Last updated Apr 3, 2023
Nood is a relatively new and growing pet food company with headquarters in New Zealand. The company has expanded to the UK, France, Canada, and several other countries at this time. Their premium dog and cat foods are grain free with no GMO ingredients and no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Learn more about Nood cat food in our unbiased review.
The Cats.com Standard – Rating Nood Cat Food on What Matters
We have analyzed Nood cat food and rated it according to our standards here at Cats.com. Our grades are based on the species-appropriateness of the food, the quality of the ingredients, product variety, price, customer experience, and recall history. You can read more about our ratings here.
Here are our ratings for Nood in these key areas:
Ratings
- Species-Appropriateness – 7/10
- Ingredient Quality – 7/10
- Product Variety – 6/10
- Price – 7/10
- Customer Experience – 6/10
- Recall History – 9/10
Overall Score: 7/10
We give Nood cat food a 42 out of 60 rating or a B grade.
About Nood
Nood was founded in New Zealand in 2019 by Alistair King in partnership with ZURU founder and retail brand builder Nick Mowbray. The company has international headquarters in Auckland, New Zealand.
From the start, Nood was set on becoming a global brand. Their recipes have been formulated by veterinarians and nutritionists with decades of experience. The company also uses non-intrusive feeding trials with dozens of pets (all ages, sizes, and breeds) in a home environment. This means the trials are pleasant for the pets and more realistic – they are similar to the way you feed your own pet. They exceed the number of trials requested by AAFCO.
Nood has also used third-party digestibility studies on their dog food recipes to see how much of each nutrient is absorbed. Their recipes have a total digestibility of 86.6 percent which they believe is due to the inclusion of guaranteed probiotics. By contrast, many lower-quality foods have a digestibility lower than 75 percent. Only better quality foods usually have a digestibility higher than 82 percent.
Nood pet foods are formulated for all life stages.
At this time Nood is only available in a few markets: New Zealand, Australia, Great Britain, Canada, and France. The brand will probably expand to other countries in the near future.
If you are in one of these countries, Nood is sometimes sold in some seemingly unlikely places for such a high-quality pet food. That’s because this is a new brand and they are looking for an introduction to the market. For example, in Canada, it’s sold at Walmart. The company has an exclusive deal with Tesco in the UK.
Sourcing and Manufacturing
Nood’s dry pet foods are made in the United States. Their wet foods are made in Thailand, which is a manufacturing hub for many pet food canneries today.
Nood is not sold in the United States at this time. However, the company worked to develop and test their recipes at Summit Ridge Farms in Pennsylvania. Summit Ridge Farms provides research services for nutritional testing of pet foods. Nood’s foods also meet AAFCO guidelines. It may only be a matter of time (or investors and production ability) before Nood is available in the U.S.
Nood rigorously tests ingredients before they are accepted into their facilities. According to the company, they try to source ingredients close to their factories for freshness. This means that their dry foods rely more on North American ingredients. Several of their wet foods feature tuna and salmon which are fished from Pacific waters near their Thailand factory.
Select vitamins and minerals come from Europe, while others, including taurine, come from China.
The company has a strict food safety protocol during every production run. Every ingredient is tested for contaminants when it arrives at the facility. Each step of the production process is cordoned off to avoid cross-contamination. During production, employees test every 15 minutes for density, nutrient profile, and contaminants. At the end of production, the product is held for 48 hours while they re-test, only releasing the product if it passes all of the steps.
Here is a sample of some of the tests Nood runs at their facilities:
- 215 Mycotoxin Tests per Week
- 260 Microbiological Tests per Week
- 36 Oxidative Stability Tests on Fats & Oils per Month
- 1,200 Ingredient Nutritional Tests per Month
- 9,000 Finished Product Nutritional Tests per Month
- 18+ hours of Employee Safety Training per employee per Year
- 120 Safety Assessments per Yea
Has Nood Cat Food Been Recalled?
