If there is something that should not stand in the way of your cat’s health, then it’s her daily nutrition. And when it comes to pet food quality and healthy nutrition, it is not something cat parents want to skimp on.
Not only that, pet owners want to know that the ingredients in cat food are responsibly sourced, ensuring not only a great taste but also the inclusion of nutritious ingredients for their felines.
And if you are looking for buying the most nutritious and highest-quality cat food, then Taste of the Wild might just fit the bill.
In this Taste of the Wild cat food review, we will discuss the 5 best cat food from this brand.
About Taste of the Wild Cat Food: A Basic Overview
Taste of the Wild manufactures premium grain-free pet formulas that are based on your cat’s ancestral diet. Likewise, the brand focuses on producing cat food formulas that rely on ingredients like quality animal meats and probiotics that increase the nutritional health benefits for your cats.
The brand’s website says that the cat food company is — and always has been owned and operated by one family. The main motive behind manufacturing pet food was to provide complete and balanced nutrition intended for your cat, and also in the flavors that satisfy their inner mountain lion, all at affordable prices.
Likewise, the cat foods from Taste of the Wild are reasonably priced and also have above-average ratings in consideration to food quality, ingredients, and variety.
Now, let’s get into more details!
Where Is the Manufacturing Facility Location of Taste of the Wild Cat Food?
Taste of the Wild cat food brand is owned by Diamond Pet Food, which is a US company that was started in 1970 by brothers-in-law Gary Schell and Richard Kampeter.
Diamond’s cat food brand family includes Taste of the Wild, NutraGold, Nutra-Nuggets, and several other sorts of Diamond brand food. Other than that, the company is one of the leading manufacturers and also works as a co-packer for numerous pet food companies.
As of Taste of the Wild, the makers of this company saw an opportunity for a high-quality, yet also affordable cat food option. And as of today, Taste of the Wild cat food is one of the fastest-growing brands around the world. The motto of the company is to deliver what every pet deserves — the best nutrition, and every pet owner deserves a fair value.
The brand’s cat food and dog food are manufactured in six state-of-the-art facilities in the USA. Two of the manufacturing facilities are located in California, while there is one each in Missouri, Arkansas, South Carolina, and Kansas.
Likewise, the brand focuses on sourcing quality ingredients, which are often from global suppliers. Further, the brand also focuses on a careful vetting process, regardless of whether the ingredients are sourced from global or local suppliers.
Moreover, the Taste of the Wild sources lamb from New Zealand, while the lamb meal and venison are brought from Australia, and duck meal from France, dried chicory root from Belgium, and potato protein from Germany. Likewise, the brand also sources some or probably all of its cat food vitamins, minerals, and amino acids from China.
What Sort of Cat Food Does Taste of the Wild Offer?
Every cat food from this brand is grain-free and includes real meat as the first ingredient. Furthermore, the brand has two lines of cat food — the original line that contains many sorts of protein sources and a wide variety of ingredient lists.
The second line of cat food is called Taste of the Wild PREY, which is a line of cat food with limited ingredients with 4 or lesser ingredients.
In addition to that, the brand includes a standard variety of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, which are supplemented along with proprietary Viables® probiotics. The manufacturer further says that the probiotic blend is made especially for cats and added after the cooking process to ensure viability.
Taste of the Wild
The first and original recipe of this brand is called Taste of the Wild. This line of cat food includes recipes, namely Rocky Mountain and Canyon River, which are both available in dry and wet form.
Taste of the Wild PREY
The brand has a second line of cat food, which is specifically manufactured with a simplified approach to feed the cats on their native diet. Like I said before, this line of cat food contains no more than four main cat food ingredients.
The ingredients can include a mix of anything from animal protein, along with lentils, sunflower oil, tomato pomace. Moreover, this line of cat food has only two recipes and both of them are in dry cat food form only.
