The Honest Kitchen Cat Food Review in 2025: Pros, Cons, Final Verdict

Choosing high-quality cat food made with fresh, whole ingredients is becoming increasingly important for many people. The Honest Kitchen is a brand that is making high-quality food for cats widely available. Some of their products are premium priced, but the ingredients are premium, and the nutrition is excellent. The Honest Kitchen offers a variety of food textures and proteins, so there’s always something for even the pickiest of cats.

This company started with strict quality standards, and they have only increased their standards since then, so you can feel comfortable feeding something from this brand to your furry pal. You can feel good about The Honest Kitchen because not only are their products high-quality and made from human-grade ingredients, but they are a Certified B Corp with a goal of feeding our fur babies nothing but the best.

At a Glance:

	Image	Product	Details
Our Favorite		Minced Salmon & Cod in Fish Broth Gravy	Calorie dense Palatable flavor Supports hydration	50% Off $30+* Code 50CATSTER
		Grain Free Chicken Dehydrated Cat Food	Easy to serve Nutrient-dense formula Can be customized for hydration needs	50% Off $30+* Code 50CATSTER
		Grain Free Chicken Clusters	35% protein content Probiotics for digestive health Ideal for cats that prefer dry food	50% Off $30+* Code 50CATSTER
		Grain Free Chicken CÂTÉ	Human Grade Free of any GMO ingredients Vet recommended	50% Off $30+* Code 50CATSTER
		Smittens White Fish Cat Treats	Vet recommended 100% human grade No by products	50% Off $30+* Code 50CATSTER

*  The Honest Kitchen 50% discount applies to first-time orders only and requires a minimum purchase of $30.

The Honest Kitchen Cat Food Reviewed

Who Makes The Honest Kitchen and Where Is It Produced?

The Honest Kitchen is a privately owned company based out of San Diego, California. They have multiple field offices across the United States as well. They produce their own foods and source 84% of their ingredients from North American suppliers. The rest of their ingredients are sourced from carefully selected suppliers and cooperatives in Europe, Asia, and South America. Less than 1% of their ingredients are sourced from Northern Africa.

This company was founded in 2002 by Lucy Postins after she began preparing home-cooked meals for her dog, Mosi. After Mosi experienced skin and ear problems, she wondered if his diet was part of the cause, and she found that some of Mosi’s issues were significantly reduced with a high-quality diet of home-cooked foods. From there, The Honest Kitchen was born.

Which Types of Cats Is The Honest Kitchen Best Suited For?

The Honest Kitchen’s cat foods are formulated for adult cats. They have some lower-calorie options that are ideal for older cats or cats with low activity levels. These foods are high in protein and contain moderate amounts of healthy fats from ingredients like salmon and flaxseeds. They also contain nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables, ensuring that all nutritional needs of adult cats are met.

Some of the foods from The Honest Kitchen are also appropriate for kittens, although none of them are made specifically for kittens.

Discussion of the Primary Ingredients (Good and Bad)

Chicken

Chicken is an excellent source of lean protein for cats. It’s lower in calories and fat than most animal proteins. The chickens used for The Honest Kitchen foods are raised in humane and healthy environments. The Honest Kitchen commits to ensuring that all of the chickens used in their foods are treated with care and kindness.

Salmon

Salmon is also an excellent source of protein for cats, and it is low in calories but high in healthy fats. The fats found in salmon can help support skin and coat health, as well as joint, brain, and heart health. Salmon is highly palatable for most cats, even picky eaters.

Broth

Cats tend to chronically drink too little water, so high-moisture foods are a great way to help your cat stay hydrated. Broths are used in The Honest Kitchen’s foods to support hydration in cats, as well as to enhance palatability. Bone broths are used in some recipes, which are higher in protein and nutrients than traditional broths.

Flaxseeds

Flaxseeds are tiny powerhouses of omega-3 fatty acids, which are healthy fats that can support heart health. Flaxseeds are also high in fiber, which supports digestive health. They have shown potential for helping to normalize blood sugar levels, which may make this ingredient beneficial for diabetic kitties.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potato is a root vegetable that is high in fiber, so it supports digestive health. It’s a good source of beta-carotene, which is a nutrient that supports the health of the eyes, skin, mucus membranes, and immune system. Sweet potatoes have also shown promise in helping to reduce the risk of some types of cancer.

Blueberries

Blueberries are very nutritious fruits that are high in antioxidants, which help support immunity. They’re also high in vitamin C and fiber. They help support heart, skin, and bone health, as well as support healthy blood pressure levels, diabetes management, and reducing the risk of some cancers.

High-Quality Ingredients

The ingredients used in The Honest Kitchen’s cat foods are second to none. The Honest Kitchen prides itself in providing human-grade foods for pets, and all of its ingredients are sourced from trusted and reliable vendors.

Their products lack fillers and protein meals, and they are prepared in the best ways to maintain nutrients, like dehydration, roasting, and cold pressing. To ease digestion, the ingredients are finely ground to maximize the body’s ability to absorb nutrients from them. Because of these preparation methods, these foods retain their natural colors and smells, making them more appealing to cats.

Variety

The texture and protein varieties offered by The Honest Kitchen mean that there’s something available in their cat food line for even the pickiest cats. They offer dry kibble, minced and pate wet foods, food toppers, and dehydrated foods that are simply rehydrated with warm water before serving. They offer multiple proteins, including diets that are free of poultry and other common protein allergens.

