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Go! Cat Food Review

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Go! Solutions promises to provide expert-formulated solutions for your cat’s unique dietary needs, but is it a good choice for your special feline? Find out in our unbiased Go! cat food review.

The Cats.com Standard—Rating Go! on What Matters

We’ve analyzed Go! and graded it according to the Cats.com standard, evaluating the brand on species-appropriateness, ingredient quality, product variety, price, customer experience, and recall history. Here’s how it rates in each of these six key areas.

Ratings

  • Species-Appropriateness – 7/10
  • Ingredient Quality – 9/10
  • Product Variety – 8/10
  • Price – 6/10
  • Customer Experience – 7/10
  • Recall History – 4/10

Overall Score: 6.8/10

In total, we give Go! cat food a 41 out of 60 rating or a B- grade.

About Go!

Go! Solutions is a pet food brand dedicated to products that address specific needs, including food sensitivities, allergies, and digestive issues. The brand operates with a goal of “nourishing pets from the inside out,” providing solutions pet parents trust and pets love.

The Go! Solutions brand is owned by Petcurean, a family-owned Canadian company founded in 1999. Petcurean’s other brands include Gather™, Now Fresh™, and Summit™.

In addition to providing dietary solutions for pets, Petcurean is dedicated to sustainability. Their dry food packages aren’t currently recyclable, but their wet food cans are. Petcurean is currently working to make their packaging 100% recyclable and is starting to package some of their wet foods in recyclable cardboard cartons instead of cans.

Sourcing and Manufacturing

Petcurean sources ingredients from North America with a focus on ingredients grown or raised near its production facilities. Exceptions to this rule include lamb and venison from Australia and New Zealand. Petcurean doesn’t mention supplement sourcing, so these ingredients are likely sourced internationally.

All Go! cat foods are made from meat sourced from animals that were deemed fit for human consumption by the CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency). Their fruit and vegetable ingredients were also approved for human food use.

Though these raw ingredients were human-edible, Go! products aren’t fully human-grade because they’re made in a pet food processing facility and handled according to pet food production standards.

Go! Solutions cat food is produced in multiple facilities in the United States and Canada. All Go! kibble is manufactured in Ontario, Canada, while canned food production is divided between Ontario and New Jersey. Go!’s Tetra Pak products are manufactured in the United States and their Meal Mixers are manufactured in British Columbia.

Has Go! Cat Food Been Recalled?

Yes, Go! Solutions has one recall in the brand’s history, though it took place nearly twenty years ago.

In 2003, Go! foods manufactured in Texas were recalled after a series of reports that the food had made cats and dogs seriously ill. Symptoms included rashes, vomiting, and liver dysfunction. One report put the death toll over twenty, while an article from AVMA (the American Veterinary Medical Association) mentions 13 cases and says that six animals died.

How was Go! Food making pets sick? That’s not clear. In fact, we don’t really know that Go! Pet food was making pets sick at all.

An FDA investigation found that some Go! foods contained undisclosed and higher-than-acceptable levels of the chemical preservative BHA, but no one could confirm that this chemical was linked to the reports of illness. No other contaminant or imbalance was ever identified.

The company no longer manufactures products at the Texas facility involved in the recall and since 2003, hasn’t been associated with any reports of illness.

What Kinds of Cat Food Does Go! Offer?

The Go! Solutions cat food lineup includes both wet and dry foods. Most address specific health issues, including coat health, allergies, and sensitive digestion.

Go! Solutions Carnivore foods are relatively high in meat and protein with low carbohydrate content, while Daily Defence™ recipes are designed to provide preventative care and support long-term health.

Go! Solutions Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed

Product Name Food Type Main Protein Source Calories Price Our Grade
Go! Carnivore Grain-Free Chicken, Turkey & Duck Recipe Dry Chicken 473 kcal/cup $0.26 per oz B
Go! Sensitivity + Shine Limited Ingredient Diet Duck Recipe Dry Duck 464 kcal/cup $0.27 per oz C
Go! Solutions Carnivore Grain-Free Minced Lamb + Wild Boar Recipe Wet Lamb 977 kcal/kg $0.45 per oz A-

#1 Go! Fit + Free Grain-Free Chicken, Turkey & Duck Recipe

Chicken meal appears to be the primary protein source in this dry cat food.