No, Nood has never had a recall. They state this on their web site in the FAQ section. Do keep in mind that the company has been making pet food for only a few years.
What Kinds of Food Does Nood Offer?
Nood’s cat food selection varies depending on where you live. A broader selection with different recipes and product names is available to customers in the UK and elsewhere, but on the global site, the brand lists the following 8 recipes.
Wet Cat Food
- Wild-Caught Tuna Recipe in Gravy for Cats
- Grass-Fed Chicken Recipe in Gravy for Cats
- Grass-Fed Lamb Recipe in Gravy for Cats
- Wild-Caught Tuna Recipe in Gravy for Cats, 12 Pack Box
- Cage-Free Chicken Recipe in Gravy for Cats, 12 Pack Box
- Grass-Fed Lamb Recipe in Gravy for Cats, 12 Pack Box
Dry Cat Food
- Sustainable Salmon Recipe with Probiotics for Cats
- Cage-Free Chicken Recipe with Probiotics for Cats
Nood Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Primary Protein | Calories | Price | Our Grade |
| Nood Cage-Free Chicken Recipe in Gravy for Cats | Wet | Chicken | 1050 kcal per kg | £2.54 per lb | B |
| Nood Grass-Fed Lamb Recipe in Gravy for Cats | Wet | Lamb | 1102 kcal per kg | £2.54 per lb | B |
| Nood Sustainable Salmon Recipe with Probiotics for Cats | Dry | Salmon | 3,500 kcal per kg | £1.96 per lb | C- |
#1 Nood Cage-Free Chicken Recipe in Gravy for Cats
We all know that wet foods are often preferred for cats because of their moisture content. Left to their own devices, many cats won’t drink enough water which can lead to urinary tract problems. At least when you feed your cat a wet food, you can usually be sure that your cat is getting somewhere between about 75 and 88 percent moisture in the food.
The reason we mention this fact in relation to Nood Cage-Free Chicken Recipe in Gravy for Cats is because this food has 86 percent moisture according to the guaranteed analysis, yet we couldn’t find a definite source of liquid in the ingredients. Clearly the food contains moisture but somehow it’s so cleverly concealed in the ingredients, it doesn’t really pop out.
The first several ingredients in the food include: Chicken, tapioca starch, egg, tuna, and beef liver. Chicken and some of these other ingredients are excellent sources of animal protein which are good for your cat. Tapioca starch is often used in grain free foods instead of using grains or other grain-substitutes. It doesn’t have many nutrients but it is good at providing some texture and firmness in the food. It helps make the gravy in the cat food.
As for that moisture, fresh chicken contains about 70-75 percent water. This means that when the moisture is removed through cooking, the chicken would appear lower in the ingredient list. However, the water is commonly used in making the pet food.
The food also contains flavors or flavor enhancers: chicken broth; and chicken liver and heart digest. These ingredients – especially the chicken broth – should provide some of the moisture in the food. Some people don’t like any pet food ingredients that involve “digest” but since this ingredient is specifically made from chicken liver and heart digest, it seems to be well-identified. It should be a tasty and healthy ingredient for your cat.
This recipe also contains a source of live (viable), naturally occurring microorganisms which should help your cat’s digestion.
NOOD® Cage-Free Chicken Recipe in Gravy for Cats is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.
We think Nood Cage-Free Chicken Recipe in Gravy for Cats looks like a good food for cats with quality ingredients. Considering the nutrient percentages, the protein percentage might be a little lower than some owners will like. We also note that the crude ash percentage is higher than normal for a wet cat food. This can suggest that the food contains more carbs or some bone. Crude ash is the measurement of minerals left over when some of the food is burned away. The industry standard for crude ash in wet cat food is between 2-3 percent. This food states that it has 4 percent. That may not seem like a big difference but in terms of the dry matter basis (DMB), it works out to around 28 percent in this recipe so it’s quite a lot of the food.
