In this article
Review Summary
We give Halo Cat food a rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars.
Halo was established in the 1980s when founder Andi Brown struggled to find a cure for her cat’s array of health problems. Spot suffered from flea infestation, urinary tract complaints, and infections in his eyes and ears. Despite trying prescription drugs and premium foods, nothing seemed to help the animal.
Pet chef Voyko Marx said that he could help Spot, and within a week of eating a stew of chicken, garlic, and vegetables from the local greengrocers, Spot’s health conditions started to clear up. Although Andi Brown sold Halo to investors in the early 21st century, it continues to make high-quality food with natural ingredients sourced from the US, Canada, New Zealand, and Europe. Its rigorous quality control has helped ensure a long and successful history.
Today, they have dozens of recipes, including wet and dry food. They also have specialist recipes for kittens and seniors, food formulated for indoor and outdoor cats, and foods suitable for cats at all stages of their lives. Although it is expensive, the quality ingredients and excellent reputation of the brand make it a desirable and beneficial food for your cat.
At a Glance: The Best Halo Cat Food Recipes:
| Image | Product | Details | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
other
|
|
Halo Holistic Chicken & Chicken Liver Indoor |
|
CHECK PRICE |
|
|
Halo Holistic Seafood Medley Sensitive Stomach |
|
CHECK PRICE |
|
|
Halo Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Adult Canned |
|
CHECK PRICE |
|
Halo Grain-Free Wild Salmon & Whitefish Adult |
|
CHECK PRICE | |
|
Halo Grain-Free Holistic Chicken & Chicken Liver Kitten Food |
|
CHECK PRICE |
Halo Cat Food Reviewed
Who Makes Halo and Where is it Produced?
Halo was founded in the 1980s by pet owner Andi Brown when her cat, Spot, was suffering from a host of health complaints, and prescription drugs and premium foods didn’t help. Cat food expert Voyko Marx cooked up a feast consisting of chicken, garlic, and vegetables. Within a week, Andi reported improvements in Spot’s health, and she took this recipe and formed Halo.
After 20 years, Andi sold the business to a group of investors, and in 2008, TV star Ellen DeGeneres became part owner of the company. While Andi may not be at the helm, the company retains her aim to provide natural and healthy food that will benefit the health of cats.
The meat used in Halo foods is sourced from the US, Canada, and New Zealand. The fruit and vegetables come from Europe, where there are strict rules against using GMO crops. The company makes a point of stating that no ingredients come from China. All the foods are manufactured in the USA.
Halo has implemented the OrigiNative program. The program dictates that all of its meat and fish come from sustainable sources and that the animals live in an enriched environment before being used for food.
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! 
Which Types of Cats is Halo Best Suited For?
Halo produces a wide range of cat foods, which includes a varied selection of dry and wet foods. They also have various recipes catering to senior cats, kittens, and sensitive stomachs.
The company produces grain-free and some grain-inclusive formulas, but even those that include grain do not incorporate corn, wheat, or wheat gluten, so they should be suitable for cats with food sensitivities. With such a wide range of recipes and foods on offer, there are Halo foods that are appropriate for all cats.
Which Types of Pets Might Do Better with a Different Brand?
It is worth noting that many recipes include garlic or garlic powder. This is a controversial ingredient, and if you do not want to feed it to your cat, ensure that you choose one of the formulas that does not include it.
Notable Ingredients
Halo has a wide range of recipes. We examined some of the most common and controversial ingredients and found the following:
- Soybean Protein Concentrate – Along with dried peas, chickpeas, potatoes, and potato protein, a soybean protein concentrate is considered a low-quality protein filler. It is used to increase the protein ratio of foods but does not provide the same high-quality amino acids that meat protein offers. Soy protein concentrate is made by removing the moisture-filled carbohydrates from soybeans. The recipes would be higher quality and more beneficial for your cats if they included a better protein source.
- Pea Protein – Pea protein is another low-quality filler that provides minimal benefits other than to increase the protein ratio of the food. Ingredients like pea protein help bulk up the food, but they do not contain many nutrients for your cat.
The Proof Is In The Poop
Halo recipes do not include artificial coloring or other artificial ingredients. They use natural products, considered healthier and safer for your cats, and mimic the diet of cats when they lived in the wild. What’s more, they use fresh meat rather than rendered meat.
Halo claims that fresh meats are substantially easier to digest, which helps improve your cat’s stomach health and can prevent them from suffering gastrointestinal complaints. They also say that the proof is in the poop and that your cat’s waste will have less of an odor, will be smaller than with other foods, and it will be easier to scoop out of the litter box.
Grain-Free or Grain-Inclusive
Cats are obligate carnivores and need protein from meat sources. They’re healthier when fed a meat diet, and a meat-free diet can lead to nutritional deficiencies. Furthermore, cats would not have eaten grain when they lived wild.
Even since becoming domesticated, they have not evolved to eat grains. Halo produces a range of grain-free diets, and the recipes that include grains do not include corn, wheat, wheat gluten, or rice, which are more difficult to digest. Look for grain-free recipes if you want to avoid other grains altogether.
Probiotics
Probiotics are essential for your cat’s health. They ensure good gut health, and your cat will digest food better and suffer from fewer stomach and gastrointestinal problems. Probiotics can also improve general health and enable your cat to metabolize food better and convert it into energy.
