Last updated Oct 16, 2024
Known for their commitment to transparency, sustainability, and ethical ingredient sourcing, Open Farm is one of the most well-respected brands on the market. But are Open Farm products a good choice for your cat? Find out in our unbiased review.
The Cats.com Standard—Rating Open Farm on What Matters
We’ve analyzed Open Farm 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 – 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.
Why Trust Cats.com
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.
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
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.
Open Farm Cat Food Explained
While we’ve updated our written review to include Open Farm’s latest products, there’s still some great information in this video.
About Open Farm
Open Farm was founded in 2014 by Jacqueline Prehogan, Isaac Langleben, and Derek Beigleman. Though headquartered in Toronto, Ontario in Canada, Open Farm’s manufacturing facilities are located in Minnesota in the United States.
The story of Open Farm began with a rescue dog named Bella. Immediately upon adopting Bella, Jacqueline Prehogan set out to find a natural, nutritious pet food that would help her grow up strong, happy, and healthy. Appalled by 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 the brand makes from ingredient procurement to product packaging.
Open Farm uses only the highest quality, ethically sourced ingredients including humanely raised meat that is free from antibiotics and growth hormones, exclusively wild-caught fish, and non-GMO fruits and veggies. In fact, nearly 40% of Open Farm’s vegetables are grown in local partner farms near the manufacturing facility.
Because Open Farm is a Canadian company, all recipe formulation and research and development is done in Canada. The products, however, are manufactured in US-based facilities to facilitate the company’s 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 wide selection of dry cat food, wet cat food, freeze-dried cat food and meal toppers like fish fillets and bone broths. When Open Farm first launched, only a handful of dry cat food and wet cat food options were available. Now, however, there are dozens of different products to choose from.
All Open Farm products are formulated around animal-based protein, including nutrient-rich organ meats. Open Farm uses only 100% Animal Welfare certified meats and wild-caught, sustainably sourced fish. The most commonly used proteins in Open Farm recipes are chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, and salmon. Other proteins used less frequently include pork, venison, whitefish, and herring.
Open Farm offers three lines of dry cat food products in the following flavors:
- Grain-Free Wild-Caught Salmon
- Grain-Free Homestead Turkey & Chicken
- Grain-Free Pasture-Raised Lamb
- Grain-Free Catch-of-the-Season Whitefish
- Kitten Grain-Free Chicken & Turkey Recipe
- Goodbowl Wild-Caught Salmon & Brown Rice Recipe
- Goodbowl Harvest Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe
- Kitten Grain-Free Rawmix Recipe
- Open Prairie Grain-Free RawMix Recipe
- Wild Ocean Grain-Free RawMix Recipe
Wet cat foods from Open Farm were originally only available in 5.5-ounce cartons as part of the Rustic Blend product line. More recently, however, Open Farm has expanded to offer five canned wet food recipes sold in both 2.3-ounce and 5.3-ounce cans.
Finally, Open Farm offers four flavores of freeze-dried raw cat food. Harvest Chicken is the only single-protein formula. The others are Wild-Caught Salmon & Cod, Chicken & Salmon, and Surf & Turf (salmon and beef).
Open Farm Cat Food – Top 5 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Main Protein Source | Calories Per Ounce | Price Per Ounce | Our Grade |
| Wild-Caught Salmon Recipe Dry Cat Food | Dry | Salmon | 110 | $0.41 | B+ |
| Open Prairie Grain-Free RawMix for Cats | Dry | Chicken | 106 | $0.47 | A- |
| Herring and Mackerel Rustic Blend Wet Cat Food | Wet | Herring | 27 | $0.57 | A- |
| Harvest Chicken Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food | Freeze-Dried | Chicken | 149 | $2.81 | A |
| Chicken & Grass-Fed Beef Pâté for Cats | Wet | Chicken | 33 | $0.64 | A- |
#1 Open Farm 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, some which are high in plant-based proteins (garbanzo beans and 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, Herring Oil, Pumpkin, Natural Flavor, Green Lentils, Salmon Oil, Cranberries, Apples, Dandelion Greens, Sunflower Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Dried Chicory Root, Choline Chloride, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, D-calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Taurine, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate, Mixed Tocopherols (a Preservative), Turmeric, Dried Yucca Schidigera, Rosemary Extract.