Calorie Content (ME Calculated): 1050 kcal per kg, 84 kcal per pouch (pouch weighs 80 grams)
Ingredients
Chicken, Tapioca Starch, Egg, Tuna, Beef Liver, Flavours (Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver and Heart Digest), Yeast Extract, Sunflower Oil
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, egg, tuna, beef liver
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Sunflower oil is not as desirable as an animal fat for cats
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- The first ingredient is meat
- Grain free
- Contains no artificial colors or preservatives
- No added GMO ingredients
Cons
- The protein percentage may be a little lower than with some other cat foods
- The crude ash level is higher than normal for a wet cat food.
#2 Nood Grass-Fed Lamb Recipe in Gravy for Cats
The grass-fed lamb recipe features chicken, lamb, egg, tapioca starch, and tuna as the first five ingredients. The recipe also contains beef liver, which is another good source of protein as well as vitamin A.
You may know that, unlike some animals such as dogs, cats don’t do a very good job of converting beta-carotene and plant materials into vitamin A. Your cat needs pre-made vitamin A in his diet along with some other vitamins and compounds. That’s why meats and foods that are high in vitamin A are especially good for cats.
Overall, the ingredients in Nood Grass-Fed Lamb Recipe in Gravy for Cats look good. As with Nood Cage-Free Chicken Recipe in Gravy for Cats, some people may find the protein percentage to be a little lower than other cat foods. The crude ash percentage in this food is also 4 percent according to the guaranteed analysis which is slightly higher than standard.
NOOD® Grass-Fed Lamb Recipe in Gravy for Cats is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.
Calorie Content (ME Calculated): 1102 kcal/kg, 88 kcals per pouch (80 grams per pouch)
Ingredients
Chicken, Lamb, Egg, Tapioca Starch, Tuna, Beef Liver, Sunflower Oil, Flavours (Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver and Heart Digest), Yeast Extract
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Lamb, Egg, Tuna, Beef Liver
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Sunflower oil is less desirable than animal fats
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Meat is the first ingredient
- Contains good sources of animal and fish protein
- Grain free
- Contains no artificial colors or preservatives; no GMO-added ingredients
Cons
- The protein percentage is a little lower than some other cat foods
- The crude ash percentage is slightly higher than normal for wet cat foods
#3 Nood Sustainable Salmon Recipe with Probiotics for Cats
Nood Sustainable Salmon Recipe with Probiotics for Cats is made with ethically-sourced protein, probiotics, and added vitamins and minerals to make it a complete and balanced food for all life stages.
The first several ingredients in this food are: salmon, fish meal, peas, pea flour, dried yeast, and chicken fat. Once again, this Nood recipe has meat (fish) as the first ingredient. This is a whole protein so, if the water were removed, it would likely fall lower in the ingredient list but it’s still salmon which is a healthy protein for cats. Salmon meal and salmon oil appear as ingredients later in the list.
Fish meal somewhat makes up for the moisture in the salmon. Since it is a “meal,” that means that the moisture has already been removed. Good quality fish meal has a protein percentage between 60 and 72 percentage (settling in around 65 percent). So, this is not a bad ingredient in second place in the ingredient list. Fish meal generally comes from menhaden fish or other school fish but it’s not identified which is not unusual. As long as the fish is not preserved with ethoxyquin, it is not a problem.
Peas and pea flour are less desirable ingredients in cat food. We understand that many cat lovers like the idea of “grain free” cat food but there are some grains and cereals that would be more nutritious for cats than using peas in their diet. Even tapioca would be a good substitute.
Peas are members of the legume family. Adding them to pet foods raises the protein percentage but they are not particularly easy for some animals to digest. They have been linked to diet-related dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs (and some cats). Cats were more likely to develop hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (a heart disease). Research into this area continues but many dog food manufacturers changed their recipes following the FDA’s announcement.
