Only Natural Pet Cat Food Review

Wondering if Only Natural Pet is a healthy choice for your cat? Learn all about this brand in our comprehensive Only Natural Pet cat food review.

The Cats.com Standard—Rating Only Natural Pet on What Matters

We’ve analyzed Only Natural Pet 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.

We give Only Natural Pet cat food a 47 out of 60 rating or a B+ grade.

About Only Natural Pet

Only Natural Pet started as a pet store in Boulder, Colorado. Following its inception in 2004, the company opened several brick-and-mortar stores, established an ecommerce site, and amassed a catalog of almost four-thousand products.

In addition to selling other companies’ products, Only Natural Pet owns a few pet food brands of its own. In this review, we’ll focus on Only Natural Pet’s eponymous line of cat food. You’ll get the answers to important questions, like where Only Natural Pet cat food is made, how many times it’s been recalled, and whether or not it’s a good brand.

Sourcing and Manufacturing

Only Natural Pet appears to source ingredients from around the world, but refuses to buy any ingredients from Chinese suppliers. Their foods are made by third-party manufacturers based in Thailand and the United States.

Has Only Natural Pet Cat Food Been Recalled?

It doesn’t appear that Only Natural Pet cat food has ever been recalled.

What Kinds of Cat Food Does Only Natural Pet Offer?

Though small and limited to just a few recipes, Only Natural Pet’s cat food selection is one of the most diverse in the industry. Your options include freeze-dried RawNibs, dry kibble, and canned food.

Though they’re not human-grade foods, Only Natural Pet claims that their products are made from human-quality ingredients. In addition to guiding the grade of ingredients used, this quality standard means that Only Natural Pet refuses to use certain ingredients, including animal digest, animal fat, beef tallow, and other ingredients that are common in cat food.

Only Natural Pet cat foods are made in cooperation with veterinarian Dr. Jean Hofve, a holistic veterinarian known for co-creating the Little Big Cat website.

Only Natural Pet Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed

#1 Only Natural Pet RawNibs Beef & Tripe Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Dog & Cat Food

Buy At OnlyNaturalPet

Beef appears to be the primary protein source in this freeze-dried cat food.

Now that we’ve learned about the brand in general, let’s take a closer look at a few specific recipes from Only Natural Pet.

The first one we’ll review is this freeze-dried formula featuring beef and tripe as primary ingredients. It’s contains a nourishing mix of beef, tripe, lung, bone, liver, heart, and kidney.

Some freeze-dried foods lean on the nutritional value of muscle meat, organs, and bones without containing a lot of plant ingredients. Synthetic vitamins, minerals, and amino acids fill any nutritional gaps.

This isn’t one of those foods. Instead, this food’s meat ingredients are complemented with a bundle of fruits and vegetables, apparently in the name of avoiding synthetic supplements.

Because it contains sweet potatoes, blueberries, broccoli, apples, and other plant ingredients, this food is one of the starchier freeze-dried foods on the market. If the guaranteed analysis is to be trusted, this food is around 17.4% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis.

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

This recipe gets off to a good start with plenty of muscle meat and organs, but it ultimately doesn’t look like an obligate carnivore’s food. It’s better than the average dry cat food and cheaper wet foods, but it’s not outstanding.

The food has 120 calories per ounce.

Ingredients

Beef, Beef Tripe, Beef Lung, Ground Beef Bone, Beef Liver, Beef Heart, Beef Kidney, Sweet Potatoes, Blueberries, Broccoli, Apples, Ginger, Garlic, Raw Organic Goat’s Milk, Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, Herring Oil, Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), D-Alpha Tocopherol.

