Nulo Freestyle Chicken & Cod Cat Food Review

Nulo Freestyle Chicken & Cod recipe is a dry formula that provides your cat the necessary proteins without excess carbohydrates. The formula is grain-free and with 83% animal-based proteins with grain-free chicken and cod provide a flavor that most cats like. Nulo provides cats a good source of proteins without containing too many calories.

FEATURES

• Grain-free: The formula doesn’t contain grains, white potatoes, or tapioca.
• Lower in carbs and with low glycemic ingredients.
• Animal source of protein represents 83% of the total formula.
• The kibble is small and disk shape, easier for cats to chew.
• Kibble has a texture and taste that cats love.
• Patented BC30 probiotic supports gastrointestinal health in cats.
• Omega 3 & 6: these essential fatty acids enhance the health of the skin and promote a shiny coat.
• The recipe provides cats the energy they need to stay active with better carbohydrate options, such as lentils and peas.
• Vitamins A, C & E, and minerals to support your cat’s body functions
• Taurine to support eyes and heart health
• Guarantee: If your cat doesn’t like Nulo, you can bring the unused portions, packaging, and receipt back to the place of purchase for a full refund.

INGREDIENTS

Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Deboned Cod, Whole Peas, Lentils, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols & Citric Acid), Natural Flavor, Pea Fiber, Ground Flax-seed, Dried Chicory Root, Dried Kelp, Dried Sweet Potato, Dried Cranberries, Calcium Carbonate, DL-Methionine, Taurine, Zinc Proteinate, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Iron Proteinate, Niacin Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Manganese Proteinate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Sodium Selenite, Riboflavin Supplement, Dried Bacillus coagulans Fermentation Product, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract.

CALORIE CONTENT

(ME calculated) 3,868 kcal/kg, 486 kcal/cup

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS

Crude Protein (Min): 40.0% – Crude Fat (Min): 20.0% – Crude Fiber (Max): 4.0% – Moisture (Max): 10.0% – Calcium (Min): 1.10% – Phosphorus (Min) 0.9% – Vitamin A (Min): 2,250 IU/kg – Vitamin E (Min): 300 IU/kg – Taurine (Min): 0.2% – Omega 6 Fatty Acids* (Min): 3.40% – Omega 3 Fatty Acids* (Min): 0.55% – Asboric Acid (Vitamin C)* (Min): 65 mg/kg – Bacillus coagulans (Min): 80,000,000 CFU/lb

* Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles.

Contains a source of viable naturally occurring microorganisms.

ANALYSIS OF FIRST 5 INGREDIENTS OF NULO FREESTYLE CHICKEN & COD

Deboned Chicken: 3 stars. Deboned could be understood as higher quality,  but deboned meat is filled with water. This raw meat has been weighed before being cooked which means water adds weight to the proportion of the formula.
Chicken Meal: 5 stars. Meal means the meat has been cooked to high temperature and pulverized, adding high amounts of protein to the formula. Chicken is an excellent source of proteins for cats.
Turkey Meal: 4 stars. Meal indicates turkey meat has been cooked and pulverized which means it’s a concentrated source of proteins.
Deboned Cod: 4 stars. This is a good protein alternative to add further down the list of ingredients.
Whole Peas: 5 stars. This is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates, vegetable protein, and fiber.

What are the Pros and Cons of Nulo Freestyle Chicken & Cod recipe?

Main advantages and disadvantages of Nulo cat food so you can decide with key information:

PROS

• Low glycemic formula without grains, white potatoes, rice, or tapioca.
• With 83% animal-based proteins (no vegetable proteins)
• Peas and lentils included in the formula are the most suitable complex carbs for cats
• Only one fish source of protein in the formula
• With Omega 3 & 6
• Vitamins and minerals to maintain a healthy cat’s body functions
• Phosphorus is lower than 1% (min)

CONS

• Cod has moderate levels of mercury (but it’s further down on the list)
• The formula doesn’t list all the essential amino acids on the Guaranteed Analysis

CONCLUSION

Nulo Freestyle Chicken & Cod is in general a good formula for cats. The largest part of a cat food formula is represented by the first 5 ingredients. However, I like to consider the first 3 ingredients to rate a cat food to measure the actual quality of proteins. The average rate of this cat food considering the 3 first ingredients is 4 stars, which is very good, though the recipe only lists 2 of the 11 essential amino acids (Methionine and Taurine). Only Taurine is listed on the Guaranteed Analysis.

A good point of this cat food is that Phosphorus is 0.9% (lower than 1%), which is good because it prevents the formation of crystals in the cat’s urine.

VERY IMPORTANT

As I’ve stated in previous reviews it’s not healthy to feed cats only dry food. The feline diet must be complemented with wet food and provide cats plenty of fresh water available at all times. Also, check the recommended amounts of food according to your cat’s age and weight. Overeating also increases the risk of diseases.

BOTTOM LINE

Nulo Chicken & Cod is very good cat food for a maintenance diet. This is a good cat food to switch in between to avoid allergies in cats. I’ve done that with my cat with excellent results. Also, this is a good formula to use in a mixed diet (dry and wet food) as long as you feed your cat more wet food proportionally.

If you are interested in searching for other high-in-protein brands, check my list of cat food reviews.