Last updated Apr 14, 2023
We’ve taken a close look at Fromm and graded it according to the Cats.com standard, evaluating the brand on species-appropriateness, product variety, price, ingredient quality, customer experience, and recall history.
The Cats.com Standard—Rating Fromm 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 – 7/10
- Ingredient Quality – 8/10
- Product Variety – 8/10
- Price – 5/10
- Customer Experience – 8/10
- Recall History – 5/10
Overall Score: 6.8/10
In total, we give Fromm cat food a 41 out of 60 rating or a B- grade.
Read on to find out more about Fromm and how we reached these conclusions.
About Fromm
Fromm is a fifth-generation family owned-and-operated company.
Since the day in 1904 when the four Fromm brothers sat down on their family’s porch and decided to start a company, Fromm has cultivated a “tradition of quiet innovation”. The company developed the first canine distemper vaccine in the 1930s, pioneered the use of mixed tocopherols as natural preservatives, and invented the first “all-granular” dog food.
The Fromm company opened their first pet food manufacturing plant in 1925 and sold the first bag of Fromm dog food in 1949.
Sourcing and Manufacturing
Fromm manufactures all of their own foods. They own three manufacturing facilities, all in the company’s home state of Wisconsin.
One is in Mequon, Wisconsin, where the company first entered the pet food manufacturing business back in 1925. Since then, they’ve added two additional facilities. They operate one dry food manufacturing facility in Columbus, Wisconsin and a cannery in Eden, Wisconsin.
All of their facilities implement HACCP (Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points) programs to ensure quality control. These manufacturing plants are regularly inspected by the FDA, USDA, and APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service).
The company demands that all suppliers meet the requirements outlined in Fromm’s Approved Supplier Program which aims to ensure that suppliers test all ingredients before they arrive at Fromm’s facilities.
Recall History
After over 90 years in the industry, Fromm announced its first recall in 2016. The recall was due to elevated levels of Vitamin D in several varieties of canned dog food.
In October 2021, Fromm issued another voluntary recall affecting roughly 5,500 cases of Fromm Shredded Entrée canned dog food due to potentially high levels of vitamin D.
None of Fromm’s cat food recipes have ever been recalled.
What Kinds of Cat Food Does Fromm Offer?
Fromm makes two lines of cat food. These include both wet and dry formulas. All of their recipes are free from artificial ingredients and feature named meats—never byproducts.
Four-Star
Fromm’s Four-Star line includes both dry and canned foods that are “gourmet & variety driven.” Every product in the line is designed to complement other foods in the Four-Star line, promoting a varied rotational diet.
Like a wine pairing guide, the Fromm website provides pairing suggestions for foods in their Four-Star line. For example, the Beef Liváttini Veg dry food, according to Fromm, pairs well with their Chicken, Duck, & Salmon Pâté.
Gold
Foods in the Gold line are prepared in small batches from fresh ingredients delivered daily. There are only three cat foods in the Gold line, and they’re all dry. The company offers Kitten Gold, Adult Gold, and Mature Gold, representing cats of all life stages.
If you’re having trouble choosing the right Fromm cat food for your cat, you might want to use the product selection tool on the Fromm website.
Fromm Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Main Protein Source | Calories | Price | Our Grade |
| Fromm Four-Star Gamebird Dry Cat Food | Dry | Turkey | 420 kcal/cup | $0.44 per oz | C |
| Fromm Four Star Chicken & Duck Pâté Canned Cat Food | Wet | Chicken | 169 kcal/can | $0.61 per oz | B |
| Fromm Gold Holistic Adult Dry Cat Food | Dry | Chicken | 395 kcal/cup | $0.22 per oz | B- |
#1 Fromm Four-Star Game Bird Recipe Dry Cat Food Review
Recently reformulated, this Game Bird recipe once featured duck as the primary source of protein but now appears to be mostly turkey- and chicken-based.
This dry food is packed with multiple animal protein sources, including fresh turkey and chicken, chick meal, duck meal, and dried egg, along with smaller amounts of turkey liver, goose, duck, pheasant, and quail.
It’s a grain-free food, but it’s not low in carbohydrates or plant-based ingredients. Peas are the fifth ingredient, followed by chickpeas sand pea protein. The third ingredient is pea protein, which is a less biologically available protein source than meat sources. The recipe also includes potatoes, sweet potatoes, flaxseed, and traces of fruits and vegetables.