Formerly called Fit + Free, this food is part of Go! Solutions’ selection of “Carnivore” meals, which highlight animal-sourced protein content. Dehydrated chicken, duck, turkey, and salmon meals serve as concentrated sources of protein. The food also contains deboned chicken, turkey, trout, salmon, and duck as well as whole dried egg for supplemental protein.

This combination of meals and fresh meats as the first seven ingredients is a promising sign. As dehydrated products, meat meals are concentrated sources of protein. Along with fresh meats, the prominence of these ingredients indicates a high-protein, meat-rich food.

After a series of meats and meat meals, the food contains chicken fat as its primary source of fat. It includes something the company calls “natural fish flavor”, which is likely made from hydrolyzed fish tissues.

After meat, meat fat, and meat flavor, the ingredient list takes a more vegetal turn, mentioning peas, potatoes, potato flour, and tapioca. Considering the food’s low carbohydrate content, it appears that Petcurean used a light touch with these starchy ingredients.

Salmon oil is added as a second animal-sourced fat. This fish oil is rich in EPA and DHA, omega-3 fatty acids that may support your cat’s skin and coat health while reducing inflammation.

The food contains a trace amounts of fruits, vegetables, and other additives, including pumpkin, apples, blackberries, and cottage cheese. Dried chicory root is added as a prebiotic and works in concert with a blend of probiotics. The food is fortified with vitamins, minerals, and amino acids to make it nutritionally complete.

Overall, this food has moderate protein content with moderate fat and low carbohydrate content.

The food contains 473 calories per cup.

Ingredients

Chicken Meal, De-Boned Chicken, De-Boned Turkey, Duck Meal, Turkey Meal, Salmon Meal, De-Boned Trout, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Fish Flavor, Peas, Potatoes, Whole Dried Egg, Potato Flour, Tapioca, De-Boned Salmon, De-Boned Duck, Salmon Oil, Pumpkin, Apples, Carrots, Bananas, Blueberries, Cranberries, Lentils, Broccoli, Cottage Cheese, Alfalfa, Sweet Potatoes, Blackberries, Squash, Papayas, Pomegranate, Phosphoric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Dl-Methionine, Taurine, Choline Chloride, Dried Chicory Root, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus Oryzae Fermentation Extract, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Extract, Vitamins (Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (A Source Of Vitamin C), Thiamine Mononitrate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Beta-Carotene, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Sulphate, Calcium Iodate, Ferrous Sulphate, Manganous Oxide, Sodium Selenite), Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Rosemary.

Ingredients We Liked: Chicken Meal, Deboned Chicken, Deboned Turkey, Duck Meal, Turkey Meal, Salmon Meal, Deboned Trout, Chicken Fat, Whole Dried Egg, Deboned Salmon, Deboned Duck, Salmon Oil

Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Peas, Potatoes, Potato Flour, Tapioca

Guaranteed Analysis

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Crude Protein: 46%
Crude Fat: 18%
Crude Fiber: 1.5%
Moisture: 10%
Ash: 9%

Dry Matter Basis

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Protein: 51.11%
Fat: 20%
Fiber: 1.67%
Carbs: 17.22%

Caloric Weight Basis

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Protein: 43.72%
Fat: 41.55%
Carbs: 14.73%

Pros

  • Contains animal-sourced fat
  • Free of animal by-products
  • Relies primarily on animal-sourced protein
  • Free of artificial colors and flavors
  • Significantly lower carbohydrate content than most dry foods

Cons

  • Like all dry foods, it’s not hydrating

#2 Go! Grain-Free Chicken, Turkey & Duck Recipe Dry Cat Food

Duck appears to be the primary protein source in this dry cat food.

This dry food is advertised as a solution for allergy-prone cats. It’s a grain-free food with “single poultry protein” and a limited ingredient list.

Though it’s true that this food only contains one poultry ingredient, it’s not a single-protein product. The food contains deboned duck as the first ingredient, followed by duck meal. It also contains whole dried egg, one of the most common feline food allergens.

It’s possible the recipe uses duck egg rather than chicken egg, but we weren’t able to verify whether that’s the case. The chicken fat could potentially be an issue for cats with allergies as well, though cats with chicken allergies may react only to chicken protein and not to chicken fat.

Peas, pea flour, tapioca, lentils, and chickpeas give the kibble its shape, structure, and texture. These ingredients increase the food’s protein, fiber, and carbohydrate content. The estimated carbohydrate content is over 30% (as fed).

