Your cats are members of your family, so it's only natural that you want to choose the best food. Orijen cat food is made using premium ingredients from a biologically appropriate perspective, meaning it's suitable for the little carnivores you share your home with.
You can trust that any Orijen food is of high quality, but you'll still need to choose which is right for your cats. Orijen Six Fish Grain-Free Dry Cat Food is an excellent choice that's suitable for cats in all life stages.
Orijen makes both dry and wet cat food, although its wet food is new and less widely available.
Some Orijen foods are suitable for cats in all life stages. This means both kittens and adult cats can eat them. However, others are only for kittens or only for adult cats.
Kittens have particular dietary needs to support their rapid growth, so it's best to choose a dedicated kitten food or one that's suitable for all life stages. If you feed kitten food, you can switch to adult cat food once your cat reaches 12 months of age.
Foods suitable for all life stages have higher protein and fat content than adult cat foods. Therefore, you should watch the weight of your adult cat if you feed this type of food.
Orijen food is "biologically appropriate," which means it's formulated to meet the natural dietary needs of pets. Cats are obligate carnivores and are meant to eat meat. In the wild, cats eat prey whole, including organs and cartilage.
Known for its high protein content, cat food made by Orijen contains between 80% and 95% animal ingredients.
Some formulas are developed with certain needs in mind, such as weight loss or overall health. Others are designed to cater to particular palates, such as seafood formulas for cats who love fish.
Orijen's dry food comes in 4- or 12-pound bags with the smaller costing roughly $25-$35 and the larger $65-$70. Wet Orijen cat food costs approximately $2 for a 3-ounce can.
A. Orijen describes its food as being made using fresh or raw ingredients. While this is true, it's also somewhat misleading. The ingredients might be raw to begin with, but the foods are cooked during processing, so the finished products aren't raw. If you're looking for raw cat food, Orijen isn't the right option for you. However, it is a high quality food that contains premium ingredients.
A. You shouldn't simply switch one cat food for another overnight. This can lead to digestive issues and is why some pet parents end up thinking a new food doesn't agree with their cats. Instead, you should gradually introduce the new food over 12 to 15 days.
Start by feeding 75% of the old food and 25% of new food for four to five days. Next, feed 50% old food and 50% new food for four to five days, followed by 25% old food and 75% new food for another four to five days. At this point, you can start feeding just the new food, completely phasing out the old one.
Orijen Six Fish Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
What you need to know: With six types of fish as the first ingredients, this is a protein-packed food for seafood loving cats.
What you’ll love: It contains 90% animal ingredients and a selection of vegetables, legumes and added vitamins and minerals. The fish is wild caught to minimize environmental impact. It's rich in naturally occurring omega fatty acids that are good for heart health.
What you should consider: Some people find the smell too pungently fishy — though cats might appreciate this.
Where to buy: Sold by Chewy and Amazon
Orijen Guardian 8 Dry Cat Food
What you need to know: Suitable for adult cats, this food focuses on eight key health benefits.
What you’ll love: This food is good for muscle maintenance, immune support, skin and coat health, digestive health, brain function, eye health, joint health and heart health. It's made using free-range or wild-caught meats.
What you should consider: It's fairly calorie dense, so you'll need to watch for weight gain if your cat is used to a lighter food.
Where to buy: Sold by Chewy and Amazon
Orijen Fit and Trim Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
What you need to know: Lower in calories and fat than other Orijen foods, it's a great choice for cats who need to lose weight or who gain weight too easily.
What you’ll love: It's made from 85% animal products, including biologically appropriate whole prey ingredients. It's easily digestible and excellent for skin and coat health. The first five ingredients are all meat and fish.
What you should consider: While it can help control weight, it can't work miracles if cats aren't active enough or eat too much.
Where to buy: Sold by Chewy and Amazon
Want to shop the best products at the best prices? Check out Daily Deals from BestReviews.
Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
Lauren Corona writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.