ABOUT ORIJEN
Orijen is a company located in Alberta, Canada. This brand is part of our healthiest cat food list because they use mostly fresh meat in their recipes.
The Orijen cat food formula is made with local ingredients, free-run chicken, turkey, with whole eggs and local caught fish. These ingredients are fresh every day and free of preservative and never frozen. Orijen recipe is full in proteins (80%) and gives to cats a very natural food as they would get it in the nature.
NOTE: Orijen opened new facility in Kentucky creating a new recipe. Check here the review of the new Orijen Cat & Kitten formula made in Kentucky.
ORIJEN CAT AND KITTEN
This formula is made with 80% of meat from free-run chicken and turkey, fresh eggs and wild-caught fish. This recipe containing high meats level is equal to a 42% of protein level which replicates the natural diet of your cat.
The formula also contains 20% of animal fats. Over the 90% of the fats in this recipe occur naturally from high levels of fresh meats from chicken, turkey, fish and eggs.
DHA and EPA is also on this cat food formula. The essential Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids that helps your cat’s immune and nervous system as well as skin and hair coat.
The formula is also grain-free and contains very few amounts of carbohydrates. This cat food contains also taurine, glucosamine and chondroitin, and veterinarian selected botanicals.
Note: Check here the 2016 new formula made at Kentucky.
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude protein (min.) 42 %
Crude fat (min.) 20 %
Crude fiber (max.) 3 %
Moisture (max.) 10 %
Calcium (min./max)1.4 / 1.7 %
Phosphorus (min./max)1.1 / 1.4 %
Omega-6 (min.)3.5 %
Omega-3 (min.)1.2 %
DHA (min.)0.7 %
EPA (min.)0.4 %
Taurine (min.)0.25 %
Magnesium (max.)0.09 %
pH 5
Ash (max.) 8%
Ingredients
Boneless chicken,* chicken meal, chicken liver,* whole herring,* boneless turkey,* turkey meal, turkey liver,* whole eggs,* boneless walleye,* whole salmon,* chicken heart,* chicken cartilage,* herring meal, salmon meal, chicken liver oil, chicken fat, red lentils, green peas, green lentils, sun-cured alfalfa, kelp, pumpkin,* butternut squash,* spinach greens,* carrots,* apples,* pears,* cranberries,* mixed tocopherols (preservative), chicory root, dandelion root, chamomile, peppermint leaf, ginger root, caraway seeds, turmeric, rose hips, freeze-dried chicken liver, freeze-dried turkey liver, freeze-dried chicken, freeze-dried turkey, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product + vitamins and minerals. *delivered fresh and preservative-free
Supplements
Choline Chloride, Vitamin A, vitamin D3, niacin, ribo?avin, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, Sodium Selenite.
ANALYSIS OF FIRST 5 INGREDIENTS OF ORIJEN CAT & KITTEN FORMULA
Boneless chicken: Boneless chicken contains higher weight in water, though, it is well complemented with high concentrated protein in chicken meal. 3 stars
Chicken meal: Excellent concentrated source of protein for cats. Water weight has been extracted. 5 stars
Chicken liver: Good source of iron, essential for production of red cell in blood. Too much it is not good. 3 stars
Whole herring: Excellent source of fatty acids. It is not herring meal so it may add some water on weight and includes all parts of fish. 3 stars
Boneless Turkey: This meat includes water in weight so adds less nutrition in protein. 2 stars.
What are the Pros and Cons of Orijen Cat and Kitten Formula?
Check the best and not so good of this formula for a better decision if this is pet food your cat needs:
PROS
- It contains all the 11 essential aminoacids that cat’s body can’t produce.
- Contains natural fresh local ingredients
- No by-products
- Excellent amount of magnesium (0,09%), preventing urinary tract disease
- 90% of recipe contains fresh meat
- Formula gives to your cat 42% of proteins
- No preservatives on meats
- No frozen meats.
- Healthy fatty acids, Omega 3 and 6.
- Natural botanicals
- Vitamins and minerals
- Very nutrient dense
- GMO free ingredients
CONS
- It is pricey
- Ingredients are subject to local environment, depending on the country.
