Published Jun 24, 2021
We’ve rated Open Farm on ingredient quality, species-appropriateness, recalls, and more. Read our Open Farm cat food review to learn how this brand stacks up.
The Cats.com Standard—Rating Open Farm 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 – 8/10
- Price – 6/10
- Customer Experience – 8/10
- Recall History – 9/10
Overall Score: 8.1/10
In total, we give Open Farm cat food a 50 out of 60 rating or an A- grade.
Open Farm Cat Food Explained
In addition to performing our own qualitative analysis of the brands reviewed here, we submitted samples for analysis at an ISO 17025 certified food testing and analysis lab.
Also Read: Why We Lab Test Cat Food and How to Interpret the Reports
We bought the products at full retail price, and the entire testing process was funded by Cats.com without direct input or influence from the companies involved.
Analytical testing in a food chemistry lab gives us the exact macronutrient and micronutrient content of each recipe. The tests also look at microbial content, yeast, mold, and heavy metals, helping you ensure that you’re only putting the best in your cat’s bowl.
To access the lab reports for each food reviewed here, click the “view lab report” link in the product review.
How We Review Cat Food
To review Open Farm, we spent hours researching the brand, learning about its history and product lineup. We studied the company’s sourcing and manufacturing practices and scoured recall databases for reports related to safety issues. To understand how other customers feel about the brand, we read dozens of customer reviews, identifying any common patterns or trends.
Finally, our reviewer independently purchased several packages of Open Farm cat food and tried it out with their cats, taking notes on palatability, texture, smell, and more.
Based on this research and hands-on testing, we’ve rated the brand according to the Cats.com Standard. Learn more about the Standard here.
About Open Farm
The story of Open Farm began with a rescue dog named Bella. Immediately upon adopting Bella, Jacqueline Prehogan, co-founder of Open Farm, set out to find a natural, nutritious pet food that would help her grow up strong, happy, and healthy. Appalled at the number of pet food on the market that were filled with ingredients that compromised her standards for transparency, sustainability, and animal welfare, Prehogan decided to create her ideal pet food herself.
Prehogan partnered with her husband Isaac and brother-in-law Derek to engage in years of research before starting Open Farm. Not only did they change the ingredients in their pet food, but they completely re-envisioned the way it was made. Focusing on high-quality ingredients and supporting farmers who treat their animals right, Open Farm also provides full transparency to their customers.
Sourcing and Manufacturing
Open Farm’s core values are transparency, premium nutrition, and ethical sourcing. These values guide every decision they make from how they procure ingredients to how they package their products.
Open Farm uses only the highest quality, ethically sourced ingredients including humanely raised meat that is free from antibiotics and growth hormones as well as non-GMO fruits and veggies.
While Open Farm is a Canadian company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, their manufacturing facilities are located in Minnesota in the U.S. All of their formulation and recipe development is done in Canada but their products are made in the USA to facilitate their local ingredient sourcing program.
Recall History
Though Open Farm is a Canadian company, their products are manufactured in the USA and therefore subject to FDA regulations. To the best of our knowledge, Open Farm has never had a product recalled.
What Kinds of Cat Food Does Open Farm Offer?
Open Farm currently offers a selection of dry cat food, wet cat food, and bone broths. Their dry food formulas are packed with real animal-based protein and low in carbohydrates, making them highly appealing to your carnivore’s tastes and senses.
Their wet food formulas are made with 100% human-grade ingredients including ethically and sustainably sourced meat. These recipes are sold in 5.5-ounce cardboard cartons, making them easy to serve and resealable for convenience.
In addition to their dry cat food and wet cat food products, Open Farm offers three types of bone broth: chicken, turkey, and grass-fed beef. These are sold in resealable 12-ounce pouches.
What Do Customers Think of Open Farm Cat Food?
Each of Open Farm’s cat food products has over 100 customer reviews on the brand website and most carry at least 4 stars out of a possible 5-star rating. Many customers comment that even their picky eaters seem to love the food, and some noticed an improvement in the quality of their cat’s coat.
Of the limited negative reviews, some customers simply found their cats didn’t like the product, but few had issues with the product themselves.
Let’s take a look at a few customer reviews from some of the most popular recipes from Open Farm.
