Review Summary
We give Orijen Cat Food a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars.
As you probably guessed, “Orijen” is a play on “origin”—meaning, the food harkens back to the origins of a cat’s diet. As a result, the manufacturer strives to create biologically-appropriate offerings for your cat. That means plenty of proteins and never any strange additives not approved by regulatory agencies. All of the foods are made in the Orijen kitchen in Alberta and Kentucky. It only manufactures food for its two brands, Orijen and Acana, so you don’t have to worry about your cat’s chow sharing a kitchen with lower-quality foods.
Orijen uses fresh, dried, and freeze-dried regional ingredients, which aren’t in short supply, given that it’s situated in the middle of some of Canada’s most fertile farm and ranch land. Some protein sources are freeze-dried at peak season to lock in their nutrients, and it doesn’t skimp on the meat: almost all of its recipes start off with seven or eight animal sources.
All of that meat will cost you, though, as this is one of the priciest cat foods on the market. Orijen also has a limited selection, so if your cat doesn’t care for one or two of its foods, you’ll run out of options fast. Also, it offers dry food, wet food, and treats, so you’ll find something for every feline palate and preference.
Overall, though, this is one of the most nutritious foods that you’ll find anywhere (assuming you can find it—it’s hard to track down in most pet stores).
At a Glance: The Best Orijen Cat Food Recipes:
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Our Favorite
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Orijen Dry Cat & Kitten Food |
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Orijen Six Fish Dry Cat Food |
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Orijen Regional Red Dry Cat Food |
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Orijen Freeze-Dried Cat Treats |
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Orijen Wild-Roaming Boar Formula Cat Treats |
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Orijen Cat Food Reviewed
Who Makes Orijen and Where Is It Produced?
Orijen is made by Champion Pet Foods, a manufacturer based in Alberta, Canada, and Kentucky, USA. And the newer Orijen wet food is made in Thailand. The company makes Orijen and Acana pet foods, and that’s it, so you don’t have to worry about it sharing a plant with lower-quality foods.
It primarily produces its own foods in company-owned kitchens and doesn’t outsource any part of the manufacturing process, ensuring that its foods is largely within its control at all times.
Which Types of Cats Is Orijen Best Suited For?
Orijen is one of the most expensive cat foods on the market, so it’s not for the price-conscious pet owner. Many feel that the food is worth every penny, but that won’t make much difference if you don’t have many pennies to spare.
It’s extremely high in protein, so it should be suitable for just about any cat. It’s probably best suited for younger cats, though, as it may be too nutrient-dense for some seniors with kidney disease or other health conditions that require restricted protein intake.
Which Types of Cats Might Do Better with a Different Brand?
Most cats should do well with this food; after all, it’s based on what they naturally eat. However, it’s out of many owners’ price range, so that may not matter if you’re not willing or unable to drop a bundle on cat food.
Orijen is extremely high in protein, which is beneficial for many healthy adult cats, but it may not be appropriate for cats with chronic kidney disease, advanced liver disease, or certain urinary tract conditions where protein or mineral restriction is recommended. These cats often require therapeutic veterinary diets formulated to manage their medical condition rather than a standard commercial food.
Discussion of the Primary Ingredients
Every single Orijen recipe starts with real meat and then follows it up with more meat and more meat after that. Most of its foods list seven or eight protein sources before you get to any other ingredients. It’s not low-quality meat either. Orijen uses premium fish, like Atlantic mackerel and herring, free-range chicken, and even exotic red meat, like boar and goat. It’s a far cry from the rendered chicken meals commonly used in most cat foods, and there’s a good chance that your cat will love it as a result.
If you read far enough down the ingredients list, you’ll eventually run out of meat. Instead, you’ll see foods like peas, lentils, and beans. These provide plant-based protein and carbohydrate calories in addition to fiber. While cats are obligate carnivores and require animal protein, these ingredients still contribute nutrients and are not inherently inappropriate when balanced in formulation. You’ll also find ingredients like herring oil. These add plenty of omega fatty acids, which improve coat health, boost immune response, and provide essential nutrients to the brain.
