Published Sep 16, 2022
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
Our Review Process
Our reviews are based on extensive research and, when possible, hands-on testing. Each time you make a purchase through one of our independently-chosen links, we’ll receive a percentage of the proceeds. Read more about how we’re supported here.We’ve rated Wild Harvest cat food on ingredient quality, species-appropriateness, recalls, and more. Read our Wild Harvest cat food review to learn how this brand stacks up.
The Cats.com Standard—Rating Wild Harvest 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 – 7/10
- Ingredient Quality – 8/10
- Product Variety – 6/10
- Price – 8/10
- Customer Experience – 7/10
- Recall History – 8/10
Overall Score: 7.3/10
In total, we give Wild Harvest cat food a 44 out of 60 rating or a B grade.
About Wild Harvest Cat Food
Wild Harvest offers a wide selection of over 600 different food and household goods, including pet food. The company offers a “free from” promise, guaranteeing that their products aren’t made with any of “the ingredients you don’t want or need.” While over 65% of Wild Harvest products are organic, their pet foods are not.
All Wild Harvest cat foods are free from corn, wheat, and soy ingredients as well as by-product meals, artificial colors, and synthetic flavors. According to the brand’s packaging, Wild Harvest believes that it’s just as important for pet foods to be free from these ingredients as it is for them to include high-quality animal proteins, whole grains, veggies, and fruits.
Sourcing And Manufacturing
The Wild Harvest brand was launched in 2008 and appears to be manufactured and distributed by United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI), a private label program that makes organic and specialty human food brands like Woodstock and Field Day Organic. UNFI is based in Providence, Rhode Island.
In March of 2021, UNFI announced a relaunch complete with redesigned packaging. According to an article published on SupermarketNews.com, “Wild Harvest’s new package design emphasizes the brand’s commitment to organic farming and use of sustainable and safe ingredients.”
Amanda Helming, UNFI’s chief marketing officer commented that the brand hadn’t had a significant update since 2014 and that the new packaging is “about keeping up the quality of the products but communicating it more effectively and making it clear and easy again for parents and families to make that choice, versus having to read and guess.”
Wild Harvest cat foods are made in the USA with both domestic and foreign ingredients. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find any information more specific than that. The Wild Harvest website provides minimal information about their products and the product packaging doesn’t go into detail either.
Recall History
It doesn’t appear that Wild Harvest has had any cat food recalls, though there is one dog food recall in the brand’s recent history. In July 2021, Sunshine Mills, Inc. recalled several dog food products for potentially elevated levels of aflatoxin. The Wild Harvest recipe affected was their Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe dry dog food.
What Kinds Of Cat Food Does Wild Harvest Offer?
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
The Wild Harvest brand produces both wet and dry foods for cats. Fresh meat, poultry, or fish come first on every list of ingredients, and the brand offers both grain-free and grain-inclusive cat foods.
Wild Harvest’s cat food selection is limited to the following recipes:
- Chicken & Beef Recipe canned cat food
- Grain-Free Chicken & Whitefish Recipe canned cat food
- Grain-Free Shredded Chicken in Gravy Recipe canned cat food
- Grain-Free Shredded Salmon in Gravy Recipe canned cat food
- Grain-Free Turkey & Giblets Recipe canned cat food
- Chicken, Brown Rice & Egg Recipe dry cat food
- Salmon, Brown Rice & Sweet Potato Recipe dry cat food
- Grain-Free Chicken Recipe dry cat food
Wild Harvest markets their dry recipes as “premium” cat food and their canned recipes as “ultra-premium.” The front of each label features a callout that highlights the fact that these foods are made with “simple wholesome ingredients” as well as a list of poor-quality ingredients the recipe is free from (like corn, wheat, and soy).
What Do Customers Think of Wild Harvest Cat Food?
Wild Harvest is largely a grocery store brand, so it was difficult to find much customer feedback online for their cat food products. Because their bird and small animal foods are so popular, however, I was able to get a sense for the Wild Harvest brand through Chewy and Amazon reviews of these products.
