Last updated Dec 28, 2024
This celebrity pet food brand claims to help pets live happy, healthy lives through formulas designed to feed their minds, bodies, and energy. But how do the products stand up to these claims?
In this detailed review, we explore the history of Rachael Ray’s Nutrish pet food and analyze several of the most popular recipes.
The Cats.com Standard—Rating Rachael Ray Nutrish on What Matters
We’ve analyzed Rachael Ray Nutrish cat food and graded it according to the Cats.com standard. Here’s how it rates in each of six key areas:
Ratings
- Species-Appropriateness – 5/10
- Ingredient Quality – 5/10
- Product Variety – 7/10
- Price – 8/10
- Customer Experience – 7/10
- Recall History – 9/10
Overall Score: 6.8/10
We give Rachael Ray Nutrish cat food a 41 out of 60 rating or a B- grade.
Rachael Ray Nutrish Video Review
About Rachael Ray Nutrish
Founded in 2008, Rachael Ray Nutrish is a celebrity brand that was created by Ainsworth Pet Nutrition. The brand changed ownership in 2018 when the J.M. Smucker company acquired Ainsworth Pet Nutrition, and again in 2023 when Post Brands Pet Care, LLC acquired it.
When Ainsworth and celebrity chef Rachael Ray teamed up to create the brand in 2008, the pet food world was ready for change. The 2007 pet food recalls had left consumers suspicious of the industry and were turning to smaller, independent companies in search of safe products for their pets. Consumers were moving towards “super-premium” foods and Ainsworth needed to find a smart way to move into that space.
Rachael Ray’s warm, fuzzy, friendly persona and public love of animals made her an ideal face for Ainsworth’s first venture into the premium pet food space. Nutrish quickly became Ainsworth’s most successful brand and, in 2017, it was named the US’s fastest-growing pet food company.
Nutrish pet food was, and still is, marketed as premium food that’s affordable for the average buyer. The company is also focused on philanthropy, with a portion of the proceeds from each Nutrish sale being donated to the Rachael Ray Foundation. The foundation’s mission is to help animals in need and support other charitable organizations like Feeding America, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, and FoodCorps.
Sourcing and Manufacturing
Rachael Ray Nutrish dry cat foods and treats are still manufactured in and distributed from the original Ainsworth Pet Foods’ facilities located in Meadville, Pennsylvania and Lawrence, Kansas. These facilities were acquired by the J.M. Smucker Company during the 2018 sale and again transferred as part of the 2023 acquisition by Post. The brand’s wet cat foods are made in Thailand.
Most of the ingredients in Nutrish dry pet foods are sourced from the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Rachael Ray Nutrish maintains that none of its ingredients are sourced from China. However, the wet foods made in Thailand are likely made with proteins sourced in Thailand.
Customers can find an explanation of ingredients used in Nutrish pet foods on the brand’s website, but there’s no specific sourcing information available. The only other manufacturing information available that’s worth mentioning is the claim that “Nutrish brand employs independent third parties to assess and audit [its] food safety programs at each manufacturing facility.”
Recall History
There is one voluntary product recall in Rachael Ray Nutrish’s brand history. Several wet food varieties were recalled in 2015 due to excessive levels of vitamin D. Though this is the only recall in the Nutrish brand’s history, there’s one more event worth mentioning.
In August of 2018, a New Yorker filed a $5 million class action lawsuit against Rachael Ray Nutrish for alleged misleading labeling claims. According to the plaintiff, Rachael Ray Nutrish’s use of the term “natural” on product labels is misleading because independent lab testing revealed that the food contained traces of an undisclosed herbicide called glyphosate.
In reality, glyphosate is present in many foods, including those labeled as natural. The term “natural” has a loose legal definition and the court eventually granted Rachael Ray’s motion to dismiss the complaint.
What Kind of Cat Food Does Rachael Ray Nutrish Offer?
Rachael Ray Nutrish offers both dry and wet cat food products. Its dry food products can be broken into two lines. One line includes both grain-free and grain-inclusive recipes, several of which are formulated to address specific health issues like inner health or longevity. The second line is called Savory Bites and consists of traditional kibble mixed with crunchy pieces with flavorful centers.
Here’s a list of Rachael Ray Nutrish’s dry cat food recipes:
- Indoor Complete Chicken, Lentils & Salmon Recipe
- Real Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe
- Real Salmon & Brown Rice Recipe
- Inner Health Turkey, Chickpeas & Salmon Recipe
- Longevity Chicken, Chickpea & Salmon Recipe
- Savory Bites Yummy Chicken & Veggies Recipe
- Savory Bites Tasty Salmon & Veggies Recipe
Rachael Ray Nutrish’s wet cat food products can also be divided into two lines. The classic lineup includes an assortment of chicken- and fish-based formulas with shredded, chunky, or flaked textures. The second line, Purrfect Entrees, includes recipes inspired by classic dishes like florentine and primavera.
Here’s a list of Rachael Ray Nutrish’s wet cat food recipes:
- Grain-Free Chicken Purrcata
- Grain-Free Chicken & Liver
- Grain-Free Ocean Fish & Chicken Catch-iatore
- Grain-Free Ocean Fish-a-licious
- Grain-Free Chicken & Shrimp Pawttenesca
- Grain-Free Tuna Purrfection
- Purrfect Entrees Grain-Free Sea-Sational Florentine
- Purrfect Entrees Grain-Free Cravin’ Chicken Dinner
- Purrfect Entrees Grain-Free Fin-Tastic Primavera
All Nutrish wet cat foods are sold in plastic cups rather than cans, each containing 2.0 or 2.8 ounces of food. The recipes are sold individually and in variety packs. Rachael Ray Nutrish also offers a limited selection of cat treats and broth-based meal complements.
