Published Dec 7, 2019
Halo says the Proof is in the Poop™, but instead of waiting to see evidence of Halo’s quality in the litter box, let’s take a skeptical approach. We’ve taken a close look at Halo cat food and reviewed it on the things that matter most.
Find out if this brand is a safe, healthy choice for your cat in our unbiased Halo review.
The Cats.com Standard—Rating Halo on What Matters
We’ve analyzed Halo 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 – 7/10
- Price – 7/10
- Customer Experience – 9/10
- Recall History – 5/10
Overall Score: 6.8/10
We give Halo cat food a 41 out of 60 rating or a B- grade.
About Halo
Back in the 1980s, Andi Brown’s cat Spot was struggling with a host of health conditions including an unhealthy coat, digestive problems, eye and ear infections, fleas, and urinary tract problems. Prescription drugs and premium foods did nothing to help. When Andi was almost ready to give up, she met someone named Voyko Marx.
Believing that a diet change could relieve his health issues, Voyko cooked Spot a stew of chicken, garlic, peas, carrots, and other vegetables available at the grocery store. Several of Spot’s health problems dissolved during the first week eating the stew.
This experience led Andi to found a pet food company called Halo, a reflection of the idea that pets are “our little angels”. After 20 years of active involvement in the company, Andi sold Halo to a group of investors. In 2008, talk show host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres became part owner of the company.
Sourcing and Manufacturing
Halo sources meat and poultry from the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. To support their GMO-free mission, Halo sources fruits and vegetables from Europe, where genetic engineering is stringently regulated. None of their ingredients, including vitamins and minerals, are sourced from China.
Halo’s OrigiNative® sourcing program aims to foster sustainable, natural, and environmentally friendly farming processes. The company sources wild-caught seafood from MSC-certified sustainable fisheries and meat from facilities that meet the Global Animal Partnership’s Step 2 standards.
According to the GAP’s 5-step animal welfare program, Step 2 facilities are defined as those that provide an enriched environment.
For example, a chicken living in a Step 2-certified facility would not be packed into a cage or crate, nor crowded with other chickens. The environment must be naturally-lit and enriched with items like straw bales or hanging branches to perch on.
Halo foods are manufactured in the United States.
Has Halo Cat Food Been Recalled?
In 2015, select bags of Halo dry cat food were recalled due to potential mold growth.
What Kinds of Cat Food Does Halo Offer?
One of the biggest points Halo emphasizes in their marketing is the idea of superior digestibility. Halo’s Proof is in the Poop campaign suggests that Halo foods are ultra-digestible, leading to waste that’s smaller, less smelly, and easier to scoop.
The company is committed to using only fresh meats rather than rendered meals. Rendered meals, Halo explains, are about 30% less digestible than fresh meat and higher in ash content. While not all Halo recipes are grain-free, they’re made without corn, wheat, wheat gluten, and rice. Halo foods are made without any artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.
The Halo cat food lineup includes both wet and dry food. It’s broken up by life stages and dietary needs. The company makes recipes for kittens, adults, and seniors. They have special formulas for indoor cats, digestive sensitivity, weight loss, and grain-free recipes for people who want to avoid grain.
Halo Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Price | Our Grade |
| Halo Chicken Stew Recipe Grain-Free Adult Canned Cat Food | Wet | $0.44 per oz | B |
| Halo Holistic Chicken & Chicken Liver Recipe Grain-Free Healthy Weight Indoor | Dry | $5.82 per lb | C |
| Halo Holistic Seafood Medley Sensitive Stomach | Dry | $6.62 per lb | C |
#1 Halo Chicken Stew Recipe Grain-Free Adult Canned Cat Food
Chicken appears to be the primary protein source in this wet cat food.
This popular canned recipe has a consistency somewhere between paté and stew. It’s a meat-based food with chicken, chicken broth, and chicken liver as the first three ingredients. Chicken is a nourishing source of protein and chicken liver is rich in nutrients. In addition to chicken, the food contains turkey as a secondary protein source.
