We’ve rated Dr. Tim’s cat food on ingredient quality, species-appropriateness, recalls, and more. Read our Dr. Tim’s cat food review to learn how this brand stacks up.
The Cats.com Standard—Rating Dr. Tim’s Cat Food on What Matters
We’ve rated the brand on six key criteria for quality. Here’s how it rates in each of these six crucial areas.
Ratings
- Species-Appropriateness – 8/10
- Ingredient Quality – 9/10
- Product Variety – 5/10
- Price – 7/10
- Customer Experience – 7/10
- Recall History – 9/10
Overall Score: 7.5/10
In total, we give Dr. Tim’s cat food a 45 out of 60 rating or a B+ grade.
About Dr. Tim’s Cat Food
Dr. Tim’s is a self-described premium pet food brand headquartered in Marquette, Michigan. The brand was founded in 2004 by Dr. Tim Hunt, a veterinarian who also races sled dogs. Unhappy with the quality and calorie density of dog foods on the market, Dr. Tim set out to create a dry food that promoted stamina, endurance, and performance.
The Dr. Tim’s brand was born in Dr. Tim Hunt’s garage in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It remains a family-owned and -operated company today but has expanded to offer about half a dozen dry dog foods and a limited range of cat foods.
Sourcing and Manufacturing
While Dr. Tim’s is a family-owned and -operated company, the production of their foods is outsourced to Alphia Foods in Kansas. The recipes are formulated by Dr. Tim himself using his 25 years of veterinary experience. None of his products contain corn, wheat, or soy ingredients.
Most of the brand’s ingredients seem to be sourced from the United States with some fats and nutrient supplements sourced internationally from countries like France, Norway, and Germany. All the salmon Dr. Tim’s uses in their pet foods is wild-caught in Alaska.
Recall History
To our knowledge (and confirmed in the FAQ section of Dr. Tim’s website), this brand has never had a product recalled.
What Kinds of Cat Food Does Dr. Tim’s Offer?
Dr. Tim’s offers a relatively small but diverse selection of food for cats, including dry food, canned food, toppers, and treats. Kate Barrington / Cats.com
Dr. Tim’s has a relatively limited selection of products available for cats. Their lineup includes one all life stages dry cat food, one canned food, two freeze-dried toppers, and an assortment of freeze-dried cat treats.
The dry food formula is a grain-inclusive recipe featuring chicken meal and brown rice. Dr. Tim’s canned cat food also utilizes chicken as the primary protein but supplements it with fish and seafood.
Both of Dr. Tim’s freeze-dried toppers are beef-based. One is marketed as a flavor booster for pet food, made only with freeze-dried beef liver. The second is sold as a taurine supplement, made with beef, beef organs, salmon oil, and taurine.
What Do Customers Think of Dr. Tim’s Cat Food?
Dr. Tim’s isn’t one of the biggest brands in the business, but it seems to be well-liked. Customer ratings are limited but the brand receives top ratings from respected pet food review sites like DogFoodAdvisor.
On Chewy, Dr. Tim’s dry cat food has a little fewer than 100 reviews with a 4.3 out of 5-star rating. Customers appreciate the quality of the ingredients and several comment that the food has helped cats with digestive issues. Many of the negative reviews are related to picky cats – some cats simply turn up their noses at certain brands for unknown reasons.
Let’s take a look at a few reviews from some of the most popular recipes from Dr. Tim’s.