Rachael Ray Nutrish Cat Food—Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Main Protein | Calories Per Ounce | Price | Our Grade |
| Real Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Cat Food | Dry | Chicken | 104 | $1.89 per lb | C |
| Indoor Complete Chicken, Lentils & Salmon Recipe Dry Cat Food | Dry | Chicken | 100 | $1.68 per lb | C |
| Tuna Purrfection Grain-Free Wet Cat Food | Wet | Tuna | 25 | $0.43 per oz | B |
#1 Rachael Ray Nutrish Real Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Cat Food
This chicken-based dry cat food is one of Rachael Ray Nutrish’s most popular formulas. It’s made primarily from chicken and chicken meal, both species-appropriate sources of protein. Measured as dry matter, the food contains about 37.4% protein.
Though fairly rich in protein, this recipe also contains considerable amounts of plant matter, including corn gluten meal as a high-protein plant filler. Ground rice, brewer’s rice, and dried peas add to the food’s total carbohydrate content.
In total, this food has moderate protein content from both animal and plant sources, moderate fat, and high carbohydrate content.
Ingredients
Chicken, Chicken Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Brown Rice, Brewer’s Rice, Dried Peas, Poultry Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Whole Flaxseed, Fish Meal, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Natural Flavor, Caramel (Color), Salt, Potassium Chloride, Dicalsium Phosphate, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Dried Carrots, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate, L-Tryptophan, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Sodium Selenite, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Source of Vitamin B6), Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K Activity), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3 Supplement.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Poultry Fat, Fish Meal
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Corn Gluten Meal, Brewer’s Rice, Dried Peas
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Top two ingredients are animal-sourced proteins
- Contains some nutritious whole grains
- Cats seem to enjoy the flavor
What We Didn’t Like:
- Very high carbohydrate content
- Contains several plant protein sources
- No dry food provides the moisture cats need
#2 Rachael Ray Nutrish Indoor Complete Chicken, Lentils & Salmon Recipe Dry Cat Food
The food’s ingredient list starts with chicken and chicken meal as species-appropriate protein sources. It also contains dried peas as a source of plant protein, along with corn protein concentrate, another common high-protein plant ingredient.
As a food marketed for indoor cats, this is a fiber-rich recipe made with lentils, dried beet pulp, and powdered cellulose. Theoretically, these additives help to minimize hairballs and promote satiety, helping indoor cats to stay comfortable and slim. For some cats, however, the food’s dry matter fiber content of nearly 9% could be excessive.
Measured as dry matter, this food contains the same concentration of protein as the previous recipe (37.4%) but it’s a little lower in fat, about 13.2%. The food is very high in carbohydrates and, like any dry food, doesn’t provide the moisture cats need to stay hydrated.
Ingredients
Chicken, Chicken Meal, Dried Peas, Brewers Rice, Corn Protein Concentrate, Lentils, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Salmon, Cranberries, Pumpkin, Flaxseed, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Natural Flavor, Malted Barley Flour, Dicalcium Phosphate, Blueberries, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Choline Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid (source Of Vitamin C), Niacin, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate , D-calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Taurine, Minerals (ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Iodate), Lactic Acid, Mixed Tocopherols (Used As A Preservative), Citric Acid (Used As A Preservative), Rosemary Extract.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Chicken Fat, Salmon
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Dried Peas, Brewers Rice, Corn Protein Concentrate, Lentils, Malted Barley Flour
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- First two ingredients are animal-based proteins
- Relies primarily on animal-sourced fat
- Increased fiber may help with digestion
What We Didn’t Like:
- Very high carbohydrate content
- No dry food provides the moisture cats need
- Contains several plant protein sources
#3 Rachael Ray Nutrish Tuna Purrfection Grain-Free Wet Cat Food
This cat food is made with flaked tuna in vegetable oil and water. When you pop open a plastic dish, the food looks similar to a can of tuna you might eat yourself. Essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids make the food nutritionally complete for cats in all life stages.
In addition to the standard variety of necessary additives, the food contains powdered cellulose as a source of fiber, along with several thickeners. One of these thickeners is guar gum which has been known to trigger loose stools in some cats.
According to the food’s guaranteed analysis, the Tuna Purrfection recipe has moderate protein, moderate fat, and high carbohydrate content.
Ingredients
Tuna, Water, Vegetable Oil, Powdered Cellulose, Tricalcium Phosphate, Salt, Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, Celery Powder, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Magnesium Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate, Carrageenan, Cassia Gum, Fructooligosaccharide, Taurine, Paprika Powder, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin, Manganese Proteinate, Vitamin A Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Pantothenic Acid, Sodium Selenite, Riboflavin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source Of Vitamin K Activity).
Ingredients We Liked: Tuna
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Guar Gum, Vegetable Oil
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Made with tuna as the primary ingredient
- Rich in hydrating moisture for your cat
- The 2.8-ounce portions are easy to serve
What We Didn’t Like:
- Guar gum may trigger loose stools in some cats
- High carbohydrate content
What Do Customers Think of Rachael Ray Nutrish Cat Food?
Rachael Ray appears to be popular with cat owners looking for a budget-friendly option. Several products have well over 1,000 reviews on Chewy, most with at least a 4.3 out of 5-star rating. The products with the lowest ratings are the wet food variety packs.