The recipe includes a variety of vegetables, including carrots, green beans, peas, celery, and a touch of sweet potato. These ingredients would look at home in a human’s bowl of chicken stew, but they’re not appropriate for an obligate carnivore like your cat. Nevertheless, Halo says these vegetables provide antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins.
It’s thickened with guar gum and xanthan gum, both of which are not species-appropriate but are generally considered safe for cats.
The ingredient list concludes with a series of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and traces of additional fruits and vegetable ingredients.
These include a small amount of pumpkin and flaxseed oil. While flaxseed oil is a source of omega-3 fatty acids, these fatty acids are not bioavailable for cats. Dried kelp and salmon oil appear near the bottom of the ingredient list.
Garlic powder is the second-to-last ingredient. As little as 1 gram (about a fifth of a clove) of garlic per kilogram of a cat’s body weight may result in clinically significant red blood cell damage. One clove could poison an 11-lb cat.
Halo insists that the ingredient is present in a safe trace amount, but some consumers are concerned. In 2015, 235 people supported a petition to remove garlic from Halo pet food, but no changes were made.
The food is packed in BPA-free cans.
Overall, this is a meat-based wet food with high protein, moderate fat, and low carbohydrate content.
Each 5.5-oz can has 132 calories or 24 calories per ounce.
Ingredients
Chicken, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Carrots, Turkey, Green Beans, Peas, Celery, Dicalcium Phosphate, Guar Gum, Calcium Citrate, Potassium Chloride, Sweet Potatoes, Xanthan Gum, Pumpkin, Flaxseed Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Calcium Carbonate, Minerals (Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Sodium Selenite, Potassium Iodide), Choline Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid), Dried Kelp, Taurine, Salmon Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Magnesium Sulfate, Garlic Powder, Rosemary Extract.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Chicken Liver, Turkey
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Carrots, Green Beans, Peas, Celery, Garlic Powder
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Rich in animal protein
- Virtually free of plant protein
- Low carbohydrate content
- Made with named meats rather than by-products
- Free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
Cons
- Contains multiple plant ingredients
- Contains garlic powder, which may harm cats
#2 Halo Holistic Chicken & Chicken Liver Recipe Grain-Free Healthy Weight Indoor Cat Dry Cat Food
Chicken appears to be the primary protein source in this dry cat food.
This leading Halo recipe is marketed as indoor cat food for healthy weight maintenance. Its reduced calorie content, relatively high fiber, and added L-carnitine may help promote a healthy weight and reduce hairballs.
Halo notes that this recipe has lower protein content than their other formulas, presumably to accommodate an indoor cat’s lower energy needs. Since indoor cats and outdoor cats both have high protein requirements, the food’s roughly 37% dry matter protein content isn’t ideal.
Chicken is the first ingredient in this food, followed by chicken liver. Both are highly-digestible and nourishing sources of animal protein. The third ingredient is dried egg product, which is a bioavailable protein source.
These animal ingredients are followed by dried peas, dried chickpeas, soy protein concentrate, and dried potatoes. These ingredients contribute significantly to the food’s carbohydrate content while boosting protein levels.
Later on the ingredient list, potato protein is added as another concentrated source of plant protein. The additive “natural flavor” is included to increase the food’s palatability. This additive is usually made from hydrolyzed animal tissue.
The food contains both chicken fat and salmon oil as fat sources. Because they’re animal-sourced, these ingredients provide highly-bioavailable fatty acids.
The ingredient list concludes with a series of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, interspersed with supplemental ingredients like prebiotics, probiotics, and traces of berries, carrots, and sweet potatoes.
Overall, this food has moderate protein content from a combination of plant and animal sources, low fat content, and high carbohydrate content.
The food has 397 calories per cup.
Ingredients
Chicken, Chicken Liver, Dried Egg Product, Dried Peas, Dried Chickpeas, Soy Protein Concentrate, Dried Potatoes, Natural Flavor, Flaxseed, Pea Fiber, Potato Protein, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Salmon Oil, Calcium Sulfate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Dried Bacillus Coagulans Fermentation Product, Dried Blueberries, Dried Cranberries, Dried Carrots, Dried Sweet Potatoes, Salt, Inulin, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, D-calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin), Potassium Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate), Taurine, Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate, L-carnitine.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Chicken Liver
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Dried Peas, Dried Chickpeas, Soy Protein Concentrate, Dried Potatoes, Potato Protein
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Contains named meats instead of vaguely-labeled meals and by-products
- Relies on animal-sourced fats
- Contains a combination of muscle and organ meats
- Free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
Cons
- High carbohydrate content
#3 Halo Holistic Seafood Medley Sensitive Stomach Dry Cat Food Review
Whitefish and salmon appear to be the primary protein sources in this dry cat food.
