Picking out the right cat food for your feline buddy can be quite a task, particularly because there are so many different brands available to choose from. Also, do you even know exactly what you are feeding your cat from the cat food that you buy? In this article, we will take a closer look at one of the popular cat food brands out there - Orijen Cat Food. We will weigh in on their top products and take a close look at the company itself. Thus, if you are a buyer of Orijen Cat Food or interested in purchasing any of their cat food products, then this unbiased review is for you.

Orijen Cat Food Review

1 ORIJEN Cat & Kitten Grain-Free Dry Cat Food

ORIJEN Cat & Kitten Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
Key features:
  • Brand: ORIJEN
  • First 5 ingredients: Chicken, Turkey, Whole Mackerel, Turkey Giblets, Flounder
  • Primary Proteins: Chicken, Turkey
  • Calories: 515 kcal/cup
  • Flavor: Turkey, Mackerel, Chicken, Poultry, Seafood & Fish
  • Life Stage: All

Let’s start off with Orijen Cat And Kitten Dry Cat Food Cat And Kitten Recipe as it is also our pick for the best choice. This cat food formulation is made with high-protein, premium quality meat, and is manufactured in the United States of America. It is available in three different sizes to choose from – 4 pounds, 12 pounds, and 12 ounces. Its main ingredients are sourced from three different protein sources – free-run chicken and turkey, wild-caught fish, and nest-laid eggs. Thus, when it comes to protein, Orijen Cat And Kitten Dry Cat Food offers everything your cat needs. Plus, it is ideal both for your adult cat as well as kittens. This Orijen cat and kitten recipe is rich in a balanced diet as it also contains other essential vitamins and minerals that your cat will need. Its special formulation contains no grain products as it offers a 90% animal-based products. This makes it when it comes to nourishing your cat as cats are natural carnivores that require a high amount of high-quality animal-based protein to help fuel their lean muscles. All the ingredients are raw and from their natural sources. This recipe contains no artificial flavors, colorants, artificial preservatives, or additives. It also comes with 20% carbohydrates content. To see how it stacks up to the competition, see our article on the best food for kittens.

Ingredients:

Chicken, Turkey, Whole Mackerel, Turkey Giblets (Liver, Heart, Gizzard), Flounder, Chicken Liver, Whole Herring, Eggs, Dehydrated Chicken, Dehydrated Turkey, Dehydrated Mackerel, Dehydrated Chicken Liver, Dehydrated Egg, Chicken Fat, Whole Red Lentils, Whole Pinto Beans, Whole Peas, Whole Green Lentils, Whole Chickpeas, Natural Chicken Flavor, Whole Navy Beans, Pollock Oil, Lentil Fiber, Pea Starch, Chicken Heart, Choline Chloride, Dried Kelp, Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Proteinate, Whole Cranberry, Whole Pumpkin, Whole Butternut Squash, Collard Greens, Whole Apples, Whole Pear, Freeze-Dried Chicken, Freeze-Dried Turkey, Copper Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Dried Chicory Root, Turmeric, Sarsaparilla Root, Althea Root, Rosehips, Juniper Berries, Citric Acid (Preservative), Rosemary Extract, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Animalis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product.

What others say about it:
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My cat loves the taste of this food. He was eating Blue Buffalo before and there would always be food left in his bowl. NOT anymore! This brand is new to me, but after reading the reviews I gave it a shot. I’m on auto-delivery now.

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2 ORIJEN Regional Red Grain-Free Dry Cat Food

ORIJEN Regional Red Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
Key features:
  • Brand: ORIJEN
  • First 5 ingredients: Beef, Pork, Whole Mackerel, Beef Liver, Wild Boar
  • Primary Proteins: Beef & Pork
  • Calories: 510 kcal/cup
  • Flavor: Beef, Pork, Whole Mackerel
  • Life Stage: All