Let’s take a look at a few real customer reviews selected from various popular Rachael Ray foods listed online.
Positive Reviews
Most Rachael Ray Nutrish customers seem to like the food, saying that it fits within their budget, their cats enjoy it, and they’re happy with the quality of the ingredients. They also appreciate the company’s philanthropic efforts.
“My cats really enjoy this food, we’ve tried other brands, and always end up going back. They have soft and shiny fur. Overall my kitties seem happier and healthy.” – Kelley reviewing Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Chicken dry cat food on Chewy, December 16, 2024
“Picked this out especially for my little girl with a poultry allergy as one of the few safe and affordable wet options that also includes supplements. The tuna flavor definitely rewards us with the biggest lip smacks afterwards! Though because this flavor is lower in calories, we make sure to rotate it with Ocean Fish-a-licious.” – Caroline reviewing Rachael Ray Nutrish Tuna Purrfection wet cat food on Chewy, November 15, 2024
Negative Reviews
Dissatisfied Nutrish customers sometimes comment on misleading labeling. While the company claims that Rachael Ray Nutrish foods are free of ground corn, several of their foods contain corn gluten meal, meaning they’re not corn-free products. Depending on the recipe, there are also a decent number of cats who simply wouldn’t eat the food. Numerous negative reviews mentioned the shape and texture of the wet food products.
“For the first time ever, none of our cats liked a food and it was this. They love the nutrish salmon treats and we’ve purchased the nutrish dog food in the past and it was amazing, so as I’m trying to give my personal cats pricier dry food I thought this would be a great choice and NONE of them ate it, and these cats love to eat.” – Seidi reviewing Rachael Ray Nutrish Indoor Complete dry cat food on Chewy, November 5, 2024
“Unfortunately, most of them will not eat all of the product inside Nutrish tubs. Only one or two can stomach the fake meat cubes this vendor uses to pad their products’ volumes. The result is that I throw away about a third of each tub.” – Don reviewing Rachael Ray Nutrish Tuna Purrfection wet cat food on Chewy, March 8, 2024
How Much Does Rachael Ray Nutrish Cat Food Cost?
Nutrish pet food is marketed as a premium brand made affordable and it appears to live up to the claim of budget-friendly pricing, at least for the dry food. Rachael Ray Nutrish wet cat foods range from about $0.40 to $0.60 per ounce with the cheapest option being the variety packs. Dry food recipes range from about $1.70 to $2.20 per pound, or about $0.11 to $0.14 per ounce.
The estimated daily cost to feed a 10-pound cat Rachael Ray Nutrish wet cat food is between $3.20 and $5. For Rachael Ray Nutrish dry food, the estimated daily feeding cost would be about $0.20 and $0.30. The dry food is similar in price and quality to other grocery store brands like Purina Cat Chow and Meow Mix while the wet foods are closer to premium brands like Purina Pro Plan and Blue Buffalo.
Where Is Rachael Ray Nutrish Cat Food Sold?
Rachael Ray Nutrish doesn’t sell directly through the brand’s website but most of the products appear to be available on major online pet retailers like Chewy and Amazon. You can also shop online at PetSmart, Walmart, and various drugstores and grocery chains.
In-store, Rachael Ray Nutrish is easy to find in chain retailers including Dollar General, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Walmart, Target, and more. It’s also sold in major grocery chains. You can use the brand’s store locator to find a retailer near you.
Overall, Is Rachael Ray Nutrish Cat Food a Good Choice?
On the bright side, Rachael Ray cat food is one of the few budget cat foods made from identifiable ingredients rather than anonymous animal by-products. Theoretically, this means that the animal ingredients are held to a higher standard than those falling into the by-product category, making the foods safer and more digestible than others at the same price point.
That said, Rachael Ray Nutrish foods tend to contain large amounts of plant ingredients. High-carb diets can contribute to diabetes and plant protein is less efficiently digested than protein from animal sources. Nutrish wet foods contain fewer plant proteins but you can still probably find a cheaper alternative with a lower total carb content.
Rachael Ray Nutrish is also unlikely to be an appropriate choice for cats with food allergies or sensitivities. Most recipes contain multiple proteins and are processed on equipment shared by numerous brands.
Similar Brands
Looking for other cat food brands similar to Rachael Ray Nutrish? Check out some of our other brand reviews.
My cat loves the taste of this food (dry salmon and lentils) but unfortunately, through elimination I’ve discovered it’s the source of his allergies. He grooms his legs so much they go bald. He’s been on prednisolone a while to combat this, but over winter break, I stopped feeding him this to see what would happen and he stopped itching. What’s more is a gave him some after a couple weeks and he immediately started over-grooming again. bald spots came back. We’re done for good 🙁 he still meows for it when he notices I only served him wet food (wet food brand wellness CORE)
I’m writing to share a truly incredible experience with Rachel Ray’s Nutrish Indoor Complete with Lentils. Honestly, I never thought a simple change in food could have such a dramatic impact on my cat, Kelly.
A week ago, I bought Rachel Ray’s cat food brand, Nutrish Indoor Complete with Lentils for my cat, Kelly, is NO foodie. Before trying this food, Kelly was the most unassuming, quiet cat. I often wondered if she was just naturally quiet or depressed 🤔. She rarely showed much excitement for anything, and her meals were no exception. Either way, I have always poured my life and love into her, and she plays well enough with toys.