Certified B Corp

If supporting companies that value protecting the planet and making a difference is important to you, then The Honest Kitchen’s Certified B Corp status is surely a positive quality for you. As a B Corp, The Honest Kitchen prides itself in working with trusted suppliers with conscientious sourcing practices, as well as production methods that are better for the planet. In fact, 46% of their products are produced with solar energy.

They offer transparency via their Impact Report, which outlines the ways that they meet their B Corp status. Not only that, but The Honest Kitchen is staffed by 71% of people identifying as female, and each employee provides at least 40 hours of volunteer work annually.

Price

When it comes to cat foods from The Honest Kitchen, you can expect to spend a little more than you might on the average cat food in the pet store, and it’s definitely more expensive than grocery store brands. The price is reflective of the integrity of the company and the quality of the products, but it still may make it less affordable for tighter budgets.

Since these foods are nutrient dense, they are high in calories, so you will likely be able to feed your cat a little less food than you would on lower quality foods, which will help to offset the cost somewhat.

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A Quick Look at The Honest Kitchen’s Cat Food

Reviews of The Honest Kitchen Cat Foods

1. The Honest Kitchen Minced Salmon & Cod in Fish Broth Gravy

This minced cat food is high in moisture, as well as being high in calories and nutrient dense. It offers 55.5% protein on a dry matter basis, making it a great option for supporting healthy muscle development and management.

It’s extremely palatable, even for picky cats, and it supports hydration in cats that don’t drink enough water. Cranberries support urinary tract health, and the omega fatty acids in this food support coat health, as well as help to reduce hairballs.

This food is soupier than most wet foods, even those with a gravy base. This may make the texture unappealing to cats that prefer foods with a thicker, meatier texture.

2. The Honest Kitchen Grain Free Chicken Dehydrated Cat Food

This dehydrated cat food is extremely easy to serve to your cat because all you need is warm water and a few minutes to let the food sit. This food allows you to add extra moisture to your cat’s diet simply by adding more water to the food, helping to better hydrate your cat.

It’s packed with highly nutritious ingredients, and it has probiotics to support digestive health. A veterinary nutritionist helped formulate this food, ensuring it’s balanced and healthy for your cat.

Since this is a dehydrated food, the texture is different from the wet or dry foods your cat might already be used to. There may be an adjustment period to the texture of this food, and it may take a little bit of time to find the perfect consistency to appease your cat.

3. The Honest Kitchen Grain Free Chicken Clusters

For cats that prefer dry kibble food, these Grain Free Chicken Clusters are a winner. Probiotics support digestive health, while cranberries keep your cat’s urinary tract healthy. This food can help reduce hairballs and give your cat a shiny coat. With 35% protein, this food is a great way to support your cat’s muscle mass and body weight. It’s a calorie-dense food, with 450 kcal per cup of food.

Since it’s a kibble, this food doesn’t support hydration as much as most of the foods offered by The Honest Kitchen. You may need to soak this food in water to improve hydration if your cat doesn’t drink enough water.

Our Experience With The Honest Kitchen

I have three cats; Nutmeg is 1 year old, Noodles is 5 years old, and Aslan is 15 years old. Nutmeg and Noodles are Domestic Shorthairs, while Aslan is a Domestic Longhair.

As soon as I opened the box of items from The Honest Kitchen, Nutmeg started circling. She immediately became obsessed with the Smittens White Fish treats, even trying to chew on the pull tab from the bag. Aslan enjoyed the treats after I woke him up from his nap, while Noodles wasn’t interested, but she is notoriously picky.

The pate food was a hit with Noodles and Nutmeg, while Aslan snubbed it. However, everyone loved the minced wet foods enough that I purchased more. I can barely keep them out of each other’s bowls when the minced food is down.

Aslan can’t eat dry food, so I didn’t get his opinion on the Chicken Clusters, but Noodles and Nutmeg both seem to enjoy it, although they aren’t more or less excited about it than they are with other kibbles. The chicken and turkey flavors of the dehydrated food were both popular with Aslan and Nutmeg, but Noodles, the picky cat, took no interest.

The goat’s milk powder pouches seem to be the most divisive product our cats tried. Sometimes, Aslan drinks it as soon as it’s put down, while other times he sniffs it and walks away. Noodles will always walk away from the goat’s milk, and if it’s put near her other food, she’ll ignore all of it completely. Nutmeg, the least picky of the bunch, seems to like the goat’s milk, but she rarely finishes the bowl.

I feel good about the quality of all of the products from The Honest Kitchen that my cats tried, but not all of them are keepers in this household, unfortunately. The Smittens seem to be something that I’ll always have to have on hand if I want to keep my cats appeased. The minced foods are all big winners also, so those are a new staple here. The other products aren’t consistently liked enough by all of my cats to make them worth keeping stocked, but some of them may be a nice treat from time to time.

In Conclusion

Foods from The Honest Kitchen are high quality and made with sustainable and responsible manufacturing and sourcing practices. The variety offered by these foods is wonderful since there are so many flavors and textures, so there’s something for every cat’s preference. However, they don’t offer specific diets for kittens or senior cats, but their foods are appropriate for healthy kittens and older cats.

The Honest Company is a Certified B Corp with a commitment to the humane treatment of the chickens used for their food, sustainability, and nutrient-dense, human-grade foods for pets. With that said, I would surely give this food to my pets again.