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Raw Paws Pet Food Review 2024: Pros, Cons, & Verdict

Written by: Rachel Giordano

Last Updated on July 2, 2024 by Catster Editorial Team

Our Final Verdict

We give Raw Paws Pet Food a rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars.

Raw Paws Pet Food is a company that makes dog and cat foods. They offer frozen food that comes in rolls, patties, or ground, freeze-dried food, as well as grain-free kibble for dogs. They also offer food toppers, chews, supplements, treats, and grooming supplies. The company uses fresh ingredients, including meat, bones, and organs, that are free from antibiotics, hormones, and GMOs. You can choose various proteins, such as chicken, beef, duck, lamb, fish, goat, pork, rabbit, turkey, and venison.

Raw Paws offers free shipping, bundles, a free meal plan, and a monthly supply you can set up for auto-ship at a discount. They also offer raw meaty bones with various proteins that you can choose from, as well as raw organs, such as beef hearts, beef liver, chicken gizzards, and more.

This pet food is suitable for pet owners wishing to feed raw food rather than highly processed kibble. Bear in mind that feeding your pet a raw diet may not suit your particular furry friend. We suggest consulting your veterinarian before switching to this type of pet food due to concerns surrounding raw pet food, such as Salmonella contamination.

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At a Glance: The 5 Best Raw Paws Pet Food Recipes:

Image Product Details
Our Favorite
Winner
Raw Paws Beef Recipe for Cats Raw Paws Beef Recipe for Cats
  • Beef from free-range cows
  • No artificial fillers or additives
  • Packed with nutrients
  • Second place
    Raw Paws Chicken Recipe for Cats Raw Paws Chicken Recipe for Cats
  • High in protein
  • Free from antibiotics
  • Packed with nutrients
  • Third place
    Raw Paws Beef & Mackerel Recipe for Cats Raw Paws Beef & Mackerel Recipe for Cats
  • Grass-fed beef and wild-caught mackerel
  • Packed with nutrients
  • High in protein
  • Raw Paws Green Beef Tripe Recipe for Cats Raw Paws Green Beef Tripe Recipe for Cats
  • Good balance of calcium to phosphorus
  • Picky eaters like it
  • Easy to serve
  • Raw Paws Turkey Recipe for Cats Raw Paws Turkey Recipe for Cats
  • High protein
  • Vitamins B12 and B6
  • No gluten, wheat or corn
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    Raw Paws Pet Food Reviewed

    Who Makes Raw Paws and Where Is It Produced?

    Raw Paws Pet Food was founded in 2014 and is a small family business. Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, the woman-owned business aims to make pet food easily accessible, affordable, and practical. The company believes that providing your pet with ready-to-serve raw pet food made from a blend of natural ingredients, specifically meat, bone, and organs, is the healthiest option for pets.

    They source their ingredients from local, small family farms that are trusted to produce the highest quality pet food with healthy, fresh ingredients to give your pet the best nutrition for a healthy life. They offer frozen and freeze-dried food, grain-free dog kibble, toppers, treats, supplements, chews, grooming supplies, and even catnip. In a sense, Raw Paws can potentially be a one-stop shop for your pet’s needs.

    Which Types of Pets Are Raw Paws Best Suited For?

    Raw Paws Pet Food makes pet food exclusively for dogs and cats. This food may be perfect for dogs and cats with certain food allergies to processed kibble or canned food ingredients. A raw diet may be beneficial for cats because they are carnivores, meaning they thrive on meat rather than fruits and veggies.

    There are a few potential positives to feeding raw pet food. For example, feeding raw may produce shinier, healthier coats and skin, cleaner teeth, smaller stools, and increased energy levels. However, not every pet thrives on raw pet food, and we strongly suggest consulting your vet before switching.

    cat eating from feeding bowl
    Image Credit: Chalabala, Shutterstock

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

    Raw Paws isn’t for every pet, but it’s especially not ideal for those with a weakened immune system, as there is always a possibility of contamination with raw food. We suggest speaking with your vet before ever offering raw food as an option to ensure that it is a safe option for your cat specifically.

    Discussion of the Primary Ingredients (Good and Bad)

    Animal Protein

    Animal protein is an important source of nutrition for dogs and cats, especially for cats. Animal protein is an excellent energy source, and with cats being carnivores, a high-protein diet is likely beneficial. A cat’s metabolism is suited for a strictly meat-based diet, and cats depend on the amino acids found in animal protein, given they have limited ability to synthesize them on their own.

    Cats are also unable to produce certain vitamins, such as niacin, vitamin A, and vitamin D, and these nutrients must be obtained through animal protein. Taurine, a crucial amino acid found in animal protein, is vital for absorbing cholesterol and fats in the intestines of cats.

    For dogs, the biggest concern of feeding a raw-based diet is the disproportionate ratio of macro and micronutrients, which can prohibit the food from being complete and balanced. If you decide to feed your dog a raw diet, consult your veterinarian, as additional supplements may be needed. Also, some protein sources differ in nutrients, and your dog may require a certain protein over the others based on their overall health, making it necessary to consult your vet before switching.

    uncooked ground beef in glass bowl
    Image Credit: Angele J, Pexels

    Organs

    Organ meats are packed with nutrients and deliver high-quality protein and fat to our furry friends. Organ meats are loaded with vitamins and minerals dogs and cats need to thrive, and Raw Paws Pet Food includes organ meats in their foods. The liver and kidney organs are especially beneficial, as the liver contains more nutrients gram for gram, and kidney organs are low in fat and high in protein.

