Review Summary
We give Redford Naturals Cat food a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.
The store brand for Pet Supplies Plus, a national pet store chain, Redford Naturals, offers both wet and dry cat foods for owners who want the best for their pet but don’t necessarily want to break the bank to get it. The foods are moderately priced, yet they’re free of fillers and additives like corn, soy, wheat, and artificial colors or flavors. These are traits that you’d normally find in high-end foods, yet Redford Naturals is well within most owners’ budgets.
The food itself is made in the U.S.A., although some of the ingredients are imported. It uses responsibly-sourced ingredients whenever possible, allowing you to feed your cat a healthy diet without negatively impacting the world at large.
While Redford Naturals is a good food, especially for its price range, you can definitely find better options if money is no object. If you want to have money left over for your own food after buying your cat’s kibble, though, it’s a good choice.
At a Glance: The Best Redford Naturals Cat Food Recipes:
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Our Favorite
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Redford Naturals Grain Free Salmon Recipe Adult Cat Food |
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Redford Naturals Kitten Salmon Recipe Cat Food |
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Redford Naturals Grain Free Chunks in Gravy Turkey & Chicken Recipe |
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Redford Naturals Grain Free Healthy Weight Chicken Recipe Adult |
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Redford Naturals Indoor Recipe Adult Cat Food |
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Redford Naturals Cat Food Reviewed
Who Makes Redford Naturals Cat and Where Is It Produced?
Redford Naturals cat food is produced by the Pet Supplies Plus pet food chain. The food itself is manufactured by CJ Foods in Kansas; CJ Foods also makes food for other brands, like Blue Buffalo and Nature’s Variety.
Which Types of Pets Is Redford Naturals Cat Best Suited For?
The food is designed for cat owners who want to feed their cats a fairly natural food without it costing an arm and a leg. It’s a middle-of-the-road food price-wise; there are better foods that are more expensive, but Redford Naturals is superior to many of the bargain-basement, mass-produced foods that you’ll find at your local big-box store.
Which Types of Pets Might Do Better With a Different Brand?
If you want to feed your cat a specialized diet or if you just want to maximize the naturalistic nutrition that they get from their kibble, we recommend Orijen Tundra Grain-Free Dry Cat Food.
Orijen Tundra is undoubtedly superior to Redford Naturals. It also costs more than twice as much. Is the added nutrition worth the extra cost? That’s up to you to decide.
Discussion of the Primary Ingredients
Protein
The primary ingredient in any of Redford Naturals’ foods is some form of lean protein, usually chicken, turkey, beef, or fish. This is always a good sign because cats are obligate carnivores, so you always want the bulk of their diet to be a healthy meat of some kind. Most of its foods are above 35% in protein, which is definitely better than average (but not as much as some other high-end foods).
In addition to these lean cuts, the food includes various kinds of meals. Meals are mashed-up concoctions filled with organ meat, crushed bones, and various other animal parts. These sound disgusting to us, but to cats, they’re a delicacy, and meals often contain nutrients not found in lean cuts of meat.
You’ll also find animal fats inside its foods. This is good because animal fats are full of omega-fatty acids, which are powerful antioxidants. You’ll usually also find another source of omegas in these foods, such as flaxseed or fish oil. More is better, generally speaking.
Finally, it’s worth pointing out what you won’t find in these products. Namely, animal by-products. Animal by-products are made from low-grade meat, possibly from diseased animals, and they’re all mashed together and put in foods to keep the protein content up and the costs down. They’re not usually good for your cat, but fortunately, we haven’t seen any traces of them in any Redford Naturals products.
Vegetables
There are many healthy veggies inside Redford Naturals, which is good but not essential. Cats are meat eaters, so any fruits and veggies are “nice-to-haves,” not must-haves.
You’ll find vegetables like peas and tomatoes inside these foods. It often only has a couple of veggies in its recipes, and those are primarily there to provide fiber, although they have other benefits as well.
Most of Redford Naturals’ products are in the 3-5% fiber range, which is good but not great. You’ll find more fiber in their dry kibble than in their wet food, which is just one reason that we recommend combining wet and dry food in your cat’s diet.
You may also see vegetables like dried kelp in certain recipes. While dried kelp is packed with vitamins and minerals, it’s usually so far down the ingredients list that it’s probably not doing much for your cat.
Starches
Most of these foods contain at least one starch of some kind. This may be an actual starch, such as tapioca starch, or just a starchy food, like brown rice. Starches are another valuable source of fiber.
The sensitive stomach recipes are full of starches. That’s because foods like oatmeal, brown rice, and the like are gentle on tummies (and filling), so your cat can finally eat their fill without puking it up afterward.