Positive Reviews
“My cat ate dry food for the first time in preference to the canned food. It smells like its’ ingredients – you can tell the different flavors apart. The fact that the animals are raised humanely and this is a sustainable effort is important for me, and that’s why I happily pay more.”- NLH reviewing Open Farm Homestead Turkey & Chicken Grain-Free Dry Food
“My cats enjoyed this food. I have a cat that is allergic to just about every food on the market so it’s very hard to find something she is able to digest without getting sick. This food is not only sourced ethically and naturally, but it has nothing she’s allergic to in it!”- Brianne Thomas reviewing Open Farm Wild-Caught Salmon Grain-Free Dry Food
Negative Reviews
“She ate small amounts (compared to the amount she usually eats) about three times and then would not touch it anymore. Gave it away.”- Gray Vegan reviewing Open Farm Catch-of-the-Season Grain-Free Dry Food
“Cats do not eat vegetables!!! Pumpkin is a vegetable which contains a lot starch!!! Don’t know why the company even put coconut oil in the cat food. For that reason, I think this cat food is overpriced and probably won’t buy it again.”- Joyce Huang reviewing Open Farm Pasture-Raised Lamb Grain-Free Dry Food
What Did Our Test Cats Think?
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
Overall, my test cats seemed to enjoy Open Farm cat food. They dug eagerly into the dry food and loved the wet food as well. All of the products tested had a strong meaty aroma my test cats found very appealing.
Personally, I appreciated the thought Open Farm puts into their packaging. Their bags of dry food are designed to sit upright and their wet food is packaged in resealable cardboard cartons.
Open Farm Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Main Protein Source | Calories | Price | Our Grade |
| Wild-Caught Salmon Recipe Dry Cat Food | Dry | Salmon | 470 kcal/cup | $6.87 per lb | A- |
| Pasture-Raised Lamb Recipe Dry Cat Food | Dry | Lamb | 470 kcal/cup | $6.44 per lb | A- |
| Herring and Mackerel Rustic Blend Wet Cat Food | Wet | Herring | 750 kcal/kg | $0.49 per oz | A |
#1 Wild-Caught Salmon Recipe Dry Cat Food
This dry food formula features three high-quality sources of animal-based protein as the top three ingredients: wild Pacific salmon, ocean whitefish meal, and ocean herring meal.
We also love that this recipe includes two animal-based sources of added fat (herring and salmon oils), though the primary source is plant-based (coconut oil).
What we don’t like about this recipe is that it includes a significant number of plant ingredients include some which are high in plant-based proteins (garbanzo beans and red lentils). These ingredients contribute to a fairly high carbohydrate content estimated around 25%.
Overall, this is a protein-packed dry food rich in essential fatty acids, but it has an above-average carbohydrate content and is low in moisture.
Ingredients
Wild Pacific Salmon, Ocean Whitefish Meal, Ocean Herring Meal, Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas), Red Lentils, Coconut Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Herring Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Pumpkin, Natural Flavor, Green Lentils, Salmon Oil, Non-GMO Cranberries, Chicory Root, Apples, Dandelion Greens, Choline Chloride, Salt, Turmeric, Dried Yucca, Schidigera Extract, Potassium Chloride, Mixed Tocopherols (a natural preservative), Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin Supplement, D-calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Taurine, Rosemary Extract.
| Ingredients We Liked | Ingredients We Didn’t Like | Common Allergens |
| Salmon
Ocean Whitefish Meal Ocean Herring Meal Herring Oil Salmon Oil |
Garbanzo Beans
Red Lentils Coconut Oil |
Fish |
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Two sources of animal-based fat (herring and salmon oils)
- Contains several sources of animal-based protein
- Free from fillers, by-products, and artificial additives
Cons
- Doesn’t contain the moisture your cat needs
- Contains some plant-based protein
#2 Pasture-Raised Lamb Recipe Dry Cat Food
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This dry food formula features lamb as the first ingredient but is otherwise incredibly similar to the previous recipe.
In addition to pasture-raised lamb, it contains both ocean whitefish meal and herring meal as well as a number of plant ingredients, including some rich in plant-based protein. The estimated carbohydrate content of this formula is similar, around 25%.
Where this recipe improves upon the previous is in the inclusion of herring oil as the first and primary source of added fat. Sunflower oil appears later in the list but isn’t high enough to be considered a main ingredient.
Overall, this is a protein-rich formula made with high-quality ingredients but it is still fairly high in carbohydrates and isn’t a single-source protein recipe which could be an issue for cats with allergies.