This dry cat food also contains flaxseed. This fiber source is sometimes praised for its omega-3 content, but cats are best suited to the omega-3s found in animal fat and can’t utilize those found in flaxseed. We’d prefer to see duck fat or salmon oil used instead.

The ingredient list concludes with vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, along with a variety of probiotics and dried chicory root as a prebiotic.

Overall, this dry food has moderate protein content with moderate fat and high carbohydrate content.

This food has 464 calories per cup.

Ingredients

De-Boned Duck, Duck Meal, Whole Dried Egg, Peas, Pea Flour, Tapioca, Lentils, Chickpeas, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Sodium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Dried Chicory Root, Phosphoric Acid, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (A Source Of Vitamin C), Thiamine Mononitrate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Beta-Carotene, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Sulphate, Calcium Iodate, Ferrous Sulphate, Manganous Oxide, Sodium Selenite), Taurine, Dried Rosemary.

Ingredients We Liked: Deboned Duck, Duck Meal, Whole Dried Egg, Chicken Fat

Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Peas, Pea Flour, Tapioca, Lentils, Chickpeas, Flaxseed

Guaranteed Analysis

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Crude Protein: 31%
Crude Fat: 15%
Crude Fiber: 3.5%
Moisture: 10%
Ash: 7.5%

Dry Matter Basis

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Protein: 34.44%
Fat: 16.67%
Fiber: 3.89%
Carbs: 36.67%

Caloric Weight Basis

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Protein: 30.87%
Fat: 36.27%
Carbs: 32.86%

Pros

  • Free of animal by-products
  • Made without artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
  • Made with animal-sourced fat

Cons

  • High carbohydrate content
  • Contains egg, a common cat food allergen
  • Like all dry foods, it’s not hydrating

#3 Go! Solutions Carnivore Grain-Free Minced Lamb + Wild Boar Wet Food

Lamb appears to be the primary protein source in this wet cat food.

This wet food belongs to Go! Solutions’ Carnivore line of products which means it is very meat-heavy. Fresh lamb and chicken are the top two ingredients with chicken liver, wild boar, pork plasma, and dried egg whites appearing within the first ten.

Both chicken broth and turkey broth provide flavor and moisture in this recipe while tapioca and various gums are used as thickeners.

While this formula contains two novel animal proteins – lamb and wild boar – it still contains chicken which makes it a poor choice for cats with food allergies. We do, however, appreciate that it is much more limited in plant ingredients than the previous two formulas and the estimated carbohydrate content is extremely low.

This wet food is fortified with a standard array of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. It also contains trace amounts of vegetable juice, fruit juice, paprika, and turmeric. These last two are likely used as natural coloring agents.

Overall, this food is rich in protein with moderate fat and low carbohydrate content.

This food contains 178 calories in each 6.4-ounce carton or about 28 calories per ounce.

Ingredients

Lamb, Chicken, Chicken Broth, Turkey Broth, Chicken Liver, Wild Boar, Tapioca, Pork Plasma, Dried Egg Whites, Flaxseed, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Cassia Gum, Guar Gum, Potassium Chloride, Pumpkin, Cranberries, Salmon Oil, Choline Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Taurine, Salt, Vegetable Juice, Fruit Juice, Paprika, Turmeric.

Ingredients We Liked: Lamb, Chicken, Chicken Liver, Wild Boar, Pork Plasma, Dried Egg Whites, Salmon Oil

Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Tapioca, Cassia Gum, Guar Gum

Guaranteed Analysis

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Crude Protein: 8.5%
Crude Fat: 6.5%
Crude Fiber: 1%
Moisture: 82%

Dry Matter Basis

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Protein: 47.22%
Fat: 36.11%
Fiber: 5.56%
Carbs: 11.11%

Caloric Weight Basis

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Protein: 32.34%
Fat: 60.05%
Carbs: 7.61%

Pros

  • Uses a combination of muscle meat and organs
  • Rich in animal-sourced protein
  • Thickened without carrageenan
  • Free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
  • Low carbohydrate content

Cons

  • Contains chicken and egg, common cat food allergens

What Do Customers Think of Go! Cat Food?

This brand receives overwhelmingly positive customer reviews. On Chewy, Go!’s top three recipes receive four-to-five star ratings with most customers saying they’d recommend Go! to a friend. The foods are praised for palatability and digestibility.