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! 
Supplements
Redford Naturals includes many vitamin supplements in its foods, such as vitamin E, niacin, taurine, and more. This is a good thing because you want to make sure your cat is getting all the nutrients that they need.
However, if your cat is eating enough lean, healthy meat, they shouldn’t need any extra supplements in most cases. After all, you don’t see wild cats carrying around vitamin bottles. These supplements are likely just a case of Redford Naturals covering all its bases, but it could also mean that it’s not including enough meat to give your cat the nutrients that they need.
Given all the protein inside, though — and the variety of meals — it’s unlikely that this is the case.
It Has All Types of Cat Food
Regardless of whether you prefer to feed your cat wet food, dry food, chunks in gravy, or a combination of all three, Redford Naturals has you covered. It has the basic variety of recipes, including special foods for kittens, seniors, sensitive stomachs, weight management, and so on. It doesn’t have an overwhelming amount of variety like some larger food brands do, but unless your cat needs an incredibly specialized diet, you should be able to find a recipe that works for them.
Right now, all it has for cats is food, whereas dogs can also get treats and raw or freeze-dried foods. Hopefully, it will add more variety in the future, but at least it has the basics covered.
This Is a Young Pet Food Company
Redford Naturals was only launched in February 2018, so it hasn’t had much time to build up a history. While it has expanded past its initial range of offerings, it can’t compete with massive food companies in terms of selection.
That extends to its food sizes as well. If you’re buying dry food, you have two options: a 4-pound or 12-pound bag (and some recipes only come in 4-pound bags). This isn’t a huge deal, but it can be a hassle for anyone who would do better with another size option. A larger size — perhaps in the 20-pound range — would be a welcome addition to its product line.
Also, since it’s only offered by Pet Supplies Plus stores, it could be difficult for people in Hawaii and Alaska to get access to these foods, as they do no ship to either state yet.
Many of Its Foods Are Grain-Free
Grain-free diets have become incredibly popular in recent years for cats, dogs, and humans. Many people believe that grain-free diets are better for animals, saying that the foods are more natural, lower in carbs, and gentler on stomachs than their grain-filled counterparts.
However, there’s no evidence that all grains are unhealthy for cats, and most cats are efficient at processing them. What’s more, they usually contain a variety of nutrients that are beneficial to cats.
As for the carb count, it can go either way. Some grain-free foods are lower in carbs than regular foods, but others swap out the grains for other high-carb fruits and veggies, resulting in food that’s even higher in carbs despite being grain-free! At the end of the day, you have to compare the numbers on the ingredients list, not just the claims on the label.
In terms of being gentler on the stomach, that’s a mixed bag. Some cats can have allergies or sensitivities to grains, but it’s rare. On the other hand, many grains — such as rice — are often used in cat foods because they soothe upset stomachs. Unless you have reason to suspect that your cat doesn’t do well with grains, there’s no reason to avoid feeding rice and similar foods to them.
So, how do Redford Naturals’ grain-free options stack up? Most of its foods are in the 30% range in terms of carbs, which is actually above average. It’s probably not anything to worry about, but if you notice that your kitty is starting to pack on the pounds, it might be time to switch to a lower-calorie food, regardless of whether it’s grain-free or not.
A Quick Look at Redford Naturals Cat Food
- Good middle-of-the-road option
- High in protein
- No questionable ingredients
- Food is made in Kansas
- Limited variety
- Uses foreign ingredients
- Grain-free options are high in carbs
- Only sold through Pet Supplies Plus
Recall History
Redford Naturals is young as a company, so it should come as no surprise that it doesn’t have any recalls to speak of. It doesn’t get bonus points for this, though. Rather, it would be a huge red flag if it had managed to generate a recall in less than 5 years of existence.
While it doesn’t have any recalls on its record, it has been sued for false advertising. A woman in Illinois has filed a class-action lawsuit against Redford Naturals, claiming that its cat foods don’t contain ground flaxseed as the label claims.
As best we can tell, the case has not yet been resolved, so there’s no word as to whether there’s any truth to this claim. Still, it might be something to keep your eye on.
Reviews of the 3 Best Redford Naturals Cat Food Recipes
1. Redford Naturals Grain Free Salmon Recipe Adult Cat Food — Our Favorite
This is the brand’s “basic” dry cat food. Like many of its other recipes, it’s grain-free, although that doesn’t mean it’s low in carbs (it’s actually around 30%).