Ingredients
Humanely Raised Lamb, Ocean Whitefish Meal, Herring Meal, Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas), Red Lentils, Herring Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Green Lentils, Pumpkin, Natural Flavor, Non-GMO Cranberries, Dried Chicory Root Extract, Choline Chloride, Apples, Dandelion Greens, Choline Chloride, Salt, Taurine, Turmeric, Sunflower Oil, Dried Yucca Schidigera Extract, Mixed Tocopherols (a natural preservative), Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin Supplement, D-calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Tricalcium Phosphate, Rosemary Extract, Coconut Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols).
| Ingredients We Liked | Ingredients We Didn’t Like | Common Allergens |
| Lamb
Ocean Whitefish Meal Herring Meal Herring Oil |
Garbanzo Beans
Red Lentils Green Lentils |
Fish |
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Contains several sources of real animal protein
- Main source of added fat is animal-based (herring oil)
- Free from fillers, by-products, and artificial additives
Cons
- Not a single-source protein formula
- Doesn’t contain the moisture your cat needs
- Contains some plant-based protein
#3 Herring and Mackerel Rustic Blend Wet Cat Food
Enter “CATS20” To Get 20% Off Your First Auto-Ship Order
This wet cat food formula features ocean herring and mackerel as the top two ingredients and the sole sources of animal-based protein. Like the dry foods above, this formula contains some plant ingredients that contain a significant amount of protein like red lentils and garbanzo beans.
As is true with many high-quality cat food brands, Open Farm wet food is much lower in carbohydrate content and higher in protein than their dry foods. This recipe is estimated under 5% carbohydrates, but we’re still a little bit confused by the number of plant-based ingredients.
Overall, this is an animal-based wet food high in protein and moisture with moderate fat and low carbohydrate content.
Ingredients
Ocean Herring & Mackerel, Water Sufficient For Processing, Pumpkin, Carrots, Spinach, Red Lentils, Agar Agar, Non-GMO Cranberries, Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas), Chicory Root, Sunflower Oil, Coconut Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Salt, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, D-calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Sodium Selenite, Dried Kelp, Potassium Chloride, Dandelion Greens, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Turmeric.
| Ingredients We Liked | Ingredients We Didn’t Like | Common Allergens |
| Ocean Herring
Mackerel
|
Pumpkin
Carrots Spinach Red Lentils Agar Agar |
Fish |
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Packed with high-quality animal protein
- Rich in moisture, good for your cat’s digestion
- Free from artificial additives, fillers, and by-products
Cons
- Contains several plant-based ingredients
- Made with some thickener (agar agar)
How Much Does Open Farm Cat Food Cost?
Because it is made with high-quality, ethically sourced ingredients, Open Farm is a fairly expensive pet food. Their dry foods average around $0.35 per ounce and their wet foods are closer to $0.50 per ounce. For the average cat who eats about 2 to 2.5 ounces of food per day, the estimated daily cost for Open Farm cat food is between $0.70 and $1.00 per day.
Overall, Is Open Farm Cat Food a Good Choice?
Generally speaking, Open Farm appears to be a trustworthy brand that has the best interest of pets in mind. Not only do they use high-quality, ethically sourced ingredients, but they offer complete transparency about the sourcing of those ingredients. Their recipes all feature a humanely raised or wild-caught source of animal-based protein as the first ingredient as well.
The complaints we have about this brand primarily have to do with the use of plant-based ingredients. All of the dry food and wet food recipes we reviewed contains plant-based proteins like red lentils and garbanzo beans as well as various fruits and veggies. Given the fact these recipes also contain an extensive list of nutritional supplements anyway, we’re not sure these ingredients are necessary.
*The Nutrient Profile charts listed on this page are based on Nutrient Profiles published on the manufacturer’s official website
Where Is Open Farm Cat Food Sold?
You can find Open Farm cat food in specialty pet food stores and some small independent retailers. Online, Open Farm cat food is sold directly through the manufacturer’s website and on Amazon and PetFlow.
I wish more companies would say what the percentage of animal ingredients is, or that companies would do so consistently within their brand (Stella & Chewies does this for their raw but not regular). I find that to be very important because I don’t want to buy something that is majority vegetables and you have no way of knowing based on the label. That wet food is really high carbs for a wet food though.
We agree! It would make it so much easier to compare products across the board without having to get out your calculator.
