Published Jan 22, 2021
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
We’ve rated Raised Right cat food on ingredient quality, species-appropriateness, recalls, and more. Read our Raised Right cat food review to learn how this brand stacks up.
The Cats.com Standard—Raised Right 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 – 9/10
- Ingredient Quality – 10/10
- Product Variety – 6/10
- Price – 6/10
- Customer Experience – 4/10
- Recall History – 9/10
Overall Score: 7.3/10
In total, we give Raised Right cat food a 44 out of 60 rating or a B grade.
About Raised Right
Raised Right is a fresh pet food company founded and owned by the Ruud family. The family works alongside veterinarian Dr. Karen Becker to formulate recipes that are limited in ingredients and low in carbohydrates.
The company proudly states on their website that they were the first pet food company to voluntarily submit a recipe to be tested by Check Your Pet Food. The Original Turkey Adult Dog Recipe they submitted matched the guaranteed analysis on the label as well and met AAFCO standards for complete and balanced canine nutrition.
It’s worth noting, however, that this test was run in November 2019. Raised Right does not appear to have sent their food for retesting.
Raised Right offers two recipes for human-grade, single-source protein cat food: chicken and turkey. Kate Barrington / Cats.com
Sourcing And Manufacturing
All of Raised Right’s products are made with human-grade ingredients in USDA-inspected facilities. The food is cooked at low temperatures to kill food-borne pathogens while maintaining high levels of moisture. Every batch is lab-tested for pathogens.
Raised Right appears to source most of their ingredients from the United States and offers a map on their homepage where you can see the state from which each ingredient comes.
In addition to offering transparency on their ingredients, Raised Right is purposeful with their packaging. They have partnered with Climeco.com to offset the carbon emissions produced by their home delivery service through forest preservation and reforestation efforts.
While Raised Right’s packaging is not plastic-free, they’ve partnered with rePurpose Global to remove the equivalent amount of plastic from the ecosystem.
Recall History
In researching the Raised Right brand, we didn’t find any evidence of product recalls.
Each batch of Raised Right cat food is made with a limited list of traceable ingredients and lab-tested before leaving the facility. Kate Barrington / Cats.com
What Kinds Of Cat Food Does Raised Right Offer?
Raised Right is a fresh pet food company that only offers their products online. Their foods are sold in 16-ounce bags and delivered frozen. Every Raised Right recipe is made with a single source of animal protein, either chicken or turkey.
For several years, Raised Right only offered two formulas. While they’ve doubled their selection, the two new recipes don’t appear to differ significantly in composition. The main difference seems to be the replacement of carrots and blueberries with pumpkin.
When placing an order, you can choose how many bags you want of each of the four recipes. The food is only sold in 4-pack sample boxes or full boxes of 16 bags.
What Do Customers Think Of Raised Right Cat Food?
While Raised Right has over four hundred reviews posted on their website, a quick scroll through the list didn’t reveal many below a 5-star rating. Out of 46 reviews on the Raised Right Facebook page, the company has a 4.9-star rating and it’s hard to tell how much control the company has over which reviews are made public.
Though there are a few third-party reviews of Raised Right out there, I didn’t find a significant number I was confident were unbiased and the brand has no reviews on TrustPilot.
Here’s what one customer has to say about Raised Right cat food on Facebook:
“Cats love it too! I have two cats 4 and 3 (mother and daughter). Both have GI issues to the point of each having been in intensive care for a week at a time. My youngest one almost died a year ago because she could not keep anything down. After being released from a very good and very prestigious center, I found a holistic vet who recommended Raised Right. A year ago she could barely eat 1/4 tsp of food. Now, she is doing amazing. Both cats love the chicken with the peas and carrots as well as the turkey and they even eat the blueberries. I love how well the food is packed when it comes, it thaws quickly and smells great.” – Erin Finigan on June 6, 2020
Given the lack of negative reviews online, I’m not sure I got a balanced feel for the average customer’s experience with Raised Right cat food. The only negative reviews I could find were of Raised Right treats and toppers from Amazon.