The Garlic Controversy
Halo cat food was born from a recipe that included minced garlic. Some of the company’s recipes still include garlic powder. Garlic is a controversial ingredient. Proponents claim it aids digestion and can even help combat fleas and ticks. Opponents point out that garlic is toxic when fed in sizable doses. Some owners and professionals believe that it should be avoided altogether.
Several years ago, more than 200 people signed a petition to have Halo remove garlic powder from their ingredients, but the movement was unsuccessful, and the company continues to use it in at least some of its foods. If you do not wish to feed garlic to your cat, check the ingredients of individual recipes before buying.
A Quick Look at Halo Cat Food
- Typically high in animal protein
- Natural ingredients
- No GMO ingredients
- Recipes include probiotics
- Use fresh meat, not rendered meat
- Some recipes include garlic powder
- Quite pricey
- Some ingredients include fillers like pea and soybean protein
Recall History
Halo cat food has been recalled once, in 2015, when several bags were recalled because of the potential for mold growth. There have been no other instances of food being recalled.
Reviews of the 3 Best Halo Cat Food Recipes
1. Holistic Seafood Medley Sensitive Stomach Halo Dry Cat Food
Holistic Seafood Medley Sensitive Stomach Halo Dry Cat Food is formulated especially for cats with sensitive stomachs. The company claims it uses novel proteins sympathetic to a cat’s digestive system. Although the ingredients include grains, they are refined grains that are also easier to digest.
Holistic Seafood Medley’s primary ingredients are whitefish, salmon, and dried egg. They are all commonly found in cat food, but egg is one of the ingredients cats are most often allergic to. The formula may be suitable for some cats with sensitive stomachs, but not all.
Also, fish is not the best protein for cats because it is comparatively low in B vitamins. Cats need a lot of B vitamins, especially thiamine, which is usually added to food after it is fully prepared. Halo’s Holistic Seafood Medley is made up of 37% protein, 20% fat, and 43% carbohydrates. This is considered a reasonable protein level but a high level of carbohydrates.
Calorie Breakdown:
- Contains additional probiotics, vitamins, and minerals
- No artificial ingredients
- Suitable for some sensitive stomachs
- Contains garlic
- Fish is not that healthy for cats
2. Halo Holistic Chicken & Chicken Liver Recipe Grain-Free Indoor Cat Food
https://www.chewy.com/halo-holistic-chicken-chicken-liver/dp/36610″>This Halo cat food has been formulated for adult cats of all ages. It is a grain-free recipe, and the meat-based formula lists chicken, chicken broth, and chicken liver as its primary ingredients. These are species-appropriate meats and, as well as being high in protein, chicken liver is full of nutrients. Turkey is another meat in the recipe, and it is considered another appropriate protein that cats would eat in the wild.
The Holistic Chicken and Chicken Liver recipe contains garlic powder. Halo and other proponents of the ingredient say that it aids in good digestion and is perfectly safe in trace amounts.
However, even as little as 1 gram of garlic per kilogram of cat can cause toxicity, and many owners prefer to steer clear of the ingredient altogether. This recipe has a high protein ratio of 51.5% by dry matter. A 9.7% carbohydrate ratio is considered to be a low-carb ratio.
Calorie Breakdown:
- Chicken, chicken liver, and chicken broth are the primary ingredients
- Natural ingredients
- Contains probiotics
- Contains garlic powder
- High in protein
3. Halo Grain-Free Holistic Chicken & Chicken Liver Kitten Food
Halo Grain-Free Holistic Chicken & Chicken Liver Kitten Food is for kittens under 12 months old. It lists chicken and chicken liver as its primary ingredients. Like all Halo food, it does not use meal meat and uses fresh meat instead. What’s more, they only use cage-free chickens. It does, however, contain dried peas, dried chickpeas, soy protein concentrate, and dried potatoes.
As well as including probiotics and added vitamins and minerals, the recipe also contains DreamCoat, which is a combination of botanicals that will help your cat develop and maintain a healthy and shiny coat. Since it’s a kitten food, the kibble is smaller, making it easier for small mouths to chew, bite, and eat.
Calorie Breakdown:
- Chicken and chicken liver as primary ingredients
- Natural ingredients
- 32% protein
- Small kibble for kittens’ mouths
- Contains dried peas, chickpeas, and protein concentrate
What Other Users Are Saying
Here’s what others are saying about Halo cat foods:
- AllAboutCats – “Their wet food is a superior option.”
- FelineLiving – “Halo enhances your pet’s well-being by offering a top-quality holistic pet food for cat lovers everywhere.”
- Chewy – To see more reviews from real buyers on Chewy, click here.
Conclusion
Halo is committed to using sustainable meat that has been treated humanely. They also use fresh meat rather than meat meal, which is better for your cats because it is easier to digest and will lead to fewer digestive problems. Halo has a wide range of dry and wet foods, as well as those designed for all adult cats, foods for kittens, and some recipes for senior cats.
However, they don’t get everything right. Despite growing concerns over the potentially toxic ingredient, they continue to include garlic powder in some of their recipes. They also incorporate a lot of vegetables into their dry food, which do not naturally form a part of a cat’s diet. Finally, despite relying on some low-quality, low-cost fillers, they’re pretty expensive when compared to other premium brands.
Other than the garlic, the ingredients are suitable, and your cat may benefit from and enjoy Halo’s food.
Featured Image Credit: Halo, Chewy