Does this mean that you should never buy a cat food that contains peas or other legumes? No, we wouldn’t go that far. However, we would recommend that you use caution with pet foods that contain large amounts of peas, lentils, and legumes. It’s best if they are lower in the ingredient list so they don’t make up a large amount of the food.
This recipe also contains some vegetables, berries, and fruit which may add some vitamins and minerals to your cat’s diet. It contains probiotics which are helpful for digestion. And, it has no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
Overall, we think that the animal protein in the food is good. We also like the chicken fat as a source of fat. “Superfoods” such as chia seeds may or may not be a gimmick. Peas and pea flour as the third and fourth ingredients in the food are concerning. That means that they make up a large amount of the food which could become a problem for a cat over time. We would have trouble recommending this food.
NOOD® Sustainable Salmon Recipe with Probiotics for Cats is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.
Calorie Content (ME Calculated): 3,500 kcals per kg, 377 kcals per cup Metabolizable Energy
Ingredients
Salmon, Fish Meal, Peas, Pea Flour, Dried Yeast, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Salmon Meal, Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Salmon Oil (A Source Of Dha), Dl-methionine, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Kale, Chia Seed, Pumpkin, Blueberries, Oranges, Quinoa, Dried Kelp, Coconut, Spinach, Carrots, Papaya
Ingredients We Liked: Salmon, Fish Meal, Chicken Fat, Salmon Meal, Salmon Oil, Pumpkin, Blueberries, Quinoa, Dried Kelp
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Peas, pea flour, “natural flavor”
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
Pros
- Salmon, salmon meal, and salmon oil are excellent for cats; fish meal is also a good source of protein for cats
- Made with no artificial colors, preservatives, or flavors
- Pumpkin, blueberries, quinoa and some other ingredients can be healthy additions to the diet
Cons
- Peas and pea flour have been linked to some long-term health problems in pets
What Do Customers Think of Nood Cat Food?
We found a wide range of reviews for Nood cat food on the Trustpilot site. Reviews come from multiple countries as well.
Positive Reviews
“My elderly cat had become very choosy about her food and had started to lose weight. I spotted Nood in Tesco and bought the 7+ chicken and turkey with jelly.She has been eating it for about a month and the difference in her condition is amazing. She licks up every drop. Thank you Nood your literally a life saver. Thanks from Willow the cat.” – by JAN QUINN reviewing NOOD Pet Food on Jun 11, 2022
“My three cats are really enjoying this cat food. They actually tuck in enthusiastically and eat every scrap. The ingredients list is a very pleasant surprise compared to other brands, and I feel like I am doing the best I can for my animals feeding them this (at a not greatly increased cost). Ignore the one star review from a halfwit unable to understand the notion of advertising, bet Tesco’s Customer Service staff had a good laugh at him returning his product.” – by Sarah Harris reviewing NOOD Pet Food On Jan 27, 2022
Negative Reviews
“My cat doesn’t like it, he’ll eat the gravy but leaves the meat.” – by Jackie reviewing NOOD Pet Food On July 06, 2022
“I gave Nood’s dry food for cats a go with hopes of putting my cat on a healthier diet however it has caused my cat to vomit on multiple occasions after eating it.. seems to be okay for other cats but unfortunately my baby doesn’t seem to be too fond of it! :(” – by Vanessa reviewing NOOD Pet Food On April 26, 2022
How Much Does Nood Cat Food Cost?
Nood doesn’t sell their food from their web site so we tracked down a few places that sell the food in various countries.
In Canada, we found a 1.5 kg bag of NOOD Cage-Free Chicken Cat Food with Probiotics (dry cat food) for sale at Walmart for $13.77.
In the UK, we found Nood Dry Cat Food Chicken With Vegetables which appears to be similar to the food in Canada for sale at Tesco for £5.00 per kg.
In Australia, we found 12-packs of Nood wet food (80-gram pouches) for $13.00; $1.50 per pouch for singles.
Nood appears to be priced above most supermarket brands but near to pet food retail brands.