Dry & Wet Cat Food Choices
Like many other cat food brands in the market, Taste of the Wild also offers high-quality cat food in both dry and wet forms. The brand recommends that you choose wet food in case your cat does not get sufficient water supply or moisture in her daily diet.
Cats prefer the flavor of wet cat food over dry cat food, plus it is also a convenient way of ensuring that she is well hydrated throughout the day.
While, on the other hand, dry cat food can also be suitable for cats that require a high carbohydrate diet. Moreover, you can mix dry food with wet food to keep the taste flavorful for your cats.
Which Cats Are Best Suited for Taste of the Wild Cat Food?
The brand produces a wide variety of cat food, and each of the cat foods has its own unique ingredients. All of the cat food from this brand are grain-free, and contain meat as the first ingredient, along with pea protein and canola oil.
Indoor cats with an active lifestyle are best suited for this type of cat food. Furthermore, all the cat food products are grain-free, meaning the products are also suitable for cats with sensitive stomachs.
What Others Are Saying About Taste of the Wild Cat Food
Taste of the Wild cat food brand appears to have an overall good reputation among pet owners. Moreover, it also seems that the brand is a great choice that offers a meat-focused and grain-free diet at a reasonable price point.
The range of cat food that this brand has to offer appeals mainly to cat parents who want to feed dry cat food diet to their felines. Further, the brand has a small selection of cat food products.
On the other hand, though the brand focuses mainly on meat ingredients, the cat food products still have high carbohydrates content, which might not be a good choice for people who are looking to feed a complete carnivore diet to their cats.
Recall History of Taste of the Wild Cat Food
Unfortunately, recalls happening not only in the human food industry but also in the cat food industry. While the brand Taste of the Wild has had only one recall, the parent company Diamond Pet Food has had several of them.
And to get the full picture of the recalls history of a cat food brand, it is also worth looking at the recall history of the parent company behind the brand as well. The Diamond Pet Food had the worst recall in December 2005 when a case of tragic pet deaths was found to be related to aflatoxin mold contamination.
On the other hand, the brand Taste of the Wild had its first and only recall in the year 2012, and it was due to salmonella infection that wasted more than thousands of units.
Taste of the Wild Cat Food: 5 Best Cat Foods Reviewed
The Taste of the Wild cat food, as I said before, has two lines of cat food—Taste of the Wild and Taste of the Wild PREY.
In this Taste of the Wild cat food review, we will check out the 5 best-selling cat foods.
Let’s go!
1. Taste of the Wild Dry Cat Food — Rocky Mountain
Packed with highly digestible energy for cats of all ages, and with chicken as the primary ingredient, this dry cat food recipe comprises 42% protein.
This dry cat food can provide your cat with ideal protein, essential to a lean and healthy body, whereas the vegetables, legumes, fruits and carefully chosen ingredients provide them with the balanced nutrition nature intended.
There are also other meat versions available in this recipe, including roasted venison, smoked salmon, and ocean fish meal. Apart from the meat protein, this recipe also includes pea protein and potato protein.
Moreover, this dry cat recipe also includes species-specific probiotics, as well as different types of vitamins and minerals to ensure every feline’s nutritional growth is met. There is also an inclusion of taurine, an essential amino acid that is healthful for all cats and helps to maintain a healthy heart and eyes.
Further, you can feed this to cats of any stage, from kitten to senior cat. On the other hand, the optimal levels of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids blend will work together to support healthy skin and the shiny coat of your kitty cat.
At last, the recipe is free from any artificial fillers or any meat by-products, making it a healthy and safe choice for your kitty cat.
Guaranteed Analysis:
| Crude Protein | 42.0% minimum |
| Crude Fat | 18.0% minimum |
| Crude Fiber | 3.0% maximum |
| Moisture | 10.0% maximum |
| Zinc | 120 mg/kg minimum |
| Selenium | 0.3 mg/kg minimum |
| Vitamin E | 150 IU/kg minimum |
| Taurine | 0.15% minimum |
| Omega-6 Fatty Acids | 2.8% minimum |
| Omega-3 Fatty Acids | 0.3% minimum |
| Total Microorganisms | not less than 80,000,000 CFU/lb |
Pros:
- Fruits like blueberries and raspberries, provide nutrients that help support your cat’s overall well-being, while guaranteed levels of zinc, vitamin E and selenium support your cat’s immune system.