Customers seem to appreciate the brand’s affordable price, though there appears to be some discrepancy between the product pictured on the packaging and the composition of the product itself – particularly for Wild Harvest bird foods.
There are also numerous concerns about the quality of Wild Harvest small animal foods. Their hamster food, for example, contains artificial additives. Fortunately, Wild Harvest cat foods appear to be of higher quality given that they’re made with whole-food ingredients and free from artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.
What Did Our Test Cats Think?
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
Though I had some trouble obtaining Wild Harvest cat food, the products themselves went over well with my cats. As is true for many of the brands I’ve tried, I wasn’t able to test Wild Harvest with all three of my cats because Biscuit is allergic to chicken. Both Bagel and Munchkin, however, seemed to enjoy it.
I found that the Wild Harvest shredded salmon wet food looked very similar to brands like Friskies. The dry food kibbles were appropriately sized for cats, though they are a little thicker than some I’ve tested. I imagine it has to do with the high carb content of the food. Protein-heavy dry foods tend to be a little more compact.
Wild Harvest Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Main Protein Source | Calories | Price | Our Grade |
| Wild Harvest Chicken, Brown Rice & Egg Recipe Dry Cat Food | Dry | Chicken | 366 kcal/cup | $0.17 per oz | B- |
| Wild Harvest Grain-Free Chicken Recipe Dry Cat Food | Dry | Chicken | 357 kcal/cup | $0.17 per oz | C+ |
| Wild Harvest Grain-Free Shredded Salmon in Gravy Recipe Canned Food | Wet | Salmon | 142 kcal/5.5-ounce can | $0.27 per oz | B+ |
#1 Wild Harvest Chicken, Brown Rice & Egg Recipe Dry Cat Food
This dry food formula features fresh chicken as the primary ingredient with supplemental protein from chicken meal, turkey meal, fish meal, and dried egg product. The top three ingredients are all animal-based, though they’re followed by three carbohydrates before the main sourced of added fat, chicken fat.
Peas are an ingredient I prefer to avoid in cat food not only because they are starchy and high in carbohydrates. They’re also difficult for cats to digest due to their phytate and lectin content.
While a species-appropriate diet for cats is low in carbohydrates, cats do have some ability to digest and absorb nutrition from whole grains like brown rice and oatmeal. The total carb content of this recipe is, unfortunately, very high – over 40% on a dry matter basis.
Overall, this is a moderate-protein, low-fat, high-carbohydrate dry food free from artificial additives as well as corn, wheat, and soy ingredients.
Ingredients
Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Whole Ground Brown Rice, Peas, Oatmeal, Chicken Fat, Natural Chicken Flavor, Fish Meal, Dried Egg Product, Taurine, Calcium Sulfate, Salt, Dl-Methionine, Dried Kelp, Dried Cranberries, Dried Blueberries, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Zinc Polysaccharide Complex, Iron Polysaccharide Complex, Manganese Polysaccharide Complex and Copper Polysaccharide Complex, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Reuteri Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Animalis Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product.
| Ingredients We Liked | Ingredients We Didn’t Like | Common Allergens |
| Chicken
Chicken Meal Turkey Meal Chicken Fat Fish Meal Dried Egg Product |
Peas | Chicken |
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Three high-quality animal proteins top the list
- Free from corn, wheat, and soy ingredients
- Relies primarily on animal-based fat
- Supplemented with probiotics to improve digestion
Cons
- No dry food provides the moisture your cat needs
- Very high carbohydrate content
#2 Wild Harvest Grain-Free Chicken Recipe Dry Cat Food
This grain-free dry food is chicken-based like the previous recipe, but the list of ingredients is a little shorter. It’s also a little higher in moisture, protein, and fat.
Like the previous formula, this recipe starts with three animal-based proteins, and it primarily relies on animal-based fats like chicken fat and fish oil. Peas make the list again, along with chickpeas which are equally problematic for cats in terms of digestion and limited nutritional value.
Many grain-free pet foods are loaded with carbohydrates due to frequent inclusions of beans, legumes, and pulses. This Wild Harvest recipe is no different, though it is a little lower in carbs than the first recipe. It contains under 40% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis.
