even their pickiest cats enjoyed the food.
On the other end of the spectrum, numerous customers report issues with quality control on top of the usual complaints that some cats simply don’t like the food. There are also concerns about the price, but that’s to be expected with limited-ingredient diets, especially those made with novel proteins.
Let’s take a look at a few reviews from some of the most popular recipes from Freely.
Positive Reviews
“Our brave little tuxedo has suffered from IBS for over two years. We’ve tried various diets and recently had to change medication as the steroid, he’d been on was raising his blood sugar. After an “incident” he didn’t want to eat his standbys — venizon or New Zealand lamb. I’d tried rabbit before but he didn’t like it, but his tastes change. We tried a couple of brands that also had other stuff besides rabbit. I was a little skeptical about some of Freely’s addititves, but there is finally a marked change in his stools which are more solid and less stinky that in a very long time. Sure, it could be that he’s over some side effects and the new meds are kicking in, but this seems different. He isn’t as gassy and at 14 he’s more active and alert than I’ve seen him in quite a while. Will it last? Who can say? But he LOVES the food, and for now I’m not feeding him anything else.” – by Marion reviewing Freely Rabbit Recipe Limited Ingredient Wet Cat Food on October 8, 2024
“My cats have sensitive stomach. I have been feeding them this food for a while. It works great. It’s hard to find cat food without chicken or fish in. My only complaint is that 3lbs bag is not big enough for us. My two boys eat one and half bag per week. Wish they come with a bigger bag.” – by PJ48 reviewing Freely Rabbit Recipe Limited Ingredient Dry Cat Food on May 8, 2024
Negative Reviews
“I have cats with food allergies and IBD and certain gums give them diarrhea and bowel inflammation. I noticed the label ingredients in my shipment were different than what Chewy listed. I didn’t feed them the food and it was my first time ordering freely. I am very grateful for the kind and understanding service rep that gave me a refund since I can’t feed this food and did my research before ordering but I based my cat food choice on an ingredient list that wasn’t the same as the food I received. Thank you for great customer service and fast deliveries!” – by Krista reviewing Freely Rabbit Recipe Limited Ingredient Wet Cat Food on September 1, 2024
“I like the fact that it’s tiny bites for cats and it’s rabbit which is hard to find without it really being chicken as a first ingredient. I was looking for a kibble to add to my sphynx raw rabbit. unfortunately my cats were unable to tolerate it. they both have very sensitive digestive systems.” – by imdevine reviewing Freely Rabbit Recipe Limited Ingredient Dry Cat Food on March 8, 2024
What Did Our Test Cats Think?
To test Freely cat food I ordered the salmon recipe dry food, rabbit recipe wet food, and a bottle of the Beneficial Broth Tranquility Blend food topper.
Before even testing the food, I liked that Freely offers a single-protein rabbit formula. I feed all three of my cats a rabbit-based diet because one cat seems to be allergic to everything else. It’s hard to find rabbit-based recipes that don’t contain other proteins and my cats really seemed to enjoy the texture of the Freely wet food. It’s similar to minced cat food formulas we’ve tested and definitely wasn’t as dry as some pate-style wet foods can be.
The dry food formula seemed acceptable to the two cats who could try it. I appreciated that Freely uses salmon-based sources for both the protein and fat in this recipe.
Freely Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Main Protein Source | Calories | Price Per Ounce | Our Grade |
| Freely Salmon Recipe Limited Ingredient Dry Cat Food | Dry | Salmon | 423 kcal/cup | $0.41 | C+ |
| Freely Rabbit Recipe Limited Ingredient Wet Cat Food | Wet | Rabbit | 175 kcal/5.5-ounce can | $0.67 | B- |
| Freely Turkey Recipe Limited Ingredient Dry Cat Food | Dry | Turkey | 420 kcal/cup | $0.36 | C+ |
#1 Freely Salmon Recipe Limited Ingredient Dry Cat Food
This dry cat food formula features fresh salmon as the main ingredient with supplemental protein from salmon meal. Salmon is the only source of animal protein in this recipe and, while it isn’t the primary source of fat, the food also contains salmon oil.
While the first two ingredients in this recipe are animal-based, the next four are not. Sweet potatoes aren’t particularly problematic, but we prefer not to ingredients like lentils and peas on the list. Not only are these starchy and of limited nutritional value for cats, but they’re difficult to digest and contain phytic acid which can compromise the absorption of certain nutrients.
In terms of nutritional composition, this is a moderate-protein formula with moderate fat content. Unfortunately, the carbohydrate content is very high, over 40% on a dry matter basis.
