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Open Farm Cat Food Review in 2024: Our Expert’s Opinion

Written by: Cassidy Sutton

Last Updated on August 19, 2024 by Catster Editorial Team

Our Final Verdict

We give Open Farm cat food a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars. 

*Use code EXCITEDCATS20 and save on your first auto-ship order.

Picture this: You pass a farm and notice a lovely farmer couple out in the field. You wave, they wave, and then, to your surprise, they invite you to dinner. You tour the farm, and they tell you every detail about the crop, down to the last drop of water that it received. You meet the animals, watch the gardening process, and ask any questions your heart sees fit. Soon comes dinner time, and it’s the freshest food that you’ve ever seen on the table.

That’s what feeding Open Farm to your cat is like. Open Farm chose its name intentionally. With every ingredient sourced and listed in detail, it does the work for you.

In this review, I give my honest opinion based on my 5-week experience feeding it to my two cats, Lucy and Strudel.

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At a Glance: What We Reviewed

Image Product Details
Our Favorite
Winner
Harvest Chicken Rustic Blend Wet Cat Food Harvest Chicken Rustic Blend Wet Cat Food
  • Tastes great
  • No horrible smell
  • Free of chunks, jelly, and slime
  • Second place
    Wild-Caught Salmon Dry Cat Food Wild-Caught Salmon Dry Cat Food
  • Medium-sized, round kibble
  • Great source of amino acids
  • Excellent for a shiny, healthy coat
  • Third place
    Harvest Chicken Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food Harvest Chicken Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food
  • Mimics a prey-model recipe
  • Excellent for a shiny, healthy coat
  • Long list of amino acids and fatty acids
  • Homestead Turkey Rustic Blend Wet Cat Food Homestead Turkey Rustic Blend Wet Cat Food
  • 100% human-grade ingredients
  • High in protein and fresh turkey
  • Meats from audited high-welfare farms
  • Homestead Turkey & Chicken Dry Cat Food Homestead Turkey & Chicken Dry Cat Food
  • High in protein and fresh turkey and chicken
  • Includes cranberries and dandelion greens
  • Source of prebiotic fiber
  • Open Farm Cat Food Reviewed

    open farm cat food box

    *Use code EXCITEDCATS20 and save on your first auto-ship order.

    Who Makes Open Farm and Where Is It Produced?

    Open Farm has multiple stores in New York and New Jersey, but it ships to homes all over the 48 land-locked states.

    The company prides itself on being “100% obsessed with the standard of every ingredient.” There are no mystery meats, ambiguous third parties, and sleazy marketing tactics aimed at earning a quick buck.

    With Open Farm, what you see is what you get. You can find the origin of every single ingredient in every single recipe. It’s pretty cool, actually.

    Which Type of Cat Is Open Farm Best Suited For?

    Truthfully, I believe any cat can benefit from Open Farm. The food is easy to chew and tastes great, and the ingredients are nutritionally dense. But some cats are set in their ways.

    This food is grain inclusive, using lentils instead of wheat and corn, so a cat owner steering clear of grains would want to try the grain-free food.

    cat eating open farm cat food

    divider 2 cats

    Discussion of the Primary Ingredients (Good and Bad)

    Overall, I’m quite pleased with the quality of ingredients in Open Farm recipes. Here’s what you can generally expect:

    • Agar agar (gelatin substitute)
    • Lentils and chickpeas (a grain-free line does exist)
    • Ground bone
    • Organ meat
    • Montmorillonite clay
    • Various herbs
    • Prebiotics
    • Chelated minerals
    • Salmon oil
    • Meat meal
    • Various fruits and vegetables

    Organ meat was one of the first ingredients I noticed was absent in the food (besides the freeze-dried raw). I usually look for this ingredient in wet cat food. I imagine the company doesn’t want cats overeating organ meat and getting vitamin A toxicity.

    Open Farm does a good job of incorporating nutrients from other sources before enriching the food with vitamins and minerals. Let’s take a closer look at what I mean.

    Vitamins and Minerals

    Open Farm uses chelated minerals to fortify the food. Chelated minerals are bound to chelating agents or organic compounds like amino acids. This makes the minerals easier to absorb.

    High Protein and Great Quality

    You’ll always have fresh meat and meat meals within the first five ingredients, with the first ingredient being fresh meat. I liked that the grains are in the middle of the ingredient list instead of the first five, ensuring that my cats receive a species-specific diet rich in animal protein.

    open farm cat food and broth in a feeding bowl

    divider 3 paws

    No Aluminum Cans

    This factor was a huge win in my book. I had to give it its own category. Dealing with aluminum cans and stinky wet food gets old after a while, especially when you’re hiding in the kitchen trying to feed one animal and praying the other animals don’t hear the sound of the forbidden fruit being opened. The cardboard container was refreshing!

    Affordable With a Long Shelf Life

    I have a small budget for pet food, so I need cat food rich in absorbable nutrients and has a long shelf life. I’m happy to say that Open Farm delivered!

    All of the food lasts anywhere from 6 to 10 months. Of course, my cats will eat all of this food before then, but it’s nice to know I can keep fresh food in storage in case of an emergency.

    This food is also cheaper than expected. Any cat owners trying to be frugal yet wanting to offer better quality food to their cats could find something within their budget, particularly with wet cat food. Wet food is always so expensive, and I’m excited to have found healthy wet food that doesn’t break the bank.

    Ordering & Shipping

    You can save even more money by placing orders on auto-shipment. Signing up and ordering is as easy as pie. Enter your name and email and put items in the cart. Open Farm will give you a 5% discount on your order.