The food has moderate carbohydrate content, moderate fat, and high carbohydrate matter. The estimated carbohydrate content is about 25% (as fed).
There are 420 calories in each cup of this food.
Ingredients
Turkey, Turkey Broth, Chicken, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Pea Protein, Duck Meal, Dried Egg Product, Potatoes, Dried Tomato Pomace, Turkey Liver, Chicken Fat, Goose, Salmon Oil, Sweet Potatoes, Duck, Flaxseed, Pheasant, Quail, Carrots, Natural Flavor, DL-Methionine, Pumpkin, Apples, Broccoli, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Chicory Root Extract, Taurine, Vitamins, Minerals, Cranberries, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Sorbic Acid (Preservative), Blueberries, Sodium Selenite, Probiotics.
Ingredients We Liked: Turkey, Chicken, Chicken Meal, Duck Meal, Dried Egg Product, Turkey Liver, Chicken Fat, Goose, Salmon Oil, Duck, Pheasant, Quail
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Peas, Chickpeas, Pea Protein, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Flaxseed
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Rich in species-appropriate animal ingredients
- Free from artificial ingredients
- Contains a variety of animal ingredients not found in other foods
Cons
- High in carbohydrates
- Uses pea protein as a concentrated source of plant protein
- Fairly expensive
#2 Fromm Four Star Chicken & Duck Pâté Canned Cat Food Review
Chicken appears to be the primary protein source in this canned cat food.
This canned cat food features a simple recipe involving chicken, chicken liver, and duck in chicken broth. In addition to the main animal ingredients, the food contains flaxseed, tomato paste, xanthan gum, and locust bean gum. It also contains a small amount of dried egg product as an additional source of protein.
Though it contains some plant ingredients, the food is nevertheless a relatively species-appropriate food in terms of macronutrient distribution. It’s high in protein with moderate-to-high fat and low carbohydrate content.
There are 169 calories in each 5.5 oz can or about 31 calories per ounce.
Ingredients
Chicken, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Duck, Flaxseed, Tomato Paste, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Minerals, Xanthan Gum, Dried Egg Product, Locust Bean Gum, Taurine, Vitamins.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Chicken Liver, Duck
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Flaxseed, Salt
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Rich in species-appropriate animal protein
- Low carbohydrate content
- Virtually no protein from plants
Cons
- Contains some added plant ingredients
- Somewhat expensive
#3 Fromm Gold Holistic Adult Dry Cat Food Review
Deboned chicken and chicken meal appear to be the primary protein sources in this dry cat food.
Like all Fromm Gold foods, this formula is marketed as a life stage-specific formula. According to the Fromm website, it’s made for “normally active adult cats.” It’s made with chicken meal and salmon meal as concentrated sources of animal protein but also contains fresh chicken and duck as well as dried egg.
These meat ingredients are accompanied by a variety of high-carbohydrate plant ingredients, including pearled barley, white rice, and potatoes, none of which are particularly nourishing for cats. You’ll also find cheese on the list which is an unusual sight in cat food.
Overall, this dry food has moderate protein, moderate fat, and high carbohydrate content. There are 395 calories in each cup of Fromm Adult Gold dry cat food.
Ingredients
Chicken, Chicken Meal, Pearled Barley, White Rice, Salmon Meal, Chicken Fat, Dried Tomato Pomace, Dried Egg Product, Potatoes, Duck, Salmon Oil, Cheese, Flaxseed, Brewers Dried Yeast, Chicken Liver, Alfalfa Meal, DL-Methionine, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins, Chicken Cartilage, Chicory Root Extract, Salt, Monosodium Phosphate, Minerals, Sorbic Acid (Preservative), Yucca Schidigera Extract, Sodium Selenite, Taurine, Probiotics.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Salmon Meal, Chicken Fat, Duck, Salmon Oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Pearled Barley, White Rice, Cheese, Brewers Dried Yeast, Alfalfa Meal
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Contains multiple sources of animal protein
- Free from artificial additives
- Chicken fat and salmon oil as species-appropriate fat sources
Cons
- High in carbohydrates
- No dry food provides the moisture your cat needs
- Fairly expensive
What Do Customers Think of Fromm Cat Food?