Ingredients
Salmon, Salmon Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Lentils, Peas, Sunflower Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Salmon Flavor, Salmon Oil, Choline Chloride, Vitamins (Niacin Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid), Taurine, Dl-Methionine, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Calcium Carbonate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate), Dried Chicory Root, Rosemary Extract.
| Ingredients We Liked | Ingredients We Didn’t Like | Common Allergens |
| Salmon
Salmon Meal Salmon Oil |
Lentils
Peas Sunflower Oil |
Fish |
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Made with a single source of animal protein and fat
- Limited list of main ingredients
- Free from animal by-products and artificial additives
Cons
- Contains starchy peas and lentils
- No dry food provides the moisture your cat needs
#2 Freely Rabbit Recipe Limited Ingredient Wet Cat Food
One of only three wet food recipes Freely has to offer, this recipe features rabbit as a single source of novel animal protein. As a canned food, it’s much higher in moisture than Freely kibble and it’s lower in carbohydrates – under 20% on a dry matter basis.
This is a high-protein formula with fairly high fat content. Again, some of that fat comes from plant-based sunflower oil but salmon oil provides some biologically valuable animal fat as well. Peas are also included in this product, but they don’t seem to feature as heavily as they do in Freely dry foods.
Because rabbit is a novel protein (and a fairly uncommon one), this is Freely’s most expensive recipe. The species appropriateness is arguably higher than the dry foods but, again, a little too high in carbohydrates.
It’s also worth noting that this recipe is thickened with guar gum. It may not be as inherently problematic as carrageenan – a common thickener in cheap cat food – but it has been known to cause digestive upset in some cats.
Ingredients
Deboned Rabbit, Water, Rabbit Liver, Peas, Natural Flavor, Sunflower Oil, Guar Gum, Salmon Oil, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Choline Chloride, Dried Chicory Root, Salt, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Potassium Iodide.
| Ingredients We Liked | Ingredients We Didn’t Like | Common Allergens |
| Deboned Rabbit
Rabbit Liver Salmon Oil |
Peas
Sunflower Oil Guar Gum |
None |
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Made with a single source of novel animal protein
- Rich in moisture to support your cat’s hydration
- Limited list of ingredients for improved digestibility
Cons
- Contains starchy peas and gum thickener
- Very expensive
#3 Freely Turkey Recipe Limited Ingredient Dry Cat Food
With turkey as the main ingredient, this dry food recipe is a little cheaper than the previous kibble but still has some of the same problems.
Fresh turkey and turkey meal top the list of ingredients and again we see salmon oil as an animal-based source of omega-3 fatty acids. The recipe does, however, appear to rely on sunflower oil as the primary source of added fat and, again, we see the starchy peas and lentils on the list.
In terms of nutritional composition, this recipe contains a little less protein and about the same amount of fat as the previous dry food when measured as dry matter. The carb content is still very high.
Ingredients
Deboned Turkey, Turkey Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Lentils, Sunflower Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Turkey Flavor, Salmon Oil, Choline Chloride, Vitamins (Niacin Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid), Taurine, Dl-Methionine, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Calcium Carbonate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate), Dried Chicory Root, Rosemary Extract.
| Ingredients We Liked | Ingredients We Didn’t Like | Common Allergens |
| Deboned Turkey
Turkey Meal Salmon Oil |
Peas
Lentils Sunflower Oil |
None |
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Two high-quality sources of animal protein top the list
- Includes salmon oil for animal-based omega-3s
- Limited list of ingredients and a single protein source
Cons
- Contains starchy peas and lentils
- No dry food provides the moisture your cat needs
How Much Does Freely Cat Food Cost?
Freely dry foods cost between $0.35 and $0.41 per ounce which leaves them at a similar price point to other brands that feature limited ingredient diets like Dr. Elsey’s. As is true with another limited-ingredient brand, Canidae, Freely’s wet foods are more expensive than their dry foods.
To feed a 10-pound cat Freely cat food would cost about $0.72 per day for a dry food diet and as much as $4.78 per day for a wet food diet.
Overall, Is Freely Cat Food a Good Choice?
When it comes to single-protein formulas, Freely is a decent option. Their recipes are limited to turkey, salmon, and rabbit, but rabbit is fairly uncommon as a pet food ingredient. Unfortunately, you’ll pay a hefty price if this is the protein you choose to feed your cat and Freely is no different from other brands in this respect.
The quality of Freely’s ingredients seem to be high, though we have no indication of where they come from. The main problem is the high carbohydrate content of most Freely foods. You could do much better with a dry food like Dr.Elsey’s in this department, though Freely wet foods aren’t bad. They’re higher in carbs than we like to see, however, especially for such a pricey cat food product.
Where Is Freely Cat Food Sold?
You can find Freely cat food in local and independent pet retailers or buy it online from Chewy, Amazon, HeartyPet, or PetFlow.