Ingredients We Liked: Beef, Beef Tripe, Beef Lung, Ground Beef Bone, Beef Liver, Beef Heart, Beef Kidney, Herring Oil

Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Sweet Potatoes, Blueberries, Broccoli, Apples, Ginger, Garlic

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein: 55%

Crude Fat: 14%

Crude Fiber: 2.5%

Moisture: 7%

Dry Matter Basis

Protein: 59.14%

Fat: 15.05%

Fiber: 2.69%

Carbs: 23.12%

Caloric Weight Basis

Protein: 49.77%

Fat: 30.77%

Carbs: 19.46%

Pros

• Muscle meat, organs, and bones form the recipe’s backbone
• Rich in nourishing animal-sourced protein
• Doesn’t contain low-value animal by-products
• Doesn’t contain potentially-harmful additives like artificial colors and flavors
• Contains herring oil as a source of beneficial omega fatty acids

Cons

• High in carbohydrates compared to other freeze-dried foods
• Hasn’t received much feedback from cat guardians

#2 Only Natural Pet Feline PowerFood Poultry Dinner Grain-Free Dry Cat Food

$22.09 At OnlyNaturalPet

Deboned chicken and low-ash turkey meal appear to be the primary protein sources in this dry cat food.

There’s a lot to this food. It contains a mix of animal and plant protein sources, multiple sources of animal fat and omega-3s, prebiotics, and probiotics in addition to synthetic supplements. All the while, it manages to be one of the lowest-carbohydrate dry foods on the market.

The recipe begins with a mix of chicken, turkey meal, and chicken meal as its primary ingredients. Garbanzo beans act as a kibble binder and a third source of protein. Pea protein appears a few spots later on the ingredient list.

The food contains both chicken fat and salmon oil. It’s always good to see some animal-sourced fat in cat food. Compared to plant-sourced oils, these fats are highly bioavailable and nourishing. The food includes green-lipped mussels as another source of omega-3 fatty acids.

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

With a nice mix of poultry meat, animal-sourced fat, and not too many plant ingredients, this is one of the better dry foods we’ve reviewed.

The food has 440 calories per cup.

Ingredients

Deboned Chicken, Low Ash Turkey Meal, Low Ash Chicken Meal, Garbanzo Beans, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Pea Protein, Pea Fiber, Tapioca Starch, Natural Flavor, Salmon Oil, Chicory Root Extract, Flaxseed Meal, Taurine, Dl-Methionine, Dried Green Lipped Mussels, Turmeric, Dried Pumpkin, Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid], Minerals [Zinc Proteinate, Calcium Carbonate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate], Choline Chloride, Dried Lactobacilus Casei Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Thermophilum Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Trichoderma Reesei Fermentation Product, Apergillus Oryzae, Fungal Protease, Lipase, Fungal Pancreatin, Fungal Amylase, Bromelain Enzeco.

Ingredients We Liked: Deboned Chicken, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Chicken Fat, Salmon Oil, Dried Green Lipped Mussels, Probiotics

Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Garbanzo Beans, Pea Protein, Pea Fiber, Tapioca Starch

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein: 47%

Crude Fat: 18%

Crude Fiber: 6%

Moisture: 10%

Dry Matter Basis

Protein: 52.22%

Fat: 20%

Fiber: 6.67%

Carbs: 21.11%

Caloric Weight Basis

Protein: 42.84%

Fat: 39.84%

Carbs: 17.32%

Pros

• Primarily made from animal ingredients
• Low carbohydrate content compared to other dry foods
• Contains prebiotics and probiotics
• Doesn’t appear to contain any potentially-harmful additives
• Contains multiple sources of omega-3 fatty acids

Cons

• Doesn’t provide the moisture cats need
• Contains multiple legumes

#3 Only Natural Pet PowerPate Chicken & Liver Dinner Grain-Free Canned Cat Food

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

Our third and final Only Natural Pet product is a canned food.

In standard Only Natural Pet style, there’s a lot more to this recipe than the chicken and liver that lend it their name. The recipe also includes salmon as the fifth ingredient, clams later down the list, eggs a few spots later, and New Zealand green mussel near the end of the ingredient list.

In addition to these animal ingredients, the food contains peas, carrots, cranberries, blueberries, and flaxseed. These plant ingredients contribute to the food’s relatively high carbohydrate content.

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

Though this food features a nice mix of animal ingredients, including ultra-nourishing green-lipped mussel and salmon oil, it’s not one of the most carnivore-appropriate foods on the market. It’s relatively high in carbohydrates and contains a lot of plant ingredients that cats don’t need.

Each 5.3-ounce can is 169 calories, breaking down to roughly 32 calories per ounce.