Thank you for this review! I’ve been curious about this brand for a while. I don’t understand the addition of legumes or the use of coconut oil If they would change out these ingredients to be more species appropriate, this would be my go to wet food.
Would you please do a review on Fussie Cat soon? That’s the other brand I’ve been interested in. Thanks!
Hey Amy, glad you found the review helpful! We actually posted a Fussie Cat review not too long ago. You can find it here: https://cats.com/fussie-cat-cat-food-review
hello i was wondering if you could possibly review a cat food brand called Burgess. i havent seen a lot of food reviews on it and would like to see one from you guys if possible.
Hi Ithar, we’ll take note of this request. Thank you!
Hi Mallory, Please review I and love and you wet cat food. I think its good but don’t trust my own analyses. Thank you
Hey Melissa, I already did. 🙂
https://cats.com/i-and-love-and-you-cat-food-review
Hope this helps!
Thanks for the comprehensive review, helps me make my decision using information rather than ratings or scores.
I am not sure if the promo code is still active but when I use the code “FIRSTSUB20”, I get an error message saying “Enter a valid discount code or gift card”. Please let me know if the code has expired. Thanks!
Hi Shashank, thank you for bringing this to our attention. I’m having some issues with the Open Farm site myself, so I will run this by our contacts at Open Farm and see if we can figure this out for you. I’ll send you an email when we’ve found a solution.
Hi thanks for this really well done review. I loved the video as well. I am debating on switching my almost 14 year old Siamese to this wet food –in particular the chicken& turkey wet food flavors. And possible a dry food bag. But I always worry when it comes to newer companies about how complete their nutrition is. My partner said that vets tend to recommend big brand names because they have more pressure to perform well. I worry about nutrient deficiency, like taurine bring too low or something like this. Based on your experience, do you think it would be okay to switch to this brand? My cat responded well to both wet food flavors (picked it up at the store the other day to try it out). I think that I am currently feeding my cat too much fish food (three different Tiki Cat mousse packets, all some kind of fish, and the Feline Natural king salmon & lamb cans–I alternate so he gets a variety of flavors), but I have been reading that he should have more turkey/chicken/duck/rabbit. So I got worried that maybe I should give him other foods, and lessen the fish to maybe once a week. I also give him Orijen Fit & Trim (not too much, but about ~90cal worth in the evenings. he is on a strict calorie count to get him to loose weight..he’s doing pretty well so far). I appreciate your advice ! Thanks for all you do! This site is fantastic.
Hi Abigail, thanks for the comment! There are valid reasons to lean towards bigger companies—they tend to have a larger budget for everything from research and development to quality control. Many of the bigger, more vet-trusted brands perform feeding trials rather than just meeting AAFCO nutrient profiles, which means that they were trialed on real cats in a controlled environment. This can give us a higher level of confidence in their nutritional adequacy. However, all pet food companies, no matter how big or small, must comply with AAFCO’s nutrient profiles, and, frankly, no company wants to be caught making nutritionally inadequate or unsafe food. Larger companies may have more money, but that doesn’t mean they have more at stake. In fact, there are legitimate concerns about large pet food companies holding sway over the regulatory agencies involved—specifically, the FDA. So I wouldn’t be so quick to say that these companies are under more pressure to perform well. With that in mind, I wouldn’t be too scared of trying Open Farm. A newer company like this may not be as well-funded, but they will do their best to do everything right, and given the combination of conscientious sourcing and manufacturing facilities that meet the standards for human food production (in the case of their wet food), I think that there’s good reason to think that their food is trustworthy.
I would agree that it’s a good idea to mix in something besides fish to maintain some nice variety in his diet, and there are plenty of options in this category—including, of course, Open Farm! I hope you’re able to find something that works for both of you soon.
Best,
Mallory
These are such great points. Thank you for your very helpful response! I think I will try the Open Farm, my cat did really like it. Thanks again 🙂
I am concerned that Open Home salmon wet food lists salt in the ingredients.
Hi Margaret,
Open Farm has a trasnparent policy where they publish lab reports on their site. You can see the Salmon wet food recipe here:
https://assets.ctfassets.net/vox5vb2o82d3/1RGIPBO9vDoxx7hkxVqTaD/288caef589b0e8dc111b15b0b2593ac8/RusticBlendCat-Salmon_6a8fa3ed-1350-4749-b98e-d2e52ed29e46.pdf
We suggest checking in with your Vet if the sodium levels are appropriate to your cat’s diet.
