Where Is Orijen Sourced
Orijen is sourcing its foods locally and internationally.
Like many cat food brands, the description of their sourcing is somewhat vague.
Per their website:
Our strong network enables us to source only the best, including lamb from New Zealand, fish from Scandinavia, and other premium ingredients from our neighbors. No matter what, every ingredient we choose is selected for its nutritional value, digestibility and superior flavor. Our commitment to trust and transparency has led to a robust supplier vendor audit approval program and detailed ingredient traceability system.
Which Cats Are Best Suited To Orijen Cat Food
Orijen is suitable for cats of all life stages, underweight, and overweight cats. Their dry food options match the nutritional requirements established by AAFCO for cats of all life stages.
AAFCO stands for the Association of American Feed Control Officials. It is a non-profit organization that provides recommendations for manufacturers.
Orijens kitten dry product suits kittens with smaller kibble sizes. This product also has added calcium and essential fatty acids for developing bodies.
The high amount of animal protein in this product is helpful for senior cats. Senior cats tend to lose muscle and have poorer protein digestion.
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Supplements Choline Zinc And Copper
In nature there are no synthetic supplements, so cats derive their complete nutritional needs naturally by consuming whole animals, which contain all of the nutrients they need to thrive. Thats why you wont find long lists of synthetic supplements in ORIJEN cat food. Loaded with richly nourishing ratios of fresh meat, organs, and cartilage or bone, plus fresh, whole fish, and cage-free eggs, ORIJEN provides a natural source of virtually every nutrient your cat or kitten needs to thrive.
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Orijens Food Is Low Carb
Cats dont actually need fruits or veggies to be healthy, as theyre pure carnivores. However, many high-quality plants offer important nutrients that can help your cat live a longer, healthier life.
The problem is that theres only so much room in a piece of kibble, so the more carbs you include, the less protein you can put in. Orijen adds impressive fruits and veggies into its foods, but theyre all listed toward the bottom of the ingredients list.
The bulk of each kibble is meata variety of meat, at that.
Overall Is Orijen Cat Food A Good Choice
Theres a reason Orijen cat food made our list of the best dry cat foods on the market. Orijen products are some of the only dry foods that feature a whole-prey-inspired variety of fresh muscle meat, organs, and bones. Very few dry food companies can match the low carbohydrate content of Orijen foods or the integrity of their sourcing.
That said, Orijen isnt a great choice for every cat. Since opening their DogStar kitchen in the United States and reformulating their recipes to include more American ingredients, the company has lost a lot of customers and gained a lot of complaints.
While Orijen has recently released a line of wet foods, they havent updated their FAQs to say specifically where their wet foods are made. At this point, we assume theyre made in the same Dogstar Kitchens as their dry foods.
We arent quite sure what Orijen is doing wrong at the DogStar kitchen, but the reviews from unhappy customers are enough of a reason to hesitate before choosing this brand.
Orijen wet and dry cat foods emphasize variety, including multiple animal species in each recipe. If your cat has allergies or food sensitivities, this might make it a less-than-ideal brand choice.
Overall, Orijen foods are some of the best dry and wet food products on the market, but theyre not perfect. Recent reformulations and manufacturing changes may have decreased the quality of Orijen cat food sold to customers in the US, Central America, and South America.
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Orijen Cat Food Summary
- Best Overall Orijen Cat Food: ORIJEN® Premium Grain-Free Dry Cat FoodGrain-freekibble with high-quality ingredients, chicory root, pollock oil, and taurine.
- Best Orijen Cat Food for Weight Control: ORIJEN Grain-Free Cat Food, Fit and Trim RecipeMade with selected and low-calorie ingredients, this food is excellent for weight control.
- Best Orijen Cat Treats: ORIJEN Freeze-Dried Cat Treats, Grain-FreeGently freeze-dried and biologically appropriate cat treats made with natural ingredients.
- Best Orijen Cat Food for Kittens: ORIJEN® Dry Kitten Food, Grain-FreeWholeprey, nutrient-dense food that supports healthy growth and development in kittens.
Discussion Of The Primary Ingredients
Every single Orijen recipe starts with real meat and then follows it up with more meat and more meat after that. Most of its foods list seven or eight protein sources before you get to any other ingredients. Its not low-quality meat either. Orijen uses premium fish, like Atlantic mackerel and herring, free-range chicken, and even exotic red meat, like boar and goat. Its a far cry from the processed chicken that youll find in most cat foods, and theres a good chance that your cat will love it as a result.
If you read far enough down the ingredients list, youll eventually run out of meat. Instead, youll see foods like peas, lentils, and beans. These arent nearly as important or essential as protein for a cats diet, so its appropriate to see them pushed down the ingredients list. Youll also find ingredients like herring oil. These add plenty of omega fatty acids, which improve coat health, boost immune response, and provide essential nutrients to the brain.
Theres not much to quibble about on that list, but if we could point out one area for improvement, its the relatively paltry amount of fiber that many of Orijens foods have. If it could boost that without sacrificing any of the protein along the way, Orijen would have near-perfect cat food.
