Our Verdict
American Journey dry cat food receives the Cat Food Advisor rating of 4 stars.
American Journey use quality ingredients and avoids artificial additives, fillers, and by-products. It is one of the most affordable brands for pet parents.
Pros
- No artificial colors or flavors
- Quality protein source
- No animal by-products
- Grain-free
- Packed with vitamins and minerals
Cons
- Plant-based protein, including peas
Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (kitten), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
The American Journey dry product line has eight cat foods.
| Product line | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey & Chicken Recipe Grain Free | 4 | A |
| Chicken Recipe Grain Free | 4 | A |
| Indoor Recipe with Salmon Grain Free | 4 | M |
| Salmon Recipe Grain Free | 4 | A |
| Duck Recipe Grain Free | 4 | A |
| Indoor Recipe with Chicken Grain Free | 4 | M |
| Kitten Chicken Recipe Grain Free | 4 | G |
| Kitten Chicken Recipe Grain Free | 4 | A |
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Recipe and Label Analysis
American Journey Turkey & Chicken Grain Free recipe was selected to represent the other products in the line for a detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.
American Journey Turkey & Chicken Grain Free recipe
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Deboned turkey, turkey meal, chicken meal, tapioca starch, dried egg product, pea protein, peas, deboned chicken, natural flavor, menhaden fish meal, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), flaxseed, pea fiber, choline chloride, potassium chloride, inulin, dl-methionine, taurine, salt, spinach, apples, blueberries, carrots, cranberries, pumpkin, mixed tocopherols (preservative), ferrous sulfate, zinc proteinate, zinc sulfate, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, niacin supplement, copper sulfate, sodium selenite, copper proteinate, vitamin A supplement, thiamine mononitrate, l-carnitine, manganese sulfate, manganese proteinate, D-calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, folic acid, calcium iodate, vitamin D3 supplement, rosemary extract, yeast culture, dried enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried aspergillus niger fermentation extract, dried trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, dried bacillus subtilis fermentation extract
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4%
Red denotes any controversial items
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient is deboned turkey. Turkey is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of turkey”.1.
Turkey is naturally rich in the 11 essential amino acids required by a cat to sustain life.
The second ingredient is turkey meal. Turkey meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh turkey.
The third ingredient is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The fourth ingredient is tapioca starch, a gluten-free, starchy carbohydrate extract made from the root of the cassava plant.
The fifth ingredient is dried egg product, a dehydrated form of shell-free eggs. Quality can vary significantly. Lower grade egg products can even come from commercial hatcheries — from eggs that have failed to hatch. In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
The sixth ingredient is pea protein, what remains of a pea after removing the starchy part of the vegetable. Even though it contains over 80% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.
And less costly plant-based products like this can notably boost the total protein reported on the label — a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this cat food.
The seventh ingredient is peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, they’re rich in natural fiber. However, peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this cat food.
The eighth ingredient is deboned chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.2.
Just like turkey, chicken is naturally rich in the 11 essential amino acids required by a cat to sustain life.
From here the list goes on to include a number of other items. But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of the product.
We also note the inclusion of dried fermentation products in this recipe. Fermentation products are typically added as probiotics to aid with digestion.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, American Journey Turkey & Chicken Grain Free recipe looks like an above-average dry product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 44.4%, a fat level of 16.7% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 30.9%, alongside a fat-to-protein ratio of 38%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 43.6% and a mean fat level of 16.7%. Together these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 31.7% for the overall product line, alongside a fat-to-protein ratio of 38%.
This means the American Journey dry food product line contains above-average protein, near-average carbs and near-average fat when compared to typical dry cat food.
Final Word
American Journey dry cat food is one of the most affordable and high-quality products on the market. Its recipes are nutritionally similar to other quality cat foods yet in a slightly lower price range.
Has American Journey cat food been recalled in the past?
No, there are no recorded recalls for American Journey.
You can view a complete list of all cat food recalls since 2021 here.
To stay on top of any cat food product recalls, sign up for our free email alerts, here.
About
American Journey Pet Food is an exclusive brand owned by Chewy.com, first launched in 2017, and sold almost exclusively through Chewy’s website.
All of American Journey’s pet food is made in the U.S.A. by a manufacturer in Kansas, with ingredients sourced primarily from the United States but also Mexico, China, Chile, New Zealand, and Germany.
Sources
Best cat foods
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Article reviewed by
Veterinarian
Dr Georgia Jeremiah has a first class honors degree in comparative pathology with field experience in anatomic and clinical pathology, studying disease processes in a multitude of species.
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