- It is made without grain, corn, wheat, filler; Without artificial flavors, colors, preservatives.
- Contains 42% high-quality protein rich for lean, strong muscles.
- This cat food also contains proprietary probiotics that survive and thrive in the GI tract.
- It is formulated to meet the nutritional requirements of your cat throughout all life stages, from kitten to senior cat.
Cons:
- The new recipe is not liked by many cats.
Calorie Content:
3,745 kcal/kg (425 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy
Feeding Guide:
The amount of this cat food your feline needs can vary depending on age, activity level, or other food and treats given. Therefore, be sure to ask your veterinarian to get a suitable weight for your cat, and to make any necessary adjustments to her daily feeding.
| For Kittens | |||
| Weight (lbs.) | Weaning to 16 weeks | 4 – 8 months | 8 – 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ¼ | – | – |
| 4 | ⅔ | ½ | – |
| 6 | ¾ | ⅔ | ½ |
| 9 | 1 ¼ | 1 | ¾ |
| 12 | – | 1 ¼ | 1 |
| For Adult Cats | |
| Weight(lbs.) | Standard Measuring Cups/Day |
|---|---|
| 3 | ¼ |
| 5 | ⅓ |
| 10 | ⅔ |
| 15 | ¾ |
| 20 | 1 |
2. Taste of the Wild Dry Cat Food — Canyon River
The second cat food is the Taste of the Wild Cat Food Canyon River, containing over a high-protein content of 32% that helps support the bones, joints, and a lean, healthy body condition of your kitty cat.
This cat food recipe can be a good choice for felines who have severe food sensitivities, since this cat food only contains fish as the primary source of animal protein. Likewise, this cat food is packed with nutrients and vitamins from fruits and superfoods. Moreover, the omega fatty acids help build healthy skin and coat of your feline.
Further, this fish-centric recipe cat food also includes species-specific viables proprietary probiotics, along with antioxidants and prebiotics to help in supporting healthy digestion, immune system, and overall health of your feline pal.
Along with the animal protein, the cat food also includes multiple plant ingredients, such as sweet potatoes, pea protein, potatoes, and potato protein.
All in all, this dry cat food has medium protein and fat content but high carbohydrate matter.
Guaranteed Analysis:
| Crude Protein | 32.0% minimum |
| Crude Fat | 16.0% minimum |
| Crude Fiber | 3.0% maximum |
| Moisture | 10.0% maximum |
| Zinc | 120 mg/kg minimum |
| Selenium | 0.3 mg/kg minimum |
| Vitamin E | 150 IU/kg minimum |
| Taurine | 0.15% minimum |
| Omega-6 Fatty Acids | 2.4% minimum |
| Omega-3 Fatty Acids | 0.3% minimum |
| Total Microorganisms | not less than 80,000,000 CFU/lb |
Pros:
- This cat food can be a good option for cats with food allergies or sensitivities, as it is made with only one source of animal protein—fish.
- This cat food is also formulated to meet the nutritional requirements of your cat, including all stages of life, from kitten to senior cat.
- It includes proprietary probiotics, antioxidants, and prebiotics — to help support healthy digestion, immune system, and overall health and wellness of your kitty cat.