- Too much iron in Chicken liver may not be good for cats with sensitive stomach.
- Maximum guaranteed Phosphorus of 1.4% is too high.
- First ingredient Boneless Chicken includes water on weight.
CONCLUSION
This is a good meat based cat formula, considering that all dry cat food formulas on the market mix ingredients that are high quality with regular quality.
The average rating based on the first 3 ingredients (which add the most weight over the total formula) is: 3.6 Stars which is a good rate for a dry cat food.
Very Important: As Orijen cat formula is highly concentrated in proteins, it is crucial to feed your cat wet canned food and provide plenty of water when feeding your pet this formula.
This cat recipe contains 100% of all essential aminoacids for your cat’s health. Based on this:
√ I recommend Orijen Cat and Kitten formula:
- For all not overweight cats
- For active cats and kittens
- With a mix diet of dry and wet food
- Making the cat drink lots of water because of the high protein quality of this cat food
x I don’t recommend this cat food:
- For cats with urinary tract disease
- Cats with no activity
- Cats with obesity
- Cats with sensitive stomach (if your cat usually has diarrhea)
ORIJEN 6 FISH CAT NEW FORMULA
This recipe is made with 80% of fresh and wild-caught local fish that represents 42% of proteins needs of your cat. This formula contains 20% of fat that are always from animal sources, with 90% of fats occurring naturally from fresh fish ingredients.
It contains also Omega-3 (DHA, EPA) from fresh fish (1%/0.7%) that is essential for your cat immune and nervous system and also gives nutrients for its skin and hair coat.
This formula is grain-free and few carbohydrate, moderate in calcium and phosphorus, it has natural glucosamine and chondroitin and veterinarian selected botanicals.
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude protein (min.) 42.0%
Crude fat (min.) 20.0%
Crude fiber (max.) 3%
Moisture (max.) 10.0%
Calcium (min./max.) 1.4%/1.7%
Phosphorus (min./max.) 1.1%/1.4%
Ash (max.) 8%
Omega 6 (min.) : 2.5%
Omega-3 (min.) 1.8%
DHA (min.) 1%
EPA (min.) 0.7%
Taurine (min.) 0.25%
Magnesium (max.) 0.09%
pH: 5
Ingredients
Whole salmon*, whole herring*, salmon meal, herring meal, Pollock meal, whole flounder*, boneless walleye*, boneless northern pike*, boneless lake whitefish*, salmon oil, herring oil, chickpeas, red lentils, green lentils, green peas, pea fibre, canola oil, sun-cured alfalfa, pumpkin*, butternut squash*, spinach greens*, carrots*, Red Delicious apples*, Bartlett pears*, cranberries*, mixed tocopheral. * Delivered fresh, preservative-free and never frozen.
Supplements
Choline Chloride, Vitamin A, vitamin D3, niacin, ribo?avin, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, Sodium Selenite.
ANALYSIS OF FIRST 5 INGREDIENTS OF ORIJEN 6 FISH FORMULA:
Whole salmon: Good source of fatty acids. It includes water on weight and it contains all part of the fish. Salmon may add more mercury to the cat diet. 1 star
Whole herring: Good source of proteins and fatty acid. It contains all parts of the fish. 4 stars
Salmon meal: Concentrated protein source for cats but it contains few fatty acids because the oil has been extracted to make the meal. Salmon can add mercury to the cat’s diet. 1 star
Herring meal: Excellent source of proteins. Low fatty acids because has been pressed out to make the meal. 4 stars
Pollock meal: Excellent source of proteins and fatty acids. 5 stars
What are the Pros and Cons of Orijen 6 Fish Formula?
PROS
- It contains all the 11 aminoacids cats need.
- Fresh local ingredients
- It does not contain by-products
- 90% fresh meat
- Guaranteed analysis of 42% of proteins
- No frozen fish
- Healthy fatty acids, Omega 3 and 6.
- With botanicals to support digestion
- With vitamins and minerals
- GMO free ingredients
CONS
- Ingredients are subject to the environment where the food is manufactured.
- Salmon adds mercury to the cat’s diet.
