Published Feb 27, 2023
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
We’ve rated Savage cat food on ingredient quality, species-appropriateness, recalls, and more. Read our Savage cat food review to learn how this brand stacks up.
The Cats.com Standard—Rating Savage Cat Food 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 – 10/10
- Ingredient Quality – 10/10
- Product Variety – 10/10
- Price – 6/10
- Customer Experience – 7/10
- Recall History – 9/10
Overall Score: 7.8/10
In total, we give Savage cat food a 47 out of 60 rating or a B+ grade.
About Savage Cat Food
Savage Pet is a California-based raw pet food company that was founded in 2014. The first Savage Cat Food product was originally developed for the founder’s Maine Coon cat, Mr. Smithwicks. The brand’s raw cat food products were first made available in stores in 2016.
Sourcing And Manufacturing
Savage cat food is manufactured by Savage Pet in El Cajon, California using US-sourced ingredients. The food is prepared raw and is not subjected to high-pressure processing (HPP).
Both their certified organic chicken and antibiotic-free duck are raised by Pitman Farms in California and their humanely-raised lamb comes from Superior Farms in Dixon, CA. Savage uses rabbits sourced from sustainable farms, and their quail are raised locally in Southern California.
Recall History
To our knowledge, Savage cat food has never been recalled.
What Kinds of Cat Food Does Savage Offer?
Savage Pet offers three different raw food formulas featuring chicken, duck, and rabbit and lamb. Kate Barrington / Cats.com
Savage offers raw cat food formulated with chicken, duck, and rabbit and lamb. They also offer frozen treats for dogs and cats such as raw duck feet and heads, quail eggs, and split quail.
When it comes to their raw cat food products, Savage cat foods come in either 3-ounce packets or larger tubs. The packets are designed to simplify portioning and thawing while the tubs are ideal for multi-cat households.
The primary difference between the two products is that the individual packets contain diced muscle meat while the tubs contain finely ground food. Older cats and cats with dental issues might prefer the ground food while chewing the diced meat may help support healthy teeth and gums in other cats.
What Do Customers Think of Savage Cat Food?
Savage Pet appears to be a fairly small company, though their products seem to be fairly easy to find. That being said, I couldn’t find more than a handful of reviews for Savage Pet products. The brand doesn’t have any reviews on Trustpilot or other major review sites, though they do have close to 1,000 followers on their Facebook page.
Reviews appear to be enabled on the Savage Pet website, but there is only one posted:
“The breeder told us all her kittens are started on raw food and to be sure to have some of this on hand. Our new little guy really likes his Savage Cat. He had been exposed to other foods and she said to feed him what he was used to. This is the first thing he cleans off his plate.” – Scout Reviewing Savage Cat Food Chicken Recipe on Mary 21, 2022
Given the lack of reviews online, I wasn’t really able to get a feel for the average customer’s experience with Savage Cat Food.
What Did Our Test Cats Think?
Savage Cat Food has a finely ground texture that is easy for older cats to chew. Kate Barrington / Cats.com
To test Savage Cat Food, I ordered one large tub each of the chicken, duck, and rabbit + lamb recipes. My order arrived quickly and was packaged in an insulated cardboard box with dry ice to keep the food completely frozen.
Savage cat food has a finely ground texture that was very easy to scoop when thawed. I appreciated the sturdy plastic tub and the twist-on lid was perfect for fridge storage. My one complaint would be that the tubs do take quite a while to thaw, but I imagine the 3-ounce packets would thaw much quicker.
My cats aren’t used to eating raw food, so I wasn’t surprised that they were a little skeptical of Savage cat food. I liked that Savage offers a recipe made with rabbit, though I would have preferred a single-protein formula over the rabbit and lamb combination.
Savage Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Main Protein Source | Calories | Price | Our Grade |
| Savage Cat Food Chicken Recipe Raw Cat Food | Raw | Chicken | 36 kcal/oz. | $0.83 per oz | A |
| Savage Cat Food Rabbit & Lamb Recipe Raw Cat Food | Raw | Rabbit | 35 kcal/oz. | $1.25 per oz | A |
| Savage Cat Food Duck Recipe Raw Cat Food | Raw | Duck | 40 kcal/oz. | $0.83 per oz | A |
#1 Savage Cat Food Chicken Recipe Raw Cat Food
Made with certified organic chicken and chicken organs sourced from Pitman Farms in California, this is a high-protein, high-fat formula rich in hydrating moisture and low in carbohydrates.
This raw cat food formula contains over 59% crude protein measured as dry matter and over 27% crude fat. The food contains raw muscle meat as well as organs and ground bone. Given its nutritional composition and raw formulation, this is a high-moisture, species-appropriate choice for cats.
One thing to be mindful of with this and other Savage Cat Food recipes is that it contains bovine and porcine tissue, so it may not be appropriate for cats with beef or pork allergies.