Cons:
Calorie Content:
3,741 kcal/kg (424 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy
Feeding Guide:
| For Kittens | ||||
| Weight (lbs.) | Up to 4 months (Cups) | 4 – 8 months (Cups) | 8 – 12 months (Cups) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ¼ | – | – | |
| 4 | ⅔ | ½ | – | |
| 6 | ¾ | ¾ | ½ | |
| 9 | – | 1 | ¾ | |
| 12 | – | 1 ¼ | 1 |
| For Adult Cats | |
| Weight (lbs.) | Standard Measuring Cups/Day |
|---|---|
| 3 | ¼ |
| 5 | ⅓ |
| 10 | ⅔ |
| 15 | ¾ |
| 20 | 1 |
3. Taste of the Wild High Protein Real Meat Grain-Free Recipe — Canyon River
At the third spot, we have Rocky Mountain wet cat food. A great-tasting combination to the Rocky Mountain dry recipe cat food, or a tasty stand-alone diet for your feline pal.
This cat food is primarily fish-based, containing nutritious ingredients such as salmon, chicken liver, chicken, and dried egg whites as the main animal protein sources. And like all the cat products from Taste of the Wild, this cat food also has a stew-style consistency.
Along with the other ingredients, this cat food also includes small amounts of smoked salmon, roasted venison, and ocean fish. Moreover, vets also recommend feeding wet cat food as part of your cat’s daily diet to decrease the carbohydrate intake and to increase water intake, both important attributes in healthy cat nutrition.
The cat food has a low protein content at around 8%, whereas the carbs are high, representing 32% of the cat food. And following the brand culture, the major amount of protein comes from animal sources and the recipe is free from grains.
Guaranteed Analysis:
| Crude Protein | 8.0% Minimum |
| Crude Fat | 3.0% Minimum |
| Crude Fiber | 1.5% Maximum |
| Moisture | 82.0% Maximum |
Pros:
- This wet cat food comprises quality grain-free recipe with real salmon as the first ingredient.
- A good amount of moisture content of this wet cat food can satisfy your cat’s hunger for moist food.
- It is free from artificial flavorings.
Cons:
- This wet cat food contains a high amount of carbohydrates.
Calorie Content:
(ME Calculated) 952 kcal/kg, 81 kcal/can (3 oz.)
(ME Calculated) 952 kcal/kg, 149 kcal/can (5.5 oz.)
Feeding Guide:
| Weight of Adult Cat (lbs.) | 5 lbs. | 10 lbs. | 15 lbs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| When feeding canned food only (3 oz. can) | 1¾ | 3¼ | 5 |
| Weight of Adult Cat (lbs.) | 5 lbs. | 10 lbs. | 15 lbs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| When feeding canned food only (5.5 oz. can) | 1 | 1¾ | 2¾ |
4. Taste of the Wild Prey Real Meat — Angus Beef
At the fourth spot, we have Taste of the Wild cat food from the PREY category. Like I said before, this line of cat food from this brand only produces cat food with limited ingredients, with 4 or less than 4 ingredients overall.
This cat food is mainly focused on pets who have difficulty digesting their diet. Therefore, some felines can eat a limited-ingredient diet much more easily, so this recipe from Taste of the Wild uses only three major ingredients: pasture-raised Angus beef, lentils, and sunflower oil.
Overall, this simplified, limited ingredients diet closely looks similar to the diet that nature intended for your cat and may be easier for some cats to digest.
Likewise, 98% of the protein in this cat food formula comes from pasture-raised Angus beef (55%) and lentils (43%), while sunflower oil is a rich source of omega fatty acids and enhances the flavor of the cat food. Guaranteed probiotics in the cat food help support digestion, while precise levels of carefully selected vitamins and minerals, and guaranteed antioxidants.
The recipe is completely free from GMO ingredients, and also does not contain any artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
Guaranteed Analysis:
| Crude Protein | 30.0% minimum |
| Crude Fat | 15.0% minimum |
| Crude Fiber | 3.0% maximum |
| Moisture | 10.0% maximum |
| DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) | 0.05% minimum |
| Zinc | 150 mg/kg minimum |
| Selenium | 0.3 mg/kg minimum |
| Vitamin A | 10,000 IU/kg minimum |
| Vitamin E | 150 IU/kg minimum |
| Taurine | 0.1% minimum |
| Omega-6 Fatty Acids | 2.4% minimum |
| Omega-3 Fatty Acids | 0.5% minimum |
| Total Microorganisms | not less than 80,000,000 CFU/lb |
Pros:
- This cat food is free from GMO ingredients, artificial flavorings, colors, and/or preservatives.