My roommate cat Gracie developed an allergy to anything with chicken or beef products. Open farms is one of the few dry cat food that she can eat that has fish as their main source of protein. Thank you for developing this product.
I reviewed the independent lab report for the Open Farm wet food, which you rated #1 for Persians (I have three). I need help interpreting the results. For example, the column headings are: Results, Min Det Limit, and Reporting Limit.
The “Results” for Harvest Chicken Rustic Blend is 171, but what does that number reflect? It should be a %. The recommendation for low phosphorus diets is less than 1% on a wet and dry matter basis. Many of the cat foods that I have researched with low phosphorus content are junk food at best. The reason i selected Open Farm was because of your recommendation and the quality of the ingredients.
However, I need to clearly understand the phosphorus content on a wet and dry basis. The Min Det Limit might be the phosphorus content (.16%), which, if true, is incredible for food not advertised for a restricted phosphorus diet. I am most concerned about the phosphorus % because high phosphorus is bad for kidneys.
It would be helpful if each food analysis had a footer to explain what each column means and show both the wet and dry matter basis for all the wet foods.
Thanks
Michael, thank you for the thoughtful comment. We’re working on a page that will explain all of the test results, and I hope to have that live on all pages within the next couple of weeks. For now, I can provide some clarification on the phosphorus content here. Our food analysis lab returns phosphorus values measured in mg/100g of food rather than a percentage, and the minimum determining limit is the number of milligrams per 100g that their testing equipment can pick up. The reporting limit is the minimum amount that will show up in the report. So in this case, the phosphorus content is 173mg per 100g of food. To get some data that are easier to interpret and compare to standard guidelines, we need to do some conversions. I use this calculator. It tells us that the food has 188.04 mg phosphorus for every 100 kcals. This is above the minimum set by AAFCO for adult cats (125mg per 100kcals) and, naturally, well above the recommended 100mg or less per 100kcals (less than 1% of calories) for cats with kidney disease. However, you may be relieved to know that it’s within the recommended <250mg per 100kcals recommended for maintenance in older cats and those with early-stage renal failure.
Again, I know the reports need some additional clarification. Hope this helps for now!
The first lab report states 173 mg per 100g, the next two have numbers in the 1500 and 1700 range. If I am reading that correctly, is that excessively high or possibly unsafe? I am currently feeding Orijen for my cats dry but looking for an alternative. They appear to be in the 1200 range. Phosphorus in particular is not a present concern to me but I am worried about the effects of excess nutrients in general.
Hello Hope, that’s a good observation. The phosphorus content of the dry foods is unusually high, at 430mg per 100kcal and 456mg per 100kcal, respectively. While we don’t have a lot of knowledge on how much this can affect kidney health or any effect on other organs/systems, there is some evidence that continued intake of a high-phosphorus diet can be harmful. I’ll run it by Open Farm and our veterinary advisors to see if this is something we should flag on the site. Thanks!
My cat had some urianry issues some time ago, but since getting an extra litter tray is doing much better. I would like to find a better food then Felix (which he is currently eating as he threw up the vet recommended hills urianry wet food and would bot touch the other flavour of hills urianry stress when I offered it shorlty after the first flavour). He is not fusy and this makes me question exactly what is in the hills food all 3 vets consulted have recommended. Ive looked into top brands like Feline natural and ziwi peak yet worry these high quality foods could lead to more crystals due to the high nutrients. Open farm looks good but I do worry if it also has ‘to many’ nutrients and to much phosphorus.. which may put him at risk of urianry issues again. Can you please help me compare the phosphorus levels between open farm and felix ? Felix is ironallcally causing no problems, but its poor quality and id love to find somthing with better quality ingredients.
Hi Frank, thanks for the comment. Unfortunately, I don’t have information on Felix cat food’s phosphorus/mineral content right now. I’ll send you an email so I don’t forget to write back to you after I’ve gathered some more information on this. In the meantime, you might appreciate our article on the best cat food for urinary tract health.
I’d like to add that in my first statement, the 1200 number was in reference to acana not orijen, my mistake. I have just begun down the rabbit hole of the best food/diet for my cats and it has been overwhelming to say the least.
However, I’d like to thank you for your replies and the work on this site in general. By far it is the most dedicated and informative cat review site I have come across. It has been immensely helpful in making sense of it all and my go to resource now.