I was desperate after noticing my old girl’s appetite becoming almost non-existent. Even moreso because she never exhibits excitement over food. I tried in the past with treats and various raw foods to motivate her while attempting to train her in using buttons, but she never gave it any attention. I know she is healthy, so I felt a change in dry food was necessary. At this time, I was researching brands for safety and trying to work out price points that work as healthy-safe-affordable options. This brought me to Rachel Ray’s brand, Nutrish. I researched and didn’t see anything negative about the brand that hadn’t been corrected, so I considered which Nutrish formula had more protein and chose Indoor Complete with Lentils.
Getting home, I opened the bag and transferred it to the airtight kimchi container I use for Kelly’s food storage. During that time, she was curious, which isn’t very new, but I was glad to see her curious about something new, so I let her smell the bag. Suprisingly, she gave me an interesting response—her teeth were showing! 😅😂 I wasn’t sure what this meant… was it pleasant? Bad? Exciting? A smile 😁? Hoping for the best, I laughed at her reaction and mixed her food with water. Typically, she waits until the kibble is slightly saturated with water before eating but she didn’t wait this time! She went for it, licking up all the water first, then she began dinosaur-gobbling 🦖 the unsoftened kibble! She stopped after I said, “Kelly!” Perhaps my tone or realizing it wasn’t soft enough or due to general discomfort (gas), she appeared to wait at the bowl, looking up at me and giving me a mew. That surprised me, but I figured she was probably just hungry, and I left to put the groceries away.
Now, a week later, I can confirm my Kelly L-O-V-E-S Nutrish Indoor Complete with Lentils! Lentils! Who knew! She’s a major foodie now! Honestly, she is so much more of a cat than she ever has been before. Just yesterday, I saw her express a new emotion—guilt. I caught her dragging my shorts to her bowl of unfinished food, and I said, “Kelly!” That’s when she meowed several times, covered her head, and just looked overall guilty and confused 😅😂. I thought it was so cute and told her to come here, and she did! I said gently, “I love you,” and she made a new sound that sounded like, “Really?”! I have witnessed significant intellectual growth in my old girl, and that’s a really nice blessing. She is learning to be patient as I recently found small thrown-up bits of unsoftened kibble, which means she probably ate them like a dinosaur when I wasn’t looking. Once the food is soft enough, she never throws it up. Enjoying food is new for her, so I think she is learning a lesson in patience. I also learned my cat CAN do the 🦖 dino-gobble.
I have never seen her act crazy over food, but here we are, and just today I saw potential for the speech button training. I placed my hand on her food container and placed my other hand on the fan, and I said, “Food? Yes? No?” It took her a minute or two, but she walked over to the food and meowed at me. I’m going to start training her to use the speech buttons now! Thank you, Rachel Ray and Nutrish Team! Who knew that LENTILS would make my old girl a grade-A student!
My cats love the Rachel Ray Nutrish Tuna but pick out those hard square chunks. I have to throw away half of the food. Can you leave those out of the food. It would be much better. Thank you.
I have two cat’s. I tried them on the cat treats. They do not like them.
Years ago I tried my dogs on Rachel Ray and they itched some badly I thought they had fleas! Forgetting the experience…. Due to my cats being picky eaters…. I tried them with Rachel Ray dry food. My elderly cat and 1 of my 3 cats broke out in rash and my elderly cat developed intestinal problems that ultimately expedited her death. Rachel Ray should be prosecuted as many have experienced health detriment and sometimes death per communicating with peer animal lovers
the cats love it:super premium real chicken & brown rice Nutrish, some a little too much and absolutely no problems with any allergic reactions.
Now I on the other hand eat a bowl over milk for breakfast everyday(for 2 months) have grown claws and can leap 15 feet vertically from a dead stop and I’ve developed psoriasis-so there’s that. Some of the cats were telling me it would prevent me from getting the covid virus but I dunno? I’m not vaxed what’s you opinion?
I doubt it does anything of the kind, but with other results like that, I wouldn’t be surprised by much. Who knows? Thanks for sharing, silly friend!
I had a stray cat on my porch and had been feeding her Friskies wet cat food. Shortly after, I had gotten Rachel Ray Nutrish Real Chicken and Brown Rice dry food to add to my cats diet, my cat had started gaining weight at first but she began to excessively puke and avoid the food unless she seemed like she was starving. She also avoided water until she was dehydrated. It wasn’t long until after I took her in (and the vomiting increased along with some sneezing..) that I switched to Purina Fancy Feast. My lil kitty ran to the Purina like it was nothing and even begged for more. She didn’t vomit afterwards and seems to be drinking water more.
Perhaps it was an allergy to something in the food but some research online showed that other cat owners went through the same thing! I would try avoiding this dry food if your cat already has a set diet. If you’re wanting to try it, that’s alright! Just keep an eye out on your furry friend. 😊
Well, that was kind of disappointing. I was hoping for better from them. Im going to try her on Wellness Dry & see if she likes it as much- cause she LOVES Nutrish 🙁 Eeek! Thank you SO much for these in depth Reviews you do ! Ms August & Valentine.
My swet 12 year old doesn’t seem too thrilled with this cat food, I wish I knew why. At first he tried it, but then I saw he wasn’t eating a lot. I had to go back to previous food and he will eat it. I tried softening the food, no good either. Had to throw it out to the opposums. Not sure what to do with my fella to get the best nutrition for him.I still have this food down , but it’s not being eaten.
Thanks for sharing, Deborah. Hope you’re able to find something your cat is willing to eat soon.