    My shipment was perfectly packaged. There were no rips, tears, or moldy food anywhere.

    a black cat standing near open farm cat foods

    *Use code EXCITEDCATS20 and save on your first auto-ship order.

    Ethically & Sustainably Sourced

    As I said before, Open Farm puts your pet and the environment at the top of the priority list. Every ingredient is 100% traceable, including the meats. The company is even on a 10-year sustainability journey, which is pretty cool.

    Hepper 360 Cat Feeder, Stainless Steel, Anti-Chew...
    • NO MESS - The 360° tray on this cat food and water bowl set has a raised design to catch and...
    • WHISKER FRIENDLY - Shallow and wide metal containers with flat bottoms ensure your kitty can enjoy...
    • CHEW-SAFE MATERIALS - Kittens and cats love chewing on silicone and soft rubber - but it's a choking...

    Feeding your cat a high-quality diet is important for keeping them healthy and happy. But it goes beyond the food you choose; the dishes they use also matter. The Hepper NomNom Cat Bowl is our favorite for its unique, five-star design that protects from whisker fatigue and promotes good posture which also aids in better digestion. As an added bonus, it’s beautifully crafted and offers a modern take on the traditional cat bowl that fits seamlessly with all home stylings. Learn more about the NomNom by clicking here.

    At Catster, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!

     

     

    divider 3 paws

    A Quick Look at Open Farm Cat Food

    Pros
    • Affordable and long-lasting
    • No aluminum cans
    • High protein
    • Real meat as the first ingredient
    • Product variety
    • Ethically and sustainably sourced
    Cons
    • Organ meat is only available in freeze-dried food
    • The food texture won’t sit well with some cats

    divider 2 cats

    Reviews of the Open Farm Cat Food We Tried

    1. Harvest Chicken Rustic Blend Wet Cat Food

    Harvest Chicken Rustic Blend Wet Cat Food

    The Harvest Chicken Rustic Blend wet cat food was a huge success in my house. With humanely raised chicken and chicken broth at the top of the list, I knew my cats would love it.

    This food is free of gross jellies, slime, and that horrible wet food smell. It’s high protein and high fat, and my cats could eat real meat that doesn’t have a weird shape.

    My cats had to get used to the loose consistency. Sometimes they didn’t want to eat it because they wanted something to sink their teeth into. Once I mixed it with some dry food, they loved it again.

    Pros
    • Free of chunks, jelly, and slime
    • No horrible smell
    • Tastes great
    • Recyclable material
    Cons
    • Thin texture
    • No organ meat
    • Nothing to bite down on

    2. Wild-Caught Salmon Dry Cat Food

    Wild-Caught Salmon Dry Cat Food

    This recipe came in second in my house. The salmon recipe is absolutely delicious and loaded with fishy goodness (the smell of the food is proof), so your cat will receive lots of amino and fatty acids. With 41% protein and 20% fat, your cat’s coat should look shiny and new.

    I went back and forth with food, so I can’t say I noticed a difference in their coat shine, but I’m willing to stick with this recipe for a month and see if I notice a difference.

    A positive feature of this food is the kibble shape. The discs were just the right shape and size for my cats to enjoy. In fact, one of the reasons my cats liked it so much was because the kibble was easier to sink their teeth into than their normal kibble.

    Pros
    • Medium-sized, round kibble
    • Great source of amino acids
    • Excellent for a shiny, healthy coat
    Cons
    • Heavy fish smell
    • Not good for cats on a low-fat diet

    3. Harvest Chicken Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food

    Harvest Chicken Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food

    I’ll admit that my cats initially didn’t like this food. It took a couple of weeks before they decided to try it.

    The freeze-dried raw food has a consistency of chalk and marshmallow. It sounds horrible, and my cats were less than impressed at first. But they loosened up and now try to chew the bag open for more!

    According to the nutrient profile, your cat will receive less protein and more fat and fiber with this freeze-dried product. With the extra fat, the food contains amino and fatty acids that help your cat’s coat sparkle. Cats with dry skin could benefit from this as a meal topper.

    It also has ground bone and chicken liver, which are two ingredients full of calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin A—important nutrients for a predatory animal.

    Pros
    • Mimics a prey-model recipe
    • Long list of amino acids and fatty acids
    • Excellent for a shiny, healthy coat
    Cons
    • Not good for cats on a low-fat diet

    divider 1 paws

    Our Experience With Open Farm Cat Food

    a black cat and open farm cat foods on the table

    *Use code EXCITEDCATS20 and save on your first auto-ship order.

    Honestly, this food couldn’t have arrived on my doorstep at a better time. My cat Strudel became ill and wouldn’t eat anything I offered. But one day, she willingly tried the wet food and loved it. I was so happy.

    Over time, her interest in food returned, and I had to adjust. But that moment gave me so much hope because I knew she was eating something that was filling and healing. It felt like a friend made something from scratch and hand-delivered it when I needed it the most.

    This food has given me peace of mind. I don’t worry about my cat’s nutrition, my carbon footprint, or whether I should give in to buying cheaper food. I now know there are better options out there.

    Does a perfect company actually exist? Of course not. But Open Farm’s efforts are noticeable; my cats and I appreciate it. I definitely give this food two paws up.

    divider 3 paws

    Conclusion

    Sourcing fresh pet food that doesn’t put a shiver down your spine when you click “checkout” is hard to find, but Open Farm can help.

    Open Farm is a pet food company specializing in meticulously sourced food of the highest quality. Compared to other companies, it’s affordable and offers variety in all kinds of food textures, shapes, and recipes.

    So, if you’re obsessed with the standard of every ingredient, this could be the cat food for you.

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