I reviewed the report. The Mercury result is 3600/100 ug???? which equals 36000ng/g. That’s way more than the FDA Value (267ng/g).
Hi Erika, the mercury content of this food is, indeed, high, but we don’t know exactly how much is safe for cats to ingest. Really, we need more context on this, but we do know that many cat foods (including this one) seem to contain levels of mercury that exceed the concentration considered dangerous to river otters, so it does seem concerning.
Why do you put chickpeas and carrots in a carnivore’s food?
John, this seems to be very common practice among brands selling grain-free cat food. Chickpeas and carrots are used in lieu of grains as a binder that holds the kibble together, and they contribute some nutrients as well, including protein, vitamins, and minerals. Since cats can metabolize these ingredients, few vets and food manufacturers advise a truly meat-based diet. However, All About Cats encourages this kind of biologically-appropriate diet, which is why Open Farm doesn’t receive the highest scores we can offer.
Is this brand ok for kittens?
It depends on which variety you feed! Check the label, but their dry recipes are generally appropriate for all life stages, while the wet is for adults only.
Wow! What an amazing Video! I’ll be definitely signing up for more!
I was reading through the comments and see the one talking about an unusually high Phosphorous count, does this make it unsafe? It has taken me forEVER to find something my 2 boys will eat and I was so stoked to find this seemingly stellar brand.
let me know and thanks again for all the work you do!
Hey Deborah, I’ve reached out to Open Farm support for more insights on this and have yet to hear back with more details—will update you when I can.
OPEN FARM ARE A SCAM.
So Open Farm makes a big deal about their ethics. Fully 1/3 the bag is devoted to big letters like “Know what’s in their bowl.” Then you go to this very website and you have to dig into their FAQs just to find the tracing link. And then the kicker: they just list the country (or maybe the State) of ingredient origin. My white fish is from “United States Pacific Ocean.” That isn’t tracing “back to the source,” that is marketing BS and this food and company are a scam.
What I like the most about their wet food is the texture. One if my cats is a “licker” and will not grab pieces of food to chew. The texture of open farm wet food is just perfect for her, but I don’t like the price and the high amount of veggies… a review of the textures would be so helpful in all of the reviews you make!
Thanks for sharing, and that’s an excellent point!
This cat food gave my cat urine crystals and we spent 4 grand to hospitalize him. I wish i had never bought it.
Really sorry to hear that. Hope your cat is doing better now.
He was hospitalized twice. He’s been home a week now and he’s on a prescription diet. He’s still struggling a little but he’s peeing on his own. I hope it never happens again. He’s only 1 year old.
OMG! I just tried this brand and my cats love it. Both are seniors and both are males. It is my understanding that males tend to get more UTIs than females. Now I am very concerned. I had hoped to be able to find a food that was natural without chicken and salmon because he has allergies to them.
I hope your fur baby is better by now.
Many thanks for your informative article, Kate! While five out of six of my cats are on Iron Will Raw Complete, I have one 19 year old gal who will eat nothing but Wellness wet cat food. I saw Open Farm on Natura Market and was thinking of trying the wet for her. The hormone-free chicken and turkey and the wild-caught salmon appealed to me – certainly a step up from Wellness I thought. What are your thoughts on this? Wellness wet versus Open Farm wet? The kibble isn’t an option as I would never feed that to my cats. Also, may I ask what you feed your cats? Would love to hear back from you on this. Thank you so much!
Hello Robyn, thanks for reaching out! Responding on Kate’s behalf, the foods are nutritionally comparable, but you’re getting a seemingly higher level of transparency and quality from the Open Farm cat food. It really depends on your and your cat’s preferences and how much money you’re willing to spend.
Hi there! Thank you so much for the review!
I saw Open Farm released a new type of dry cat food called “Rawmix”, would this be a better and/or healthier dry food for my cat vs the salmon food reviewed here?
If you are able to review their new dry cat food and compare it to the currently reviewed varieties, it would be much appreciated!
Hey Alice, good question! I haven’t done an in-depth review of the RawMix yet, but from what I can tell, it isn’t nutritionally much better than the regular food. In fact, it’s higher in carbohydrates! Personally, I’d rather combine their regular kibble with some freeze-dried raw food on the side.
Thank you so much Mallory, I really appreciate your insight!