Up next, we have the Orijen Cat And Kitten Dry Cat Food Regional Red Recipe. This special formulation is available in three different sizes to choose from – 4 pounds, 12 pounds, and 12 ounces. Just our pick for the best choice, Orijen Cat And Kitten Dry Cat Food, is also made with high-quality protein sourced from natural sources and forms at least 80% of the whole recipe. These high-quality whole animal-based proteins are mainly from grass-fed lamb and Yorkshire pork. It is also sourced from wild-caught mackerel, wild boar, ranch-raised beef and boer goat. Thus, this recipe provides an excellent source of high-quality proteins that will meet your cat’s needs. The main difference between this Orijen Cat And Kitten Dry Cat Food and our pick for the best choice is the type of protein content. Whereas the latter is sourced from high-quality poultry sources, this one does not include any poultry. However, both recipes make use of raw and natural ingredients without any artificial additions. Moreover, both recipes will provide all the protein your cat needs to fuel its lean muscles. Plus, this recipe is also ideal for both your adult cat as well as kittens. Thus, it can be used as a transitional diet as your kittens grow into adulthood.

Ingredients:

Beef, Pork, Whole Mackerel, Beef Liver, Wild Boar, Goat, Lamb, Lamb Liver, Beef Tripe, Wild Boar Liver, Mutton, Goat Meal, Beef Meal, Lamb Meal, Mackerel Meal, Beef Kidney, Mutton Meal, Whitefish Meal, Whole Red Lentils, Whole Pinto Beans, Beef Fat, Herring Meal, Natural Fish Flavor, Whole Peas, Whole Green Lentils, Whole Navy Beans, Whole Chickpeas, Pollock Oil, Pea Starch, Lentil Fiber, Pork Liver, Pork Kidney, Lamb Tripe, Lamb Kidney, Wild Boar Heart, Choline Chloride, Dried Kelp, Whole Pumpkin, Whole Butternut Squash, Collard Greens, Whole Apples, Whole Pears, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), Freeze-Dried Beef, Freeze-Dried Lamb, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Dried Chicory Root, Turmeric, Sarsaparilla Root, Althea Root, Rosehips, Juniper Berries, Citric Acid (Preservative), Rosemary Extract, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Animalis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product.

What others say about it:
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My cat Guinness absolutely loves this food or you could even say he is addicted to it! 🙂 He gives so many excited high pitch meows when he knows it’s dry food time. I try to feed my kitties the best quality food because they are very important to me and part of the family. I feel like I can really trust Orijen and their high quality food that they make sure to put into their kibble to make sure your kitties are getting the best nutrition!

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3 ORIJEN Fit & Trim Grain-Free Dry Cat Food

ORIJEN Fit & Trim Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
Key features:
  • Brand: ORIJEN
  • First 5 ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Liver, Whole Herring, Turkey, Turkey Giblets
  • Primary Proteins: Chicken & Turkey
  • Calories: 444 kcal/cup
  • Flavor: Chicken
  • Life Stage: Adult

Moving, we have the Orijen Fit And Trim High-Protein, Adult Dry Food, which is also our pick for the best value. It is available in four sizes to choose from – 4.5 pounds, 12 ounces, 13 pounds, and 25 pounds. Just as its name suggests, Orijen Fit And Trim High-Protein, Adult Dry Food, comes with a recipe that is specially formulated to keep your adult feline buddy in top physical condition. It is made from a combination of high-quality free-run chicken and turkey, wild-caught fish, and cage-free eggs. To keep your cat in optimum physical condition, it needs the right blend of a diet rich and varied animal protein combination. And, this is just what Orijen Fit And Trim High-Protein, Adult Dry Food offers. Loaded with 40%, Orijen Fit And Trim High-quality protein, Adult Dry Food is delivered in richly nourishing WholePrey ratios. With a unique blend of soluble fiber from fresh whole pumpkin, apples, and squash, Orijen Fit And Trim High-Protein, Adult Dry Food produces peak physical conditioning in all adult cats. It is also rich in essential nutrients such as omega 3 and 6 fatty acids as well as fiber, moisture, calcium, phosphorus, as well as dietary starch.

