Review Summary

Freshpet offers several lines of soft food for dogs and cats. The soft food uses a formula that’s closer to a cat’s natural diet. It uses all high-quality ingredients and contains no chemical preservatives or dyes. The ingredients are locally sourced in the USA when possible and steam cooked to preserve nutrient integrity. We highly recommend this brand as the primary food or as an extra treat.

At a Glance: The Best Freshpet Cat Food Recipes:

Image	Product	Details
Best Overall	Freshpet Cat Food Nature's Fresh Chicken Egg, 16 Ounce	Taurine Chicken first ingredient No corn, wheat, or soy	CHECK PRICE
Best Value	Freshpet Vital Grain-Free Chicken Recipe Complete & Balanced Dry Cat F	Omega fats Chicken first ingredient No preservatives	CHECK PRICE
Premium Choice	Freshpet Select Chicken & Beef Grain Free Gourmet Pate For Cats	Limited ingredients No artificial colors or preservatives Contains chicken and beef	CHECK PRICE

Freshpet Cat Food Reviewed

Let’s take an in-depth look at Freshpet so we can learn more about it.

Who makes Freshpet, and where is it produced?

The Freshpet company is in Bethlehem, PA, United States, and they make Freshpet foods in their local factory using locally sourced ingredients when possible.

Which Types of Pets is Freshpet Best Suited For?

Freshpet is good for all cats. It’s packed with antioxidants, protein, omega fats, and more to help your cat stay healthy. There are no chemical preservatives or dyes, and it only contains limited ingredients, with chicken or beef at the top of the list.

Which Types of Pets Might Do Better with a Different Brand?

Some cats can be picky eaters and might refuse to change brands. You may also have a cat with health issues that requires a specific brand of food that your vet has prescribed.

Discussion of the Primary Ingredients (Good and bad)

The Freshpet brand uses very limited ingredient recipes to minimize the risk of an allergic reaction. They only use whole meat like chicken and beef and real fruits and vegetables to keep the food as natural as possible.

One natural ingredient added to a lot of fresh pet recipes is taurine. You can only find taurine in animal proteins, and it’s an essential nutrient for cats. It’s critical for vision, digestion, and heart function, and it also helps boost the immune system.

Ethically sourced ingredients

All ingredients for Freshpet cat food are ethically sourced from the United States whenever possible. The chicken is certified humanely raised and vegetarian fed, and there are no antibiotics or added growth hormones. No ingredients come from China, where they have lower standards for pet food.

No by-products or chemical preservatives

There is no meat meal or by-products in the ingredients, and there are no chemical preservatives like BHA or BHT, which can have serious consequences to your cat’s health. There are also no artificial colors which can cause an allergic reaction or other health problem.

High moisture content

Despite having several fountains around our home, many of our cats still struggle to drink enough water. The high moisture content in Freshpet food can help hydrate your cat, helping relieve diarrhea symptoms and dandruff caused by dry skin. Many times, the moisture level drops too low in the home when the furnace is running, which can dry out your cat’s skin. Freshpet can be an important step in replenishing that moisture.

Doesn’t clean teeth

One downside we feel we should mention about Freshpet is that the soft food does not do much to clean your cat’s teeth. Feline dental disease is a serious problem that affects all cat breeds. Some studies show that 50 to 90% of cats have some dental issues over four years. While soft food can be much easier for cats with sore teeth to eat, it does little to prevent the onset of dental disease. Hard cat food scraps away plaque and tarter helping to keep the teeth cleaner and is especially important before problems begin.

If you want to give this food to younger cats with healthy teeth, we recommend using it as a treat or a food topper. If your cat allows it, you can also manually brush your pet’s teeth using pet-safe toothpaste. It would be best if you didn’t use human toothpaste on a cat because it may contain harmful chemicals.

A Quick Look at Freshpet Cat Food

Recall History

So far, there have not been any recalls of fresh cat food. While that is certainly good news, the company has only been active since 2006 and is relatively new compared to many other brands.

• Related read: Kirkland Signature Cat Food Review: Recalls, Pros & Cons

Reviews of the 3 Best Freshpet Cat Food Recipes

1. Freshpet Cat Food Nature’s Fresh Chicken Egg, 16 Ounce

Freshpet, Cat Food Nature’s Fresh Chicken Egg, 16 Ounce is a soft kibble type of food that most of our cats enjoy. It features certified ethically raised and vegetarian fed chicken as the top ingredient, and it has taurine, which helps with numerous biological functions in a cat. There is no corn, wheat, or soy to upset your cat’s sensitive digestive system and no gluten to raise blood sugar.

The biggest downside to Freshpet, Cat Food Nature’s Fresh Chicken Egg is that it always needs refrigeration, and it’s only good or seven days after opening. We liked to give them as treats and often had to toss some out.

Calorie Breakdown:

2. Freshpet Vital Grain-Free Chicken Recipe Complete & Balanced Dry Cat Food

Freshpet Vital Grain-Free Chicken Recipe Complete & Balanced Dry Cat Food is another high moisture soft cat food that contains no chemical preservatives or artificial dyes. There are no meat by-products, and all protein comes from an ethically sourced chicken, which is also the top ingredient. There are very few ingredients in the recipe, so there is little chance for an allergic reaction, and fish oil provides healthy omega fats.

The biggest downside to Freshpet Vital is that the protein level is a little low for cat food at 17%. We like our foods to contain at least 20%. Like the previous brand, this food will also require refrigeration and spoils relatively quickly.

Calorie Breakdown:

3. Freshpet Select Chicken & Beef Grain Free Gourmet Pate For Cats

Freshpet Select Chicken & Beef Grain Free Gourmet Pate For Cats is a cat food loaf that resembles cookie dough. This food uses real chicken and beef and has chicken listed as the top ingredient. Like the others, it contains limited ingredients and no artificial colors or preservatives.

The biggest downside to Freshpet Select is that it is hard to find anywhere except the main website, so it can be inconvenient to refill your supply. Like the others, it also requires refrigeration and spoils rather quickly. Since this kind was in a plastic wrapping, it was hard to reseal, so if you go with it, you’ll want to have an airtight container, or the food will dry out quickly.

Calorie Breakdown:

What Other Users are Saying

Here is what other people are saying about Freshpet.

Conclusion

When looking for a new brand of food for your cat, Freshpet makes an excellent choice. Few ingredients and ethically raised chicken provide your cat with a high protein food that closely resembles their instinctual diet. The soft food is easier for senior cats to eat, and the pate allows you to slice off just the right amount.

We hope you have enjoyed reading over this review, and it helped answer any questions you had before we began. If we have helped you find your next food, please share this in-depth review of Freshpet cat food on Facebook and Twitter.

Related Read: 4health Cat Food Review: Recalls, Pros & Cons