As a first time cat owner, I’ve really appreciated the resources on your website!
Have a great day!
Hi there – thanks so much for the wonderful in depth review – any updates from the company on the phosphorous? Thanks so much.
Hey Gabriela, I just checked, and that thread has been lying dormant since December! I just re-emailed to see if I could get more information. Sorry about that!
My cat has Hyperthyroidism and early-stage CKD so I am following this also to see any comments regarding the phosphorus. Please keep us posted.
Crazy that some of the plant based ingredients that people are complaining about are the ingredients in actually looking for as pumpkin is something I will add at times unless I find foods w/it already included.-(pumpkin for digestion issues)
And I JUST wrote a comment in a different section(instinct/nature valley)-s pet smart no longer carries the brand I was feeding my two Persian kittens -& as they needed to transition to adult formula -solid gold wet/can food-which has coconut oil -I’ve noticed that my cats fur has become completely unmanageable -losing clumps of fur-shedding an insane amount& getting terribly matted -& thier coats just look a mess!!
I’ve since been feeding Applaws 1-2 ingredient grain free limited ingredient & I also fed kibble so I chose instinct kibble+raw limited ingredient grain free chicken formula and I’m having an issue with the inconsistent of the raw bits-i just bought a bag that had ZERO raw bits and had to return to Pet Smart-which they allowed me to trade for a new bag of the same& the new bag did have ‘some’ raw bits-my cats just pick out the raw bits leaving the kibble behind -Soo I don’t think it’s worth the high price. The issue I’m having with the wet food u choose is that I noticed on the label it says it’s ONLY a complimentary & not considered a whole meal-that it must be added along with other wet formula or dry kibble meals. SOO how do I find a wet food that is limited ingredient & grain free is in chicken w/broth or chicken w/pumpkin& broth as a whole meal?
But after reading your article about BEST cat foods for Persian & seeing this brand has both pumpkin-coconut oils plus I see those’plant-based’ ingredients as SUPER foods that have added benefits that our country does not regulate so it is NOT in these FDA guidelines etc
Things like turmeric are good for animals as it is in humans& helps w/inflammation, muscle health, etc-cranberries help w/UTI -which cats are famous/prone to getting SERIOUS UTI issues!!-I was a certified massage therapist which means I had to do 600hrs of school therefore I have a degree in natural nutrition therefore I look outside the box because big pharma does not want us to use preventative measures to maintain homeostasis -they want us to go to the DR ti year the symptoms & get THOSE prescriptions!-i was also a registered hot yoga teacher! Yes, cats can eat certain fruits and veggies and they do& will benefit from them just like humans!! Ok, rant OVER!!-i just had to say something about all the negativity around plant based ingredients and all the comments saying cats don’t NEED fruits, plants, vegetables –YES they do!!-they do eat these things in the wild-ie; grass!!-carnip, sunflowers, silver vine, cantaloupe (has protein in it so they are naturally attracted to it-mine act like it’s crack whenever I’m eating it& they INSIST I share with them!!) of course they NEED to have MOSTLY animal protein as#1 important(& organs ) don’t get me wrong there!!
But it’s clear to ME the DIFFERENCE since I switched& they are no longer getting coconut oil -as that is the ONLY ingredient that’s missing since the switch-and much thier poor coats of super long& very fluffy fur looks horrible, sheds like crazy& is terribly matted!!
Unless, anyone CAN tell me what’s going on otherwise?
I think I’ll try this for wet food& look for a BETTER fit for kibble (I might JUST buy the RAW bits& add to suitable dry food-when I find a good one-any suggestions would be greatly appreciated)-as always furever Grateful for all the hard work & efforts you, your staff& the customers put into these reviews& articles and all the prompt responses to comments!!ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅMAHOLA 🤙 ALOHA 🌺 NAMASTE 🪷 STAY STOKED ❤️ MoSurfs73 ❤️
Why was this brand declared the best of 2023, when it has lower grades than some others, for example Monge?
Hello Filip! Apologies for the late reply. We select our top recommendations based on a variety of factors, including regional availability and accessibility. Monge, for example, is not available to the majority of our readers, who generally live in the United States.
Thank you for your reply. Perhaps it would be useful to have a separate category for best cat food per region or continent, or simply overall best food regardless of current availability? That would in turn create demand, and demand could potentially lead to the recommended food being made available to a broader market, no?