Published Aug 8, 2021
The Cats.com Standard—Rating Rachael Ray Nutrish On What Matters
We’ve rated the brand on six key criteria for quality. Here’s how it rates in each of these six crucial areas.
Ratings
- Species-Appropriateness – 5/10
- Ingredient Quality – 5/10
- Product Variety – 7/10
- Price – 8/10
- Customer Experience – 6/10
- Recall History – 4/10
Overall Score: 5.9/10
In total, we give Rachael Ray Nutrish cat food a 35 out of 60 rating or a C grade.
Rachael Ray Nutrish Video Review
About Rachael Ray Nutrish
Currently owned by J.M. Smucker, Rachael Ray Nutrish is a celebrity brand created by Ainsworth Pet Nutrition.
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.
Ainsworth had previously focused on the value market, but knew that it was no longer sustainable. Consumers were moving towards “super-premium” foods and Ainsworth needed to find a smart way to move into that space.
They chose celebrity chef Rachael Ray as the ambassador of that transition.
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. The food was, and still is, marketed as premium food that’s affordable for the average buyer.
Rachael Ray Nutrish became Ainsworth’s biggest brand. In 2017, it was named the US’s fastest-growing pet food.
In 2018, J.M. Smucker bought Ainsworth for approximately $1.7 billion. J.M. Smucker is the massive conglomerate that owns Meow Mix, 9Lives, and Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Pet Foods.
It’s also involved in philanthropy.
A portion of the proceeds from each Nutrish sale is 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.
Together with The Yum-o! Organization—Ray’s other philanthropic organization—The Rachael Ray Foundation has donated $4 million to organizations working on COVID-19 relief efforts for both pets and people.
Sourcing and Manufacturing
Rachael Ray Nutrish dry cat food is manufactured in Ainsworth Pet Foods’ manufacturing facilities in Meadville, Pennsylvania and Frontenac, Kansas. Their wet foods are made in Thailand.
Most of their ingredients are sourced from the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Rachael Ray Nutrish maintains that none of their ingredients are sourced from China, but recall that most synthetic vitamins, minerals, and amino acids originate from China.
Over decades of producing these supplements, China has established a strong safety record and there’s no indication that they’re inferior to those made elsewhere.
Recall History
Rachael Ray Nutrish cat food was recalled in 2015. Several varieties were pulled due to excessively high levels of Vitamin D.
2018 Class Action Lawsuit—Rachael Ray Cat Food Contains Weed Killer?
In August of 2018, a New Yorker filed a $5 million class action lawsuit against Rachael Ray Nutrish.
According to the plaintiff, Rachael Ray Nutrish is guilty of mislabeling products by claiming that the foods are “natural”. Independent lab testing revealed that the food contained traces of an undisclosed herbicide called glyphosate.
This herbicide, commonly found in Roundup, is described in the lawsuit as “a potent biocide and endocrine disruptor, with detrimental health effects that are still becoming known”.
It’s important to reiterate that this lawsuit doesn’t focus on the hazards of glyphosate residue in the food. It’s about misleading labeling.
The term “natural” has a loose legal definition, but it has a definite meaning in the minds of consumers. According to the lawsuit, a national phone survey in 2014 found that 66% of respondents said that a “natural” label on packaged and processed foods means that no toxic pesticides were used in the making of that product.
In reality, glyphosate is present in many foods, including those labeled as natural. Glyphosate is used to treat many crops, including soybeans, corn, wheat, lentils, peas, and oats. When researchers tested nine popular pet food formulas for glyphosate, they found significant amounts of it in all nine.
These included Purina Cat Chow, Friskies Indoor Complete, 9 Lives, Rachael Ray, and Purina Beyond Natural.
In 2019, the FDA named Rachael Ray Nutrish among the 16 brands associated with a potentially increased risk of heart disease in pets.
As part of its ongoing investigation of a potential link between grain-free foods and an increased risk of DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy) in dogs and some cats, the FDA released a list of 16 brands that were associated with at least 10 reports of heart disease.
None of the listed brands were recalled and the probe remains inconclusive as of May 2020.
What Kinds of Cat Food Does Rachael Ray Nutrish Offer?
Rachael Ray Nutrish offers three lines of dry cat food. These are Peak, a line of ultra-premium high-protein foods, Zero Grain dry food, and Super Premium dry food, which includes grains and is the brand’s biggest dry food line.
Their wet food selection includes four lines. These are Purrfect Entrees, Peak Ultra Premium, Purrfect Broths, and Grain Free.
What Do Customers Think of Rachael Ray Nutrish Cat Food?
Most Rachael Ray Nutrish customers seem to like the food, saying that it fits within their budget, their cats enjoy it. They also appreciate the company’s philanthropic efforts.
Negative customers are offended by 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.
Let’s take a look at a few real customer reviews selected from various popular Rachael Ray foods listed online.