Well, I read it all. My 12 year old Meeser will only eat chicken and a little beef. He is healthy but I try to give him a variety of products because of his indoor only existence so he has something different. When given a choice of wet products on the same plate he goes first for the RR Nutrish. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that he continues to be healthy. He goes after the RR LoveBites treats with a vengeance.
What is happening to Rachael Rays Nutrish Purrfect entrees Mariner’s Feast. Is this food to be discontinued also.
I was wondering about the ash content. My cat likes the purrrrfect tuna broth. Is there a lot of ash conte
Hi Jean! The ash content is 1.02% on an as-fed basis or 12.75 on a dry matter basis. This is a bit higher than you’d see in most foods, so it might not be the best choice for cats with urinary tract issues.
What happen to Rachael Rays Purrfect entrees Sea-Sational Florentine
Hi Cathy! I called Rachael Ray Nutrish to ask about this product, and they explained that the Sea-Sational Florentine recipe is set to be discontinued entirely in May for an indefinite period of time. You can still find it in a variety pack, so I’d recommend getting your hands on some variety packs to make the transition easier as you find a new food to give your cat long-term.
Two years ago I learned that ingredients such as corn, wheat, soy and by-products could be harmful to cats. My cats often got sick and I was cleaning up messes once a week and the litterbox was nasty. No more buying Meow Mix, Kitten Kaboodle and other brands at WalMart. I found something a Tractor Supply and we were hunky dory until recently they added grain to the flavor. So I bought Rachael Ray Nutrish Salmon & Brown Rice. The cats love it and haven’t been sick at all lately and the litterbox doesn’t reek. Still I don’t like that it has corn gluten in it or I’d keep buying it. For now the jury’s still out on the matter. I hope this gov’t investigation doesn’t mean they will force manufacturers to put grain into pet foods (sounds like collusion with grain producers)
That was very helpful. I did not know about the carb content of the food
Glad you found it helpful, Donna!
My two cats, 4 and 5 have just started the Peak Indoor formula. They hate it and will not eat it. The food is very small and scratchy. You probably cannot recommend dry cat food for my cats. I was trying to do weight control. and need a new cat food.
Our senior cats love the Rachel Raye Longevity brand!!!
My cats seem to really like Rachael Ray dry cat food but after reading about the issues that chickpeas and lentils can cause in cats, I am reluctant to continue feeding them Rachael Ray. What is your opinion on chickpeas and lentils?
Hello Terri, that’s a good question. I’m assuming that you’re referring to the controversy related to DCM in dogs and a potential connection to grain-free diets. This is a complex issue and no one has all of the answers at this time. However, chickpeas, lentils, and other legumes—as well as grains!—are not an essential part of the feline diet, making them easy enough to avoid out of an excess of caution. I see no need to keep them in any cat’s diet. You can learn more about the grain-free controversy in this vet-written guide.
Compared to fancy feasts, what would be better?
Hannah, it depends on which formulation you choose, but overall, I’d say that the two brands are pretty closely-matched. Rachel Ray’s PEAK wet cat food is very close to Fancy Feast in terms of nutritional value but may have somewhat higher-quality ingredients. Other Rachel Ray products are higher in carbohydrates, while some Fancy Feast recipes lose points for including artificial colors. You can use the food comparison tool on PetFoodSherpa to compare individual recipes side-by-side. Hope this helps! – Mallory
Heyo, I’ve currently been having a problem with one of my cats. He’s so picky and only wants Nutrish! I’ve tried switching him to other foods, trying to give him healthier options without breaking the bank, but he’s not having it. He’s dropped a lot of weight while switching foods and is basically starving himself because he doesn’t like other foods. He hasn’t had a problem with Nutrish but if that’s all he’s willing to eat is it the best option for him?
Hi Faith, thanks for messaging. I would encourage you to continue feeding the Nutrish food and potentially making a gradual transition to something else.
In the 8 mos April 2020 thru November 2020 I switched to Rachel Ray cat food, three of my cats got Cancer. I recently switched to Iams after losing Rambo in November. But the damages are done. Now Oreo my 9 year old has intestinal lymphoma as well. My heart is breaking. Their vet bills are in the thousands. I’m devastated! Doing a lot of research on this food, I am not alone. Unbelievable!
We have 8 cats and we switched to Rachel Ray’s Nutrish chicken and salmon with Lentils. They sniffed it and walked away. They later ate it and 4 of the cats threw up right away. None of them have eaten it since. Something is wrong with this cat food. We have had it for days and they refuse to eat it.
I love u and your videos! My kitties are getting much better products and care. Thank u..Dave
Your information on cat foods is very helpful. Thanks.
I have two rescues inside and strays outside. I find these articles very informational, as I recently purchased 3 bags of the dry food that was on sale. My inside cats love, love, love it. I do feed canned food as well. As a result of the article, involving increased sodium, etc. I will probably not purchase again. That being said, my cats have not had any ill affects due to the dry food, and look forward to it. The strays outside clean it up every night. Although I want my cats to have high quality food, I will continue to use what I have, supplementing with canned food as I see no problems differences in their health. Sodium concerns me, and if I were to continue this brand, I would definitely research it.
Since I started feeding my cat the Whitefish, Pea, Potato recipe Zero Grain Nutrish Indoor cat food, his stools are better and he has stopped throwing up hair balls. But, he is drinking and urinating more frequently and greater quantity. Is this food extremely high in sodium?
Hello Kathy, you’ll want to contact Rachael Ray Nutrish to get the sodium content of that food. I have heard some rumors that Rachael Ray food is unusually high-sodium, but there’s no confirmation that this is the case. Good luck!