Ingredients We Liked: Wild Pacific Salmon, Ocean Whitefish Meal, Ocean Herring Meal, Herring Oil, Salmon OIl
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas), Red Lentils, Green Lentils
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Top 3 ingredients are animal-sourced proteins
- Contains two healthy animal-based fats
- Made with ethically and sustainably sourced ingredients
What We Didn’t Like:
- Dry matter carbohydrate content over 20%
- No dry food provides the moisture your cat needs
#2 Open Farm Open Prairie Grain-Free RawMix for Cats
Like the previous recipe, this dry cat food is a multi-protein formula. It’s worth noting that while chicken and turkey are the top two ingredients (and the proteins listed on the front of the package), this recipe also contains fish protein from menhaden fish meal and ocean whitefish meal. It may not be appropriate for cats with fish allergies.
Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com
Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com
Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com
What sets the Rawmix line apart from Open Farm’s other dry cat foods is that the kibbles are coated in a mixture of bone broth and freeze-dried raw chicken. There are also freeze-dried chunks of chicken mixed into the kibble.
Measured as dry matter, the protein content of this formula is about 42% (about 1% higher than the previous recipe). This food has the same shortcomings, however, including a significant amount of carbohydrate and numerous hard-to-digest legumes. The dry matter carb content of this product is estimated around 30%.
Ingredients
Chicken, Turkey, Menhaden Fish Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Ocean Whitefish Meal, Lentils, Coconut Oil, Pumpkin, Salmon Oil, Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Cranberries, Apples, Dandelion Greens, Sunflower Oil, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pantothenic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate, Potatoes, Tapioca, Taurine, Chicken Livers, Chicken Necks, Choline Chloride, Chicken Bone Broth, Turmeric, Organic Butternut Squash, Organic Blueberries, Dried Yucca Schidigera, Organic Spinach, Organic Kale, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Rosemary Extract.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Turkey, Menhaden Fish Meal, Ocean Whitefish Meal, Salmon Oil, Chicken Livers, Chicken Necks
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Peas, Chickpeas, Lentils, Potatoes, Tapioca
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Top 3 ingredients are animal proteins
- Rich in omega-3s from salmon oil
- Contains freeze-dried chunks and kibble coating
What We Didn’t Like:
- No dry food provides the moisture your cat needs
- Contains about 30% dry matter carbohydrate
#3 Open Farm Herring and Mackerel Rustic Blend Wet Cat Food
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 several 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 lower in carbohydrate content and higher in protein than their dry foods. This recipe is estimated around 15% carbohydrates and about 44% protein, measured as dry matter.
Overall, this is an animal-based wet food high in protein and moisture with moderate fat and fairly low carbohydrate content.
Ingredients
Ocean Herring, Water Sufficient For Processing, Ocean Mackerel, Pumpkin, Spinach, Carrots, Red Lentils, Chickpeas, Agar Agar, Cranberries, Chicory Root, Sunflower Oil, Coconut Oil, Potassium Chloride, 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, Dandelion Greens, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Turmeric.
Ingredients We Liked: Ocean Herring, Ocean Mackerel
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Red Lentils, Chickpeas
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Made with two high-quality animal proteins
- Good source of hydrating moisture
- Cartons are recyclable and resealable
What We Didn’t Like:
- Contains over 10% dry matter carbohydrate
- Contains some hard-to-digest legumes
#4 Open Farm Harvest Chicken Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food
One of Open Farm’s few single-protein recipes, this freeze-dried cat food features chicken with ground bone, chicken liver, and chicken necks as the primary ingredients. Other than organic cranberries, salmon oil, and supplements, they’re just about the only ingredients.
Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com
Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com
Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com
Measured as dry matter, this recipe provides about 49.5% protein and the carbohydrate content is under 5%. The limited-ingredient diet is highly digestible and it’s very calorie-dense, with about 149 calories per ounce. This means that, while the food costs over $2 per ounce, your cat’s daily portion will be fairly small.
Like any freeze-dried food, this product lacks moisture. It’s best to rehydrate it in warm water or broth before feeding it to your cat.
Ingredients
Chicken with Ground Bone, Chicken Liver, Chicken Necks, Montmorillonite Clay, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pantothenic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Choline Chloride, Organic Cranberries, Salmon Oil, Magnesium Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Salt, Rosemary Extract.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken with Ground Bone, Chicken Liver, Chicken Necks, Salmon Oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: None
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Made with a single source of animal protein
- Calorie-dense, doesn’t require large servings
- Carnivore-appropriate blend of muscle meat, bone, and organs
What We Didn’t Like:
- Only sold in small 3.5- or 9-ounce bags
- Should be rehydrated before feeding
#5 Open Farm Chicken & Grass-Fed Beef Pâté for Cats
Featuring chicken and beef muscle meat as the top two ingredients, this food gets additional protein from chicken liver. Tapioca and pumpkin contribute dietary fiber and help give the product a smooth pâté consistency.
Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com
Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com
Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com
Measured as dry matter, this canned food contains about 38.6% protein. It’s one of the lower-protein recipes on this list but one of very few Open Farm products that don’t contain legumes like chickpeas and lentils. The dry matter carb content is a little lower than the Rustic Blend cat foods also, around 13%.
Overall, this is a moderate-protein, high-fat, and moisture-rich cat food with fairly low carbohydrate content.
Ingredients
Chicken, Chicken Broth, Beef, Chicken Liver, Tapioca, Pumpkin, Natural Flavor, Agar Agar, Potassium Chloride, Magnesium Sulfate, Choline Chloride, Salt, Taurine, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Pantothenic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Beef, Chicken Liver
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Tapioca
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Top three ingredients (besides chicken broth) are animal proteins
- Rich source of hydrating moisture
- Smooth texture is easy for cats to eat
What We Didn’t Like:
- Tapioca doesn’t provide much nutrition
What Do Customers Think of Open Farm Cat Food?
With 10 years of business under their belt, Open Farm has become a well-recognized brand. In addition to posting customer reviews on their website, the brand has thousands of ratings and reviews for individual products sold on Amazon. Unfortunately, Open Farm doesn’t have a presence on third-party review sites like Trustpilot yet.
Positive Reviews
Satisfied customers frequently comment on the quality ingredients in Open Farm cat foods. Many say their cats enjoy the food more than other brands they’ve tried—even picky eaters. The dry foods are particularly popular among users of automatic cat feeders and the freeze-dried foods are popular for use as meal toppers.
“My cat has allergies, and this is the only dry food we’ve found that he can eat. He also loves the taste. The limited straightforward ingredients make this an excellent option for kitties.” -Elena N. reviewing Open Farm Harvest Chicken Freeze-Dried Cat Food on August 20, 2024
“My cat is obsessed with Open Farms! This is the first wet food she begs me for. Very very very happy with the quality.” -Alea H. reviewing Open Farm Herring & Mackerel Rustic Blend Wet Cat Food on September 2, 2024
Negative Reviews
Dissatisfied customers frequently comment on the price of Open Farm cat foods. Several reviewers noted that, while their cats liked the food at first, they quickly lost interest. Some Open Farm customers have noted that the wet foods don’t look very appealing and others have complained about the Rustic Blend cat food cartons.
“Very disappointed. Does not look appealing and our cat will not eat it. I never review products but this one need serous work.” -Jodi C. reviewing Open Farm Herring & Mackerel Rustic Blend Wet Cat Food on March 15, 2024
“My cats liked the food, but the packaging is difficult to deal with. The sizes of the boxes are also much larger than I’d like. It’s hard to keep them fresh if you don’t use it all in one feeding.” -Jamie J. Petrow reviewing Open Farm Herring & Mackerel Rustic Blend Wet Cat Food on July 11, 2024
How Much Does Open Farm Cat Food Cost?
Prices vary across the different product types, ranging from around $0.40 per ounce to nearly $3 per ounce. The most cost-effective Open Farm products appear to be the grain-free dry cat foods and the Rustic Blend wet cat foods. The most expensive are the freeze-dried foods.
Open Farm’s Rustic Blends wet cat foods, sold in 12 packs of 5.5-ounce cartons, cost an average of $0.57 per ounce. The pâté style canned foods (sold in 2.3- or 5.3-ounce cans) range from $0.56 to $0.71 per ounce. These pâtés are sold singly or in a variety pack, though the buying the variety pack doesn’t reduce the per-ounce price.
Dry cat food from Open Farm ranges from $0.36 to $0.47 per ounce for the traditional grain-free recipes. Rawmix recipes range from $0.39 to $0.56 per ounce, depending on the size of the bag. Open Farm freeze-dried cat foods cost $2.77 per ounce when you buy the largest (9-ounce) bag and $2.85 per ounce for the smaller 3.5-ounce bags.
Where is Open Farm Cat Food Sold?
The best place to buy Open Farm cat food is through the brand’s website. This gives you access to the entire library of products as well as a 5% discount on AutoShip orders. Shipping is always free on orders over $50.
If you prefer to shop at brick-and-mortar pet stores, 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.
Overall, Is Open Farm a Good Choice?
If you’re looking for a cat food company you can trust, Open Farm is a great choice. Few manufacturers put so much effort into ethical and sustainable ingredient sourcing, let alone being transparent with their customers. If you don’t mind paying a little more for quality, this brand might be right for you.
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 which drive up the carbohydrate content.
Similar Brands
Looking for other cat food brands similar to Open Farm? Check out some of our other brand reviews.
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?
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 ❤️
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.
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! 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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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!
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 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.
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 🙂
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.
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!
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
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.