Positive Reviews
“This food is awesome! My cats eat way less food are now having more calm day compared to being constantly hyper. Small pieces good for all sizes for cat from adult to kitten. The vomiting for other foods has completely stopped Plus Rachel Ray gives back to help other animals in need. A win win in my book.” – Food, reviewing Rachael Ray Nutrish Indoor Complete
“I usually rotate in Go! Daily Defence Chicken dry food for my house furbabies, but I use this to feed the neighborhood unsocialized kitties, at least until I catch them for relocation to a safer environ. If you’re pinching pennies you can’t beat this for the money 🙂 Just make sure to rotate some great wet food so their innards don’t get dried out!” – Gary, reviewing Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Chicken & Brown Rice
Negative Reviews
“Thought this would be a great natural food for my (cat) boys. But as soon as I started to feed this food to one of my cats he was itching non stop. I stopped giving it to him for a day and he stopped scratching. I thought this was an all natural food but saw one main ingredient is corn gluten meal. Sad to say it was a waste of money :(“ – SarahB, reviewing Rachael Ray Nutrish Indoor Complete
“It says corn free but has Corn Gluten Meal in the ingredient list? That’s derived from corn, it’s a by-product of corn. Haven’t done a ton of research but technically this isn’t a corn-free food.” – jenn, reviewing Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe
Rachael Ray Nutrish Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Price | Our Grade |
| Natural Chicken & Brown Rice | Dry | $2.07 per lb | C |
| Indoor Complete Chicken with Lentils & Salmon | Dry | $2.08 per lb | C |
| Tuna Purrfection Natural Grain-Free | Wet | $0.43 per oz | B |
All nutritional percentages in this table and hereafter are taken from the manufacturer’s guaranteed analysis. Exact nutritional percentages are not available.
All calculated values are determined using these minimum and maximum published values and may differ from actual values. Rachael Ray Nutrish is the ultimate authority on their products, so please contact the company for more nutritional information.
#1 Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Cat Food Review
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.
It also contains considerable amounts of plant matter, including corn gluten meal as a high-protein plant filler. Ground rice, brown rice, and dried ground 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, Ground Rice, Brown Rice, Poultry Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Brewers Dried Yeast, Natural Flavor, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Iron Oxide (color), Dried Ground Peas, Dried Carrots, Olive Oil, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Salt, Ferrous Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate, Niacin, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Source of Vitamin B6), Biotin, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K Activity), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Cobalt Sulfate, Potassium Iodide.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Corn Gluten Meal, Ground Rice, Brown Rice, Dried Ground Peas
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- An affordable food
- Contains chicken and chicken meal instead of ambiguous meat by-products
- Cats like the taste of this kibble
- Free from artificial colors, flavors, and chemical preservatives
Cons
- Excessive carbohydrate content
#2 Rachael Ray Nutrish Indoor Complete Chicken with Lentils & Salmon Recipe Natural Dry Cat Food Review
The food’s ingredient list starts with chicken and chicken meal as species-appropriate protein sources. It also contains corn gluten meal as a concentrated source of plant protein, along with pea protein, another common high-protein concentrate.
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.
These fiber sources also add to the food’s approximate 46% dry matter carbohydrate content. The food is very high in carbohydrates with moderate protein and moderate fat content.
Ingredients
Chicken, Chicken Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Dried Ground Peas, Lentils, Pea Protein, Poultry Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Powdered Cellulose, Salmon, Ground Rice, Natural Flavor, Salt, Choline Chloride, Iron Oxide (color), Taurine, Dried Cranberry, Dried Blueberry, Dried Pumpkin, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate, Niacin, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Dandelion, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Source of Vitamin B6), Biotin, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K Activity), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Cobalt Sulfate, Potassium Iodide.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Corn Gluten Meal, Dried Ground Peas, Lentils, Pea Protein, Ground Rice
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Uses chicken and chicken meal instead of nameless animal by-products
- Cats enjoy the taste of this food
- Affordable
- Free from artificial colors, flavors, and chemical preservatives
Cons
- High in carbohydrates
- Contains multiple plant protein concentrates
#3 Rachael Ray Nutrish Tuna Purrfection Natural Grain-Free Wet Cat Food Review
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.
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 carrageenan, which is a controversial ingredient thought to worsen inflammation and potentially cause cancer.
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: Carrageenan, Vegetable Oil
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Free from artificial colors, flavors, and chemical preservatives
- Packed in a plastic container, so you don’t have to worry about BPA linings
- Affordable
Cons
- Contains carrageenan
- High carbohydrate content
How Much Does Rachael Ray Nutrish Cat Food Cost?
Rachael Ray Nutrish’s parent company’s mantra is “Pet Store Quality. Supermarket Easy,” and it’s reflected in the Rachael Ray Nutrish brand.
Rachael Ray Nutrish is one of the most low-cost foods available. Their prices are similar to those you’d pay for so-called “grocery brands” like Purina Cat Chow, Meow Mix, and Friskies.
Assuming that your cat needs around 200 calories per day, it will cost about $0.45 each day to feed one of the brand’s popular dry foods and around $1.55 daily to feed Rachael Ray wet food.
Overall, Is Rachael Ray 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.
Where Is Rachael Ray Nutrish Cat Food Sold?
Rachael Ray Nutrish is easy to find in chain retailers including Dollar General, KMart, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Walmart, Target, and more. It’s sold in major grocery chains and pet stores like PetSmart.
Online, you can buy it on Amazon, Chewy, Jet, PetSmart, Target, and Walmart, among others.
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.
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
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.
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 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
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.
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
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
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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?
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
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!
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.
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!
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
That should have said Royal Canin, not cabin. Sorry
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!
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!
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.
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!
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.
Your information on cat foods is very helpful. Thanks.
I love u and your videos! My kitties are getting much better products and care. Thank u..Dave
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.
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!
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.
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
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.
Our senior cats love the Rachel Raye Longevity brand!!!
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.
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)
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.
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 is happening to Rachael Rays Nutrish Purrfect entrees Mariner’s Feast. Is this food to be discontinued also.
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.
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, 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.
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. 😊
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!
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
I have two cat’s. I tried them on the cat treats. They do not like them.