Fromm receives primarily positive customer reviews on product listings and in online discussions. Some note improvement in their cat’s energy levels, appearance, and overall health after switching to Fromm.
Here are a few reviews from real Fromm customers:
Positive Reviews
“I purchased this for my cat due to my realization of the low quality food I was feeding her. She instantly took to it after 2 sniffs. So far I have seen a boost in her energy, kindness, and overall mood. Her bowl habits are more regular and her coat is softer and shinier.” – Starfish, reviewing Fromm Gold Holistic Adult Dry Cat Food
“Got this as a treat for my cat and she loved it. The only downside is now she won’t eat the Science Diet food that she normally gets. That’s a cat for you.” – H. Neumann, reviewing Fromm Four Star Chicken & Duck Canned Cat Food
Negative Reviews
“Lo and behold, yet another company (Orijen was the last one) who doesn’t make sealable zip bags for their dry food products. First time I ever tried the Gamebird flavor and the damned bag won’t seal. Totally frustrating and inexcusable. Anyone else had this problem???? I’d advise not ordering this flavor (at least if not all the Fromm bags of dry food). AAAARGH.” – Amazon Customer, reviewing Fromm Four-Star Gamebird Cat Food
“Well, it’s impossible to say right now, but I just found out that my cat got diabetes while eating mostly this food. Occasionally, I’d give her some canned food, but this was probably about 90% of her diet. She really seemed to like the flavor and preferred it over other foods.
The ingredients list sounded good, but now that I’ve been researching more, it seems that this has way too many carb-heavy ingredients. In fact, the composition is nearly 29% carbs!!! Potatoes, sweet potatoes, flours, carrots – all high carbs. Cats are supposed to have a very low carb diet. I feel bad for not doing the math and feeding her this for so long. Hopefully with a diet change, we can get her back into remission.” – El Outsider, reviewing Fromm Four-Star Gamebird Dry Cat Food
How Much Does Fromm Cat Food Cost?
Fromm cat food products are some of the most expensive on the market. Their canned foods cost approximately $3 per day and their dry foods cost an estimated $1.80 to $2.46 per day.
Overall, Is Fromm a Good Choice?
Safety, customer service, and ingredient quality are Fromm’s strengths. After over 90 years in the industry, Fromm has only been recalled once and receives virtually no complaints about making cats or dogs sick. That’s exceptional.
From a nutritional standpoint, however, Fromm dry cat food isn’t the best in the business. Like most dry foods, Fromm kibble is packed with plant ingredients and tends to be high in carbohydrate content. It also doesn’t contain the moisture your cat needs for optimal hydration.
Fromm canned foods, however, are meat-rich, low in carbohydrates, and nutritionally comparable to products from premium brands like Nature’s Variety and Wellness.
Another concern about Fromm is value. Fromm cat foods are some of the most expensive on the market, yet their dry foods contain pea protein, a cheap filler ingredient that creates the illusion of high protein content without honoring your cat’s biological need for protein from meat.
Overall, Fromm is an above-average cat food brand and, particularly if you stick with their selection of canned foods, may be a great choice for some cats.
Where Is Fromm Cat Food Sold?
Both online and off, Fromm foods are only available through independent retailers. Company owner Tom Nieman explains that “there’s a passion and intimacy that comes across with small businesses that best conveys the true grassroots quality of family owned American made products.”
The company partners with independent retailers across the United States, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
I’d like to know if any Fromm cat food product are specifically formulated for geriatric cats recently diagnosed with some renal onset and hyperthyroidism. Please advise. My cat tried a sample and loves it but I need to be sure the ingreduents aren’t too rich for her issues. She is 18 years old.
Hello Gina,
Fromm doesn’t manufacture any diets formulated for specific health conditions. On their site, Fromm explains that “Our recipes are often used as a supplement or replacement for certain types of prescription diets, but you should always check with your vet first to assure your pet’s needs are being adequately met. To aid your discussion of Fromm products with your veterinarian, be sure to contact us for a printable detailed analysis of each recipe.”
In addition to a consultation with your veterinarian, you may find the following articles helpful:
Best Cat Food for Kidney Disease: https://cats.com/best-cat-food-for-kidney-disease
Best Cat Food for Hyperthyroidism: https://cats.com/best-cat-food-for-hyperthyroidism
Hope this helps you find food that both you and your cat love.