This fish-based dry food is marketed for cats with sensitive digestion. According to Halo, the recipe contains novel proteins and refined grains that are easy on sensitive digestive systems.
At second glance, it’s clear that the food’s primary protein sources aren’t exactly novel.
Whitefish is the first ingredient and refers to a group of fish species including cod, whiting, haddock, pollock, and other fish commonly used in cat food. The second ingredient is salmon, which is also common in cat food. Dried egg product is the third ingredient and, while it’s a bioavailable source of protein, eggs are one of the most common cat food allergens.
Again, this food may be easy on cats’ digestion, but it’s not packed with novel proteins and isn’t a good choice for cats with food allergies.
Animal ingredients are followed by oatmeal, dried peas, soy protein concentrate, pearled barley, and potato protein. These ingredients increase the food’s carbohydrate and protein content, but their nutritional value is questionable.
Chicken fat is the food’s primary fat source. The food contains “natural flavor”, an additive typically made from hydrolyzed animal tissue. Along with the standard variety of synthetic vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, the food contains trace amounts of dried blueberries, dried cranberries, dried carrots, and dried sweet potatoes. It’s supplemented with prebiotics and probiotics for digestive support.
Overall, this is a fish-based food with moderate protein from a combination of plant and animal sources, low fat, and high carbohydrate content.
Each cup of the food contains 414 calories.
Ingredients
Whitefish, Salmon, Dried Egg Product, Oatmeal, Dried Peas, Soy Protein Concentrate, Pearled Barley, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Potato Protein, Natural Flavor, Flaxseed, Pea Fiber, Calcium Sulfate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Dried Bacillus Coagulans Fermentation Product, Dried Blueberries, Dried Cranberries, Dried Carrots, Dried Sweet Potatoes, Salt, Inulin, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, D-calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin), Potassium Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate), Taurine, Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken Fat
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Oatmeal, Dried Peas, Soy Protein Concentrate, Pearled Barley, Potato Protein
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Primarily made from named meats rather than vaguely-labeled meals and by-products
- Free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
Cons
- High carbohydrate content
- Fish-based foods aren’t ideal for cats
What Do Customers Think of Halo Cat Food?
People love Halo cat food. Halo recipes receive excellent reviews on Amazon and Chewy. The brand even gets positive feedback on ConsumerAffairs.
Here are a few real customer reviews of Halo cat food on Chewy:
Positive Reviews
“Our cat, Bert had been on a prescription diet of Science Diet I/d for loose stools, ever since we adopted him. It helped a little bit not much. He started scratching and bathing relentlessly so we thought he may be allergic to chicken. Found this and switched over the course of 2 weeks. By the end of the 2 week period his stools are firm like they should be, he’s not bathing or scratching near as much as he was, and his coat is very soft and shiny. Went ahead and ordered a 6lb bag, as we’re very happy with this. Seems to have much more energy too, now that he’s fully digesting his food.” – Benji, reviewing Halo Holistic Seafood Medley Sensitive Stomach Dry Cat Food
“Sophie is a finicky cat. She only eats food that is smooth. After a year I’m still learning which flavors she likes. I’m happy that she likes Halo, which I consider a high quality, nutritious food. She likes the chicken flavor.” – SophiesMom, reviewing Halo Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Adult Canned Cat Food
Negative Reviews
“Well I am very disappointed in this product. It is obvious by the consistency that you have changed the recipe. This is not even close to a pate it is the most disgusting mess and my cats won’t even touch it. This is not a pate and I have wasted my money. It is very hard to find something cats like and when you mess with it you make it hard on cat owners. If it is not broke don’t fix it.” – Rescuecatmom, reviewing Halo Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Adult Canned Cat Food
“I used to only feed Halo to both my cats and dogs. They liked it and did well on it. Then they changed the formula. Why would they change a perfectly good food and adulterate it with soy. I would never feed soy to any animal.” – kariS, reviewing Halo Holistic Chicken & Chicken Liver Recipe Grain-Free Healthy Weight Indoor Cat Dry Cat Food
How Much Does Halo Cat Food Cost?