My sister gave me several bags of Rachel wet Cat food.My cat would have nothing to do With it.I gave it to a friend with 3 cats , they would have nothing to do it.I live in a senior complex And put it out For the cats that room around our complex.Even they won’t eat it.I don’t know why it sure looks tempting.Overall I would give it a rating of D.
We have 3 cats, 2 are 10 yrs. old. We thought a better brand of cats food would be beneficial especially for the older cats! So we bought a bag of the Chicken & Brown Rice!
They took about 2 bites, & left! They refused to eat it from then on! They wont even get near it!
So we decided to feed it to the 2 strays that hang around our house! They came by, we fed it to them, they sniffed it & left! Even the strays won’t eat this stuff! They usually eat everything we put out for them, but not the Rachael Ray food!
We told our son about the food because he has 2 cats! They had already purchased Rachael Rays dry cat food & their cats refused to eat it! Our son lives in another state! There is obviously something wrong with it but we are not going to buy it again & take any chances!
WHY is this crap still being sold? I gave to my cat 2 days ago, she’s having a reaction (that’s already been reported on here) she’s itching & coming out of her skin. It was the Rachel Ray Premium Nutrish Salmon & Brown Rice. Rachel, do us a favor, stick with the talk show!
That should have said Royal Canin, not cabin. Sorry
Hi! I currently have 3 cats- a 1 year old girl with an EXTREMELY sensitive tummy, a 1 year old boy with food obsessions and weight issues, and a kitten i rescued recently, who seems to be about 6-10 months of age and is pregnant.
The reason I’m commenting is because my girl with tummy issues is also a VERY picky eater, and very timid. She won’t eat very many foods, and most of what she will eat makes her ill. And my boy cat will purposely scare her away from her food and eat hers too- silly girl won’t eat off by herself, so i have to stand over them to make sure they both get their proper amounts.
Rachel Ray Nutrish is the only food I have found that all of them will eat (kitten is supplemented with kitten food) and my girl doesn’t get sick off of. And to top it off- my boy has lost weight and gotten more active since I started them on it!
But after reading your review, I’m scared to continue them on it- especially the pregnant kitty! Is there anything you can suggest?
My girl won’t eat:
Royal Cabin
Wellness
Science Diet
Purina
Iams
Blue Buffalo
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for your comment! Sounds like you have quite the range of personalities and quirks in your feline family.
Before I make any recommendations, know that Rachael Ray Nutrish food isn’t the worst thing you can feed your cats! It sounds like all three of them are doing well on it, so I wouldn’t be in a huge rush to switch things up.
Otherwise, are your cats eating a wet or a dry diet? If you’re feeding kibble now, I’d think about switching to a high-moisture diet. You’ll find much simpler recipes, more readily-digestible proteins, and, of course, more moisture. In other words, wet food has a lot of basic qualities that I think would benefit every member of your clowder.
There are plenty of great brands out there. You might be interested in some of the options mentioned on our list of the best cat food for sensitive stomachs.
I think there’s probably something more to your girl cat’s refusal to eat the brands you listed—cats don’t usually refuse entire brands of food. What about the Rachael Ray food is different from the other recipes you’ve tried? I’d try to look for common threads and use those to give you direction when looking for new foods to try.
Sorry that I couldn’t give you more clear solutions, but I think this is going to take a little more investigation and experimentation. It sounds like you’re on the right track, though, so I think you’re close to finding something that works for you and your kitties.
Hope this helps to point you in the right direction!
Best,
Mallory
I think its based on smell. She won’t even TRY those brands- just sniffs them and walks away. And she LOVES pumpkin, but HATES anything with beef. Those are the only things I’ve been able to narrow down for certain.
I feed both dry and wet- and I mix a teaspoon of pure pureed pumpkin into their wet food, and have two water fountains- which they all love drinking from! I’m very careful about their moisture content, but I feel they need the dry too for proper dental health.
I just want to make sure they have the proper nutrition, without it upsetting my sweet girls tummy!
I have a male cat (Max) with IBS and very picky eater, he literally will just stop eating something he has eaten for a month and they I have to switch to a different food
Definitely get the delectables they have different flavors. They’re expensive but all cats that I have known so far I found this food irresistible it’s healthy and they even have a senior formula. Cats think it’s delicious. They look every ounce.
Hi, due to the Coronavirus outbreak it is suddenly difficult for me to find cat food in my town. The only cat food I can find anywhere is the Nutrish. When I googled the food the recall based on dangerously high vitamin D content came up. My cat is 15 years old and I want to make sure it’s safe for him to eat. I would consider the dry food except he recently developed an allergy to dry food. Did they fix the food after it was recalled.
Hi Karis,
Fortunately, it does appear that the vitamin D issue has been resolved and Rachael Ray food is safe to feed your kitty. It should be a perfectly good stand-in until your cat’s usual food becomes available again.
Wishing you and your cat all the best.
Take care,
Mallory
Thank you so much! Appreciate your time!
Bought this a few times for our little fella Moment, as a backup, when run out of other regular wet food. I always questioned any of the brands that are sold by CVS, Walgreens etc… I wouldn’t feed this to our cat everyday, but if we need a can to get by until the morning, ill scoop one up.
We have been usually buying the Lotus brand wet food, which has been on sale in Bushwick, NY store for a greatttt price.
When my cat was eating the indoor complete dry food, I kept finding little seeds (not flax but similar) on the bed each morning. Something she wasn’t able to digest although I didn’t see seeds in the ingredients. I switched her to a different brand of food and no more seeds on the bed!