Ingredients:

Chicken, Chicken Liver, Whole Herring, Turkey, Turkey Giblets (Liver, Heart, Gizzard), Flounder, Eggs, Cod, Dehydrated Chicken Liver, Dehydrated Egg, Dehydrated Sardine, Dehydrated Chicken, Dehydrated Turkey, Dehydrated Herring, Whole Red Lentils, Whole Pinto Beans, Whole Peas, Whole Navy Beans, Chicken Fat, Natural Fish Flavor, Dehydrated Pumpkin, Lentil Fiber, Whole Green Lentils, Whole Chickpeas, Chicken Heart, Pea Starch, Lentil Starch, Choline Chloride, Dried Kelp, Zinc Proteinate, Whole Pumpkin, Whole Butternut Squash, Whole Apples, Whole Pear, Collard Greens, Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), Freeze-Dried Chicken, Freeze-Dried Turkey, Freeze-Dried Cod, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Dried Chicory Root, Turmeric, Sarsaparilla Root, Althea Root, Rosehips, Juniper Berries, Citric Acid (Preservative), Rosemary Extract, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Animalis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product.

What others say about it:
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I think this is a very healthy cat food for my two cats and they seem to like the taste. I also would prefer though that Orijen had less carbs in their foods. I give them a mixture of Orijen and Tiki cat Born Carnivore which is also an excellent cat food. Very happy with my choices.

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4 ORIJEN Original Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Cat Treats

ORIJEN Original Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Cat Treats
Key features:
  • Brand: ORIJEN
  • First 5 ingredients: Chicken, Turkey, Chicken Liver, Chicken Heart, Turkey Liver
  • Primary Proteins: Chicken, Turkey
  • Calories: 1 Kcal per individual treat
  • Flavor: Chicken
  • Life Stage: All

As well as being delicious for your cat, these cat treats have a heavy focus on providing great nutrition, too. Made with 45% protein, these treats for cats are the best choice for those who are looking to provide a healthy option for active and outdoor cats. They also have 35% fat content, to give the right balance needed for your cat.

Every item comes to the factory, fresh from regional suppliers, before being freeze-dried. This helps to keep all of those important nutrients packed into each treat. At the same time, the meat used comes from cat-appropriate resources. So, you can be sure your pet only receives the best treats for their needs.

Ingredients:

Chicken, Turkey, Chicken Liver, Chicken Heart, Turkey Liver, Turkey Heart, Monkfish, Chicken Gizzard, Turkey Gizzard, Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative).

What others say about it:
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Finally! I was able to find some healthy cat treats that all of my three picky eaters will eat. Usually only one of my cats like freezer dried treats but when I broke this out they all devoured it within minutes. This brand of cat food and treats are definitely becoming one of my cats new favorites.

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5 ORIJEN Six Fish Grain-Free Dry Cat Food

ORIJEN Six Fish Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
Key features:
  • Brand: ORIJEN
  • First 5 ingredients: Whole Mackerel, Whole Herring, Flounder, Acadian Redfish, Monkfish
  • Primary Proteins: Mackerel
  • Calories: 515 kcal/cup
  • Flavor: Six Fish
  • Life Stage: All

And, last but definitely not least, we have the Orijen Cat And Kitten Dry Cat Food Six Fish Recipe. We have already gone through two of the three recipes that the Orijen Cat And Kitten Dry Cat Food comes in – The Cat And Kitten recipe and the Regional Red recipe. This is the third recipe – the Six Fish recipe. As indicated earlier, this cat food formulation is made with high-protein, premium quality meat, and is manufactured in the United States of America. It is available in three different sizes to choose from – 4 pounds, 12 pounds, and 12 ounces. It is sourced from six different high-quality fish sources (hence its name) – Atlantic mackerel, herring, monkfish, Acadian redfish, flounder, and silver hake. Thus, this recipe provides an excellent source of high-quality proteins that will meet your cat’s needs. The main difference between this Orijen Cat And Kitten Six Fish Dry Cat Food and the other two recipes that we have already reviewed is the type of protein content. Whereas the previous ones are sourced from high-quality poultry sources and farm animal sources, this one is sourced from six different types of fish-based protein. However, all three recipes make use of raw and natural ingredients without any artificial additions. Moreover, all three recipes will provide all the protein that your cat needs to fuel its lean muscles. Plus, this recipe is also ideal for both your adult cat as well as kittens. Hence, it can be used as a transitional diet as your kittens grow into adulthood.