Ingredients
Organic Whole Chicken With Bones, Organic Chicken Hearts, Organic Chicken Liver, Egg Yolks, Water, Organic Psyllium Seed Husk, Wild Salmon Oil, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, Bovine Adrenal Tissue, Bovine Spleen Tissue, Ovine Thymus Tissue, Porcine Pancreas Tissue, Salt, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin Supplement, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement.
| Ingredients We Liked | Ingredients We Didn’t Like | Common Allergens |
| Organic Whole Chicken with Bones
Organic Chicken Hearts Organic Chicken Liver Egg Yolks Wild Salmon Oil |
None | Beef
Pork |
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Made with chicken muscle meat, organs, and bone
- Finely ground, easy for cats to chew
- Rich in animal protein and fat
- High in moisture to support your cat’s hydration
Cons
- May not be appropriate for cats with pork or beef allergies
#2 Savage Cat Food Rabbit & Lamb Recipe Raw Cat Food
Made with humanely raised rabbit and lamb sustainably sourced from small farmers in the United States, this is a high-protein, moderate-fat formula rich in hydrating moisture and low in carbohydrates.
If you’re looking for a limited-ingredient cat food made with novel proteins, this rabbit and lamb formula could be a good choice, as long as your cat tolerates beef and pork. Compared to the previous recipe, this raw food is a little lower in protein, fat, and calories but is still a very species-appropriate choice for cats.
My primary concern with this food is the fiber content. At nearly 7% crude fiber measured as dry matter, this recipe might not agree with some cats who have digestive issues. Because it is finely ground, high in moisture, and free from artificial additives, however, it should be highly digestible for most cats.
Ingredients
Whole Rabbit With Bones, Lamb Hearts, Lamb Livers, Egg Yolks, Water, Organic Psyllium Seed Husk, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, Bovine Adrenal Tissue, Bovine Spleen Tissue, Ovine Thymus Tissue, Porcine Pancreas Tissue, Salt, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin Supplement, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement.
| Ingredients We Liked | Ingredients We Didn’t Like | Common Allergens |
| Whole Rabbit with Bones
Lamb Hearts Lamb Livers Egg Yolks |
None | Beef
Pork |
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Made primarily with two novel protein sources
- Contains fresh muscle meat, organs, and bone
- Rich in moisture to support your cat’s hydration
Cons
- More expensive than other Savage cat food recipes
- Not appropriate for cats with pork or beef allergies
#3 Savage Cat Food Duck Recipe Raw Cat Food
Made with humanely raised, antibiotic-free duck sourced from Pitman Farms in California, this is a high-protein, high-fat formula rich in hydrating moisture and low in carbohydrates.
Of the three raw cat food formulas Savage has to offer, the duck recipe is the highest in fat and calories. The dry matter crude protein content is over 50% but the fat content is over 36%. Even so, it only contains about 5 more calories per ounce than the previous two formulas.
Again, this is a novel protein recipe made with raw muscle meat, organs, and bone but it does contain some porcine and bovine tissue.
Ingredients
Whole Duck with Bones, Duck Hearts, Duck Livers, Egg Yolks, Water, Organic Psyllium Seed Husk, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, Bovine Adrenal Tissue, Bovine Spleen Tissue, Ovine Thymus Tissue, Porcine Pancreas Tissue, Salt, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin Supplement, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement.
| Ingredients We Liked | Ingredients We Didn’t Like | Common Allergens |
| Whole Duck with Bones
Duck Hearts Duck Livers Egg Yolks |
None | Beef
Pork |
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Made with duck muscle meat, organs, and bone
- Rich in moisture to support your cat’s hydration
- Free from artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
- Species-appropriate raw cat food formula
Cons
- Not appropriate for cats with pork or beef allergies
How Much Does Savage Cat Food Cost?
Savage cat food is sold in 3-ounce packets and 12- or 24-ounce tubs. If you purchase the smallest size available, prices range from $0.83 to $1.25 per ounce. Pricing is the same for the chicken and duck recipes while the rabbit & lamb formula is more expensive.
To feed the average 10-pound cat Savage cat food, it would cost between $4.15 and $7.14 per day. You can reduce your costs slightly, however, by purchasing the food in bulk or starting a membership.
Priced per ounce, Savage cat food is more expensive than Darwin’s Natural and RAWZ raw cat food but similarly priced to Smallbatch Pets raw food and Smalls fresh food.
Overall, Is Savage Cat Food a Good Choice?
Savage Cat Food offers a limited range of products but the formulas they do offer are very species-appropriate. All three recipes contain over 50% crude protein measured as dry matter and the fat content ranges from around 23% to 36%.
One thing I appreciate about Savage cat food is that they make an effort to meet a diverse array of dietary needs and preferences. I also like that, in addition to detailed advice for transitioning from different types of cat food, they provide tips for feeding picky eaters, speedy eaters, and special needs cats on their home page.
As a raw cat food, Savage cat is fairly pricey but the quality of the ingredients and the formulation of the food seem to justify the cost. The objective quality of the product seems high, but it is a little concerning that there is a lack of customer reviews online to confirm or refute this assumption.
Where Is Savage Cat Food Sold?
Savage cat food appears to be widely available in independent and specialty pet food stores. You can also order it online through the Savage cat food online shop. If you order through Savage’s online shop, you can place a one-time order or start a membership and receive shipments every 2 to 8 weeks.