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Nourish As Nature Intended
Although they may look different, your cat shares her DNA and eating anatomy with the Near Eastern wildcat, which means shes adapted for a diet rich and varied in meat.
RICH IN MEAT & PROTEIN Made with 90% quality animal ingredients, ORIJEN features a Biologically Appropriate protein level of 40%, which closely replicates the natural feline diet. FREEZE-DRIED INFUSIONS Each ORIJEN morsel is infused with freeze-dried meat and liver and bursting with the natural savory flavors that all cats love. RICH IN HEALTHY FAT Animal fat are essential for your cats peak health. Thats why ORIJEN Cat & Kitten features naturally occurring, non-rendered fat from fresh poultry, fish, and egg ingredients. DHA AND EPA FROM FRESH FISH Fresh saltwater fish are a Biologically Appropriate source of DHA and EPA, which are essential for your cats immune and nervous systems. DHA and EPA are not available from plant sources, such as flax, coconut, or sunflower.
What Kind Of Cat Food Does Orijen Offer
The current lineup of Orijen cat food includes a variety of dry foods, wet foods, and treats. Until mid-2022, Orijen only offers dry foods for cats as well as a selection of freeze-dried treats.
All of Orijens foods contain high levels of animal ingredients. Their dry foods formulas are made with up to 90% animal meat and their wet foods are even higher, around 95%. Orijens promises that at least the first five ingredients in every diet are comprised of fresh or raw animal ingredients.
Aside from fresh and raw muscle meat, Orijen cat foods contain organs, bones, and cartilage in what Orijen describes as Whole Prey ratios. This combination is designed to approximate the ratios of animal parts a cat might consume in their natural whole prey diet.
Low-glycemic fruits, vegetables, and other additives constitute the remaining percentage of Orijens dry cat foods. Their wet food formulas are much lower in carbohydrate content, many under 5% carbs on a dry matter basis.
While Orijen foods rely heavily on fresh meat and botanicals to achieve nutritional completeness, many still contain synthetic vitamins, minerals, and amino acids like those found in most cat foods.
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Orijen: Cat And Kitten
This is my personal choice for my cats. I have been thinking of changing to Merrick: Before Grain due to the price but my cats are just so happy and so healthy on this dry food that I cant bring myself to change. Find out below why I think this is one of the best dry food for cats in the world.
Orijen: Cat and Kitten
Summary
My personal favourite dry food on the market. My cats have been perfectly healthy and full of energy using this for the majority of their lives. Very good quality of ingredients . Highly recommended dry food.
Who Makes Orijen And Where Is It Produced
Orijen is made by Champion Pet Foods, a manufacturer based out of Alberta, Canada. The company makes Orijen and Acana pet foods, and thats it, so you dont have to worry about it sharing a plant with lower-quality foods.
It doesnt outsource any part of the manufacturing process, ensuring that every single one of their foods is entirely within its control at all times.
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Orijen Cat Food Ingredients
Based on our scoring system, Orijen is an great quality dry cat food. The ingredients in this food match what cats need as an obligate carnivore.
When it comes to cats, theres no need for fanciness in food.
Cats eat mice, fish, insects, and birds. The organs, meat, and bones of these foods provide all the nutrients cats need.
We want an ingredient list high in these foodsand Orijen delivers on that front.
Their dry cat food range is 85-95% animal ingredients from a variety of sources including:
Awesome.
Other ingredients in the bags are plant based ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, and legumes. These foods dont do much for cats despite sounding fancy, and fruits raises the carb content.
Fortunately, none of the Orijen cat food range use grains, gluten, or potato in its ingredients.
Heres a run down of our score for three selected Orijen cat food choices.
The score is out of 100. A higher score is a sign of a better quality food. I take into account relative weighing of ingredients based on the labelling words as these words denote different quantities of food.
Read more about what that means over in my cat food labelling guide.
Below is our grade for Orijen ingredient quality.
Learn more about the ingredients in Orijen cat food on their website.
Ingredient Quality Grade: A
What Are The Cons Of Orijen Cat Food
The main downsides of Orijen cat food are the higher price, use of legumes, and lack of a wet cat food option. Their dry foods are a little high in carbohydrate than wed like.
Whilst the price is higher than average, the benefits of this cat food are worth the price compared to other dry foods.
Some customers report taste changes that reflect the use of US kitchens. The company Orijen is Canadian based, but opened new kitchens in the US using local products .
Another issue is the size of the kibble which may be too large or hard for some cats. Cats tend to gulp down foods .
On the other hand, Orijen uses rounder shapes that are easier to swallow and a smaller size for their kitten product.
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Orijen Dry Cat Food For Cats & Kittens Premium High Protein Fresh & Raw Animal Ingredients 4 Pounds
4 LB
2. Select Pickup Or Delivery
Free Curbside Pickup
Sunday 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Monday 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Tuesday9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Wednesday9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Thursday9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Friday9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Saturday9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Availability
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- Grain-free with 90%* protein-rich animal sources, 10% fruits, vegetables, and nutrients, and no added no added soy, corn, wheat or tapioca
- First 5 ingredients are always fresh or raw animal protein poultry and fish
- Coated with freeze-dried liver for a taste your cat instinctively craves.