- Price
CONCLUSION
Orijen 6 fish cat formula contains good source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The first ingredient is whole salmon which, even though it is natural wild caught salmon and it contains minimum amounts of mercury, this still adds mercury to the cat’s diet.
The average rating based on the first 3 ingredients is: 2.0 Stars which is not a good rate. The formula contains 100% of all aminoacids cats need, but salmon could not be good as a base-diet. Based on this:
x It’s better to go for the Chicken formula since salmon in that recipe it’s much further down the list of ingredients.
Hello.
I have a male British Shorthair, almost 3 years old. I feed him with Orijen Cat&Kitten and Orijen 6 Fish since he was 9 months old. In addition I mix his meals with wet canned food (brand: Bozita) from time to time. He was castrate when he was 9-10 months old and since then has very strong appetite. Nowadays he weighs 9 kg and has very fluffy belly because he has no activity. When he passed the 8th kilos I started to measure his daily portion and gave him 80 grams per day, separated to 3 or 4 meals depending on which day of the week it is. I am worried he is overweighted and it may not be good for his health. I think I need to change his dry food because he is not an outdoor cat and doenst have that much activity. Also I’m very confused because till now I believed that Orijen was the best food that I can give him. It is made of real meet, no by- products, no grain and as I read here, has all the 11 amino acids he needs. I understand that high levels of protein in dry food is not good for inactive cats but besides proteins and good fats what do I have left- carbohydrates? – this is even worse!
I would like to feed him with good food, price doesnt matter. Quality is the main priority for me. Can you give me any advice?
Paulina, proteins are not bad for cats, with highly concentrated in protein cat foods such as Orijen and an inactive cat such as yours you have to make sure to feed him less amount of dry food (small amount is enough protein) and more canned food. Also, get a water fountain to encourage him to drink more water and make sure to get chew treats for his teeth. I need to mention that indoor cats always need to do some exercise, you need to play with him on a daily basis. Hope that helps!
I read that cats should really only eat wet food since they are constantly in need of water with their diet. Why do you recomend that no water be added to your cat & kitten dry cat food?
Hi Ian, the added water in the meats that are on first positions on lists of cat foods means the weight of the water is reflected in the weight of the meat which increases wrongly the proportion of meat in the total formula (so the % or protein) because this water is inside the meat when weighing this meat but then this meat is cooked and that water does not exist anymore consequently that proportion in the total formula (less protein). As you see, this has nothing to do with water in cat’s diet which I have been constantly recommending, providing as much water as possible, feeding wet food to add more water in the diet and dry food for protein levels and teeth. I hope I explained myself better, thanks for visiting Ian!
I am interested in the last cat owner, as I have 2 senior cats with hyperthyroid. And a 3rd semi-feral cat about 3 years old. I decided to try Orijen because my roommate is feeding it to her service dog formerly with bad ear infections. Problem solved! One of the senior cats has been nibbling on the dog’s food & I thought – why not try it for them? My Vet said the seniors need high protein & this has that & a more natural feline diet. I’d like to know why the vet wants you to stop the Orijen?
Hi, I have a 3 year old cat who has developed a food allergy causing him to have itchy skin and excessive grooming. Since this food is grain free would it be the right food for him?
Hi Samantha, make sure to discard a flea problem with your cat. Usually cat owners think their cats have allergy to foods when in reality they have a stubborn case of fleas. If fleas are discarded you need to start feeding different formulas avoiding one single ingredient and wait for a week to see the reaction of your cat. When a cat developes a allergic reaction to food could be associated to fish or seafood, beef, corn, soy, dairy products and gluten.
I have two cats, 1 male and 1 female, who have recently stopped eating their current food which was by Purina. I am now trying them on a bunch of other stuff including some hollistic foods like Blue Buffalo and Merrick even. They didn’t touch the Blue and only 1 of them is eating the Merrick. I have some cans of Wellness to try them on, but I don’t know what to do. Any advice would be helpful?
Any food from the top list would be better. I highly suggest you to try Petcurean, that’s the one I feed my cat. You must also feed your cats wet food and provide plenty of fresh water every day. For more tips of what wet food, treats, feeding schedule and more you can subscribe to download my free e-book “How I feed My Cat Sophie, Tricks & Tips”.