There’s not much to quibble about on that list, but if we could point out one area for improvement, it’s the relatively low fiber content in most Orijen foods. However, Orijen does offer a higher-fiber option, Orijen Fit & Trim, which may be especially helpful for cats needing weight management or extra digestive support.
Orijen Feeds a “Whole Prey” Diet
When a cat kills a bird in the wild, they don’t just eat the breast—they devour the whole animal. There are important nutrients in the organs, the bones, and the cartilage that cats have evolved to utilize in their diets, but many foods omit these or include them in smaller amounts, often because they are considered lower-value or “by-product” ingredients in the pet food market.
Orijen doesn’t do that. Its “whole prey diet” philosophy means it includes organ meats, cartilage, and bone meal to approximate the nutrient profile of an animal your cat might consume in the wild. This approach helps provide essential amino acids and micronutrients naturally, rather than relying solely on synthetic supplementation, while still meeting AAFCO nutrient requirements.
Each of Its Foods Contains at Least Six Different Meat Sources
As a continuation of its origins-based diet plan, Orijen includes at least six different meat sources in each recipe. Wild cats don’t just eat a single food source—they eat anything they can catch, including fish, birds, mice, and more. Most commercial cat foods have only a few meat sources inside, if that, so your cat doesn’t get much nutritional variety.
That’s not the case with Orijen. Your cat will get plenty of proteins and amino acids from a variety of animals, ensuring that all their nutritional needs are met.
Orijen’s Food Is Low-Carb
Cats don’t actually need fruits or veggies to be healthy, as they’re pure carnivores. However, many high-quality plants offer important nutrients such as fiber, antioxidants, and certain vitamins that can help your cat live a longer, healthier life.
The problem is that there’s only so much room in a piece of kibble, so the more carbs you include, the less protein you can put in. Orijen adds impressive fruits and veggies into its foods, but they’re all listed toward the bottom of the ingredients list.
The bulk of each kibble is meat—a variety of meat, at that.
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A Quick Look at Orijen Cat Food
- High in protein
- Made using biologically-appropriate principles
- Each recipe uses at least six different meat sources
- Expensive
- Can be hard to find
Recall History
Orijen has only had one recall in its history, and it’s debatable as to whether it’s even at fault for it.
In 2008, Orijen cat food sold in Australia was recalled after it made several cats gravely ill and killed a few others. However, it wasn’t anything in the food that caused it—it was the fact that the Australian government required imported food to undergo mandatory irradiation treatment in order to destroy foreign microbes.
However, the radiation also destroyed the vitamin A content in the food and generated free radicals, the combination of which led to several cats falling ill. Orijen quickly withdrew its products from the shelves, but the resulting investigation showed that its food wasn’t at fault.
So, while Orijen has had a serious recall in its time, it’s hard to hold Orijen completely accountable for it.
Reviews of the 3 Best Orijen Cat Food Recipes
1. Orijen High-Protein, Grain-Free Dry Cat & Kitten Food
Orijen Cat & Kitten is suitable for adult cats at most life stages, at least until your cat starts getting up there in years. It provides complete and balanced nutrition for healthy adult cats, though those with medical conditions may require a veterinary therapeutic diet instead.
Its two primary types of meat are chicken and turkey, which most cats are already familiar with and tolerate well. It’s not all poultry, though, as you’ll find a variety of fish inside as well. This gives your pet plenty of omega-3 fatty acids, not to mention a few extra helpings of high-quality protein.
Some of our favorite ingredients are listed toward the bottom of the label, though. You’ll see things like ground chicken bones and turkey cartilage, both of which are full of important minerals and structural nutrients yet rarely seen in commercial cat foods. There’s not much to take issue with inside the bag, but the biggest thing is probably the inclusion of whole eggs. Some cats can be allergic to eggs, so you should monitor your kitty closely to make sure they’re handling the food well.
All in all, Orijen Original Cat is a fantastic food that your cat will enjoy most of their life, making it worthy of its place as Orijen’s flagship recipe.