Ingredients
Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Chicken Fat, Flaxseed, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Natural Chicken Flavor, Taurine, Fish Oil, Dried Carrots, Dried Blueberries, Dried Cranberries, Dried Apples, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Choline Chloride, Niacin, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Folic Acid, Biotin.
| Ingredients We Liked | Ingredients We Didn’t Like | Common Allergens |
| Chicken
Chicken Meal Turkey Meal Chicken Fat Fish Oil |
Peas
Chickpeas |
Chicken |
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Fresh chicken and two poultry meals top the list
- Relies on animal-based fat from chicken fat and fish oil
- Doesn’t contain any by-product meals or filler grains
- Free from artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
Cons
- No dry food provides the moisture your cat needs
- Very high carbohydrate content
#3 Wild Harvest Grain-Free Shredded Salmon in Gravy Recipe Canned Food
This wet food formula from Wild Harvest features fresh salmon and chicken as the primary ingredients, supplemented with additional protein from chicken liver and eggs. The first five ingredients are all animal-based and there’s only one significant source of added carbohydrate.
While this recipe is much higher in hydrating moisture than Wild Harvest’s dry foods, the carb content is still higher than I’d like to see, around 25% on a dry matter basis.
As promised, this formula doesn’t contain any corn, wheat, or soy ingredients. It’s free from by-product meals as well as artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. Other than potato starch which offers limited nutritional value to cats, the only concerning ingredient is guar gum.
Canned pet foods are often made with gums which help stabilize and thicken the food. Though generally considered safer than carrageenan, gum thickeners like guar gum have been associated with digestive upset in some cats.
Ingredients
Fish Broth, Salmon, Chicken, Chicken Liver, Dried Egg White, Potato Starch, Guar Gum, Natural Flavor, Salt, Dried Egg Product, Sodium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Sodium Selenite, Potassium Iodide, Choline Chloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Taurine, Calcium Carbonate.
| Ingredients We Liked | Ingredients We Didn’t Like | Common Allergens |
| Salmon
Chicken Chicken Liver Dried Egg White Dried Egg Product |
Potato Starch
Guar Gum |
Fish
Chicken |
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- First five ingredients are all animal-based
- Rich in moisture to support your cat’s hydration
- Free from corn, wheat, and soy ingredients
- Doesn’t contain artificial colors or flavorings
Cons
- Contains some starchy plant ingredients
- Guar gum may contribute to GI upset in some cats
How Much Does Wild Harvest Cat Food Cost?
As a private label brand, Wild Harvest is similar to brands like Aldi’s Heart to Tail and PetCo’s WholeHearted. Wild Harvest falls in the same price range as Target’s Kindfull, around $0.17 per ounce for dry foods and $0.27 per ounce for wet foods.
To feed a 10-pound cat Wild Harvest dry food, it would cost about $0.33 per day. It’s more expensive to feed your cat Wild Harvest wet food, around $2.09 per day.
Overall, Is Wild Harvest Cat Food A Good Choice?
Grocery store pet food brands typically aren’t the most species appropriate options on the market. They’re typically formulated for affordability rather than quality. Wild Harvest may be on the cheaper end of the pricing spectrum, but it is higher in quality than some of the similarly priced brands mentioned above.
Not only does every Wild Harvest recipe start with a source of animal-based protein, but all recipes are free from by-product meals, corn, wheat, soy, and artificial additives. This brand’s formulas are pretty high in carbohydrates (especially the dry foods), but they’re not a bad option if you’re looking for something modestly priced and available in local groceries and drugstores.
Where Is Wild Harvest Cat Food Sold?
Wild Harvest products are sold in over 3,300 grocery retail stores around the country as well as about 1,200 drugstores. When it comes to their pet food products, the easiest ones to find are their formulations for birds and small pets.
Wild Harvest cat food and dog food isn’t sold by major pet stores or online retailers like Chewy and Amazon. You may be able to find it at your local grocery or drug store, or you might be able to order it through Instacart or similar services. I purchased the Wild Harvest canned food I tested from Walmart and the dry food from Wadaaa.com.