    Bone

    Raw Paws Pet Food offers ground bone in many of their recipes, with the percentage being roughly 10%. With this ingredient, it’s important to ensure no bone fragments are present before feeding, which should be done during the manufacturing process. The added bone holds nutritional value, providing vitamins, minerals, calcium, and phosphorus.

    Heart

    Heart is an excellent addition to any dog or cat pet food, as it is rich in amino acids, B vitamins, irons, and essential fatty acids.

    Tongue

    Beef tongue is a single-source protein rich in the necessary fatty acids dogs and cats require. It’s also a good source of iron, zinc, and vitamins. It is highly palatable and wholesome and is even considered a delicacy for dogs and cats as long as it’s prepared safely and cooked.

    A Quick Look at Raw Paws Pet Food

    Raws Paws Beef

    Pros
    • Many recipes to choose from
    • Cat be fed to both cats and dogs
    • Made from blend of natural ingredients
    • High in protein

    Cons
    • Risk of contamination
    • Pricey
    • Not suitable for every pet

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    Recall History

    At the time of this writing, we did not see a recall for any Raw Paws Pet Food from the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) website. However, when researching this topic, we ran across a controversial article indicating that a consumer found a .22 caliber bullet fragment in a package of cat food. While the consumer reported the incident to the FDA and the Department of Agriculture, no recall has yet been implemented.

    Raw Paws Pet Food is not to be confused with Raws for Paws Pet Food, which did have a recall in 2018 due to possible Salmonella contamination. Raws for Paws and Raw Paws Pet Food are not affiliated with each other.

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    Reviews of the 3 Best Raw Paws Pet Food Recipes

    1. Raw Paws Signature Blend Pet Food for Cats – Beef Recipe

    Raw Paws Beef and Mackarel

    Signature Blend Pet Food for Cats – Beef Recipe is packed with nutrients in a 1-pound blended roll of 80% beef, 10% bone, and 10% organ. The beef is derived from free-range cows without added hormones or antibiotics. All ingredients are sourced from small, trusted, and responsible farms in Indiana.

    The company makes small, fresh batches weekly, and all recipes are made in a licensed and inspected facility. It contains no artificial fillers or additives, and they store the food in a 0-degree Fahrenheit freezer to deliver it frozen to your door. You can thaw the entire tube and refreeze unused portions for future feedings, and they offer a full refund if you are not 100% satisfied with no questions asked. This recipe is grain-free, which makes it suitable for dogs and cats with grain allergies.

    A drawback we noticed is that none of the recipes have an AAFCO statement stating the recipe is complete and balanced.

    Pros
    • Packed with nutrients
    • Contains no artificial fillers or additives
    • Made in a licensed and inspected facility
    • Beef from free-range cows with no added hormones or antibiotics
    Cons
    • Does not indicate a complete and balanced diet approved by AAFCO

    2. Raw Paws Signature Blend Pet Food for Cats – Chicken Recipe

    Raw Paws Chicken

     

    The Signature Blend Pet Food for Cats – Chicken Recipe is another 1-pound roll of raw food, although with chicken being the protein source. This meat comes from Amish-raised chickens without antibiotics from small USA family farms. It is also made and licensed in an inspected facility. It contains 80% protein, 10% bones, and 10% organs. The ingredients feature chicken breast, leg quarters, heart, backs, liver, and gizzards, along with being full of vitamins and antioxidants. However, you do need to be careful about feeding raw chicken, as there could be risks of things like Salmonella.

    Pros
    • Packed with nutrients
    • Amish-raised chickens from small USA family farms
    • Free from antibiotics
    • High in protein
    Cons
    • Risk of Salmonella with raw food
    • Does not indicate a complete and balanced diet approved by AAFCO

    3. Raw Paws Signature Blend Pet Food for Cats – Beef & Wild-Caught Mackerel Recipe

    Raw Paws Beef and Mackarel

    The Raw Paws Pet Signature Blend Raw Frozen Cat Food, Beef & Wild-Caught Mackerel Recipe is great because it offers tons of protein while including that mouth-watering fish flavor that cats love. It is made of grass-fed beef and wild-caught mackerel, with it being 85% beef blend and 15% mackerel. The ingredients include beef round, beef meat, wild-caught mackerel, beef bone, beef heart, beef tongue, beef liver, beef kidney, beef spleen, and beef suet. While the ingredients are clean, however, there are reports that this food is pretty fatty, which might not be ideal for your pet.

    Pros
    • Packed with nutrients
    • Grass-fed beef and wild-caught mackerel
    • 85% beef blend and 15% mackerel
    Cons
    • Very fatty
    • Does not indicate a complete and balanced diet approved by AAFCO

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    What Other Users Are Saying

    Amazon – As pet owners, we always read Amazon reviews from buyers before we buy a product. After all, these reviews come from buyers familiar with the product and can convey the positives and negatives. You can read reviews here.

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    Conclusion

    Raw Paws Pet Food can be a contender if you’re considering feeding your dog or cat a raw diet. Some pets may do better on a raw diet than others, and we strongly encourage you to consult your veterinarian before switching your pet’s food. While raw diets have their benefits, they also come with the concerns of Salmonella contamination, which can be passed to humans if the food is not handled properly. Your vet can educate you on proper handling if a raw diet is approved.

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