Positive Reviews

“I have a cat with IBD, so I’ve been searching for a high quality since source protein. He’s also a picky wet eater. But this product has a great consistency, very moist and a nice layer of broth. Very pleased with this purchase.” – chris4, reviewing Go! Sensitivity + Shine Grain-Free Duck Pate Recipe

“I originally gave this food a poor review, because my cats wouldn’t eat it. After several weeks of feeding it to my cats, which I now mix 50/50 with my old food, they like it fine. My cats seem to have more energy and just overall are healthier. This is why I bought this brand of food to start with. The people from Chewy were extremely sympathetic to me, because of my original review, and actually reimbursed me for the food. I tried to refuse the money, but they gave it to me anyway. I was and will be a loyal customer to Chewy, thank you.” – Petowner71, reviewing Go! Grain-Free Chicken, Turkey, + Duck Recipe

Negative Reviews

“This product contains chicken eggs which isn’t made clear on the label. Since the whole reason I bought this food is to avoid chicken or beef for my IBD cat I won’t be buying it again.” – Meret, reviewing Go! Sensitivity + Shine Limited Ingredient Diet Duck Recipe

“Our cats mainly eat canned food, but we give a little dry as a daily treat. I was forced to try a different brand due to a recall, and decided this one would do, although it has way too many fruit/veg in it. Our cat that thinks of dry food as “candy” and craves it continuously ate this food fine. The other cat who does not crave dry food would not eat this one at all, although will eat other brands. The kibble size is very small, although I do not think that was the issue. He seemed to dislike the smell of it.” – Kramer63, reviewing Go! Grain-Free Chicken, Turkey, + Duck Recipe

How Much Does Go! Cat Food Cost?

Go! cat food is a little bit more expensive than grocery brands, but it’s not among the priciest on the market. If you follow the company’s feeding guidelines for the average 10-lb cat, Go! dry cat food would cost roughly $0.44 per day. Go! wet cat food would cost closer to $2.50 to $3.33 per day.

Overall, Is Go! Cat Food a Good Choice?

Go! cat food appears to be one of the better brands you can buy. Their Carnivore line includes some of the lowest-carbohydrate dry cat food on the market. Their canned foods stand out with plenty of meat and minimal starch for species-appropriate nutrition.

Though some cats do well on their recipes, not all Go! foods are right for their target consumer. Some of their allergy-focused foods contain common allergens and, despite bearing the “limited ingredient” label, could have much shorter ingredient lists.

Note that after the 2003 Go! recall, an FDA investigation found that the food contained excessive levels of BHA—a preservative that wasn’t listed on the label. Though the company severed their relationship with the involved manufacturing partner and the brand hasn’t been recalled since 2003, this moment in their history is worth thinking about before you start feeding your cat Go!.

Where To Buy Go! Cat Food?

Go! cat food is sold in local pet food retailers throughout the United States and Canada and by distributors around the world. If you’re in the United States or Canada, click here to find a retailer near you. Otherwise, browse for a distributor in your country. Online retailers include Chewy, 1-800-Pet-Meds, Only Natural Pet, and Petflow.

Note: The values in our nutrient charts are automatically calculated based on the guaranteed analysis and may not represent typical nutrient values. This may lead to discrepancies between the charts and the values mentioned in the body of the review.
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About Mallory Crusta

Mallory is an NAVC-certified Pet Nutrition Coach. Having produced and managed multimedia content across several pet-related domains, Mallory is dedicated to ensuring that the information on Cats.com is accurate, clear, and engaging. When she’s not reviewing pet products or editing content, Mallory enjoys skiing, hiking, and trying out new recipes in the kitchen. She has two cats, Wessie and Forest.

19 thoughts on “Go! Cat Food Review”

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  1. Sam

    Is “Go! Grain-Free Chicken, Turkey & Duck Recipe Dry Cat Food” a good dry food choice for my kitten? The pet store said Go!’s high quality ingredients means it has enough protein for a growing kitten. Is this true? P.s. I plan on my kitten’s diet to be 40% dry food, 60% wet food.