Overall, Is Nood Cat Food a Good Choice?
We can recommend Nood’s wet cat foods. They appear to have good ingredients though we might quibble about some of the nutrient percentages.
We are not able to recommend the dry foods at this time because of the large amount of peas used in the foods. Nood may have other dry foods that didn’t show up because of my location. If those foods have peas lower in the ingredient list, the foods should be safer.
If you are interested in Nood, you may also like cat foods such as American Journey from Chewy.com and Nature’s Variety Instinct cat food (Instinct Original).
How Do You Order Nood Cat Food?
Nood doesn’t sell their food on their web site so if you are interested in purchasing it, you have a couple of options.
The cat food is available in New Zealand at Pak ‘n Save, New World, and Four Square stores. In Australia you can buy it at Coles. In Canada it’s sold at Walmart. In France you can buy it at Carrefour stores. And in the UK, Nood is sold at Tesco.
You can also purchase Nood online from some of these stores though you will need to factor in the shipping costs for your country.
Hi, just a small “whoops” the link you added early on to a “Digestibility Study” is solely about dogs… whoops.
Edited the article to clarify this. Thank you!
I am struggling with 2 cats who have IBS. Is NOOD good for cats with IBS? They are at the moment on half and half I have been gradually introducing over a period of a month, longer than usual but their tummies are so sensitive. They are almost 15 years old, one is diabetic and the other has thyroid issues and heart problem, taking steroid for IBS!! Nothing is helping
Hey Carol, Nood seems like it could be a good option for your cats. Their recipes are formulated with a heavy emphasis on digestibility, which is critical for these kitties. Hope they feel better soon!
Thank you so very much for this unbiased and detailed Review! Much appreciated, and rare these days to find something unbiased online. Our one cat is prone to inflammation (ever since he recovered from FIP as a baby). He is better on Nood dry food compared to other “grain-free” brands, however, even with dry food only being 10-15% of their diet, there are again signs of inflammation (he goes quiet, sleeps more, sits and stares). At least it seems the Nood brand doesn’t contain the addictive ingredients that make him crazy. But the Peas!! Oh no, obviously we didn’t read the Nood (salmon) label in detail. The protein percentage is also quite shocking. He may be better on just his good true blue protein (they eat steak, organ meats, chicken, fish, turkey, and soft cat food). Thanks again.
Hi, I usually feed my cat nood and he loves it. They have recently changed their recipe and I’m not sure if I should continue feeding it to my cat now because of these new ingredients. Are you able to do an updated review?
The ingredients for their chicken gravy wet food are:
Chicken, Pork By-Products, Animal Plasma, Chicken By-Products, Tapioca Starch, Natural Flavour, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Vitamins (Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Menadione Sodium Bisulte Complex, Niacin Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin), Minerals (Zinc Oxide, Iron Sulphate Monohydrate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Iodate), Salt, Caramel (Colour), Xanthan Gum, Guar Gum, Taurine, Ascorbic Acid (Source of Vitamin C), Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Dried Chicory Root, Carrageenan, Cranberries, Blueberries, Spinach, Inulin. Water Sucient for Processing.
I’m just a little concerned about the animal plasma as ive never seen it in any other cat foods i feed and the added fruits/veg since cats are carnivores
Thank you so much. 🙂
Why does this article say you cannot recommend Nood dry food due to the health dangers of peas and yet it’s in the top recommended UK dry food list on this site?
Hey there, thanks for pointing that out. We will occasionally recommend foods that are lower-rated due to category restraints—for example, the dry food list can only include dry foods, which ordinarily would receive a lower rating than wet foods. We are revisiting both of these articles, however, to ensure that they are consistent and communicate a clear message about these controversial ingredients.
CAN NOOD BE GIVEN TO KITTEN AGE 6 MONTHS OLD
Hi Maureen! The three Nood recipes we reviewed meet AAFCO recommendations for cats in all life stages, so they are safe for kittens as well as adult cats.