Take care,
Mallory
My cat had very good results from Fromm. My cat was an approximately 1 years old and was feral. He was rescued and this sweet, darling cat came into my life. His stomach was messed up. He had gas that would knock you out. His stomach was distended. The vet recommended Fromm. After about four months on this food, I am happy to report my cat’s stomach was healed. He is a healthy, thriving cat.
Hi Jennifer,
Can I ask which Fromm food your cat was eating please? I know this comment is old but hope you can answer. Thanks!
Connie
I don’t think this one has been fairly reviewed. An awful lot of points were taken off for being expensive, but there are some highly rated brands that have been recommended that are double the cost! Namely, the brand that uses gelatin as a bonding agent.
I do feed this food to both my cat and my dog. Every time I’ve tried to switch I notice a difference in general appearance and energy level right away. This review did solidify my opinion further given the outstanding recall history, and the knowledgable people that started the brand are impressive.
I do agree with the expensive cost being burdensome, I just didn’t feel the points taken off were done fairly in comparison with the other aforementioned.
Thanks for this site, it has been very useful!
NM, thank you for the thoughtful and observant comment. This was one of the first brands we reviewed and our rating system wasn’t as stable as it is today—I made sure to review it a moment ago to confirm that everything looks right. Having done that, I believe the 5/10 score on price was fair relative to the other reviews on the site, but I decided to bump up the product variety and species-appropriateness scores to 8 and 7, respectively. It sounds like Fromm works well for your pets, so thank you for your insights.
What is a better cat food brand for adult to senior cats? I am new to cats and really don’t know one brand from another. I am aware of Purina.
Hello Joe, thank you for visiting our site and welcome to the world of cat guardianship! Our article on the best cat food may be a good starting point: https://cats.com/best-cat-food
You need catagory for sourcing ingredients from China ( very bad) vs US, New Zealand or other good places.
Thanks for the suggestion, Jim. We do factor ingredient sourcing into our ingredient quality metric.
They have since changed their formula of game bird for the worse. Now the main ingredient is Turkey and it contains new things like chickpeas. My cat has been less enthusiastic about eating it and has increased hairball frequency.
Thank you for sharing this, Laura. I’m updating the article to reflect these changes. – Mallory
What would you review today? would it still have the same review? I feed my cat a balance of both wet food and dry food, I got this brand from a neighbor and my cat instantly loved it more than his old dry food. I would mix in his regular dry food and fromm and he somehow always managed to only eat the fromm dry food xD Im planning on changing to fromm since he already seems to love it but I want to see if it could be beneficial for his health.
Hi there! Fromm’s recipes have changed somewhat since this food was initially reviewed, but it appears that they’ve maintained the same quality standards we saw when this brand was first reviewed. We will have to do an in-depth update in order to give you the latest information on this brand.
Hold on… this company has ONE recall in 70 years and you gave it a 6/10 rating on recall history?!
That’s not right…
Hello Nikki, you’re right—I’m going to bump it up to a 7/10 based on your comment. Thank you.
My cat Vita loves the Game Bird, but I just discovered Fromm Four Star Ultra Premium Grain-Free Cat Food Beef Liváttini Veg Recipe. This is usually not available in most brick and mortar stores. I wonder how this one would rank. I am thinking of buying it, just for some variety. Is it fairly similar to all of the other grain free recipes from this company?
Thanks
Hello Lisa, thank you for commenting! I recognize the name Vita—do you also watch the YouTube channel? Regardless, it’s great to have you here. To answer your question, yes, this beef-focused food is very similar to their other grain-free recipes, so the overall impressions in this review also apply to this particular recipe.
Both my cat and dog eat Fromm food. While you are upfront in noting you participate in an affiliate program, this particular one which provides the convenience of links to Amazon, sends readers to Amazon whose prices for these Fromm pet food products is not competitive. Perhaps, that ought be noted.
Good point, Shelley! I’ll see if we can add some links directly to the Fromm website.