Positive Reviews
“My cats are EXTREMELY finicky! They went through the entire menu of Nulo Canned and found only one flavor they would eat! I fed them the Dr Tim’s and they loved it! The only problem is, now they are refusing to eat the Nulo and I have two cases of it! I do find the Dr Tim’s a bit dry so I spritz it with a little water and mix it in gently before feeding and my cats can’t get enough of it! I guess I will have to return the Nulo and order more Dr Tim’s! Anything to make my boys happy!” – by Neko Reviewing Dr. Tim’s Nimble Chicken and Vegetable Pate Canned Cat Food on 4 Dec 2019
“My 7yo cat started having diarrhea, the vet gave him a round of antibiotics and anti diarrhea meds. It returned once those were finished. Tried the ID food but I have 5 cats so he kept getting into other food. I tried this on a whim after searching for hypoallergenic food… he is so much better. We’re only finishing the first bag, but I remain hopeful that he’ll stay feeling better on this food. (I do also feed wet because I have a diabetic cat in remission).” – by WhitRN Reviewing Dr. Tim’s Chase All Life Stages Dry Cat Food on 15 Nov 2020
Negative Reviews
“I love the ingredients in this cat food and have been trying to get my cats to eat better grain (or grain-free) – but after more than a week of trying, they still will not touch it. I tried everything…I don’t know if it’s the smell or taste, but they actually were spitting out pieces when I mixed in with their old grain to transition them over.” – by PeachesMommy Reviewing Dr. Tim’s Chase All Life Stages Dry Cat Food on 9 Nov 2020
“I was hoping that my cats would like this food since it seemed so healthy. Unfortunately, neither of my cats care for the food very much. If I put it in their dishes, one will nibble at it a bit and my voracious eater will just walk away, I suppose hoping for something better later on. They will eventually eat most of it, but only bit by bit after nothing else is forthcoming. I suppose this would be a good thing if they needed to lose weight.” – by Meow Reviewing Dr. Tim’s Nimble Chicken and Vegetable Pate Canned Cat Food on 8 Jul 2018
What Did Our Test Cats Think?
In order to fully understand what Dr. Tim’s has to offer, we tried it out with our own cats. Kate Barrington / Cats.com
To test Dr. Tim’s cat food, I ordered a 5-pound bag of the Chase All Life Stages Formula Dry Cat Food recipe and a case of Nimble Chicken & Vegetable Pate cat food cans.
My cats seemed to enjoy both recipes. The dry food comes in small X-shaped kibbles that I thought were appropriately sized for small feline mouths. The canned food is a pate texture, and I thought it was a little smoother than other pate-style canned foods I’ve tested.
Dr. Tim’s Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
Product Name | Food Type | Main Protein Source | Calories | Price | Our Grade |
Dr. Tim’s Chase All Life Stages Formula Dry Cat Food | Dry | Chicken | 472 kcal/cup | $5.14 per lb | B |
Dr. Tim’s Nimble Chicken & Vegetable Pate Canned Cat Food | Wet | Chicken | 31 kcal/oz. | $0.43 per oz | B |
Dr. Tim’s Beef Taurine Supplement Freeze-Dried Dog & Cat Food Topper | Topper | Beef | 125 kcal/oz. | $2.77 per oz | A- |
How Much Does Dr. Tim’s Cat Food Cost?
Dr. Tim’s cat food is on the higher end of the pricing spectrum. The sole dry cat food formula costs about $0.30 per ounce while the wet food is more expensive, around $0.43 per ounce. Dr. Tim’s wet food is similarly priced to Caru and Open Farm. The dry food recipe is similarly priced to Annamaet’s grain-free formulas.
To feed a 10-pound cat, you’d spend about $0.51 per day with Dr. Tim’s dry food or about $2.77 per day with Dr. Tim’s wet cat food.
Overall, Is Dr. Tim’s Cat Food a Good Choice?
In terms of quality, Dr. Tim’s cat food is a decent choice. The recipes are primarily animal-based with at least 40% protein on a dry matter basis. Unfortunately, Dr. Tim’s selection is limited to one dry food and one canned food for cats and both are pretty high in carbohydrates.
Another potential issue with Dr. Tim’s is that it’s a little pricey; it might not be in every cat owner’s budget. If you’re willing to spend the money, you can find similarly priced dry cat foods that are much lower in carbohydrates – like Young Again or Dr. Elsey’s. The wet food is a little better simply for the higher moisture content but has the same issue with carb content.
Where Is Dr. Tim’s Cat Food Sold?
While Dr. Tim’s does sell cat food on the brand website, you can also shop online at Chewy, PetFlow, Target, and Amazon. In stores, you’re most likely to find Dr. Tim’s sold in veterinary hospitals and clinics or local and independent pet food retailers.
Can you lab test this one?
We’ll consider it!