“Beef Liver treats smelled great for my Maine Coon, but the average chips are 2 inches by 2 inches were too large for my cat. Trying to crumble them at mealtime was impossible. Not like a potato chip. Breaking it caused it to break into pieces that had sharp edges or pointed shards. It also does NOT readily melt in a couple of minutes to soft pieces when mixed in wet cat food.” – Cynthia Y Reviewing Raised Right Beef Meat Bites on February 22, 2022
“These are very hard cracker-like pieces that when broken up result in VERY sharp edges! My cat already choked on a piece and I can’t believe this style of treat. They’re going straight in the bin. Go buy freeze dried liver instead.” – Pardon Sardon Reviewing Raised Right Beef Meat Bites on October 4,2021
Both Raised Right cat food recipes have a similar appearance and texture which, unfortunately, our test cats didn’t find appealing. Kate Barrington / Cats.com
Raised Right Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Main Protein Source | Calories | Price | Our Grade |
| Raised Right Original Turkey Adult Cat Recipe | Fresh | Turkey | 1,527 kcal/kg | 0.69 per oz | A- |
| Raised Right Original Chicken Adult Cat Recipe | Fresh | Chicken | 1,628 kcal/kg | 0.69 per oz | A- |
| Raised Right Turkey & Pumpkin Pate for Adult Cats | Fresh | Turkey | 1,668 kcal/kg | 0.69 per oz | A- |
#1 Raised Right Original Turkey Adult Cat Recipe
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
This fresh cat food recipe features turkey thigh as the first ingredient, followed by turkey heart and turkey liver. The only other main ingredients are carrots, blueberries, organic spearmint, and cod liver oil. You’ll also see flaxseed oil later on the list.
We have no complaints about the ingredients for this turkey recipe cat food. Not only does it start with a real source of animal protein, but it is a single-source protein recipe as well.
One thing we will comment on is the moisture content. Dry cat food generally contains about 10% moisture and canned food around 85%. Other fresh cat foods we’ve reviewed contain between 72% and 75% moisture, so this turkey recipe (at 68%) is a little low.
This is by no means a problem, but it makes the odd texture the product has make a little more sense.
Ingredients
Turkey Thigh, Turkey Heart, Turkey Liver, Carrots, Blueberries, Organic Spearmint, Cod Liver Oil, Egg Shell Powder, Flaxseed Oil, Organic Kelp Powder, Taurine, Thiamine Mononitrate
| Ingredients We Liked | Ingredients We Didn’t Like | Common Allergens |
| Turkey Thigh
Turkey Heart Turkey Liver Cod Liver Oil |
None | None |
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Limited number of human-grade ingredients
- Real animal protein as first ingredient
- Natural sources for key nutrients (fresh fruits and veggies)
Cons
- Lower moisture content than some fresh foods
- Some cats may dislike the flavor and texture
#2 Raised Right Original Chicken Adult Cat Recipe
Nearly identical in appearance, this chicken recipe cat food follows a very similar formula with chicken replacing the turkey. Fresh chicken thigh is the first ingredient, followed by chicken heart and liver.
We appreciate the fact that Raised Right prioritizes natural sources for key nutrients like fresh fruits and vegetables rather than relying on synthetic supplements. The company also holds true to its claims of avoiding high-carb fillers and artificial additives like preservatives, colors, and flavors.
Unfortunately, our test cats didn’t care for either Raised Right cat food flavor.
We’ve reviewed their dog food recipes in the past and while our test dog showed a little more interest, we were a bit concerned that all of the dog food recipes appeared identical as well and looked just the same as the cat food formulas.
Ingredients
Chicken Thigh, Chicken Heart, Chicken Liver, Carrots, Organic Spearmint, Blueberries, Cod Liver Oil, Egg Shell Powder, Organic Dried Kelp, Flaxseed Oil, Taurine, Thiamine Mononitrate
| Ingredients We Liked | Ingredients We Didn’t Like | Common Allergens |
| Chicken Thigh
Chicken Heart Chicken Liver Cod Liver Oil |
None | Chicken |
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Real animal protein as first ingredient
- Limited number of human-grade ingredients
- Natural sources for key nutrients (fresh fruits and veggies)
Cons
- Lower moisture content than some fresh foods
- Some cats may dislike the flavor and texture
- Chicken is a common food allergen for cats
#3 Raised Right Turkey & Pumpkin Pate for Adult Cats
One of Raised Right’s newer recipes, this turkey and pumpkin formula is very similar to the original turkey recipe. In fact, the only difference appears to be the replacement of carrots and blueberries with pumpkin (and the accompanying differentiations in micronutrient composition).