Hi Janelle,
Thanks for commenting!
I know it’s frustrating to find a treat that your cat likes and then realize it might not be a good choice. Fortunately, there are a few great alternatives to Purrfect Broths. My first recommendation is Tiki Cat Broths, which are very similar in texture and format. They’re not the same consistency, but you could also try puréed snack tubes from WholeHearted, Catit, or Applaws.
Hope this helps!
Best,
Mallory
Thank you for your input on the Purrfect Broths. They are the perfick size snack for mid-morning and my cats love them. Of course, since they were on the clearance rack I bought three to try and voila! they were in love. Since seeing all this wonderful research I’m saddened to have to say, I’ll probably not buy again. We have one rescue with no teeth so does anyone recommend another good brand similar to these in style?
Please create a wet cat food that has more salmon as the major ingredient. I have a pet that is so hard to please because she doesn’t like chicken or beef or any table food. I have looked at all the other manufacturers since IAMS stopped producing the same style as Rachael Ray and have had no luck. I love feeding my Chloe with healthy food.
Maybe try some chicken or turkey mixed with pumpkin for a week and see if the diarrhea fades. I used canned chicken and turkey with the canned pumpkin to help one of my female cats with explosive diarrhea.
Unfortunately , despite significant improvement, still not normal–down to 3 per day of 2 semi-formed and one mess, but no gaseous explosions (better than approximately 7 gaseous liquid explosions)–too bad since this started, he doesn’t use the litter box. The vets have not been much help–Science Diet IBD sure didn’t help, nor did Purina Sensitive Stomach. Antibiotics work, but a week after going off them, problem returns. I am going to give the Nutrish food more time and then try an elimination diet. With 7 cats, cost is an issue, not to mention the logistics of feeding one cat something different when doing prescription or elimination diets. For 10+ years, this cat had no problem, the last 2 years, per hell. All the cats love the food and have good appetites.
Hi Laurie,
Thank you for sharing your experience!
Based on what you’ve shared, I wonder if the Rachael Ray food is free of an ingredient present in all of the other products you’ve fed your cat so far.
It sounds like your kitty may have some kind of food intolerance.
If you want to explore this idea, you could try an elimination diet to identify irritants or allergens. Otherwise, it sounds like you’ve finally found a food that works for your cat and it may be one to stick with.
Hope you continue to see improvement in your cat’s health!
Take care,
Mallory
Have an older cat who has had diarrhea with horrendous gas for the past few years. Vets have not been able to find the problem. Tried Science Diet, Purina One Sensitive Stomach, pre-/pro-biotics, normal blood work, no parasites, antibiotics, antibiotics, etc., etc. No luck. A vet I met socially by accident, said try Rachel Ray, so I chose Salmon and Brown Rice. After a few days, this cat had less poops (3 semi-formed coiled ones vs 6-7 splattered/explosive ones). Today, I had only one and fully formed, almost normal and silent one AND less upper respiratory congestion. This is the only change made in this cats diet. I am hopeful that the trend will continue–first time I have had hope for this cat’s future. He is still not using the litter box to poop–maybe tomorrow. Now feeding all 7 cats the same food and there don’t seem to be any problems. Do you have any explanation for this remarkable improvement? I realize that it has not been very long, but something is changing and rather quickly.
We started giving our 13 yr old Ragdoll Rachael Rays Nutrish wet food after he had dental cleaning and extractions. He loved it. Unfortunately after about 6 months of eating this he developed ataxia, lethargy and became very ill. Blood chemistry’s revealed a sodium that was elevated off the charts. My vets machine was calibrated to a high of 180 and my cat’s sodium was greater than what the machine could read. He spent 2 days in ICU being hydrated with dextrose and water to bring the sodium level down. Chemistry’s were checked every 6 hours. The sodium came down a little bit but was still dangerously high. We ended up euthanizing him because the intensivist ICU vet said he was at high risk for seizures with a sodium so high and he was not making significant progress with maximal therapy. I cannot recommend Rachael Ray wet cat food because of this experience.
Hi Cheryl,
I’m sorry you and your cat went through that, but I’m glad you’re sharing your experience. If you haven’t already, you should report it to the company so that, if there is something wrong with their formulations, they’ll know that it’s affecting cats.
Thanks for talking about your experience with Rachael Ray cat food.
Take care,
Mallory
Your response on both issues is a great help, Mallory. Thanks! Like I said the RR foods smelled good enough to eat myself. Maybe I’ll try that as I hate wasting food or money:-).
Thanks again for your help!
Joy
Hi Joy,
Great questions! First off, I would agree with your veterinarian that grain-free pet food is a fad, but that doesn’t mean that your cat’s food should contain grains. Grains aren’t the problem–species-inappropriate diets are the problem. As long as a food is low in carbohydrates and has plenty of animal matter, whether or not it has “grain-free” on the label is insignificant.
It’s hard to say why your cats had loose stool while eating Rachael Ray Nutrish food. It could have been something wrong with the batch of food, a hard transition, or something else. I can see why you’d be apprehensive of the Rachael Ray food after going through that. Considering the number of similar or superior foods available at this price, I don’t see much of a reason to give it a second chance.
Hope this helps!
– Mallory
I feed my cats a variety of grain free cat foods, both wet and dry. My vet recently told me there is no scientific basis for feeding grain free foods or for spending the extra money. He said “grain free” is just a fad. Any thoughts on that?