Ingredients:

Whole Mackerel, Whole Herring, Flounder, Acadian Redfish, Monkfish, Whole Hake, Mackerel Meal, Herring Meal, Blue Whiting Meal, Pollock Oil, Whole Red Lentils, Whole Pinto Beans, Whitefish Meal, Pollock Meal, Whole Green Peas, Whole Green Lentils, Whole Navy Beans, Whole Chickpeas, Sunflower Oil, Pea Starch, Natural Fish Flavor, Safflower Oil, Lentil Fiber, Whole Yellow Peas, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), Freeze-Dried Cod, Dried Kelp, Whole Pumpkin, Whole Butternut Squash, Collard Greens, Whole Apples, Whole Pears, Zinc Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Copper Proteinate, Dried Chicory Root, Turmeric, Sarsaparilla Root, Althea Root, Rosehips, Juniper Berries, Rosemary Extract, Citric Acid (Preservative), Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Animalis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product.

What others say about it:
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My cat is allergic to beef and chicken. Even if a cat food states that it is a particular type of food (i.e. Chicken, fish, etc.) they frequently contain other animal protein as well. This is ONLY fish – 6 varieties – is nutritionally correct and my cat loves it!

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6 ORIJEN Tundra Grain-Free Dry Cat Food

ORIJEN Tundra Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
Key features:
  • Brand: ORIJEN
  • First 5 ingredients: Duck, Whole Arctic Char, Steelhead Trout, Whole Pilchard, Venison
  • Primary Proteins: Duck
  • Calories: 515 kcal/cup
  • Flavor: Duck
  • Life Stage: All

Fresh on the market and made with fresh ingredients, Orijen have made it their mission to add as much fresh, real meat into this product as possible. In total, nearly 90% of their products are made with meat – including organs, meat and bone – make up each bag. And 40% of the total is purely protein, which makes it an ideal food for active cats.

Freeze-dried liver is added to the pack, to improve palatability and make this appealing to even picky eaters. Best of all, all the ingredients are made at the best temperatures, so that no preservatives are required. In other words, your cat receives nothing but optimal nutrition.

Ingredients:

Duck, Whole Arctic Char, Steelhead Trout, Whole Pilchard, Venison, Pork Liver, Duck Liver, Eggs, Whitefish Meal, Blue Whiting Meal, Herring Meal, Duck Fat, Lamb Meal, Mutton Meal, Whole Green Lentils, Whole Chickpeas, Whole Peas, Lamb, Goat, Natural Fish Flavor, Lamb Liver, Lentil Fiber, Pea Starch, Whole Red Lentils, Whole Pinto Beans, Duck Meal, Mackerel Meal, Pollock Oil, Lamb Kidney, Pork Kidney, Lamb Tripe, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Proteinate, Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), Dried Kelp, Whole Pumpkin, Whole Butternut Squash, Collard Greens, Whole Pears, Whole Apples, Freeze-Dried Goat, Freeze-Dried Venison, Dried Chicory Root, Turmeric, Sarsaparilla Root, Althea Root, Rosehips, Juniper Berries, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Citric Acid (Preservative), Rosemary Extract, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Animalis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product.

What others say about it:
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I have 4 cats. One has serious digestive issues and has been on prescription food. The other 3 cats hate the prescription food so I’ve been feeding split shifts, not fun. When I saw Tundra and it’s ingredients I decided to try it for all 4 cats, determined to get them all back on the same food. They all Love this food, the transition has gone well and I am thrilled. This food is expensive but so packed full of goodness that my cats eat less of it, noticeably less, so it is affordable. I am very happy with this product.

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Is Orijen Cat Food Good?