Pumpkin is often included as a source of dietary fiber in cat foods but the swap doesn’t seem to have significantly changed the fiber content of this formula in comparison to the original.
Again, this is a single protein fresh food that contains muscle meat and organs. None of Raised Right’s recipes contain ground bone, but they do get some animal-based minerals from egg shell powder. Cod liver oil is also the primary source of fat for all three recipes which, in addition to being an animal ingredient, contains plenty of omega-3 fatty acids.
Having not personally tested this new recipe, I can’t say whether the appearance or texture differs from the original recipe. Given the similarities in the macronutrient ratio, moisture content, and ingredient list, however, I have to imagine it isn’t all that different.
Ingredients
Turkey Thigh, Turkey Heart, Turkey Liver, Pumpkin, Organic Spearmint, Cod Liver Oil, Egg Shell Powder, Flaxseed Oil, Organic Dried Kelp, Taurine, Thiamine Mononitrate
| Ingredients We Liked | Ingredients We Didn’t Like | Common Allergens |
| Turkey Thigh
Turkey Heart Turkey Liver Cod Liver Oil |
None | Beef |
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- High protein, single source of animal protein
- Made with a single ingredient (liver)
- Adds flavor to cat food
Cons
- Fairly expensive at $12.99/bottle
- Somewhat high in calories (376 kcal/cup)
How Much Does Raised Right Cat Food Cost?
Customers have two options when purchasing Raised Right. Choose an 8-bag box or go with a 2-bag sample box. Kate Barrington / Cats.com
You can purchase four 16-ounce bags for $53.95 plus $9.99 in shipping or buy a full box which includes 16 bags for $175.84 with free shipping.
While you’re not required to start a subscription, Raised Right does offer custom meal plans with schedule deliveries every 2 to 20 weeks. Shipping is free but there is no per-bag discount.
At $10.99 per 16-ounce bag, Raised Right fresh cat food costs $0.69 per ounce. Using the custom meal planner for a 10-pound, normally active cat, it would cost about $4.12 per day to feed a diet of 100% Raised Right. The meal planner also includes options to feed 50% or 25% Raised Right.
Per ounce, Raised Right is more affordable than Smalls fresh food but more expensive than Nom Nom. It’s also pricier than some raw brands like Smallbatch Pets and Darwin’s.
Overall, Is Raised Right a Good Choice?
Our opinion of Raised Right cat food is a mixed bag. On the one hand we love that they use human-grade ingredients, and their products have a very limited list of ingredients. We also appreciate that their formulas contain a single source of animal protein.
What we didn’t like was the odd texture and appearance of the food – our test cats didn’t either. The per-ounce price of the food is comparable to other fresh food brands like Smalls but what makes it expensive is the fact that you have to buy sixteen bags at a time unless you want to pay $9.99 for each 4-bag shipment.
Even more concerning, however, is the lack of negative reviews online. My own experience with Raised Right was lackluster and I have to imagine that other cat owners would give the brand less than 5 stars.
While the quality of Raised Right cat food seems high and the formulas are species-appropriate for cats, I’d caution against ordering a full-sized box until you know your cat likes the food.
Where Is Raised Right Cat Food Sold?
Raised Right is only available for purchase through the brand’s website, though you aren’t required to start a subscription to sample it. You can find Raised Right treats and meal toppers on Amazon, but this retailer no longer appears to carry their fresh food products.
This article says it was updated last month, but the link to the company website doesn’t work and the amazon link the company is only offering treats and toppers…?
Hey Stacey, thanks for the comment. So we can discuss further, I’m sending you an email—I’m not sure what you’re seeing on the Raised Right site.
I purchased the 4 bag sample of catfood – chicken & turkey
The cats won’t eat it
I would recommend contacting Raised Right and seeing what they can do.