- This limited ingredient diet can be easier to digest for cats with food allergies or sensitivities.
- This cat food is nutrient rich and highly digestible, with proprietary probiotics that survive and thrive in the GI tract of your cats.
- Suitable for cats of all life stages.
Cons:
- Some picky eaters will not like this cat food.
Calorie Content:
3,650 kcal/kg (414 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy
Feeding Guide:
| Kitten Weight (lbs.) | Weaning to 16 weeks | 4 – 8 months | 8– 12 months | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ¼ | ¼ | ¼ | |
| 4 | ⅔ | ½ | ½ | |
| 6 | 1 | ¾ | ½ | |
| 9 | 1 ¼ | 1 | ¾ | |
| 12 | – | 1 ¼ | 1 |
| Weight (lbs.) | Standard Measuring Cups/Day |
|---|---|
| 3 | ¼ |
| 5 | ⅓ |
| 8 | ½ |
| 12 | ¾ |
| 15 | 1 |
| 20 | 1 ¼ |
5. Taste of the Wild Dry Cat Food — Lowland Creek
The Lowland Creek recipe is no less popular than Rocky Mountain or Canyon River; it offers high-quality ingredients, and all that at a budget-friendly price.
As we always have a look at the first ingredient of cat foods, this one has duck meat as the primary ingredient, followed by duck meal and turkey meal as secondary ingredients.
And when you see “meal” on a pet food ingredients list, it means that the meat after it had fat and water abstracted and then ground down to a meal. While the fat and extra moisture could be advantageous to your feline pal, using an animal-based meal gives a big boost to overall protein content.
Likewise, this cat food has an optimal amino acid profile and high-quality protein for lean and strong muscles for cats.
Moreover, while there are no grains in this diet, there are ingredients such as sweet potatoes that increase the overall carbohydrate amount. Coming up next on the ingredients list are the lentils, while still a plant, they are still higher in protein than most other vegetables.
And like all the cat foods from Taste of the Wild, this one is also made with scientifically advanced food safety protocols.
Guaranteed Analysis:
| Crude Protein | 36.0% minimum |
| Crude Fat | 16.0% minimum |
| Crude Fiber | 3.0% maximum |
| Moisture | 10.0% maximum |
| DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) | 0.05% minimum |
| Zinc | 150 mg/kg minimum |
| Selenium | 0.35 mg/kg minimum |
| Vitamin E | 150 IU/kg minimum |
| Taurine | 0.15% minimum |
| Omega-6 Fatty Acids | 3.0% minimum |
| Omega-3 Fatty Acids | 0.5% minimum |
| Total Microorganisms | not less than 80,000,000 CFU/lb |
Pros:
- This cat food contains High-protein ingredients with added vitamins & minerals, along with fruits and vegetables as superfoods for healthy skin & coat of your cat.
- Free from artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives.
- Contains proprietary probiotics.
Cons:
- The taste of this cat food may not be appealing to some picky eaters.
Calorie Content:
3,558 kcal/kg (403 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy
Feeding Guide:
| Kitten Weight (lbs.) | Weaning to 16 weeks | 4 – 8 months | 8 – 12 months | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ¼ | ¼ | ¼ | |
| 4 | ⅔ | ½ | ½ | |
| 6 | 1 | ¾ | ⅔ | |
| 9 | 1 ¼ | 1 | ¾ | |
| 12 | 1 ½ | 1 ¼ | 1 |
| Adult Cat Weight(lbs.) | Standard Measuring Cups/Day |
|---|---|
| 3 | ¼ |
| 5 | ⅓ |
| 10 | ⅔ |
| 15 | ¾ |
| 20 | 1 |
Taste of the Wild Cat Food: Nutrition in Wet & Dry Food
So, how does Taste of the Wild stack up as a cat food brand in comparison with other brands in the pet food market? Let’s take a brief look at the nutritional value of Taste of the Wild cat food and the industry average of dry cat food and wet cat food.