Halo foods are moderately-priced. Here’s how much it would cost per day to feed a 10-lb cat various Halo recipes.
According to the company’s recommendation of one ounce of food per pound of body weight, their grain-free wet food would cost about $3.20 per day. Their dry foods would cost between $0.48 and $0.58 per day.
Overall, Is Halo a Good Choice?
Halo’s doing some things well. For example, they stand out with a commitment to sustainable ingredient sourcing. They refuse to use rendered meals and meat by-products. None of their recipes contain artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
But Halo isn’t perfect.
Like most dry foods, Halo kibble is loaded with carbohydrates and plant proteins that don’t belong in a carnivorous meal plan. Their wet food selection is a superior option. Despite a colorful smattering of vegetables, some canned Halo foods have less than 10% carbohydrate content on a dry matter basis.
Overall, Halo is a slightly above-average cat food brand and may be a good choice for some cats.
Where Is Halo Cat Food Sold?
Halo cat food is sold in pet specialty retailers and natural grocery stores around the United States, Canada, China, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. In Canada, Halo is sold exclusively through PetSmart.
You can buy it online through Amazon, Petco, PetSmart, Chewy, PetSense, Jet, Vitacost, Thrive Market, and other stores that sell cat food.
I have two Senior cats (18 & 15) with various health issues and very delicate digestive systems. We loved Blue Buffalo until they changed their recipe and the girls wouldn’t touch it. We tried several different brands and finally found that they did well with Halo Senior grain free holistic chicken and chicken liver recipe. Well, they have obviously changed the formula on their food because I have had one of the girls vomiting and very sick. Vet bill and steroid shot I came home and checked the food in her dispenser, it was totally different from the food I had been feeding them. Luckily I had another bag of the previous food (old formula) and she is fine. I have this on auto ship and just got this months shipment and it is not the same as old formula!!!! I will now need to yet again try and find a food that they can eat. It is so frustrating when they do this!!! When you have aging fur babies with delicate systems this is very hard on them!!! So very disappointed!!!
Hi Lori,
Thanks for sharing your experience with Halo. I can see why you’d be frustrated after having to try several different brands already.
Our article on the best food for cats with sensitive digestive systems may help you to find a new favorite:
https://cats.com/best-cat-food-for-sensitive-stomach
Take care,
Mallory
What is the best highly digestible cat food moist and dry? I want something that decrease the amount and smell of poop! I thought Halo was a good choice. Now I’m not sure. Any help would be great.
Hi Michelle, Halo does advertise itself as a highly-digestible brand, but I’d recommend anything with a streamlined, meat-based ingredient list. Think about some of the options on our list of the best cat food for IBD (a condition that demands ultra-digestible food). None of these are prescription foods and they’re just as promising options for reducing fecal smell and volume as they are for easing irritation: https://cats.com/best-cat-food-for-ibd
Curious if you did a breakdown of their wet kitten food? The chicken formula is grain free and doesn’t appear to have veggies in it. I’m curious if it is better than the adult varieties?
Hi there! We haven’t done a complete breakdown of Halo’s wet kitten food. That said, I just took a glance at their chicken recipe for kittens and it looks quite good. I’m not sure why they chose to include vegetable broth instead of solely chicken broth, but overall, it looks like pretty species-appropriate food.
Thank you for this in-depth review! I wanted to note that it looks like Halo’s Adult Chicken Stew no longer contains garlic powder. I spoke with them today and they informed me they have removed garlic powder from their cat food recipes (and I don’t see it listed on the ingredients list). I also don’t see rosemary extract but I did not ask them about this. I personally appreciate Halo’s commitment to farm animal welfare, so it might be a good choice for me. Thank you for your help!