My cat started vomiting a lot and being lethargic, I did some research and realised you cant feed a cat on grains: lamb with peas and rice or chicken, carrots and potato might sound good for us but cats need whole prey: organs, cartilage, muscle, skin etc. So I tried origen because i’m not going to keep frozen mice and rodents in my freezer. origen has changed my cat, in 13 years her coat has never been so soft, she never vomits now unless she’s eaten a lizard or something caught out in the garden, and she actually has more energy and has started going out at night hunting again like she did when she was a young cat, so her energy levels are health are much better. It took 6 months to see all the good effects of a great diet. Some complain origen is expensive, but the meat and fish is graded for humans so it’s well priced for me. The other complaint about it being dry food not wet, well i give my cat a huge glass flower vase full of fresh water, changed every 12 hours, and she loves drinking from that, maybe because it’s about 15 cm high with water filled to the brim, you just need to find what your cat likes drinking from and problem solved.
I am very confused about the ingredients in orijen cat & kiten. they are different then both of your reviews my bags first five ingredients are deboned chicken,deboned turkey, yellowtail flounder,whole eggs,whole atlantic mackeral. What is your opinion now. I want my kitten to be healthy and I’m getting confused. Also the petcurean you recommend lists potato flour , potato, peas and canola oil in the first 5. How can that be good? Please help
Mike
Hello Mike, Orijen has currently two formulas, the one made in Kentucky, USA and the Canadian. The original Canadian formula doesn’t exist anymore. On my page you will find the first formula (unavailable), the American formula and the Canadian. The ingredients you just mentioned belong to the formula made in Kentucky, click here to check the review.
Regarding the GO formula I recommend, I don’t know where you got those ingredients but you can see on my review they are: Chicken meal, de-boned chicken, de-boned turkey, duck meal, turkey meal.
I hope I explained myself well and you will find a good formula for your kitty. My best wishes.
Is the Canadian formula not available at all anymore…not even in the larger size packages?
I couldn’t state 100% that is not available anywhere but I am pretty sure is not available in most places. The new Canadian formula replaced the old one.
Hello Lorena,
We have a 2 year old Donskoy & a 5 month old Peterbald. Currently Aron (Donskoy) has only been receiving organic wet food and some raw organic chicken filets (he loves them). Reason being we have not really found a dry food for him, but also we are not sure if it is even necessary. The breeder of the Peterbald has been giving him Orijen. Would you recommend this brand for them for in between meals to occasionally snack on? Or would wet food and treats (in the form of dried meat) be better? Should we avoid dry food altogether? Your recommendation is something we greatly look forward too. Thank you!
Hi David & Tatiana, when it comes to choosing the best diet for the cat, it is mainly a personal option concluded by personal investigation. In my case, I decided to feed my cat wet and dry food and she does great with it. However, each cat owner must decide what they prefer their cats to eat and checking on how the cat does with the diet. If your cats do great with the current diet, I don’t recommend you to change it. I would recommend however wash your cat’s teeth periodically if you decide not to feed your cats dry food. Regarding dry food, you can download my free e-book where I explain what dry food and wet food I feed my cat and her feeding schedule. I hope that helps!
What would be the best choice dry food that is as good for obese cats? Can you do a review on that please or give me an email?
I have Orijen fit and trim and that is too fattening enough as well.
Hello Helen, currently I am doing a rotational feeding for my cat and I must say she is slim and hasn’t gained any weight. Check out the review of Wild Calling Turkey and Sweet Potatoes. Hope that helps!
Thank you so much!! I will definitely look into that. Isn’t Potato too starch rich or something?
One more thing would be what would be the best cat wet food for reasonable price range. I know Halo, Ziwi, Nature’s logic etc.
I personally feed my cat Wellness Healthy Indulgence, morsels in a gravy. Chicken and Turkey. She loves the gravy (which is the point of wet food, the moisture) and the morsels provide good protein. Hope that helps!
Sweet potatoes contain starch but they are low glycemic carbs which means they don’t cause peaks in the blood sugar which is the main concern of starchy foods. That recipe is gluten free and grain free as well.