    Reply
    1. Mallory Crusta Post author

      Hi Sam, this food meets the AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult cats, not all life stages—this means that it doesn’t have the nutrient density that kittens need. For that reason, I would opt for a kitten-specific recipe. There’s more to kitten-appropriate nutrition than protein alone. A food made for kittens will have appropriate levels of, not just protein, but calcium, phosphorus, omega-3s, and other nutrients vital for healthy growth.

    2. amy

      Hi,Crusta,
      but on the package, it printed “food for cats with all life stages ” ,does not it mean for kitten, adult and senior? Can I feed our 3 months cat?

    3. Mallory Crusta Post author

      Both of these issues are so complex and vary so much from individual to individual that it’s impossible to say that one food brand (especially one that doesn’t have recipes formulated for these conditions) will treat your cat’s hairballs or urinary tract issues. The best approach is to identify the underlying cause of the condition and talk to your vet about how the particular recipe you’re interested in might address that underlying cause.

  2. Batman

    Hi Mallory, I’ve been a big fan of Orijen for awhile now. However, this latest bag of cat food I’ve been using I believe may be affecting one of my cats negatively. (Wet loose and stinky poo) Normally they ate six-fish and it was great, just really stinky and I was worried one was gaining some weight so I switched to the more “healthy” diet style which still seemed to include the right amount of protein. I switched a number of bags back and didn’t seem to have any problems from the switch. This one, I fear it may actually be from the food and maybe even from their “latest formula” switch under US regs which aren’t as stringent. Therefore I saw this salmon bag and the “Canada” stamp thinking that may actually be true…. but, is it if I live in the US? Not sure what your take would be. Thanks much

    Reply
    1. Mallory Crusta Post author

      Hi Batman, I’d guess that if it is labeled as made from Canada, it is, indeed, made in Canada. The foods made in the United States will read “Made in our USA Kentucky kitchens” on the front. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that there wasn’t something different about the formulation of that particular bag. You may be able to get more information from the company.

  3. SharonDuan

    Hi Ms. Crusta, I’m sorry to interrupt you, but I have a sad thing to tell you that I bought Petcurean GO! cat food in China’s official online store and my friend’s cat is seriously ill now, he keeps vomiting for 7 days. it turns out a lot of cats in China market got ill and even die because of GO! (the batch names GO! CHICKEN TURKEY DUCK RECIPE). I could send you the evidence by email, and I doubt that you mentioned “The company no longer manufactures products at the Texas facility involved in the recall and since 2003, hasn’t been associated with any reports of illness.” In fact, if you go to China internet, you will find customer reports and feedback about the illness of cats and even death because of GO cat food. (the cases were reported from early Jan 2021 till now). I really hope that more people could know about it. Herewith the news website from China (it is in Chinese but you could just google translate it) https://www.jiemian.com/article/5596713.html

    Reply
    1. Mark Andrews

      I know this was posted quite awhile back but just responding to it!

      Turns out that after further investigations from Petgo (the distributer of Petcurean products in China), the product in question that caused illness where traced to counterfeit bags sold in mainland China. Petgo has since placed anti counterfeit stickers on each bag to prevent this from happening and there haven’t been further issues.

  4. Norah

    Hi Mallory,
    Can you make a review of Freely cat food? All 3 of my cats(including a very picky eater) really like it but I just want to know whether it’s a healthy and nutritious dry food for cats. But all of them are having dandruff now and I’m not sure if it’s due to the dry weather or the diet. I wanna make sure they’re getting the right nutrition.

    Reply
    1. Mallory Crusta Post author

      Hi Ashly! Thanks for the question—I’ve left a message for Petcurean and should get an answer for you shortly. Will let you know when I have it. Have a good one!

    2. Mallory Crusta Post author

      Update: Petcurean gave me a call back, and they said that while they can’t guarantee that their foods are 100% GMO-free due to the use of canola in their foods and pollination from GMO crops, their testing finds that their foods are, on average, composed of no more than 0.09% GMO ingredients. Hope that helps!

    1. Mallory Crusta Post author

      Hi there Gabriela, that’s a good question! We haven’t looked into Portland Pet Food Company yet, but this is absolutely up our alley. Would love to review this! I’ve put this down for an upcoming review.

    2. Gabriela

      Thanks Mallory! although now after looking further into it it looks like the cat food they sell is more intended as intermittent feeding or as toppers. Bummer! still might be worth looking into it. Thanks again for all your wisdom – I dont get anything for my kitten without first consulting this website 🙂