Calorie Breakdown:
- Turkey and chicken are well-tolerated by most cats
- Boasts a variety of fish for added protein and flavour
- Rich in omega-3 fatty acids
- Contains bone and cartilage for natural minerals
- Eggs can be an allergen for some cats
2. Orijen High-Protein, Grain-Free Six Fish Dry Cat Food
You’re probably wondering why this recipe is called “Orijen Six Fish,” but as it turns out, there are six different fish inside this recipe. Those aren’t generic bottom-feeder fish either. They are premium species like Atlantic mackerel, Acadian redfish, and silver hake. All of these fish are positively brimming with omega fatty acids, and most cats love the taste.
Be forewarned, though, that you’ll smell the fish as soon as you open the bag. That may mean you’ll have to hide it from your cat, but you’ll also want to hold your nose at dinnertime. There’s no other meat but fish inside, though, which wouldn’t be a criticism for any other food. However, when compared to some of Orijen’s other offerings, it seems a little lacking in variety of animal protein sources.
The fruits and veggies are nothing but quality, though. This is a grain-free recipe, and instead of cheap fillers like corn or soy, it uses pumpkin seeds, carrots, apples, pears, and more. If you have a cat that can’t resist fish, Orijen Six Fish is likely to be their new favorite food. That said, fish-only diets can be relatively high in phosphorus and may not be the best choice for cats with chronic kidney disease or other conditions requiring mineral restriction, so consult your veterinarian if your cat has health concerns.
Calorie Breakdown:
- Uses six different fish as protein sources
- Only includes high-quality species
- Loaded with omega-3 fatty acids
- High-quality fruits and veggies
- Strong fish odor
- No other meat sources besides fish
- Too much phosphorus for cats with kidney disease
3. Orijen High-Protein, Grain-Free Regional Red Dry Cat Food
Orijen Regional Red offers yet another potential meat source for your cat to munch on, in this case, a variety of red meats. The first ingredient is beef, but after that, you’ll find exotic animals like boar, goat, bison, and lamb. Orijen uses every part of those animals too, as you’ll find a variety of internal organs on the ingredients list. This gives your pet all the essential amino acids that they need from the animals on the label. It’s not all red meat, though. There’s also freeze-dried cod liver coating the kibble, which will encourage your cat to wolf it down.
You should keep in mind that many cats don’t eat much red meat, so your tabby may be more likely to pass this food up than the others above. The cod liver coating helps, but finicky eaters may still give it the cold shoulder. Also, since it doesn’t have much in the way of fish, you’ll find fewer omega-3 fatty acids in this than in the other recipes. It shouldn’t be too massive of a disparity, though.
If you want to give your cat something other than the same-old same-old, Orijen Regional Red is a nutritious curveball that they might just decide that they love.
Calorie Breakdown:
- Includes a variety of exotic red meats
- Full of important internal organs
- Coated in freeze-dried cod liver
- Nice change of pace from fish and chicken recipes
- Some cats may not like the taste
- Fewer omega-3 fatty acids than other recipes
What Other Users Are Saying
- All About Cats — “Orijen foods rely heavily on fresh meat and botanicals to achieve nutritional completeness and don’t contain the array of synthetic vitamins, minerals, and amino acids found in most cat foods.”
- Cat Food Database — “Overall, Orijen Cat & Kitten is a significantly above-average cat food.”
- Amazon — As pet owners, we always double-check Amazon reviews from buyers before we buy something. You can read these by clicking here.
Conclusion
You won’t find many cat foods on the market like Orijen. Its recipes are absolutely jam-packed with meat and a wide variety of it too. Your cat will think that they’re being served an animal buffet every single night. Of course, it’s not without its flaws. It’s one of the more expensive foods you’ll find, a cost that likely reflects its heavy use of animal-based ingredients, but with both dry and wet formulas available, it provides high-protein options suitable for many cats. However, cats with certain medical conditions, such as kidney or liver disease, may require restricted protein intake and should be evaluated by a veterinarian before use.
For everyone else, though, Orijen is an excellent choice that will help your feline grow strong and healthy. If you can afford it, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better option.
Also see:
- Best Cat Foods for Cats with Allergies – Reviews & Top Picks
- Best Wet Cat Foods: Canned, Soft, & Pâté Reviews
Featured Image Credit: Chewy
Review Summary
One Response
My cat eats Orijen WET food and it's made in THAILAND. i wish it was made in Canada!