Earthborn Holistic Primitive Feline Cat Food Review

High-in-proteins dry cat foods are usually expensive. That’s why I decided to review Earthborn Holistic Primitive cat food because I saw the price tag is not that expensive and I noticed the formula was high in proteins. I discovered things I liked about this formula and things I didn’t. I also concluded for what type of cat this formula works better.

Earthborn Cat Food Ingredients:

Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chicken Fat (Preserved with mixed Tocopherols), Pea Starch, Pea Protein, Flaxseed, Natural Flavors, Pea Fiber, Dried Eggs, Pacific Whiting Meal, Apples, Blueberries, Cranberries, Carrots, Spinach, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Taurine, L-Lysine, DL-Methionine, Calcium Sulfate, L-Carnitine, Beta Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Zinc Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Rosemary Extract, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product.

Caloric Content

3,755 kcal/kg, 395 kcal/cup (18.5% Carbohydrate content on an as fed basis; 20.1% on a dry matter basis).

Guaranteed Analysis

CRUDE PROTEIN 40.0% min – CRUDE FAT 18.0% min – CRUDE FIBER 3.0% max – MOISTURE 10.0% max – CALCIUM 1.2% min – PHOSPHORUS 1.0% min – MAGNESIUM 0.1% max – VITAMIN E 300 IU/kg min – TAURINE 0.2% min – ASCORBIC ACID 100 mg/kg min – OMEGA-6 FATTY ACIDS 3.45% min – OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS 0.8% min

ANALYSIS OF FIRST 5 INGREDIENTS OF EARTHBORN HOLISTIC CAT FOOD

Turkey Meal: 4 stars. A concentrated source of proteins but with lower protein content than chicken. Cholesterol is a little higher in turkey than chicken.
Chicken Meal: 5 stars. Chicken meat that has been cooked, dry, and pulverized, providing a high content of protein for cats.
Peas: 5 stars. Good source of vegetable protein, carbohydrates, and fiber with a low glycemic index.
Chicken Fat (Preserved with mixed Tocopherols): 4 stars. Good source of energy and flavor for cats, preserved with vitamin E. Animal fats are much better than oils for cats.
Pea Starch: 3 stars. Much better than corn or potato starch. Improves the metabolic status of cats. Good source of energy.

Kibble type

Very small rounded. May not work great with some gravity feeders. Usually, small round kibble works excellent with automatic food dispensers, providing the accuracy needed in portions.

What I like about Earthborn Holistic cat food:

• No grains or soy. No gluten.
• It contains chicken fat instead of vegetable oils. Chicken fat is a better source of energy for cats than oils.
• Decent Phosphorus level of 1.0%
• Good amount of magnesium 1.0%
• Good content of Vitamin E. Vitamin E is good for the cat’s muscles, blood circulation, immune system, it gives cats a shiny coat and improves the cat’s skin.
• All the ingredients in Earthborn Holistic Primitive cat food are grown or produced in the US. The exception is lamb meal which comes from Australia and flaxseed that is grown in Canada.
• Most cats love the taste of this food, even the pickiest cats adopt this food quickly.
• It helps cats with stomach sensitivities
• Good for kittens and adult cats
• Bag with a Velcro strip to seal the food tightly
• Good value for money. You get high-in-protein cat food for a lower price than most brands.

What I don’t like about this cat food:

• The content of chicken fat is a little low. It could be 20% or higher.
• Ash level is 9.4% a little on the high side. Too much ash could limit the absorption of nutrients. That’s why the formula has flaxseed as the 7th ingredient to boost the absorption of vitamins and minerals by adding fiber. The word “ash” doesn’t tell much about its content, but as the Phosphorus and Magnesium levels aren’t high, we must assume it’s from other sources, such as calcium or iron.
• Omega fatty acids come mostly from flaxseed and not from fish oil. Fish oil is a better source of fatty acids for cats than Flaxseed. However, flaxseed helps cats with stomach sensitivities.
• Calcium sulfate is a synthetic ingredient. In some instances, calcium sulfate serves as a firming agent in the pet food industry rather than a calcium supplement.

My Conclusion

My good conclusion: This is a protein-dense cat food with good palatability because most cats love the taste of this food and eat it with no problem. Also, this cat food improves the digestion of some cats with stomach sensitivities.

My bad conclusion: The main downfall of this formula is the fact that it contains Calcium Sulfate. This synthetic form of gypsum or Plaster or Paris serves as firm agent in the food industry rather than as a supplement. Also, this formula doesn’t contain omega-3 from fish sources which is the most suitable form of fatty acid for cats.

Bottom Line

All in all, I can’t place this formula among the best cat food reviews due to my bad conclusion about this recipe. However, if you still want to give this formula a try, I suggest the following:

If you have a male cat:

Due to the little higher ash content, I would suggest feeding your male cat small portions, complementing it with wet food. Also, provide an automatic water fountain for your cat to increase his water consumption so it can eliminate the excess minerals in the urine.

If you have a large cat or a cat with bigger jaws:

Your cat may not adopt this cat food, due to the kibble size that is tiny. Some cats with bigger jaws have a hard time trying to chew the food, the kibble falls off their mouth when they’re trying to chew it.

If your cat is 7 years old or older:

This cat food may not be suitable. Older cats need more fat content in their diets due to a lack of proper absorption of fat over time (source petcoach.co).