| Taste of the Wild Dry Cat Food | Taste of the Wild Dry Food (avg) | Industry (avg) | Taste of the Wild Wet Cat Food | Taste of the Wild Wet Food (avg) | Industry (avg) | |
| Protein | 30 | 34 | Protein | 9 | 11 | |
| Fat | 16 | 13 | Fat | 3 | 4 | |
| Fibre | 3 | 4 | Fibre | 1.5 | 1 | |
| Avg Review (/5) | 4.6 | 4.5 | Avg Review (/5) | 4.6 | 4 |
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions regarding the Taste of the Wild pet food brand.
How much does Taste of the Wild cat food cost?
Cat food from Taste of the Wild is comparatively low-priced to other grain-free cat foods from other brands that make it without meat by-products.
On average, you can expect to pay around $2 per day for canned recipes, while the dry cat food can cost you around $1 per day from this brand.
Where can I buy Taste of the Wild cat food?
Taste of the Wild cat food is easily available online. In fact, the brand has its own website where you can find a variety of categorized cat food.
Other than that, you can also buy Taste of the Wild in pet retail stores, independent pet specialty retailers, and pet health food stores. Moreover, you can also buy from e-commerce websites such as Amazon, Chewy, PetCo, etc.
Is Taste of the Wild cat food good for indoor cats?
Taste of the Wild is definitely one of the reliable and nutritious cat food brands available in the pet food market today.
Since indoor cats don’t hunt their own prey, they should be fed a high-quality protein diet. Likewise, the brand not only includes cat foods for active cats, but indoor cats as well.
Plus, all the cat foods from this brand are grain-free, meaning they are suitable for indoor cats with sensitive stomachs and intolerances.
Is Taste of the Wild cat food good for kittens?
Taste of the Wild cat food contains grain-free recipes, which not only taste amazing but also provide ease of digestion for your kitten whilst giving her the required energy she needs for a healthy and working immune system.
Likewise, Taste of the Wild has cat food recipes that are formulated to meet the nutritional requirements for cats at all stages of life, including kittens as well.
Which is the best Taste of the Wild dry cat food?
After reviewing the five best Taste of the Wild at food, we choose Taste of the Wild Dry Cat Food — Rocky Mountain to be the best cat food from Taste of the Wild.
Not only does it contain a high amount of protein content, but also moderate fat and relatively low carbohydrate content, which strikes the best balance for dry cat food.
Which is the best Taste of the Wild wet cat food?
Taste of the Wild High Protein Real Meat Grain-Free Recipe — Canyon River is by far the overall best wet cat food from this brand.
A grain-free recipe with premium ingredients provides highly digestible energy for your active cat. Moreover, the combination of animal proteins will offer your feline friend ideal protein nutrition for a lean body and optimal amino acid nutrition content.
Taste of the Wild Cat Food: Our Verdict
After testing top 5 cat food products from Taste of the Wild, we give the brand an above average rating of 6.5 out of 10.
We think Taste of the Wild brand makes a great budget-friendly option for many cat parents. The brand promise animal protein as the first ingredient in all its cat food products, including dry and wet cat food.
Moreover, there is a good inclusion of fruits and vegetables, as well as their proprietary probiotic mix to their cat foods, making sure that your cat enjoys a great-tasting and nutritious diet.
So, what’s your take on this cat food brand? Do let us know in the comments below!
References
- Taste of the Wild Is a Family-Owned Brand — Taste of the Wild
- Taste of the Wild Cat Food — Chewy
- 5 REASONS TO MIX WET AND DRY CAT FOOD — Nutro