Company Information

Orijen is one of the brands of Champion PetFoods. Champion has its origin in Canada, all the way back to 1985. Currently, the ORIJEN brand is being manufactured in the United States of America as well, with over 500 employees. Champion Petfoods currently manufactures across the world. In Canada, the ORIJEN products are manufactured by Champion Petfoods. In the United States of America, as well as the Southern and Central Americas, the Orijen products are manufactured at the DogStar Kitchen located in Kentucky. In Asia and Europe, Orijen products are manufactured by the company’s NorthStar Kitchen located in Alberta.

Orijen has a team of about 20 innovation and research scientists that champion the company’s research and development agenda. These research scientists are made up of food science experts, animal nutrition experts as well as veterinary medical doctors. Thus, you can be sure that all the products manufactured by the company come with in-depth research. The company also partners with local fishermen and farmers that supply non-GMO products fresh from their farms for the company. All of the company’s manufacturing kitchens meet all the necessary manufacturing, health, and safety standards.

Orijen Cat Food Recall: Orijen has been recalled once. This happened in 2008. Orijen Cat Food sold in the Australian market was recalled in 2008 when quite a number of cats that ate the product fell sick and died after they were fed with Orijen Cat Food. However, Champion Petfoods released a statement that indicated that the company’s recipes were not to blame for the deaths. Instead, what has made the food unsafe was the mandatory gamma irradiation that was in place.

Cat sitting and waiting for food

Why Choose This Brand?

Orijen Cat Food reviews by its buyers are mostly positive. And there are several reasons for that.

Whole Prey

To begin, Orijen Cat Food has some of the only dry cat foods that are made with a WholePrey-inspired variety of protein sources. These sources include bones, meat, organs, fresh muscle meat, and cartilage. Thus, these WholePrey protein sources offer a high amount of high-quality animal-based protein that is usually about 90% of the recipe. This leaves room for very little carbohydrate content.

Award-Winning Brand

If it is any help, the Orijen range of cat foods has won several awards. The awards range from best marketing to best canine food (but we are talking about cat food, yes. Again, if this helps).

Protein Content

Our feline buddies are carnivores that require the right amount of protein in their diet. Orijen Cat Foods come with a high amount of animal-based protein that goes as high as 90%, and only as low as 40% for the limited ingredient recipes.

All-Natural Ingredients

You may have observed from our reviews that Orijen cat food focuses only on all-natural ingredients. They contain no artificial flavors, no artificial preservatives, no artificial colors, and no artificial additives.

Orijen Kitten Food

You may also have observed that most of the products reviewed can be used as transitory diets and are suitable for both kittens and adult cats.

Ingredient Analysis

Orijen cat food, as mentioned a number of times already, focuses on high-quality animal-based protein sources. With some of its recipes, the company focuses on WholePrey protein sources delivered in ratios. In general, protein sources take an average of 75% of their cat food ingredients. Crude fat takes an average of 15%. Fiber and moisture take an average of 10%. The ingredients used in most of their products include fish-based sources, farm animal-based sources, and eggs. They also include other ingredients such as lentils, peas, and beans.

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • All-natural ingredients: As mentioned earlier, Orijen cat food focuses only on all-natural ingredients. They contain no artificial flavors, no artificial preservatives, no artificial colors, and no artificial additives.
  • WholePrey: Orijen Cat Food has some of the only dry cat foods that are made with a WholePrey-inspired variety of protein sources. These sources include bones, meat, organs, fresh muscle meat, and cartilage. WholePrey protein sources offer a high amount of high-quality animal-based protein that is usually about 90% of the recipe. This leaves room for very little carb content.
Cons
  • Orijen cat food has very little positive reviews when served to cats with sensitive stomachs. There have been several reports of vomiting with cats that are fed with various Orijen cat food recipes.
  • There have also been several reports by buyers about a drop in quality as well as strange odor.

Wendy Young

A freelance writer and word nerd, Wendy is a content writer with a knack for getting into the nitty-gritty of pet ownership. For the past three years, she’s been researching and writing a huge range of different topics – but always comes back to her beloved pet articles. Lover of all things four-legged and owner of Harley, Pepper and Rush, Wendy is currently completing her MNSW at Edge Hill University.

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