Ingredients

Chicken, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Salmon, Peas, Natural Flavor, Agar-Agar, Clams, Carrots, Cranberries, Blueberries, Ground Whole Flaxseed, Eggs, Green Beans, Salmon Oil, Olive Oil, Tricalcium Phosphate, Salt, New Zealand Green Mussel, Kelp, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Sulfate, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Betaine, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Niacin, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid.

Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Chicken Liver, Salmon, Clams, Eggs, Salmon Oil, New Zealand Green Mussel

Ingredients We Didn’t Like: Peas, Clams, Carrots, Green Beans, Olive Oil

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein: 9%

Crude Fat: 5%

Crude Fiber: 0.75%

Moisture: 78%

Ash: 2%

Dry Matter Basis

Protein: 40.91%

Fat: 22.73%

Fiber: 3.41%

Carbs: 23.86%

Caloric Weight Basis

Protein: 34.1%

Fat: 46.01%

Carbs: 19.89%

Pros

• Rich in animal-sourced nutrition
• Appears to emphasize high-quality protein sources
• Contains multiple sources of omega-3 fatty acids
• Doesn’t contain carrageenan, artificial colors, or artificial flavors

Cons

• Higher-than-ideal carbohydrate content

What Do Customers Think of Only Natural Pet Cat Food?

Only Natural Pet cat food receives generally positive customer feedback. Negative reviews revolve around palatability issues, but even disappointed customers seem to feel that Only Natural Pet is a high-quality brand.

Let’s hear it from a few people who reviewed Only Natural Pet cat food on Chewy.

Positive Reviews

“I have an elderly cat (19 years young). He was diabetic, cured that by changing to a high protein food, then Dr. put him on a prescription food, thought it might help with puking. in the meanwhile, he had very loose stools – litter box was a mess! This food has helped, not completely better but still hopeful!” – blumccabe, reviewing Only Natural Pet Feline PowerFood Poultry Dinner

“All of my cats really like this- from kitten to the cats (6yrs, 9 yrs and 15 years old). 2 of the cats are supposed to only eat prescription food but always manage to steal from the others- not so with other food!” – Laura, reviewing Only Natural Pet PowerPate Chicken & Liver Dinner

Negative Reviews

“My cat loved this kibble for about a week, but then she hated it. I love this brand but she just refused to eat it.” – NutritionMatters, reviewing Only Natural Pet Feline PowerFood Poultry Dinner

“I was happy with our purchase of what appears to be a high quality product. Our cats (all 8) were not impressed. The texture is quite dry and crumbly and the food does not have much of a smell. It seems they like food that has more aroma and is more moist. I even tried feeding it to our ferals but they were not real excited either. Normally someone likes it so it is not a total loss, but not this one. I gave it two stars because it is a high quality food for someone else’s cats.” – Andrea, reviewing Only Natural Pet PowerPate Chicken & Liver Dinner

How Much Does Only Natural Pet Cat Food Cost?

Only Natural Pet cat food is some of the lowest-priced of its kind.

For example, their dry PowerFood recipes would cost about $0.34 per day to feed a typical 10-lb cat. It would cost about $2.66 per day to feed the same cat Only Natural Pet wet food. If you choose one of their freeze-dried formulas, your daily feeding costs would increase a few cents to $2.78 per day.

Overall, Is Only Natural Pet a Good Choice?

Though Only Natural Pet’s wet and freeze-dried foods are more plant-rich and carbohydrate-heavy than we’d like, their dry recipes stand out as economical, relatively species-appropriate options.

With good ingredient quality and an emphasis on meat ingredients, these recipes may be a good option for those who want to transition to a better kibble without investing in a top-priced brand.

Where To Buy Only Natural Pet Cat Food?

Brick-and-mortar shoppers will find Only Natural Pet cat food in pet specialty stores, including PetSmart—the only national retailer to carry the brand. If you’re in Colorado, you can buy Only Natural Pet cat food in one of the company’s three flagship stores in Boulder, Denver, and Aspen.

Want to shop online? You’ll find Only Natural Pet cat food on the company’s website, Amazon, PetSmart.com, and Chewy.