- Made in the USA with the worlds finest ingredients
Orijen Cat Food Nutrition
The nutrition quality of Orijen is average. As with most dry cat food, Orijen is a little high in carbohydrate.
Orijen uses a lot great animal-based ingredients
but they also include fruit and vegetable ingredients on the bag.
This is why ingredient lists are tricky. They can look great on the surface, but not match a cats nutrition needs.
Lets take a closer look.
Cat food over 12% carbohydrate on a dry matter basis is not recommended.
Why?
A cat doesnt have the ability to digest and metabolize carbs as well as humans. They lack digestive enzymes and their liver doesnt adapt well to carbs.
Whilst they can digest a small amount, too much pushes the limits and poses a risk to health. This can include things like an increased risk of kidney disease long term.
Orijen cat foods are around 20% carbohydrate on a dry matter basis. Most dry foods are high .
Whilst Orijen is closer to a good carbohydrate target, its still too much. If all you feed your cat is dry food, then this would be too much carbohydrate for long term health.
The protein in Orijen is great at over 40% on a dry matter basis for all products. The quality of the sources of protein is good, as they are from whole animal-based foods.
I recommend choosing a cat food with 40-50% protein on a dry matter basis. AAFCO suggest at least 30% for all cats.
I prefer 40% as this is good for senior cats, that tend to struggle with protein digestion. Cats also prefer a diet closer to 50% protein on a dry matter basis.
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Which Types Of Cats Is Orijen Best Suited For
Orijen is one of the most expensive cat foods on the market, so its not for the price-conscious pet owner. Many feel that the food is worth every penny, but that wont make much difference if you dont have many pennies to spare.
Its extremely high in protein, so it should be suitable for just about any cat. Its probably best suited for younger cats, though, as it may be too nutrient-dense for seniors.
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Where Is Orijen Cat Food Sold
Orijen cat food is exclusively sold in-store exclusively through independent pet specialty retailers, much like other premium brands including Open Farm and Koha. You can also find their dry food formulas on Amazon and Chewy.
Because Orijens wet foods have only recently launched in May 2022, they arent available online yet. Before long, however, you should be able to purchase them through trusted online retailers and locally through independent and specialty pet food stores.
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Let Your Cat’s Obligate Carnivore Thrive
Made with the highest quality meats sourced from the United States, Orijen Grain-Free Dry Cat Food diets are high in protein, completely grain-free and made with gluten-free ingredients. The end result is a biologically appropriate diet that is whole prey, meaning it features the proper balance of meat, organ meat and cartilage.
Every Orijen Grain-Free Dry Cat Food diet is made with regional, freshly delivered ingredients and infused with freeze-dried meats and liver to deliver an added raw boost. Plus, every recipe has limited amounts of fruits and vegetables, just enough for the added benefits, and is low-glycemic and low carbohydrate to keep your cat thriving and healthy.
Honor the obligate carnivore in your cat with Orijen Grain-Free Dry Cat Food.
Country of origin: Manufacturer:
Orijen Cat & Kitten Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
Increase food by 10% in week 7, and 20% during weeks 8 and 9.
LactationIncrease food by 50% and feed 3 or 4 times daily.
Orijen Cat benefits cats and kittens of all breeds, ages and lifestyles. As each cat is different, feeding amounts will vary. Use the above chart as a guide and adjust feeding amounts accordingly. Feed twice daily and provide fresh clean water at all times. Maintaining proper body weight contributes to longevity. Remember, a healthy cat is lean and athletic.
It Doesnt Currently Offer Any Wet Foods
If you like to feed your cat canned food, youll need to find another brand, because Orijen only makes dry kibble at this time.
The reason that its stayed out of the wet food market is that most wet food is fully cooked, whereas Orijen likes to include a healthy dose of fresh and raw meat in its kibble. This is more biologically appropriate, of course, as youll never see cats in the wild cooking their meat over an open flame!
Want to see more cat food reviews? Check out our review page here!
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Orijen Cat Food Range
Orijen makes dry cat food and freeze-dried products.
Orijen offers a few flavors of cat food:
The Orijen cat food products are AAFCO approved for all life stages . This means they are suitable for senior cats as well.
Thats great!
Alrightnow for the the gritty analysis. What are the ingredients like in Orijen?
Lets find out.
How Much Does Orijen Cat Food Cost
Per ounce, Orijen cat food is mid-priced compared to other cat food options on the market. This brand is pricier than most dry cat food choices. This is due to the quality and quantity of animal protein in the products.
Cat food prices are always subject to change. Buying in bulk usually saves a good amount of money.
I compare options on a per ounce basis to find out how it compares to other options.
Here are some more affordable dry cat food options to check out:
A more pricier option is Ziwi Peak air-dried cat food. This is lower in carbohydrate than Orijen. See our review our Ziwi Peak cat food here.
The freeze-dried options are more expensive, which is not uncommon in this food type.Freeze-dried foods are nutrient-dense source of animal foods intended for treats.
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