Hi Mallory,
I want to thank you for your work, there is so much BS on the internet and between brand marketing and veterinarians recommending that I stick with the big brands because they have “nutritionists on staff”, it’s been so hard to find honest sources when looking at cat food. I have two now 10yr old male rescues (litter mates) and in the past year they have been showing signs of food allergies (itchy skin around face and ears and now a bacterial ear infections that just won’t go away). I had them on a decent dry food supplemented with fancy feast gravy lovers for their entire lives. I had no idea about the disgusting stuff they put in commercial cat food until they became so itchy and I began to research. Even their vet (now former Vet) would urge me to feed them the big brands and she was the one who first suspected food allergies. Their favorite were fish flavors and I immediately removed all fish from their diet. It helped with the frequent vomiting but itchy skin progressed to bacterial ear infections for both and I can’t get rid of them. My new vet doesn’t think they have a chicken allergy, but they have been eating chicken based dry all their lives. I’ve been trying to transition them to nom nom and they are resistant. They are both becoming more and more dependent on dry food which is not what I was trying to do. If i pull back on the dry they still won’t eat the nom nom. One is extremely picky and hasn’t eaten wet food since I’ve pulled FF from their diet and it’s been several months now. He drinks tons of water- I mean he naps with his head resting on his water dish – he drinks lots of water. I’ve been trying to find an acceptable wet food that is similar to their beloved FF but doesn’t have all the filler and junk- or common fish. Do you have any suggestions for me? Also, I want to make sure they are getting omega 3 supplement but I’m not sure if there are any out there that won’t trigger their fish allergies. Are there any types of fish that aren’t in the usual commercial brands? Thanks so much again for your advice and for sharing all your knowledge! I wish I had found you years ago!
Hello there! Thanks for the comment. I would advise taking a very methodical approach to ruling out any food allergies. It sounds like removing fish helped, but I also wonder if removing chicken would be helpful. I’d lean towards a limited-ingredient diet featuring a novel protein (a protein source to which your cats have not been previously exposed). With that in mind, the brands I’d recommend are Ziwi, Hound & Gatos, and Koha. My cats are also Fancy Feast lovers and, of the ones I’ve mentioned here, they’ve only tried Ziwi and Hound & Gatos. They enjoy the chicken paté from Ziwi but aren’t big fans of the others. With that in mind, I can’t say that your cats will necessarily like these recipes. In other words, I can’t say that your kitties are guaranteed to love these products, but they have qualities that would make them a nice upgrade from the familiar FF Gravy Lovers and which make them particularly appropriate for cats with suspected food allergies or sensitivities. Regarding fish less commonly included in cat food, the types of fish most commonly seen in cat food are salmon, tilefish (usually identified as ocean whitefish), and tuna. Less-common alternatives that can be found on the market include sardines, mackerel, and tilapia. I hope this helps a bit! Good luck. – Mallory
Halo informed me that they have not used garlic powder in their cat food for at least 2 years. You might want to write a new review in light of that information.
Hi there. Thank you for letting us know—I agree that the article is in need of an update to reflect this information.
She actually.mentiines this already in a post dated may 15 2021. You may have missed it.
First, a week my bengal poop does not smell bad and my bowel movements are smooth.
Reduce eye mucus.
Reduce tear stains.
It’s good food, but high in carbs. Low-carb foods don’t necessarily use good ingredients, and meat meal is not good.
I have a 2 year old cat. She is an indoor cat and is a few pounds overweight. I mostly feed her fancy feast grilled entrees – salmon and chicken are the only 2 she will eat. She LOVES dry food but I limit that. I want to know what the best dry food for her would be. I need it to be low carb and low calorie. She loves salmon and chicken flavors only. She is CRAZY for Purina Beyond – chicken recipe. It’s actually weird how crazy she is about it – like it’s a drug. Is this dry food ok or should I find something lower in carbs and calories?
Thanks-
Lisa
Hi Lisa, thanks for the comment! The Purina Beyond food isn’t the worst, but there are other dry options that are probably a lot better for your cat! You can get some ideas in our review of the best dry cat food on the market.