I’m curious if anyone has made any recent remarks about their cats on Fromm’s affecting their digestive system.. I have been a loyal customer for seven years and my 11 year old cat has generally liked Fromm’s (she eats the Game Bird Recipe). Over the past few months she started puking way more than usual, hairballs & big piles of undigested food. About a month ago she was puking up all of her food and then began vomiting blood with anything she could keep down. She refused all food and began to hide under the bed. Unfortunately, she has never liked any wet food, I’ve spent hundreds of dollars searching and offering, so I was afraid her body had been really negatively impacted by the lack of having adequate moisture in her diet. After $1500, many sleepless nights, tests, a daily steroid, new water fountain, and a change of her food to a Stella and Chewy brand~ her energy was starting to return, and she was becoming more herself. Still searching for wet food options, I found her straining in the litter box and she seemed to have increased anxiety. I ended up having to order Royal Canin’s Gastrointestinal prescription food. Her bowel movements immediately got better, she was less anxious, and there was no more straining. I finally (!!!) found a holy grail wet food for her about a week ago: Weruva Classic Cat Paté, Press Your Dinner with Chicken Wet Cat Food. She cleans the dish; this was unheard of for her. So, I’m feeling like we’ve finally found some healing and are on a good path, but it really took a lot to get here, she was really sick.
I then get a call from a friend who feeds her cat the same Fromm’s Game Bird Recipe diet (though he also eats wet food) a few days ago, similar behavior in her 8 year old male cat.. not eating, vomitting, lethargy. $2500 later for them and 24 hours at the emergency vet, he seemed to just have a stomachache… Has anyone else been having this problem with their cats on Fromm’s Game Bird Recipe, trying to see if there is maybe something going on with the food that is causing these digestive issues.
My Fromm’s Food bag was purchased on September 12, 2021.
Gina, thank you so much for sharing your experience—I’ve not heard any other reports, but this is extremely valuable information. I’m glad your cat is feeling better, and I think you’re justified in wondering if the food may have been connected. Appreciate the insight.
I’ve been feeding both my cat’s Fromm, four star surf and turf for years. They are both food obsessed to the point that I don’t need to separate them since they both just wolf their bowls down like sled dogs. Suddenly, I think shortly after I got a new bag, Andrade, my 10 year old boy cat started throwing up and having diarrhea and It hasn’t stopped for a month. After multiple vet visits and $2500 spent for no conclusive diagnosis I resigned to my self that I might need to let him go. I put him on the vet prescribed science diet GI good (which i noticed had some really lousy Ingredients) and he ate it for a few days but kept on having the diarrhea. The vet seems to think its most likely lymphoma which I agreed would be lousy to try and treat. I put him on prednisolone (5 days so far). Now he won’t get near either his original food or the Hills perscription unless he’s starving (he is!) or I mask it with something really good smelling. So this is the point where I notice my younger cat Toni starting to walk away from a full bowl of the Fromm without even touching it! Andrade will walk over to a fresh bowl and gag! The food smells the same to me. I actually like the smell when I’m hungry! Is there a chance the food is that bad between bags? I can’t bear the thought that I’m killing him with an improper diagnosis and ruining his chances of improvement wit steroids. The fact that Toni has been starting to avoid the Fromm the past couple days says something. I’m going to visit Mom and Dad in a month so I really need to figure out the best way to deal with this.
Thanks so much for your time! Much respect to you. Shannon.
Hi Shannon, sorry it’s taken me a bit to get back to you! There is absolutely a chance that the food has changed between bags, and I would trust the kitties’ reaction to it! I hope all is well; sounds like you’re going through a frustrating situation, but it’s going to take time and experimentation to figure things out.
Hello GinaO, my 6 year old cat who has always been healthy, has recently started vomiting undigested food often and I have been feeding the game bird recipe for most of his life. I also have a younger cat that has never been picky or had health issues begin vomiting now as well, I am taking them off of this food and trying to find something else. I’m going to try the food you mentioned in your comment, thank you!
Is the statement linking fromm to heart disease in cats accurate? There are several grain free dog foods liked to heart disease in *dogs* but I can’t find anything linking it to heart disease in cats.
https://www.petmd.com/cat/nutrition/grain-free-cat-food-better
Even the FDA article linked only mentions dogs, not cats.
I would be interested to see any sources linking it to cats, as my cat is allergic to everything and fromm is one of the few affordable brands he can eat. If it is not linked to any issues in cats I would appreciate the recall history being updated to be accurate.
Hi Marfy, there really aren’t studies linking it to health issues in cats; a handful of cats were involved in this trend with dogs, but those cases on their own do not constitute a trend and would not be enough to start an investigation. I’m removing this from the recall history section.