Salmon is the first listed ingredient, followed immediately by turkey meal. This gives you a nice, complete range of protein right off the bat, and since you’ll also find fish meal and chicken fat listed, you can rest assured that your cat is getting plenty of protein. Indeed, the overall protein levels sit right at 38%.
It has tapioca starch and dried peas to add fiber (for a total level of 4%), and there’s tomato pomace inside to help prevent urinary tract infections. Other than that, you won’t find much in the way of fruits and veggies.
What you will find are supplements — tons of them. Nutritional additives make up at least 2/3 of the ingredients list. It would be better if those nutrients came from real food.
For a baseline food, Redford Naturals Grain Free Salmon is good, especially considering the price. It’s not great, but we’re not sure how many improvements the company could realistically make while keeping it affordable.
Calorie Breakdown:
- High in protein
- Nice variety of animal products
- Tomato pomace helps prevent UTIs
- Loaded with supplements
- High in carbs
- Would be better if nutrients came from food rather than supplements
2. Redford Naturals Kitten Wet Cat Food
This food covers two different bases: kitten food and canned food. As with most of the brand’s other offerings, it’s an above-average food that could nevertheless be better. The ingredients list starts strong, with chicken, chicken broth, and turkey liver being the first listed. That should give your cat plenty of protein (overall levels are at 10%, which is above average for a wet food) and much-needed moisture.
Chicken meal can be found just a few ingredients later, helping to round out the food’s nutritional profile. Brown rice is the first non-protein listed, and it’s good for young cats’ developing tummies. You shouldn’t have to worry about an upset stomach with this food. It does add more carbs, though.
We’d also prefer if guar gum was a bit further down the list. While it’s an important part of any wet food — and can have important health benefits in its own right — it’s best used in moderation, as too much can limit your cat’s ability to absorb other nutrients. It’s the sixth ingredient shown here, which is worrisome.
If you’re looking for affordable kitten food that should check all the important boxes, Redford Naturals Kitten is a good option. That doesn’t mean it couldn’t be better, though.
Calorie Breakdown:
- A good amount of protein for a wet food
- A diverse range of protein sources
- Brown rice is good for upset stomachs
- High in carbs
- Too much guar gum for our liking
3. Redford Naturals Grain Free Chunks in Gravy Turkey & Chicken Recipe
This food is a bit different from the previous two, as it’s chunks of meat served in gravy. It’s still a complete meal for your cat, though, so don’t assume that it’s merely a treat.
This recipe has a surprisingly extensive ingredient list. Turkey broth is the first ingredient, which isn’t ideal, but it does ensure that your cat gets plenty of all-important moisture. After that, you’ll find turkey, chicken, chicken liver, and dried egg products, all chock-full of protein. Some cats have difficulty processing eggs, though, so be sure to monitor your kitty to make sure they’re not suffering from an upset stomach.
Next up on the list are the veggies: peas, carrots, and potato starch. Nothing too outlandish, but they’re a good mix of nutrients and fiber. You’ll find high-quality fruits in here as well, which is a bit strange for this brand. There are blueberries and cranberries, which are both full of antioxidants. They’re especially potent when paired with the flaxseed and sunflower and fish oil that you’ll find inside.
All in all, Redford Naturals Grain Free Chunks in Gravy is a relatively healthy food that your cat should love. However, we’d still recommend mixing it with kibble to fill in a few of its gaps.
Calorie Breakdown:
- Most cats find it delicious
- Wide variety of protein sources
- Includes high-quality fruits
- Loaded with antioxidants
- Turkey broth is first ingredient instead of real meat
- Dried egg product may cause upset stomach
What Other Users Are Saying
- Cat Food DB: “Additionally, it’s worth noting that this product does not list either by-products nor bulk-adding fillers within its top ingredients. … Together, their combined absence may be indicative of a higher-quality product.”
- Pet Food Reviewer: “The nutrition offered by Redford Naturals cat food is similar to their dog food. It varies significantly between average to above-average.”
- Pet Supplies Plus: As pet owners, we always double-check reviews from actual buyers before we buy something. You can read these by clicking here.
Conclusion
Redford Naturals was founded with a singular goal in mind: to provide cats with nutritious food at a price that their owners can afford. It’s hard to argue that it hasn’t achieved that goal.
That’s not to say that this is a top-notch pet food, however. Rather, it’s a good food for its price range. You can definitely find better options if you’re willing to pay a little more (and you can probably find better options in this price range if you’re willing to look), but your cat certainly won’t suffer from eating this food.
It’s also important to remember that Redford Naturals is a young brand. We’ll be watching with interest to see if future additions to its cat food line build on the successes of its initial offerings.
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Review Summary