In addition, I bought some of the Rachael Ray wet foods. Each variety I bought smelled wonderful (not often said about cat food) and the cats loved it. However, after feeding them RR wet foods for a few days, I had a major case of cat diarrhea on my hands! I’m talking poop puddles not just “loose” stools. I switched to feeding them only dry food for two days and things are getting back to normal. I’ve started feeding them their regular wet food (Wellness, Beyond, Muse, Science Diet) but I’m afraid to try more of the RR wet food I bought. Any thoughts?
Hi, I have 2 cats myself and my mom has 2 between the two of us we have noticed that when we switched to grain free one of my kitties and one of hers got better. My oldest had allergic reactions to the dry cat foods that contained grain and fillers, I had to take her to the vet where they looked at her symptoms which they concluded as an allergy to food that is not grain free. She was mostly a normal kitty until she fell asleep where she became acting dead, and regardless of what I did she did not get up or was able to hold her own body weight and would collapse, all while being unable to open her eyes. Occasionally she would have short lasting seizures, fortunately once, I switched to grain free dry and canned food she stopped having those symptoms. For my mom’s cat his symptoms included really rough fur as well as his skin would breakout and the fur began to fall off. The same results applied to him as soon as we switched to grain free foods. This is only my experience and our other kitties had absolutely no effects with the switch of food, so maybe some cats are more sensitive just like some humans are not able to eat certain things. Hope it helps to hear an experience where someone benefits from switching to grain free!
I am so glad I found this comment! I have a new kitty and had fed him some of the PEAK wet food and he was fine, but the other racheal ray wet food has given him the same un-controllable poop puddles For two days now. I came home from work to find them everywhere in the bedroom and his bottom was soaked with it. I was scared that he’d gotten poisoned but he isn’t showing any other signs of poisoning. I’m taking him off the wet and dry varieties as soon as possible. (I have cut out the wet already, but have to get a new dry food introduced to him ASAP.)
Thank you for sharing your experience, I was really scared and unsure if I was just blaming the food when it was something else.
I was actually wondering about their PEAK dry food analysis, I thought it was mentioned at the beginning of this article but it wasn’t among the later reviews. I’ve been feeding my cat the PEAK woodland recipe foe the past few months, and he seems to like it a lot, so I was kind of interested in seeing a breakdown of this particular line.
Hello Lynn,
Glad you commented!
The PEAK line is a smidge better than other Rachael Ray lines. PEAK dry food, like the Woodland recipe you’ve been feeding, appears to have a higher percentage of protein from meat over plants, likely increasing its digestibility. It contains chicken fat instead of vaguely-named poultry fat, which suggests a higher level of quality, and compared to other Nutrish lines, it’s lower in starchy plant ingredients.
Those improvements aside, PEAK dry food is nevertheless plant-heavy, relatively high-carbohydrate, and moisture-depleted. It would not be my first choice or recommendation.
Both compared to the dry varieties and their counterparts in other lines, PEAK wet foods are a little lower in carbohydrates, averaging around 7% on a dry matter basis. If they didn’t contain carrageenan, get lukewarm customer reviews, cost around $3 a day, they could rank among the better products on the market.
Overall, the PEAK line is decent, but not outstanding. It’s similar to Crave or Pure Balance—I’d give it a B- overall.
I hope you found this helpful! Please let us know if you have any more questions.
Take care,
Mallory
We bought the dry food and it seemed to cause a reaction on both our cats but especially in the smaller cat. It was sluggish and didn’t seem as interested in much. It walked off of the cat tower twice and fell to the carpet. We were going to go to the vet but we tried the regular food, Purina Indoor again and they perked up again. We only thought of switching back because we noticed she was hacking up a lot more than usual and kicking up a lot more litter on the floor from the box.
My oldest cat that I have had since he was born was 12years old and he died after we changed to Rachel rays cat food because it’s was supposed to be better and healthier
I bought a bag today of the chicken and rice recipe at Petco due to high reviews and my cats seem to like it. I should’ve looked at the ingredients in the bag I bought because i saw that it used Caramel as a coloring agent but i looked at other sites and still had Iron oxide as coloring listed as ingredients. Im not sure if i bought an old bag or if they changed their recipe. I guess back to looking for a good source of food for my kitties.
My cat, who is quite picky seems to enjoy this food, wet and dry. Though the fur baby momma I am researches my babies food and am very unhappy to see carrageenan, Known to cause cancer is an ingredient used as a thickener in this wet food cat food. This worries me, thoughts of wether I should be continuing to feed this food. Let alone the corn, wheat and carbohydrates in their dry food.
Hi Colleen,
You’re right to have second thoughts about this brand. Though a lot of cats seem to love it, Rachael Ray Nutrish isn’t the greatest choice for all the reasons you mentioned. Keep up the research and you’re sure to find something that you and your fur baby can agree on.
Best,
Mallory
My cat loves all of her foods, BUT for treats I give him Puffect Broths. I can only find 3 of 8 flavors, have these been pulled off the shelf for some reason?
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for commenting! I reached out to Rachael Ray Nutrish with your question and they explained that all but three Purrfect Broths flavors were discontinued due to low sales.
Hope this helps!
Mallory
Hello,
I am still seeing the Broth on Amazon and some stores. Is it really discontinued? My cat loves it.
Hi MaryAnn, a few Purrfect Broths recipes are, in fact, still available, so your cat should be able to continue enjoying them.
I noticed that the seafood one is the only one that doesn’t have bad ingredients other than guar gum. The others have tomato’s and coconut milk which are not the best for cats.